Italian Expresso

Rome - Assisi - Siena - Florence. Welcome to Italy! It's an early start as we depart Rome at 07:15 and journey to the medieval walled town of Assisi. There's time to visit the picturesque Basilica of St Francis independently if you choose.

Then we continue to Siena, a UNESCO-protected town known for its incredibly narrow streets, medieval brick buildings and fan-shaped main square: Piazza del Campo. After a short visit, we continue to our hotel in Florence, where dinner is included.

Please note: The tour departs at 07:15 on Day 1 from the Hotel St Martin in Rome. Please arrive in Rome the day before your tour to ensure you don't miss the coach.

Today we enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Florence, 'Cradle of the Renaissance' and home of Michelangelo. Take in the beautiful Duomo, formally known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Other highlights of the city include the town hall - Palazzo Vecchio and the Basilica of Santa Croce, burial place for illustrious Italians including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. We tuck into lunch at a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce, and the rest of the day is at leisure.

Spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take a short trip to Pisa (optional), for a tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s symbol “the Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery.

Florence - Bologna - Venice. Departing Florence, we drive to beautiful Bologna, capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Stroll through the elegant city centre to see some of the beautiful porticos and shopping streets. Walk from Piazza Malpighi to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore in the heart of the city, and here, marvel at the historic Palazzo Podestà see the Basilica of San Petronio, one of the largest Gothic churches in the world built with bricks.

We'll then delve into Bologna’s reputation as Italy’s gastronomic capital with an included street food experience. You can enjoy a light lunch at a local eatery as you sample a variety of traditional and modern delicacies that showcase the city’s rich culinary heritage.

Later in the afternoon, we continue to Venice, where we check into our hotel for the next two nights.

After breakfast, it's time to explore perhaps Italy's most famous and romantic destination. The floating city is a photographer's dream, and we'll be taking in the main highlights. Our tour begins in Piazza San Marco, in English known as St Mark's Square. It's the focal point of the city, dominated by St Mark's Basilica. We also see the Gothic Doge's Palace and the legendary Bridge of Sighs.

After our tour, we enjoy some cicchetti (Italian tapas) and a glass of prosecco in our beautiful setting and there is free time for you to explore further - we strongly recommend a gondola ride on Venice's famous canals!

Venice - Tuscany wine region - Rome. Leaving Venice, we head into Tuscany, one of Italy's most idyllic regions. A land known for its beautiful scenery, historic castles, and some of Italy's finest wines. We enjoy a stop in the medieval town of Montepulciano for lunch, where you can try a glass or two of the region's vino. Then we have a short amount of free time to explore the town further, before returning to Rome. Our tour arrangements ends when we get back to the city.

Please note: We will not arrive back in Rome until late afternoon or early evening, so please be aware of this when arranging your flights. We would encourage you to stay in Rome for an extra night, and book your onward flight for the day after our tour concludes.