- Hotel St. Martin, Rome.
- Best Western Regina Elena, Santa Margherita Ligure.
- Hotel Simplon, Baveno
- NH Venezia Rio Novo.
- Hilton Garden Inn Florence Novoli.
- Hotel Isabella, Sorrento.
- Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello.
- RG Naxos Hotel, Taormina.
- NH Palermo.
Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Florence: Stand beside Michelangelo's monumental statue, 'David', in the Accademia Gallery, and admire the exquisite technique and absorbing history behind the world's most famous sculpture.
- Florence: Wander through the market stalls and browse for local Italian souvenirs and leather goods on a guided shopping tour.
- : Our Well-Being Directors take a proactive approach to your welfare ensuring all well-being regulations are met (available on tours with 21 or more guests).
- : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhancedwell-being and hygiene protocols.
- : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
- : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- : "A type of food I really love introducing my guests to is the street food because it tells a lot about the habits of the locals, it can be a slice of pizza folded up or a sfogliatella in Naples, an arancini, a gelato in Sicily, or a cannolo. "
- : "One thing I really love about showing guests about Italy is how art and beauty can be found around every corner of some of Italy's cities, which are real open air museums."
- : "One fun fact people don't usually know before they come to Italy is that the Italian alphabet only has 22 letters."
- Rome: Enjoy a Welcome Dinner with your fellow travellers at a uniquely Roman local restaurant.
- Florence: Enjoy a traditional Bistecca alla Fiorentina steak dinner paired with delicious local wine, a specialty not to be missed.
- Palermo: At a local restaurant, enjoy fresh, rustic dishes served with local wine at your Celebration Dinner.
- Dining Summary: 8 Dinner with Wine (DW), and 16 Breakfast (B)
- Vatican: Gain priority access into the Vatican Museums and admire the famous Bramante Staircase. Witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and view the splendid dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
- Rome: Discover ancient treasures of Rome with a passionate local. See Circus Maximus and the Ancient Forum, and stand beside the Colosseum, which bears witness to the limitless courage of the gladiators.
- Pisa: Your Local Expert will show you the baptistery bristling with marble spines, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the 11th century cathedral and of course, the famous Leaning Tower in the Square of Miracles.
- Cinque Terre: Led by your Local Expert, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site with dedicated time to explore two of the five charming fishing villages.
- Portofino: Visit this elegant fishing village and admire the coloured houses and yachts moored in the harbour.
- Lake Maggiore: Step out with your Travel Director to experience the charming traditional social ritual of la passeggiata. All across Italy, in cities, towns and villages people leave their houses to gently walk streets, from babies in strollers to the most senior citizens. Savor a gelato or glass of wine along the way and observe, as new romances, new babies and new shoes are all put on display. Note the ever-stylish Italians love to dress up for the occasion so feel free add a touch of flair to your outfit!
- Venice: With your Travel Director cruise to St. Mark's Square and see the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Basilica.
- Venice: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you are serenaded, travelling through the atmospheric canals by gondola.
- Florence: Stand beside Michelangelo's monumental statue, 'David', in the Accademia Gallery, and admire the exquisite technique and absorbing history behind the world's most famous sculpture.
- Florence: Wander through the market stalls and browse for local Italian souvenirs and leather goods on a guided shopping tour.
- Florence: Join a Local Expert 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. See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods.
- Pompeii: Walk with a Local Expert through the cobbled streets of this ill-fated town, frozen in time since the 1st century.
- Sorrento: Perched upon the cliffs, lookout to see the mighty Mount Vesuvious across the Bay of Naples.
- Capri: Cruise by jetfoil to this famous isle through beautiful blue Mediterranean waters to meet your Local Expert.
- Capri: Explore Capri town with your Local Expert and see the whitewashed houses, winding alleyways, small cafes, fashionable boutiques and artisans studios.
- Capri: Relax and enjoy the views as you are driven in an iconic open-top taxi.
- Matera: With your Local Expert explore this town that Mel Gibson chose as the setting for his film 'The Passion of the Christ.'
- Alberobello: Led by your Travel Director, explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing the Trulli of Alberobello. Circular structures with conical roofs that are domed within, built from local limestone and stacked without using mortar.
- Alberobello: Led by a Local Expert, explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing the Trulli of Alberobello. Circular structures with conical roofs that are domed within, built from local limestone and stacked without using mortar.
- Messina: Cross the Straights of Messina to Sicily by ferry.
- Taormina: Visit the ancient Greek Ampitheatre with your Local Expert. Set on a cliff, open to the sky, take your seats and enjoy the view through the crumbling arches to Mount Etna.
- Taormina: During your orientation with your Travel Director, visit the courtyard of Palazzo Corvaja, seat of the first Sicilian parliament, and stroll along Corso Umberto to Piazza IX Aprile.
- Palermo: Discover the Sicilian capital with your Local Expert. See Pretoria Square and the 16th century fountain. View the composite architectural styles of the Palermo Cathedral and visit the Cathedral of Monreale.
- Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft.The workshop advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
- Alberobello: Dine at Trattoria Terra Madre, where owner Alessandro and his nonna have built a restaurant that focuses on sustainability and creating jobs for locals. Everything is grown organically and harvested on site, and excess produce is donated to their community. The restaurant sources their produce locally, implements a strategy to reduce their food waste and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.Trattoria Terra Madre,advances UN Sustainable DevelopmentGoal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production.
What's this trip about?
Art, food, and scenery combine in this 17-day guided tour through Italy. Revel in Renaissance artwork housed in the Vatican Museums and gaze at Michelangelo’s famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. See Rome’s iconic Colosseum as a Local Expert shares its history. In coastal Cinque Terre, stop in two fishing villages and cruise the rugged Ligurian coast, admiring the colorful homes perched on the cliffs. See statues of Neptune, Hercules and Cacus, and feast on a steak dinner and local wine in Florence. In Sorrento, meet a Local Expert for a cruise to Capri, where you can take an open-top taxi to the top of the island for an unapparelled view of the Mediterranean Sea. In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello, meet a restauranteur who will share his farm-to-table philosophy and serve you freshly made orecchiette pasta.
Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizePrivate - your group only
Age rangeOperator does not provide
Flights and transportAll internal transport included (including local flights)
Start CityRome
End CityPalermo
Travel Themes
Activities
Trip includes
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.