The European summer is drawing closer, which means it’s a great time to be booking your Italy vacation for 2023. From the stunning Renaissance architecture of Florence to the romantic canals of Venice, the beautiful island of Capri and the laid back lifestyle of Sicily. Italy offers something for everyone, be it food, architecture, history, or sunshine. Our multi-day coach tours are a great way to see the many sights of Italy in comfort, fully escorted by a licensed Italian tour guide and packed with inclusions such as skip the line tickets to Pompeii and the Vatican, a spritz experience in Venice and wine tasting in the Sicilian countryside.
If you’re looking to visit Italy in 2023 or beyond, then read on to find out more about our itineraries! And check out our website for more information about the tours, inclusions, hotels, group sizes and more!
Italian Expresso – 5 days
The perfect trip if you’re short on time, Italian Expresso sets off from Rome, taking in the medieval towns of Assisi and Siena before arriving in Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. There’s guided sightseeing and plenty of free time too during your two nights here. Then its onwards to discover Bologna, Padua and the canal city, Venice. More guided sightseeing follows, including a visit to iconic St Mark’s Square and you’ll enjoy an included spritz or prosecco experience in the city. There’s time for lunch in the Tuscan countryside before you return to Rome where this tour ends.
Please note that this trip doesn’t include sightseeing in the Italian capital, so if you would like to explore Rome we recommend booking one of our longer tours, or arriving a few days prior to the start of your trip in order to visit the city independently.
Rome, Florence & Venice – 8 days
If you book our 8-day Rome, Florence & Venice tour then we’ll be there to meet you at the airport in Rome, and you will be transferred to your hotel. You’ll enjoy a sunset walking tour of Rome to see the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and much more at the most romantic time of day.
On day 2 it’s time to depart, visiting Assisi and Siena en route to Florence, where you enjoy a guided tour and free time. There’s an optional day trip to Pisa too, or you can choose to stay in Florence and book a visit to one of the city’s famous galleries. There are visits to Bologna and Padua before you arrive in Venice for two nights.
Returning to Rome via the Tuscan countryside, you will enjoy a guided skip-the-line visit to the Vatican City and a final free night in the Italian capital before your tour comes to an end. There’s an included departure transfer to the airport on this tour too.
La Dolce Vita – 11 days
That famous Italian saying, ‘La Dolce Vita’ translates to ‘The Sweet Life’. And that is exactly what you’ll experience on this 11-day tour! You’ll enjoy a great mixture of included sightseeing and free time in Rome, Florence and Venice, as well as a guided tour of Vatican City, lunch in Tuscany and stops to explore Assisi, Siena, Bologna and Padua.
If this wasn’t enough for you, then it’s time to head south from Rome to Naples, birthplace of the pizza. You’ll tuck into this regional specialty for yourself and enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Capri from Vomero Hill. Then you’ll skip the line to visit the legendary ruins of Pompeii, which was buried under ash when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Another highlight of this tour is a visit to the exclusive Mediterranean island of Capri. You’ll take a row boat to the famous Blue Grotto and enjoy free time to roam the island independently before returning to Rome, where your Italian soiree comes to an end.
This is our most comprehensive tour of mainland Italy, and it’s the one we recommend for first time visitors to the country who want to see as much as possible!
Rome, Naples & Sicily Highlights – 11 days
This tour is best for those who have visited Florence and Venice before and are ready to explore a different part of Italy. Following your evening walking tour of Rome, you’ll depart for Naples on day 2. Taste some delicious pizza and explore Pompeii before arriving in Sorrento, and enjoy an excursion to Capri the next day.
Then it’s time to take the overnight ferry to Palermo, capital of Sicily. This is the largest island in the Mediterranean and a popular destination for return visitors to Italy. You will enjoy a guided tour of the city and an entire free day to soak up as much or as little as you want. Then we start exploring the Sicilian coastline.
You’ll admire the UNESCO-listed cathedral in Monreale and take in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, which rivals even the great Acropolis of Athens. You’ll see one of the best-preserved Roman mosaics in Piazza Armerina and the 16,000 seater amphitheatre in Ragusa. This tour ends in Taormina with an included visit to Mount Etna – one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. Conditions permitting, you can even hike to the summit if you like!
Sizzling Sicily – 7 days
Our 7-day Sizzling Sicily takes in the best of this Mediterranean island, perfect for returners to Italy who have already seen the sights on the mainland. This tour starts in beautiful Palermo and there is a guided walking tour of the 3,000-year-old city. You will also visit Monreale and Erice, a medieval village hugging the cliff face, where little has changed since the 6th century. We visit the Saline della Laguna salt pan and the incredible Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.
From Agrigento we take in the 3,500 square metre mosaic floor of Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina and the plethora of Baroque architecture in Ragusa. In Syracuse we visit the Neapolis Archaeological Park, home to a Roman amphitheatre and the Ear of Dionysius, a natural limestone cave. Then it’s on to Taormina, where the tour ends after an included excursion to Mount Etna.
Perfect Puglia – 6 days
Our Perfect Puglia tour is a little different to the rest of our Italian offering. It’s a slower paced tour of Italy’s heel, the beautiful region of Puglia. And the maximum group size on this tour is just 15, an intimate size.
Your tour starts in Bari, the capital of the region, and you will enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the charming and historic city centre. Then it’s on to Castel del Monte, an octagonal fortress shrouded in mystery; no one really knows what its original purpose was. In Alberobello you spend two nights in a traditional trullo stone house – a unique experience and one you are sure to remember.
Other highlights include the UNESCO-listed cave dwellings of Matera, and the glistening white towns of Locorotondo and Ostuni before you arrive in Lecce. There is a sightseeing tour of the city and a visit to Otranto before your farewell dinner. You will travel to a rustic farm and restaurant in the countryside where you can learn how authentic Italian pasta is made, see the farm’s medieval tombs and tuck into a dinner made using the finest local produce.
This Puglia tour is the perfect trip for travellers who have visited central Italy before and are after something a little different.
So that’s our Italy group tour offering for 2023 and beyond. If you have a question about any of these trips then make sure to reach out to our team. And we hope to see you in Italia very soon!
