Pause for photos and reflection as you gaze up to Montecassino Abbey, poised high above the Liri Valley. The hilltop silhouette recalls the battle of 1944 and the resilience of the Benedictine order that made this a beacon of faith.

Founded by St. Benedict in the 6th century and rebuilt after wartime destruction, the abbey’s commanding perch offers a moment of contemplation between southern shores and the Umbrian hills ahead.

Walk the stone lanes of this medieval hill town to the terraces of the Basilica of St Francis, where luminous cycles attributed to Giotto narrate the saint’s life. Quiet streets, honey-colored walls and olive-draped slopes frame a place long shaped by pilgrimage spirit.

Uncover the legacy of Francis and Clare, whose message of humility resonated across Europe. From Piazza del Comune to sacred precincts, Assisi blends spiritual calm with enduring artistry.

Cruise by private launch into the heart of the lagoon to St Mark’s Square, gliding past the Doge’s Palace and beneath the storied Bridge of Sighs. The domes and mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica rise over arcaded waterfront palaces and bobbing gondolas.

Step inside a Venetian glassblowing workshop to watch artisans transform molten glass into filigree forms, preserving techniques refined on Murano since 1291. Craft, tradition and watery light define the Venetian mood.

Explore Piazza Bra and admire Verona’s 1st-century Roman Arena, where operatic voices still soar beneath ancient arches. Stroll marble-paved streets and arcaded squares that evoke Shakespearean Verona with a thoroughly Italian polish.

Learn how Roman skill and Renaissance flair shaped the cityscape, from sun-warmed facades to elegant boutiques along Via Mazzini. History feels close at hand amid cafés, colonnades and piazzas designed for la dolce vita.

Visit Lake Como and stroll a graceful lakeside promenade framed by alpine-backed waters and elegant villas. Cypress-dotted shores, classic ferries and mountain reflections set a serene northern Italian scene.

Hear about Como’s silk-weaving heritage and the grand villas that have lured artists, aristocrats and modern-day stars. The blend of lake breeze, garden scent and bell-tower chimes makes this a memorably refined pause.

Visit the Piazza dei Miracoli to view the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the circular Baptistery, their creamy marble facades glowing against emerald lawns.

Discover why writer Gabriele d’Annunzio dubbed it the “Field of Miracles,” and how medieval builders expressed birth, life and death across this trio of monuments. Subtle carvings and arcaded galleries reward close looking.

Join a guided walking tour through Florence’s Renaissance heart to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s bell tower and the Baptistery’s gilded Gates of Paradise, before continuing to the Ponte Vecchio arching over the Arno.

In Piazza della Signoria, tales of the Medici and civic power animate statues and the crenellated Palazzo Vecchio. Marble, bronze and sandstone combine in a compact open-air museum of ambition and beauty.

Explore the archaeological core of Rome on a guided visit through the Roman Forum and up Palatine Hill along the Via Sacra, where triumphs once paraded past temples and basilicas to the Temple of Saturn.

Panoramas over the Colosseum and forum ruins bring ancient politics, religion and daily life into focus. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Taste Rome at a traditional Roman trattoria, settling in for a convivial multi-course meal of local specialities such as cacio e pepe and saltimbocca, paired with house wine for a lively Roman evening.

Warm hospitality, vintage décor and the hum of Italian conversation set the tone as classic recipes meet seasonal ingredients. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Experience the Amalfi Coast on a scenic excursion to Positano, following a famed cliff-hugging road above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Pastel houses tumble to pebbly coves and bougainvillea scents the breeze.

Enjoy free time to browse boutiques or linger over a coffee as fishing boats bob offshore. Photostops reveal sea-to-mountain panoramas. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk the stone-paved streets of Pompeii with a Local Specialist to see frescoed villas, bathhouses and the Forum, preserved beneath the ash of Mount Vesuvius since AD 79.

Inscriptions, mosaics and bakeries reveal daily routines suddenly stilled, offering unmatched insight into Roman urban life. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Glide on a classic gondola ride along narrow canals and under arched bridges, viewing palazzo-lined waterways from the perspective Venetians have known for centuries.

The quiet dip of an oar and ripples of reflected facades set a timeless mood as hidden courtyards and campi slip by. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the lagoon to Burano for a relaxed seafood lunch amid pastel-coloured houses, where fishermen once painted facades as bright as their boats and a delicate lacemaking tradition took root.

Fresh Adriatic flavors, local wines and canal-side tables pair with unhurried island rhythms and photo-ready vistas. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a Local Specialist for lakeside stories, a scenic stroll and an artisan tasting in Como, adding color and flavor to the elegant shoreline you’ve admired.

Hear about silk-weaving heritage and cinematic villas while sampling a sweet local treat. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Savour a Tuscan countryside dinner in a welcoming farmhouse setting, featuring seasonal dishes drizzled with local olive oil and glasses of Chianti wines raised among friends.

Stone walls, rustic beams and country views frame time-honored recipes—ribollita, handmade pasta, rosemary-scented roasts—served with warm hospitality. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

See illuminated Rome on an evening drive past baroque fountains and grand piazzas, followed by a traditional dinner with live entertainment for a spirited finale to your Italian journey.

The glow of facades and softly lit monuments sets a celebratory mood as musicians provide the soundtrack to classic Roman dishes. This Choice Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a guided panoramic tour of Rome with a Local Specialist, taking in powerful perspectives of the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the vestiges of the ancient Roman Forum. Cross the Tiber to admire the vast sweep of St. Peter’s Basilica and Bernini’s embracing colonnade in St Peter’s Square.

Hear how emperors, popes and citizens shaped the Eternal City’s layers, from imperial avenues to Baroque piazzas. Architectural stories and lively street scenes reveal Rome’s character without the need to queue for individual sites.

Explore the lanes of Sorrento on an orientation walk and soak in the seaside atmosphere from cliff-top viewpoints over the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Meander past artisan workshops and produce stalls where the area’s “world’s best lemons” scent the air.

Hear how local intarsia marquetry and limoncello traditions flourished here, and discover the fishermen’s quarter of Marina Grande with its bobbing gozzi boats and pastel facades framing the shoreline.

Costsaver

• 9 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Dinner (D)

• See St. Peter’s Basilica, view the Colosseum and see the ancient sites with your Local Specialist
• Visit this popular resort
• See the monastery on the hill top
• Visit the town of St. Francis
• Cruise to St. Mark’s Square and visit a traditional glassblowing workshop
• View the Roman Arena
• Visit Lake Como
• View the Leaning Tower
• With your Local Specialist, see the Baptistery, the Ponte Vecchio, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto’s Bell Tower

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners, with optional meals to purchase
• 3-star stays

• Assisi: See the Basilica of St Francis, of the grandest achievements of the 13th Century with its carved stone, sweeping arches and centuries-old frescoes lining its walls
• Venice: Discover the ancient skill of Venetian glassblowing and play a part in preserving this traditional craft.
• Venice: As you journey along some of the water highways of the city, famous sights such as the Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs come into view and introduce you to Venice before docking near St. Mark’s Square.
• Verona: During an exploration of Verona, admire the remarkably preserved Roman Arena and the city’s beautiful Piazza Bra.
• Pisa: In the Piazza dei Miracoli, see the baptistery, cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Florence: Join a Local Specialist to view the Multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square.