Set out along one of Europe’s most spectacular roads to drive the Amalfi Coast, where cliffs plunge to sapphire seas. Stop to visit Positano, descending flower-trimmed lanes to boutique-lined beaches and postcard viewpoints.

Marvel at cliff-hugging corniches and pastel houses stacked amphitheatre-style above Tyrrhenian panoramas. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, showcasing a UNESCO-listed shoreline shaped by nature and seafaring culture.

Discover stylish Milan with views of the Duomo di Milano, La Scala’s famed facade, and the soaring iron-and-glass arcades of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Continue to Lake Como for time in a refined lakeside town framed by villas and cypress.

Contrast cutting-edge fashion with alpine serenity as the lake mirrors peaks and neoclassical gardens. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Discover Rome with a Local Specialist as you join a guided panoramic tour that takes in the expanse of St. Peter’s Square to see St. Peter’s Basilica and the colonnades embracing the faithful. Cross the Tiber to admire views of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where triumphal arches and weathered columns outline the city’s imperial heart.

Hear how Rome evolved from Roman Republic to Empire and later to the capital of modern Italy. Learn the stories behind papal Rome and the ancient amphitheatres and temples that still define the city’s skyline.

Explore Sorrento’s cliff-top lanes and fishing quarter on a scenic coastal orientation, pausing to gaze over the Bay of Naples. Citrus groves scent the air as you wander colorful streets lined with artisan workshops and balconies brimming with bougainvillea.

Learn how this Riviera town charmed Grand Tour travelers and see traces of its famed marquetry tradition. Breathe in the sea breeze, linger by the marina, and soak in the harborside atmosphere framed by Capri and the Sorrentine Peninsula.

Walk the serene medieval lanes of Assisi with your Travel Director, pausing to view the Basilica of St. Francis whose twin levels crown the ridge. Pink Umbrian stone glows in the light as olive groves and valleys unfold below this sacred town.

Hear of St. Francis’s humility and the Franciscan legacy while admiring facades linked to centuries of spiritual devotion. Learn about the Giotto fresco cycle and why pilgrims still walk the hilltop town in search of quiet reflection.

Glide across the lagoon as you cruise by private launch to the heart of Venice. Step into the drama of St. Mark’s Square with camera-ready views of the Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs, and the basilica’s shimmering mosaics and domes.

Absorb the atmosphere of the former Serenissima, where the winged lion of Venice still stands guard. Your arrival by water sets the tone for a city that rose to power on trade, art, and maritime daring.

Discover Venetian glassblowing at a traditional workshop and watch master craftsmen at work coaxing molten glass into graceful forms. Hear the hiss of the furnace and see colors bloom as canes and filigree are shaped with time-honed skill.

Uncover the centuries-old Murano tradition, born when medieval furnaces moved from Venice for safety and secrecy. Learn how artisans transform sand and fire into chandeliers, goblets, and lace-like creations prized across Europe for generations.

Stroll Verona’s elegant streets to view the Roman Arena, an immense first-century amphitheatre still hosting open-air performances. Continue to stroll Piazza Bra, lined with historic cafés and neoclassical facades that frame the city’s everyday theatre.

Consider how Roman engineering met medieval prosperity here, where frescoed palazzi and arcaded lanes hint at a cultured past. Verona’s blend of antiquity and Renaissance taste gives the city an easy, refined rhythm.

Pause in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino to enjoy a lakeside promenade along Lake Lugano. Palm trees and tidy flowerbeds meet mountain silhouettes, while arcaded squares hum with café chatter and clinking espresso cups.

Experience the region’s Swiss-Italian blend of style and ease—gelaterie, boutiques, and immaculate parks set to an alpine backdrop. It’s a refreshing snapshot of cross-border culture where Mediterranean moods meet Swiss precision.

Visit the Campo dei Miracoli to see the Leaning Tower beside the Duomo, Baptistery, and Camposanto—an exquisite Piazza dei Miracoli quartet in creamy stone. Photograph the famous tilt and admire the cathedral’s arcaded nave and marble patterns.

Learn how this Romanesque marble ensemble symbolizes life’s stages—birth, life, and death—and why soft subsoil created the tower’s characteristic lean. The site’s serene lawns and sculpted facades offer a study in medieval ambition and artistry.

Join a guided walking tour of Florence to view the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s bell tower, and the Baptistery with Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Continue to Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio, where goldsmiths still line the medieval bridge.

Hear of Medici patronage and the spark of the Renaissance that reshaped Europe. Florence’s leather and jewelry traditions, artisan workshops, and sculpted squares reveal a city steeped in beauty and civic pride.

Explore Siena’s honey-hued lanes to the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, stage for the city’s famed Palio horse race. View the striking striped cathedral and the graceful Fonte Gaia as medieval towers and palazzi frame the scene.

Hear tales of contrade (districts) and centuries of friendly rivalry that animate the Palio tradition. Discover why local bakeries still champion spiced panforte, a Sienese specialty cherished since the days of merchant bankers.

Explore Baroque Rome after dusk as you join an evening walking tour through elegant squares and lantern-lit lanes. Take in Piazza Navona and the Pantheon before pausing at the Trevi Fountain to hear the stories flowing with its waters.

Discover Bernini’s flourish and Rome’s convivial street life when the city glows. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, ideal for savoring Rome’s timeless mood without daytime crowds.

Sit down in a welcoming Roman trattoria for a relaxed evening of typical Italian cuisine. Expect Roman classics such as cacio e pepe or saltimbocca, seasonal contorni, and a sweet finish—paired with regional wines and easy conversation.

Learn the meaning of convivialità as courses arrive in generous Italian style and the dolce vita mood takes over. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Explore Pompeii with a Local Specialist, tracing Roman footsteps along basalt streets to forums, villas, and bathhouses. Walk the ancient streets where frescoes and mosaics survive in haunting detail beneath Vesuvius.

Confront history at the casts of the victims and learn how the AD 79 eruption froze a city in time. This optional experience, at additional cost and bookable on tour, reveals urban planning, trade, and daily rituals in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

Ride a traditional gondola through serene back canals for water-level views of hidden courtyards and stone bridges. Continue with a Grand Canal cruise to admire palazzi facades unfurling between domes and campanili.

Glide beneath the Rialto Bridge as centuries of commerce and craftsmanship drift by. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, perfect for embracing Venice’s quiet rhythms beyond the busy piazzas.

Cruise to Burano across the Venetian lagoon to a fishing island famed for rainbow-hued houses reflected in quiet canals. Stroll seaside lanes where laundry flutters and boats bob gently at painted quays.

Learn about Burano’s delicate lace-making tradition and linger in sunlit squares over an espresso as the island’s languid pace unfolds. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Head into the hills for a convivial Tuscan countryside dinner featuring rustic regional specialties paired with Chianti wines. Expect platters of cured meats, handmade pasta, rosemary-scented roasts, and seasonal dolci.

Enjoy live music and warm hospitality in a farmhouse setting where stone walls and vineyard views set the scene. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Celebrate your journey with a convivial farewell dinner in a traditional neighborhood trattoria. Share traditional Roman dishes—from antipasti and seasonal pastas to hearty secondi—accompanied by local wine and lively conversation.

Raise a glass to the people and places that shaped your adventure and say arrivederci in true Italian style. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Costsaver

• 12 Breakfast (B)
• 4 Dinner (D)

• See St. Peter’s Basilica and see the ancient sites with your Local Specialist
• Visit this popular resort
• Orientation tour and views of the Basilica of St. Francis
• Cruise to St. Mark’s Square and visit a glassblowing workshop
• View the Roman Arena
• Visit this magnificent resort
• Enjoy a free day
• See the Leaning Tower
• Sightseeing with a Local Specialist with views of the Cathedral and Ponte Vecchio
• Visit the medieval city and see the Piazza del Campo famous for the Palio horse race

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

• Rome: Experience Rome through the eyes of a local, as a passionate Roman guides you past the city’s most iconic sites.
• 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.
• Siena: See the Fountain of Joy, striped cathedral and vast Piazza del Campo.