• 4 Dinner (D)
• 21 Breakfast (B)

• London: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Rome: If you require arrangements to be made for your accessibility needs, please inform your Trip Manager as soon as possible. We try our best to contact all accommodations and secure ground floor rooms for easy wheelchair access.Please remember that Italy can be physically challenging to get around. Coaches can’t access historical centers, and there will be lots of walking (on roads that are often uneven and cobbled). Travellers with accessibility needs will find this trip challenging.
• Madrid: Yep. Usually, we arrange a buffet for all your included meals. If you’d like a vegetarian option, please inform your Trip Manager beforehand, and they’ll sort it out for you.
• Rome: This would depend on the museums & attractions you’re planning to visit. If you’d like to know the exact timings, please contact our 24×7 Helpline to access your day-to-day itineraries to check when you’ll have free time in each city.
• Madrid: Of course! Just inform your Trip Manager if you need refrigeration on the coach. Please remember that the fridge is turned off overnight, so you’ll have to take your medication with you into your accommodation. We recommend that you bring a cooler bag with you as a backup. It’s your responsibility to store your medication with care. 

• Rome: Stroll around the Italian capital, ticking off some sights on your bucket list! 
• Rome:  Kick back with your Contiki crew and feast on some yummy Italian cuisine – served at a local restaurant working to train and provide jobs for members of the community with disabilities.
   
• Siena: This medieval Tuscan city is packed with charming photo ops. From the Duomo to Piazza del Campo. 
• Florence: See the Duomo, Basilica Santa Croce, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery & Piazza della Signoria on a locally guided walking tour of Florence.
• Pisa: Your ultimate chance to ‘hold the tower up’ as you pose for that classic Insta snap. 
• Lucca: Ramble around the cobbled streets of this Renaissance walled city in Tuscany. It’s an Insta post waiting to happen! 
• Cinque Terre National Park: We’ll take care of your rail pass, so you can just zip around the iconic clifftop villages and focus on the Insta stories. Wanna hike around too? You’re welcome to explore on foot along the way.
• Verona: This is the address behind the legendary love story. Visit Juliet’s House and see the spot that turned Verona into a global icon.
• Venice: Speed across the lagoon to the aqueous island of Venice.
• Rome: Wander through the ruins of the ancient Roman Empire’s political heart, while our Local Guide peels back the layers of history & reconstructs the past. From the assassinations at the Forum to the bloody battles in the Colosseum, learn how the roots of Western culture started here. 
• Amalfi Coast: Definitely one for the bucket list. Your chance to view one of Europe’s active volcanoes from a distance. 
• Capri: Chill on the beaches of this Mediterranean jewel. Explore the famous boutiques then stop off for a Spritz in the sun. 
• Amalfi Coast: Live your best life like a local (on a ferry!) as you glide through azure seas, past cliffs filled with rainbow-coloured buildings. 
• Positano: Ramble through the wisteria-lined streets and past sun-bleached houses as you live La Dolce Vita. Don’t forget an iconic selfie with the village backdrop.
• Catania: Time to take to the sky. Catania, here we come!
• Catania: Stroll around the ancient Sicilian port at the foot of Mount Etna. See the Piazza Stesicoro and the Baroque and Renaissance buildings of Via dei Crociferi.
• Taormina: Greek and Roman ruins. Sun-drenched beaches. Epic Italian food. There’s so much to do in this seaside town, you’ll never want to leave. 
• Noto: Float around this opulent Sicilian city, taking in the Baroque architecture and panoramic views as you go.
• Agrigento: Explore the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, a UNESCO-listed site featuring some of the world’s most treasured Greek art and architecture.

Explore Noto’s baroque streets, taking in ornate facades and broad views as you move through this southeastern Sicilian town. Its principal thoroughfare, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, provides a setting for admiring the architecture.

Noto was extensively rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 and is part of the UNESCO-listed late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto. The warm-toned stone, carefully planned streets and grand civic and religious buildings give the centre its cohesive appearance.

Contiki

Walk through Rome’s historic streets with your Contiki group on an included orientation of the Italian capital. Take in the city’s celebrated sights and begin to find your bearings among its busy piazzas, ancient remains and monumental architecture.

Rome’s layers of history are visible at street level, where traces of the Roman Empire sit alongside Renaissance palaces and everyday city life. This walk offers an introduction rather than entry to individual monuments.

Share an included Italian welcome dinner with your Contiki group at a local Rome restaurant. The meal is an opportunity to meet fellow travellers over Italian cuisine in a setting rooted in the city’s community.

The restaurant works to train and provide jobs for people with disabilities, giving this first gathering a purpose beyond the table. It is a social introduction to the journey and to a local initiative.

Explore Siena’s UNESCO-listed historic centre, a Tuscan city of brick lanes and richly detailed medieval buildings. See the setting of Piazza del Campo and admire the exterior of Siena Cathedral as you discover the city on foot.

The shell-shaped piazza remains Siena’s civic heart and is the setting for the Palio horse race. Its surrounding streets preserve much of the character of the medieval republic, making this a rewarding stop for architecture and photography.

Sit down to an included feast of local delicacies in Florence, a city with a deeply rooted Tuscan food culture. Share the table with your travelling companions and get a taste of the regional flavours that distinguish this part of Italy.

Florentine cooking is closely associated with seasonal produce and straightforward preparations that let ingredients speak for themselves. This group meal offers a culinary welcome to the city without promising a fixed menu or a cooking demonstration.

Join a locally guided walk through Florence to see the Duomo and Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery, Basilica di Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria. Discover how these landmarks fit into the compact historic centre on foot.

Florence’s public spaces tell the story of a powerful Renaissance city, from the cathedral complex to the civic square beside Palazzo Vecchio. The tour focuses on the landmarks and their setting; entry inside the buildings is not specified.

Ramble through Lucca’s cobbled historic streets, discovering Tuscan piazzas, old cafés and Renaissance-era architecture. The city’s intact walls give its centre a distinct sense of place and make it especially inviting to explore on foot.

Lucca developed as a prosperous independent city, and its streets retain an intimate scale within the broad circuit of defensive walls. Look for the contrast between grand facades and quiet lanes as you take in this walled Tuscan town.

Visit Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli to see and photograph the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its unmistakable tilt makes the cathedral bell tower one of Italy’s most recognisable sights and a memorable subject for a playful photograph.

The tower began to lean during construction because of the ground beneath it. Its marble arcades stand within a monumental ensemble that also includes the cathedral and baptistery. Climbing the tower is not specified as part of this visit.

Explore Cinque Terre National Park with an included rail pass, travelling between its five colourful coastal villages at your own pace. The itinerary also provides for hiking, so you can choose to walk where trails are open and suitable.

These settlements cling to the Ligurian coastline above small harbours, terraced hillsides and the sea. Combining rail travel with time on foot lets you compare each village’s character while taking in the steep landscape that defines Cinque Terre.

Pause at Lake Como to take in the water and the elegant atmosphere of one of northern Italy’s best-known lake destinations. The included stop gives you a chance to enjoy the lakeside setting without committing to an activity on the water.

Steep slopes frame the lake, while waterfront buildings speak to its long appeal as a retreat. A separate boat ride is offered as an optional experience for travellers who want a view from the lake itself.

Visit Juliet’s House in Verona, the address associated with the city’s enduring Romeo and Juliet tradition. See the location that draws visitors to this historic city for a glimpse of its literary romance.

Shakespeare set his tragedy in Verona, and the house’s connection to Juliet belongs to that tradition rather than to a documented historical person. The visit offers a chance to consider how a fictional love story became part of Verona’s identity; interior entry is not specified.

Board an included private boat to Venice, crossing the lagoon towards the city’s historic heart. Arriving by water offers a view of the setting that has shaped Venetian life for centuries.

Venice grew from islands in a shallow lagoon into a maritime trading power, and boats remain integral to moving through its watery landscape. This crossing is the included experience; gondola rides and the Burano Island cruise are separate optional choices.

Explore Bologna’s UNESCO-listed porticoes, the covered walkways that give the city’s streets their distinctive rhythm. They offer a way to take in the historic centre while discovering a feature woven into everyday life.

Built and extended over many centuries, Bologna’s porticoes shelter pedestrians from sun and rain while linking shops, squares and homes. The city is also renowned for its food traditions, making its streets a lively place to experience Emilia-Romagna’s urban culture.

Explore the Roman Forum and Colosseum with a Local Guide, tracing the political and public life of the ancient empire. Hear how the Forum functioned as a civic centre and how the Colosseum staged spectacles for vast crowds.

Among the ruins, stories of power, conflict and daily life help reconstruct a city whose institutions influenced later Western history. The itinerary identifies this as an included guided experience, bringing context to two of Rome’s most significant ancient landmarks.

Discover Capri’s coastal setting, with time to enjoy its beaches, browse its boutiques or settle in for a drink in the sun. The island’s cliffs and compact townscape make it a distinctive stop in the Bay of Naples.

Capri has long attracted visitors for its Mediterranean scenery and fashionable atmosphere. This included island visit leaves room to explore its character independently; the cruise with swimming stops is a separate optional experience.

Travel by ferry along the Amalfi Coast, looking towards steep cliffs and clusters of colourful buildings from the water. The sea-level perspective reveals how dramatically the coastal towns fit into the landscape.

Along this stretch of southern Italy, mountains meet the Tyrrhenian Sea, leaving settlements perched on slopes or gathered around small harbours. The included ferry experience makes the coastline itself the focus, with open views of its rocky contours and waterside architecture.

Look out towards Mount Vesuvius from a distance during your time in southern Italy. Its broad volcanic profile is a defining feature of the landscape around the Bay of Naples and a striking sight to recognise from afar.

Vesuvius is an active volcano, known particularly for the eruption that buried Pompeii in AD 79. This included experience is a distant view of the mountain, not an ascent or a guided visit to its crater.

Walk through Positano’s steep, winding streets, passing sun-washed houses and corners lined with flowering plants. Take in the village’s layered backdrop, with buildings descending the hillside towards the sea.

Positano’s vertical layout is part of its appeal: narrow pedestrian routes connect terraces, viewpoints and the waterfront. This included visit gives you the chance to experience the Amalfi Coast’s architecture at street level as well as photograph its celebrated panorama.

Stroll through Catania’s historic centre at the foot of Mount Etna, seeing Piazza Stesicoro and Via dei Crociferi among its urban landmarks. The walk introduces the Sicilian port through its streets and richly detailed architecture.

Catania’s baroque townscape is part of the UNESCO-listed late Baroque cities of southeastern Sicily. Rebuilding after the devastating 1693 earthquake helped shape the appearance seen today, while the volcano’s presence remains central to the city’s identity.

Ride the Taormina cable car between the hillside town and its coastal area, taking in the sharp change in elevation that defines this Sicilian destination. The journey connects Taormina’s elevated streets with the seafront below.

Perched above the Ionian Sea, Taormina brings together mountain scenery, a historic town and beaches within a small area. The included cable-car ride offers a practical way to experience that geography and enjoy views across the coast.

Visit an organic farm for a Tastes of Sicily experience centred on farm-fresh flavours. The stop offers a closer connection to the island’s produce and the people who grow it, with food served in its agricultural setting.

Sicilian cooking draws on a long history of cultivation and exchange, making local ingredients an important part of understanding the island. The itinerary does not specify a fixed menu or hands-on cooking, so the focus is on the farm visit and tasting experience.

Explore Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO-listed archaeological landscape of ancient Greek temples, sanctuaries and a necropolis. Walk among the remains and see how this vast sacred area sits within the Sicilian countryside.

Ancient Akragas was one of the major Greek cities of the Mediterranean. Its surviving temples offer unusually powerful evidence of that heritage, making the site a chance to encounter Sicily’s Greek past on a monumental scale.

Stroll through Cefalù’s winding cobbled streets towards its waterfront, where the town’s fishing traditions remain part of the scene. Take in the contrast between the old town’s close-knit lanes and the open coast.

Cefalù’s historic centre sits beneath a great rocky headland, giving its streets and shoreline a distinctive setting. This included walk is an opportunity to notice everyday coastal life as well as the town’s layered Sicilian character.

Join a walking tour through Palermo’s historic centre to hear about the city’s fight against organised crime and the rise of the anti-Mafia movement. The experience places a complex modern history within the streets where Palermo’s public life unfolds.

Beyond headlines and fictional portrayals, local stories illuminate the courage and civic action behind efforts to resist Mafia influence. This guided walk offers a more thoughtful way to understand Sicily’s capital and the people working to shape its future.

Gather for an included alfresco farewell dinner in Palermo at a venue described as the ‘bistro of second chances’. Share a final meal with your travelling companions in the open air of Sicily’s capital.

The setting gives this dinner a character beyond a routine hotel meal, pairing a group celebration with a locally rooted venue. It is a chance to reflect on the journey over food in a city known for its lively culinary culture.

Experience an optional Tuscan evening in Florence featuring a risotto demonstration, local wine, antipasto and something sweet to finish. Watch the cooking demonstration and enjoy the flavours together in a convivial setting.

The combination of a live food demonstration and shared courses offers more than a standard dinner, highlighting the social side of Italian dining. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Opt for a wine experience at vineyards outside Lucca, stepping beyond the walled city to enjoy the Tuscan countryside. The activity offers a way to explore the area’s wine culture in the landscape where its grapes are grown.

Vineyards are a longstanding part of Tuscany’s agricultural identity, and their setting provides a contrast to Lucca’s stone streets. Specific wines and tasting arrangements are not detailed. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take an optional boat ride on Lake Como to experience its mountain-framed scenery from the water. The ride provides a different perspective on the lakeside setting from the included shore stop.

Lake Como’s steep banks and waterfront settlements have made water travel a natural part of life here. Viewing the shoreline from a boat brings its dramatic geography into focus. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional gondola ride in Venice for a water-level view of the city’s canals and buildings. Travelling in one of its distinctive boats offers a quieter, closer perspective than the included lagoon crossing.

Gondolas are closely associated with Venice’s long history as a city built around waterways. Their narrow shape is suited to navigating its canals and tight turns. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional cruise to Burano, leaving central Venice for an island known for brightly coloured houses beside its canals. The journey offers a chance to see another part of the Venetian Lagoon.

Burano has a distinct island identity and a longstanding lace-making tradition. Its vivid streets and waterside views contrast with the grandeur of central Venice. This cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose a dinner in a converted underground wine cellar in Rome, a distinctive setting for a meal and Italian wine. The cellar atmosphere offers an alternative to dining in the city’s open-air piazzas.

Rome’s layered buildings often conceal spaces beneath street level, lending this venue a character of its own. The itinerary presents the meal as a choice on a free evening, rather than an included dinner. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional guided walk through Pompeii, the ancient Roman town buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Explore its preserved streets with a guide who can bring the town’s history into focus.

Volcanic material preserved an extraordinary record of Pompeii’s buildings and urban layout, offering a direct sense of life in a Roman town. This guided experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take an optional tour of Naples focused on the city’s history and food culture. Discover more about a place whose busy streets and culinary traditions have a character distinct from the other Italian cities on this journey.

Naples has deep historical roots and is famously associated with pizza, but the itinerary does not specify particular tastings or stops. The tour offers guided context for its culture and cuisine and is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an optional cruise around Capri with stops to swim in turquoise coves. Seeing the island from the sea reveals its dramatic cliffs and rocky shoreline, away from the bustle of its cafés and boutiques.

Capri’s coastal scenery is a major part of its Mediterranean appeal, and time in the water makes this a more active alternative to exploring on land. The cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit an optional family-run lemon farm on the Amalfi Coast to learn about a crop closely tied to the region. The family’s ancestors introduced lemon cultivation here, giving the visit a personal link to its agricultural history.

Lemon growing helps shape the coast’s terraced landscape as well as its food traditions. The visit offers an opportunity to hear that story from a local family; specific tastings are not stated. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a local chef in Rome to make your own pasta, learning through a hands-on cooking experience. Sit down to eat what you have prepared, turning the lesson into a shared meal.

Fresh pasta is an enduring part of Italy’s regional food culture, and making it yourself reveals the skill behind a familiar dish. This chef-led experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cook with local food professionals in Taormina in an optional class focused on Sicilian specialities such as arancini and cannoli. Learn about the preparation behind these much-loved savoury and sweet foods.

Sicily’s cooking reflects the island’s ingredients and layered cultural history. A practical lesson offers a closer connection to those traditions than simply choosing from a menu. This class is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take an optional ride up Mount Etna, passing vineyards and orchards on the slopes of Europe’s highest active volcano. The excursion brings Sicily’s volcanic landscape into view beyond the coastal towns.

Etna’s eruptions have shaped the island’s terrain, while its fertile slopes support cultivation. Conditions and the exact route are not specified, but the journey offers a closer look at this defining natural feature. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional cruise along Cefalù’s coast to enjoy the town and its shoreline from the water. It offers a relaxed scenic alternative to spending the day on the beach.

Cefalù’s old town sits beneath a prominent rocky headland beside the Tyrrhenian Sea, creating a distinctive profile when viewed offshore. The cruise makes that coastal setting the centre of the experience and is at additional cost and bookable on tour.