“I find other countries have this or this, but Italy is the only one that has it all for me. The culture, the cuisine, the people, the landscape, the history. Just everything to me comes together there.”
Our Explorer Tours offer the perfect combination of freedom and expertly guided experiences.
Ideal for couples or small groups wanting a more intimate travel experience. Enjoy the freedom of independent travel without the stress of being completely on your own. A seamless balance of self-exploration and guided support. You can explore at your own pace, indulging in spontaneous adventures, whether discovering hidden beaches or wandering through charming villages. At the same time, enjoy the benefit of curated tours that provide insight into your destination’s rich history and culture, guided by knowledgeable locals who bring the stories of ancient ruins and vibrant neighborhoods to life. This balance ensures a personalized and enriching experience, allowing for both, intimate moments and shared discoveries that make for unforgettable travel memories.
Embark on a budget-friendly Italian adventure, exploring iconic cities and regions renowned for their rich history and culture. Begin in Rome, where ancient landmarks like the Colosseum and Vatican City captivate with their grandeur. In Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance, marvel at artistic masterpieces and historic architecture.
Rome – Venice
One of our local hosts will greet you and transfer you to your hotel via semi-private transportation. We’ll kick-off the evening with a welcome dinner at a charming local trattoria. Let the fun begin!
Dinner
After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the Colosseum and the Fori Imperiali with a local tour guide. Skip the line with our local hosts! The Roman Forum, known as Forum Romanum in Latin, was at the center of ancient Rome and hosted significant religious, political, and social activities. Historians believe public meetings began in the open-air Forum around 500 B.C. when the Roman Republic was founded. This rectangular area, situated between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill, housed many of the city’s most impressive temples and monuments. Today, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum are among the world’s most famous tourist sites, attracting over 12 million visitors annually.
In the afternoon, you can explore Rome on your own by visiting places like the Circus Maximus, the Isola Tiburtina, and La Bocca Della Verità, a marble mask at the entrance of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, the site of the ancient Forum Boarium (the old cattle market). It attracts visitors who daringly stick their hands in its mouth.
Breakfast
After Breakfast, You will visit Vatican City, the smallest country on earth. Meet our host and skip the line with our tour guide. Prepare to be amazed at your guided visit to St Peter’s Basilica and the Capella Sistina.
In the afternoon, you will be able to spend the rest of the day visiting modern Rome and places like the Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi and Piazza di Spagna on your own, enjoy the city or do some shopping.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you will take the fast train to visit Naples, the homeland of pizza, limoncello, and ice cream. After checking in at your hotel, you will join a small group on a guided tour of downtown Naples. Dating back some 3,000 years, Naples is one of the oldest cities in the world and the most densely populated city in Europe. Greek settlers established an early colony there and founded the ancient city of Neapolis (“new city”).
The distinct Neapolitan culture was born then and survived even after the Romans conquered the area. After checking in at your hotel, you will visit on foot Spaccanapoli, the Duomo, Piazza Dante, and the “Quartieri Spagnoli,” and stop to taste some of the delicacies that Naples is famous for limoncello, baba, mozzarella di buffalo, and the strong espresso that is also an expression of the city’s soul. For the rest of the afternoon and evening, explore the city, whose gulf is called the most beautiful in the world, overlooking Mount Vesuvius.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you will visit Pompei. The city was destroyed in 72 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the most extensive continental volcano in Europe, which is still active today. Visiting this almost intact city, you will understand the Roman Empire and its influence on the world today.
After a light lunch, we will continue visiting the Amalfi Coast. Deemed by Unesco as being an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape, the Amalfi Coast is a beguiling combination of incredible beauty and gripping drama: coastal mountains plunge into the sea in a stunning vertical scene of precipitous crags, picturesque towns, like Sorrento, Positano & Amalfi, and lush forests. There are multiple shops in the towns we will visit where you can enjoy dinner or snacks on your own.
In the evening, return to your hotel.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you will take the fast train to visit Florence, Tuscany’s most famous city. Every year, millions of people visit the Cradle of the Renaissance, visiting its leading museums and strolling through its streets to gaze at and admire its monuments, churches, palazzos, and more. We will get to know about the Renaissance, the Medicis family, and some of its most famous citizens like Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo.
After checking in at your hotel, our guided tour will meet you in the afternoon and take you across Florence on foot to visit places like the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Piazza dell’Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. Il Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. After our tour, you can visit Florence at your own pace and do some shopping or even visit the Uffizi Gallery, which exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.
Breakfast
Today, you will visit the famous Tuscany countryside (group visit in a minivan or bus). the Tuscany landscape is incredibly beautiful, with its olive groves, fields of sunflowers, vineyards and stone farms, ancient medieval castles, and enchanting Renaissance cities. It will be a delight just to contemplate the infinite paintings that will be found on our trip. We will stop to visit San Gimignano, a Unesco Heritage Site This small town contains within itself the essence of Tuscany: its aspect, simply elegant and sophisticated, is a perfect combination of local art and architecture, which harmonizes perfectly with the surrounding enchanting landscape. San Gimignano rises on top of a hill 334m above sea level, clearly visible in the distance with its many towers. Today 13 towers remain of the 72 towers of the fourteenth century when every well-off family built a tower to show its economic power (many of them are still visible in the buildings, even if they were cut off).
Afterward, you will head out to a unique location in the Chianti countryside to enjoy a wine tasting. Once you hop off the bus, you will be guided around a splendid winery, where you will be introduced to the estate’s fascinating history and background. Head inside the cellars where you’ll learn the secrets of Chianti winemaking together with the local host. We will then continue to Siena for a guided tour of its enchanting architectural styles, including the Cathedral (exterior only) and Palazzo Comunale (Municipal Building, again exterior only) in Piazza del Campo. The famous shell-shaped square provides the stage for the thrilling Palio horse race, run twice every summer and it is also a Unesco Heritage Site. In the evening, return to Florence.
Breakfast – Wine Tasting – Lunch
After breakfast, depart to visit Venice. The next two days will be dedicated to visiting this unique city, ranked as the most beautiful (and romantic) city in the world. There is truly no place on earth like Venice. This city, built on the waters of the Adriatic Sea is dreamlike with its elaborate architecture, art-filled palaces, a palpable history that dates back over 1,000 years, and its network of picturesque canals. Venice consists of a tight cluster of islands around the Grand Canal, an iconic waterway plied by gondolas, water taxis, and canal boats. Since there are no cars in the city, we will walk or take a boat to see its many sites.
After check-in at your hotel, you will visit Piazza San Marco and the surrounding areas, including the Duomo and Rialto Bridge. Our tour guide will be sharing with you some of the history and sights of this extraordinary city. The rest of the day will be dedicated to enjoying Venice on your own, maybe taking a gondola trip, exploring its many channels, or doing some shopping.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you will take the Vaporetto to visit Murano, an island near Venice famous for its unique glass production. Although very close to Venice, the atmosphere in Murano is different. Stepping off the boat brings us to a different world: a quieter, almost melancholic island, complete with its own Grand Canal, fascinating glass shops, and romantic sidewalk cafes. Murano has been occupied since Roman times, and each century brought its architectural style to the island. We will watch a blowing glass demonstration and visit the island.
Afterward, we will continue to visit Burano, a small island known for its lacework and brightly colored houses.
Breakfast
After an early breakfast at your hotel, it will be time to say goodbyes! Enjoy the last ride through the extraordinary Venice Lagoon, as you enjoy a water taxi ride to Venice’s Airport.
Buon Viaggio ed a presto!
Breakfast
