Grand Tour of Italy

Grand Tour of Italy

LeShuttle to Calais and overnight stay in northern France on a bed and breakfast basis.

Grand Tour of Italy

Travel through the lovely scenery of Switzerland to Montreux, beautifully set on the shores of Lake Geneva with the Alps rising behind it. Enjoy some time to explore this elegant lakeside resort before crossing the Alps into Italy’s Aosta Valley and continuing to our overnight hotel in northern Italy, with dinner included.

Grand Tour of Italy

We continue on to Montecatini Terme, stopping en route in Lucca. Step inside the impressive Renaissance walls surrounding the city and wander its beautifully preserved historic centre, with atmospheric streets, elegant piazzas and pretty cafés and shops. We then continue to our hotel in Montecatini Terme.

Grand Tour of Italy

Today is yours to enjoy Montecatini Terme at leisure. Explore this elegant spa town, relax at the hotel or, if you’ve got itchy feet, catch the train to Pisa for a chance to see its world-famous Leaning Tower.

Grand Tour of Italy

We head to Florence, undoubtedly one of Italy’s most charming cities. Admire the Palazzo Vecchio, stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, still home to gold and silversmiths, or see the true icon of the city, the magnificent Duomo, with its terracotta-tiled dome and impressive bell tower by Giotto. Explore at your own pace or join our optional guided walking tour, taking in some of Florence’s most famous sights and discovering more about the city’s fascinating history, art and architecture.

Grand Tour of Italy

We leave Montecatini Terme and travel through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Siena, a beautifully preserved hilltop city surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. Wander through the atmospheric streets, admire the magnificent Piazza del Campo or take in the striking cathedral before we continue south towards Tivoli Terme.

Grand Tour of Italy

We start this exciting day of sightseeing with a guided city tour of Rome. Highlights include Via Veneto, Santa Maria Maggiore, Circus Maximus, Ponte Sisto, Castel Sant’Angelo and the iconic Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre built in the Roman Empire. We then continue on foot to some of the city’s most famous sights, including the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Spanish Steps. Afterwards, there’s free time to explore Rome at your own pace before returning to the hotel.

Grand Tour of Italy

There’s plenty to choose from today. Relax at the hotel and make use of its spa and wellness facilities (at extra cost), visit the nearby Acque Albule thermal baths or catch the direct train to historic Tivoli. Once a hillside escape for Roman emperors, Tivoli is home to the magnificent Villa d’Este, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa Gregoriana. Alternatively, you could travel by train back into Rome for another day in the Eternal City.

Grand Tour of Italy

We travel north through Tuscany, stopping in historic Arezzo. Explore the sloping Piazza Grande, browse the pedestrianised Corso Italia or admire the Basilica of San Francesco before we continue to our hotel in the Verona area.

Grand Tour of Italy

We discover romantic Verona, famously associated with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and home to the magnificent Roman Arena. Explore the atmospheric historic centre before continuing to Lazise, one of the loveliest resorts on Lake Garda. Wander through the old port, where cafés line the picture-perfect harbour, admire the 12th-century Scaliger Castle or stroll along the lakeside promenade, gelato in hand, taking in the beautiful views.

Grand Tour of Italy

Enjoy a day at leisure or join our optional excursion to Venice. Explore this floating work of art, where canals, bridges and beautiful piazzas create postcard-perfect views around every corner. See St Mark’s Square and the Bridge of Sighs, watch the gondolas glide along the canals or simply wander and discover the city at your own pace. For even more insight, you can also join an optional two-hour guided walking tour.

Grand Tour of Italy

We make a short stop in lakeside Lugano, where Swiss and Italian influences meet against a spectacular Alpine backdrop. Enjoy time for lunch and a stroll before continuing to our overnight hotel in eastern France.

Grand Tour of Italy

We continue our journey home, stopping in Nancy for some time to explore before continuing to our overnight hotel in France, with a light evening meal included.

Grand Tour of Italy

 After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Stroll Verona’s storybook lanes to see the mighty Roman Arena and the balconies and courtyards associated with Shakespeare’s lovers at Juliet’s House. Browse lively markets around Piazza delle Erbe as frescoed facades glow in soft Verona stone.

Continue to Lazise on Lake Garda for a relaxed waterfront wander. Trace the harbour’s curve under the battlements of Scaliger Castle, pause along the lakeside promenade for gelato, and take in Alpine-kissed reflections rippling across Italy’s largest lake.

Explore Arezzo’s stone-paved core, centred on Piazza Grande beneath the elegant Vasari Loggia. Follow medieval alleys and antique shops that speak to the town’s long tradition of craftsmanship and trade.

Admire the Basilica of San Francesco, famed for Piero della Francesca frescoes depicting the Legend of the True Cross, and trace layers from Etruscan origins to Renaissance refinement. Arezzo’s hilltop vistas and quiet lanes reward the unhurried wanderer.

Discover Siena’s honey-hued streets and the shell-shaped heart of the city, Piazza del Campo, where the Palio horse race thunders twice each summer. Meander medieval lanes draped with banners of the city’s historic contrade (neighbourhoods).

Admire the striking, striped marble of the Duomo and the skyline bristling with noble towers. From Gothic palazzi to quiet cloisters, Siena’s prosperity from banking and pilgrimage is etched into its architecture, creating a living tableau of Tuscan history.

Walk within Lucca’s intact Renaissance walls, a green ring now topped with shady promenades and views over terracotta roofs. Drift through cobbled streets to the oval Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built on the footprint of a Roman arena.

Spot the tree-topped Guinigi Tower rising above church spires and pause by San Michele in Foro’s ornate facade. Lucca’s calm rhythm, café culture and artisan shops offer a gentle counterpoint to Tuscany’s larger cities.

Unwind on Montreux’s flower-strewn path along Lake Geneva, where palms and blooms fringe a glittering shoreline backed by the Alps. Breathe in crisp mountain air as boats glide across cobalt water.

Gaze towards Château de Chillon and snow-touched peaks composing Switzerland’s classic Alpine backdrop. Belle Époque villas, music heritage and waterside cafés lend a cultured mood to this elegant Riviera-style resort.

Soak up the Mediterranean flair of Ticino as you stroll the arcaded waterfront of Lake Lugano. Palms, promenades and pastel facades set a relaxed pace in this crossroads of Swiss precision and Italian warmth.

Pause in Piazza della Riforma to watch café life unfold and admire hillsides dotted with villas and funicular lines. The Swiss-Italian ambience is palpable in the cuisine, language and leisurely lakeside scene.

Visit Nancy’s harmonious 18th-century ensemble at Place Stanislas, a grand square graced with fountains, arcades and glittering gilded gates. Classical facades frame a setting designed for princely ceremony and civic pride.

Explore nearby streets echoing with Art Nouveau creativity from the École de Nancy. Elegant pâtisseries, wrought-iron balconies and tree-lined promenades reveal a city where French refinement meets a flourishing decorative arts tradition.

Experience Venice’s cinematic beauty as you arrive to shimmering lagoons, ornate palazzi and echoing campi. Stand in the embrace of St Mark’s Square, admire the Doges’ legacy and watch gondolas slip beneath the Bridge of Sighs.

Wander quiet lanes to the Grand Canal and discover artisan workshops tucked between marble churches and stone bridges. This excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour; a guided walking tour can be added for deeper insight.

Join a guided walking tour to decode Venice’s symbols and stories around St Mark’s Basilica, the arcaded Doge’s Palace (exterior) and the lively markets near the Rialto Bridge. Navigate hidden calli and small squares few visitors find.

Hear tales of merchants, mariners and artists who shaped La Serenissima’s maritime empire, and learn how tides, trade and faith forged its distinct identity. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour for guests visiting Venice.

Join a guided walking tour through Florence’s historic core to the marble-clad Duomo complex, the sculpture-studded Piazza della Signoria and the arches of the Uffizi courtyard. Trace the river to views from the Ponte Vecchio.

Hear how Medici patronage nurtured masters of painting, sculpture and architecture, and decode facades, symbols and stories often missed when exploring alone. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore Florence, cradle of the Renaissance, where the skyline is crowned by the Florence Duomo with Brunelleschi’s terracotta dome and Giotto’s bell tower. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, still lined with goldsmiths, and linger in artisan streets and sunlit courtyards.

Admire civic Florence around Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, framed by statues and fountains that speak to Medici power and artistic genius. From church facades to workshops, the city’s layers of sculpture, architecture and craft come alive at every turn.

Join a guided panoramic tour of the Eternal City, tracing grand boulevards and ancient avenues to view the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, stately Via Veneto, Santa Maria Maggiore and Castel Sant’Angelo. Feel Rome’s scale unfold as domes and triumphal arches rise above the Tiber.

Continue on foot through baroque showpieces to the Trevi Fountain, the time-honoured Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. Hear stories of emperors, popes and artists that shaped a city layered with history, where marble facades and lively piazzas reveal Rome’s living museum.