Highlights of Italy

Intrepid Travel Premier
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. 2- Easy
Lodging Level: You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping. Basic (2*)
8 days
From: $ 1,670 $ 209 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Explore rocky coastal pathways and pastel-coloured villages with a Cinque Terre day pass, which allows you to hike at your leisure and use the coast's public transport.
  • Get lost in the floating city of Venice and wander the city's maze of alleyways, canals and lagoon islands, and choose whether to enjoy an optional gondola ride.
  • Spend two days in Florence, a city known for its beauty and rustic Tuscan cuisine, and choose to discover the cities culinary traditions on optional food excursions.
  • Squid ink spaghetti, rich Tuscan soups, a slice of pizza eaten while you gaze on centuries-old architecture – the food culture in Italy is intoxicating.
  • Discover the landmarks of Rome with your leader and wander around the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, the Forum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Via Dei Condotti.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Cooperativa Coraggio. Donations help them regenerate 22 hectares of unused public land to create local jobs and produce organic food in Italy.

Short Description

How long does it take to fall in love? In a country where history spills from the world-class museums and on to the streets, where tiny osterias serve up life-changing pasta and sumptuous architecture sits on canals and perched on cliffs, we think eight days can easily do the trick. Begin your Italy adventure among the canals of Venice, hike through the charming Cinque Terre, soak up beauty and history in Florence and wind up in the piazzas of Rome. With plenty of free time for independent exploration and the freedom to discover Italy's history and culture at your own pace, there's no better way to see this wonderful pocket of Europe.

Style Small group tour
Off the beaten track trips will stretch your comfort zone. They don't always feature tourist highlights, but dive deeper into local life and culture.
Itinerary Focus Off the Beaten Path
You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping.
Lodging Level Basic (2*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Venice
End City Rome

Destinations

Italy

Activities & Interests

N/A

Age Requirement

15-99

No Single Supplement
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Itinerary

Day 1 Venice

Welcome to Venice! This watery wonderland of bridges, towers, piazzas, canals, churches and gondolas – practically unchanged for 600 years – is literally sinking under the weight of its iconic sights. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early and with time to spare the Grand Canal is a great place to start, as you can stroll over the Rialto Bridge and browse the endless amounts of boutique shops that sell Venetian masks and handmade Murano glassware. After tonight's group meeting perhaps enjoy an optional dinner with your fellow travel companions at a local restaurant.

Day 2 Venice

Today, you’re free to explore Venice at your own pace. There are only two ways to get around this city – on foot or by boat. Maybe take the Vaporetto (water bus) over to the island of San Giorgio to climb the bell tower for views over the city. Or fulfil a bucket list favourite and take a journey down the Grand Canal in a Venetian gondola if you haven’t already. Your leader will show you where to get the best cicchetti today, a tasty local snack that Venice is famous for. Get involved in the lively social scene at a local bácaro or simply watch the world go by at a restaurant perched on the edge of the canals. 

Day 3 La Spezia

Board a morning train through the scenic north of Italy to the once important naval base of La Spezia (approximately 6–7 hours). La Spezia is known mainly as the gateway to the gorgeous Cinque Terre (Five Lands). The name comes from the five tiny villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – positioned on a series of coves between sheer cliffs. On arrival in La Spezia there won't be too much time to explore (that’s what tomorrow is for), but after checking into your hotel perhaps get your bearings with a short walk around the pedestrian zone on Via del Prione or head out for dinner with the group.

Day 4 Cinque Terre / La Spezia

Spend today exploring winding footpaths and pastel coloured villages with your included Cinque Terre Pass. Your leader will walk you to two of the five villages, and the pass gives you access to the paths and trains of the area for 24 hours. Please consult your leader on which walking section is right for you, as some have challenging uphill stretches, narrow paths, steep cliffs and foot bridges. Alternatively, take the train between any of the villages, or back to the group's base in La Spezia whenever you want. After working up an appetite, maybe take advantage of an optional pesto class. Focaccia is also a speciality in this area and makes a great start to lunch, if you’d prefer.

Day 5 Florence

Depart La Spezia today and catch a train to Florence (approximately 3.5 hours). On arrival, check into the hostel and go for a brief walk around the immediate area to get your bearings. Florence is one of the most culturally rich and beautiful cities in Italy, known to many as the beating heart of Tuscany. The Medicis, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Machiavelli, Donatello and Michelangelo all lived in Florence at the height of their creative reign. Food is a major part of the city's identity and the optional activities on offer reflect this. Maybe explore the city’s culinary history (and taste some local treats) on a Florence Foodies Walk with Urban Adventures. Carnivores might be drawn to try the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the Florentine Beef Steak, essentially a huge T-bone steak that comes with classic sides.

Day 6 Florence

Enjoy another day in beautiful Florence. It's impossible to see everything in this Renaissance wonderland, so the best idea is to relax and pick a few things you really want to do. Maybe start with a visit to the Galleria dell'Accademia where you can see Michelangelo's famous statue of David, or perhaps stop by the Uffizi, one of the world's oldest art galleries. Active types might want to walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, which is set on a hill on the south bank of the Arno River, to take in beautiful views of the city – a lovely way to while away the day. There are plenty of optional activities on offer during your time here, so be sure to grill your leader for the details on each so you can get a sense of what interests you.

Day 7 Rome

Take the morning train to Rome (approximately 2 hours). Join your leader on an orientation walk around the city to see icons such as the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine, the Forum (centre of ancient Rome), the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Via Dei Condotti and Piazza Venezia. Phew. After all that history it’s probably time for lunch. Maybe grab a slice of the good stuff and a strong espresso at the Piazza Navona. You can spend your afternoon how you wish and there are plenty of heavy hitters to choose from. Maybe enter the Vatican and check out St Peter's Basilica. Art lovers could visit the Sistine Chapel to admire the timeless work of Michelangelo, while history buffs may enjoy a jaunt through the ancient halls of the Pantheon. Rome is packed full of trattorias that cater to every taste and budget, so this evening maybe link up with the group for dinner.

Day 8 Rome

Your adventures come to an end today. There are no activities planned and you're free to depart the accommodation at any time after check-out. As there is so much to see in Rome, we recommend you stay a little longer to soak it up. We are happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). Please speak to an agent at the time of booking.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 1,670
Price Per Day: $ 209 per day
Checking price
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4,407 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

94%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 3,319
Great 671
Average 144
Disappointing 80
Terrible 193
Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

Highlights of Italy

Italy - All the Highlights!

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I had been on a couple Intrepid trips and I had been to Italy a couple of times... however this was the best time that I've had on either. Really a great group with a varied mix of people from across the globe. Really had a great time in Venice and Cinque Terra specifically due to our really funny and outgoing guide Maurizio. Florence was a good time as well and we had a lot of free time to explore as we wanted. I also recommend going in the Spring as the weather was cool but very comfortable and there weren't big crowds.
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The trip was very well planned and

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
The trip was very well planned and organized. I could not have seen or done as nearly as much on my own. Our leader Kent Benson was excellent. He kept us on track and was very knowledgeable. He started each destination with a walking tour that was invaluable. It was the right combination of organized travel, yet time to yourself.
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Our guide, Kent Benson, was wonderful.

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our guide, Kent Benson, was wonderful. He was a wealth of information about the cities we visited, which made the tour so much more interesting and fun.
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This Highlights of Italy trip was our

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
This Highlights of Italy trip was our third trip with Intrepid. Our Italy trip did not disappoint. The combination of locations, tour guide and experiences were fantastic. We would definitely recommend Intrepid to others as well as book our future tours through Intrepid.
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For a person travelling alone for

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
For a person travelling alone for the first time, I had company and guidance. Like the environmental_x000D_
Consciousness of Intrepid trVel. _x000D_
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the group was too big. in

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
the group was too big. in busy rail stations it was easy to get left behind

Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport Train

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Maximum Number of People in Group: 16

Accommodations

Hotel (3 nights),Hostel (2 nights),Guesthouse (2 nights)

Guides

All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Age Notes :

Min. Age: 15

Max Age: 99

Additional Information

Finish point

  • B&B Hotel Roma San Lorenzo Termini
  • Via dei Sabelli, 177
  • Rome
  • 00185
  • ITALY

Trip ID#:

intrepid-ZMRR

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