Grand Tour of Italy 2026-27 “Prestige”

Departure from Rome for Trieste - lunch at leisure along the way – in the evening check-in at the hotel in Trieste – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Trieste by night: a stroll with the tour leader through the historic centre – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide – visit of San Daniele del Friuli (the former Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, known as the little “Sistine Chapel of Friuli” for its remarkable Renaissance frescoes, panoramic tour of the historic centre) – visit of a prosciutto producer with lunch – in the afternoon visit of Udine (city tour in the footsteps of Tiepolo, with a visit to his splendid frescoes in the Oratory of the Purità and in the Cathedral - stroll through Piazza Libertà, “the most beautiful Venetian-style square on the mainland”, Via Mercatovecchio and Piazza Matteotti – Udine’s old herb-market square –; on the hill, visit of the oldest church in the city, Santa Maria del Castello, and of the Castle – exterior –) – in the evening return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide – visit of Cividale del Friuli (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and leader of the “Italia Langobardorum” project, Cividale offers an approach to the Lombard world, above all of the 8th century, with the Lombard Temple and the Christian Museum, but also of the preceding centuries with the extremely rich collections of the National Archaeological Museum; visit of the Cathedral and a stroll through the historic centre as far as the famous Devil’s Bridge) – typical lunch at an osteria - in the afternoon visit of Gorizia and Nova Gorica (panoramic coach tour of the capital of the Isonzo area, touching the border at the “Casa Rossa” and reaching Piazza Transalpina, half Italian and half Slovenian, the Habsburg-era railway station building, Borgo Castello with the medieval Castle) - continue along the scenic Wine Road through the Collio wine-growing area, known worldwide for its excellent wines - visit of a winery and tasting of DOC wines - in the evening return to the hotel in Trieste – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit of Trieste with a guide (extensive tour of the Borgo Teresiano, the Rive waterfront, Piazza Unità d’Italia, the New Port, the Risiera di San Sabba, one of the emblematic sites of the Second World War – exterior –, the hill of San Giusto with the Cathedral, a stroll through the historic centre and the old Jewish ghetto) – lunch at a typical beer hall – in the afternoon visit of Aquileia with a guide (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ancient Roman colony reveals the glories of its past through the archaeological excavations of the Forum, the one-time river port and the residential quarters of 2,000 years ago) - in the evening check-in at the hotel in Padua – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Padua by night: panoramic tour by private coach and a stroll with the tour leader through the historic centre –overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion – coach transfer to Padua railway station – departure by train for Venice Santa Lucia - full day devoted to the visit of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in the morning visit with a guide of classic Venice (St Mark’s Square, St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace – exterior –, and through the narrow calli of the Castello district to Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo and on to the celebrated Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal) – lunch at leisure – afternoon at leisure for shopping and/or for excursions to the islands of the Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Murano, Burano, Torcello) or for a romantic gondola ride - in the evening return to the hotel in Padua – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit of Padua with a guide (Basilica of St Anthony, historic centre, Palazzo della Ragione, Scrovegni Chapel, Palazzo del Bo with the University’s Anatomical Theatre) – typical lunch at a restaurant – in the afternoon visit of Verona with a guide (a UNESCO World Heritage city, panoramic coach tour of the hills, stroll through the historic centre with a visit to the Scaliger residences, Piazza dei Signori, Piazza Erbe, the houses of Juliet and Romeo – exterior –, the Arena – exterior –) – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Verona by night: a stroll with the tour leader through the historic centre – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – visit of the two UNESCO World Heritage cities - in the morning visit of Mantua with a guide (Giulio Romano’s Palazzo Te – interior –, the Palazzo Ducale or Gonzaga royal palace – exterior –) – visit of a rice farm with a walk through the paddy fields and a visit to the historic rice mill – tasting lunch at the rice producer’s – in the afternoon visit of Sabbioneta with a guide(an intact star with six bastions at its points: this is the urban spectacle offered by Sabbioneta – Palazzo Ducale, Palazzo Giardino with the Galleria degli Antichi, Teatro all’Antica) – evening arrival in Parma - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Parma by night: a tour by private coach and a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay -

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit of Parma with a guide (historic centre, the Pilotta Monumental Complex with the Farnese Theatre, the National Gallery and the Archaeological Museum, Cathedral, Baptistery)- visit in Langhirano of a Parma ham producer - tasting lunch – in the afternoon visit in Fontanellato of the largest labyrinth in the world, created by the Franco Maria Ricci Foundation – in the evening return to the hotel in Parma - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion to Milan – full day devoted to the visit of the city with a guide (Cathedral - Sforza Castle with the Rondanini Pietà - Pinacoteca di Brera with the Marriage of the Virgin and Bramante’s Christ at the Column - Museum of Science and Technology - Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore “the Sistine Chapel of Milan” -Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio) - typical lunch at a restaurant - evening arrival at the hotel on Lake Maggiore in Baveno or Stresa - dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure – tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning visit of the Borromean Islands by private motorboat with a guide (Isola Bella with the splendid Palazzo Borromeo and its wonderful Italian garden, laid out on ten terraces descending towards the lake - Isola dei Pescatori with its ancient alleyways and picturesque views) – lunch at leisure - in the afternoon visit with a guide of Villa Taranto (a splendid botanical garden, considered the most beautiful garden in Italy and the world) – in the evening return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Turin - full day devoted to the visit of the city with a guide (visit of the historic centre with Piazza San Carlo, Via Roma, Piazza Castello, Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Reale – exteriors – UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Church of San Lorenzo, Cathedral, Piazza Carignano, Egyptian Museum –interior–, Palace and Park of Venaria Reale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site ) - typical lunch at a restaurant - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Turin by night: a stroll with the tour leader through the historic centre – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide in the Langhe with their vineyard landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – visit of La Morra, Barolo (historic centre, Piazza Falletti, the Falletti Castle of Barolo), Serralunga, Alba (the heart of the Langhe, Piazza Risorgimento, the Town Hall, the Cathedral, Church of San Domenico)– typical lunch at a restaurant – during the day visit of a winery and tasting of DOC wines - evening arrival in Genoa - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Genoa by night: a stroll with the tour leader in Nervi – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - full day devoted to the visit of the city with a guide - historic centre and noble residences, the Strade Nuove with the Palazzi dei Rolli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (panoramic tour, Via Garibaldi, Piazza Caricamento, Palazzo San Giorgio, Piazza Banchi, Piazza San Matteo, Piazza De Ferrari, Porta Soprana, the House of Christopher Columbus, Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Spinola – interior visits –), the Aquarium (unguided visit) and the Porto Antico area with the chance to go up the Bigo (a panoramic lift 40 metres high with views over the city) – lunch at leisure, street food - free time for shopping - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Genoa by night: a stroll with the tour leader in Nervi – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - departure for Florence - full day devoted to the walking tour with a guide of the historic centre of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Basilica of Santa Croce and the Pazzi Chapel, Piazza della Signoria, Loggia dei Lanzi, Palazzo Vecchio, Baptistery of St John and Giotto’s Bell Tower, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Museum of San Marco with the frescoes of Fra Angelico) – lunch at leisure – dinner at a typical restaurant – after dinner, Florence by night: panoramic tour by minibus with the tour leader (Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato al Monte, Scandicci, the Certosa, Fiesole) – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit with a guide of the Uffizi Gallery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Gallery occupies the entire first and second floors of the great building constructed between 1560 and 1580 to a design by Giorgio Vasari: it is one of the most famous museums in the world for its extraordinary collections of ancient sculpture and of paintings from the Middle Ages to the modern age. The collections of 14th-century and Renaissance paintings contain some of the absolute masterpieces of art of all time: suffice it to mention the names of Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, as well as masterpieces of European painting, above all German, Dutch and Flemish) – lunch at leisure – free time for shopping – in the afternoon continue on the journey home – evening arrival in Rome – dinner at leisure – evening at leisure – tour leader at your disposal - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Naples – lunch at leisure, street food – in the afternoon visit with a guide of Naples (panoramic tour along the main thoroughfares of the city, Piazza Municipio with the Maschio Angioino, the San Carlo Theatre and, opposite, the Galleria Umberto I, Piazza del Plebiscito with the Royal Palace and the monumental Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, the Santa Lucia district – an ancient fishing village –, Via Caracciolo, the hillside district of Posillipo with splendid views over the whole Gulf, National Archaeological Museum – interior - and the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – in the evening check-in at the hotel - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Naples by night: panoramic tour by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit with a guide of Pompeii, the most visited archaeological site in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – continue to Morano Calabro in the heart of the Pollino Park – typical lunch at a restaurant – in the afternoon visit with a guide of Morano Calabro, one of the most picturesque villages of the Pollino National Park (historic centre, monastic complex of San Bernardino da Siena, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena) - evening arrival in Vibo Valentia - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Pizzo Calabro by night, by private coach with the tour leader - tasting of the celebrated artisan tartufo ice cream - overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Messina – visit of the city (Cathedral and Piazza Duomo) – lunch at leisure, street food – in the late afternoon visit of Cefalù with a guide (historic centre, the Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – evening arrival in Palermo – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Palermo by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - full day devoted to the visit with a guide of Palermo and Monreale with their UNESCO World Heritage sites (Palazzo dei Normanni with the Palatine Chapel – interior –, San Giovanni degli Eremiti – interior –, Cathedral – interior –, followed by a panoramic tour with exterior visits of the Teatro Massimo, Piazza Pretoria, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio known as La Martorana, and the Cathedral and Cloister of Monreale) – lunch at leisure, street food - we suggest taking the opportunity to sample the street foods typical of Palermo’s cuisine: panelle, crocchè or cazzilli, boiled octopus, pani ca’ meusa, arancine and sfincione - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Palermo by night: panoramic tour by private coach and a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Agrigento – visit with a guide of the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the largest archaeological area in Italy (Temple of Concordia, Temple of Juno, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Castor and Pollux, Temple of Heracles) – typical lunch at a restaurant - evening arrival in Modica or Ragusa – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit with a guide of Ragusa (the old historic centre, which preserves its late 19th-century urban layout intact) – typical lunch at a restaurant – in the afternoon visit with a guide of Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - (the home town of the poet Salvatore Quasimodo, visit of refined Baroque buildings, Church of San Giorgio) and Scicli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - (panoramic tour of the Baroque town, Via Mormino Penna, the visionary Palazzo Beneventano) - stop at a well-known pastry shop to taste the famous Modica chocolate - in the evening return to the hotel – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Modica by night: excursion by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to Noto - in the morning visit with a guide of the splendid town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - (the capital of European Baroque, with its stupendous cathedral, churches, monasteries and noble palaces, Porta Nazionale, Town Hall) – typical lunch at a restaurant - in the afternoon visit of Syracuse, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a guide: the archaeological area (Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre, Ear of Dionysius), the island of Ortigia, Cathedral – evening arrival in Catania – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Catania by night: panoramic tour by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning guided excursion on Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - ascent to 1,900 m to discover the wonders and the lunar landscape of the highest volcano in Europe - walk around the Silvestri Craters – N.B. those who prefer not to go up Etna for health reasons may wait in the pretty village of Zafferana Etnea – lunch at leisure – in the afternoon visit of Taormina with a guide (Greek theatre, public gardens, historic centre, Palazzo Corvaja, Corso Umberto) – free time for shopping - return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Reggio Calabria - visit with a guide of the National Archaeological Museum with the famous Riace Bronzes – continue to Tropea – typical lunch at a restaurant - visit with a guide of the town (the Cathedral, historic centre with a stop at the Affaccio – a stupendous balcony over the Tyrrhenian Sea –) – tasting of typical onion-based products at a local farm - in the afternoon arrival in Cosenza – visit of the city with a guide (the Old Town with the Cathedral, a UNESCO heritage site) – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Cosenza by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - departure for Matera – full day devoted to the visit of Matera with a guide - the “City of the Sassi”,ancient cave dwellings that are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Cathedral, stroll through the Sassi districts: Sasso Caveoso, Santa Lucia alle Malve and Madonna de Idris – visit, in the Petrapenta district 14 km from Matera, of the Crypt of the Original Sin, known as the “Sistine Chapel” of rock-cut wall painting) – typical lunch at a restaurant – free time for shopping - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Matera by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - departure for Taranto - visit with a guide of the city of the two seas (historic centre with the Aragonese Castle – exterior –, the Cathedral of San Cataldo, panoramic tour) – continue to Lecce – lunch at leisure, street food - for something savoury we recommend the unmissable rustico leccese, and for something sweet the pasticciotto leccese – in the afternoon visit with a guide of Lecce (Basilica of Santa Croce, Church of the Gesù, San Matteo, Cathedral, Sant’Irene and a great number of noble palaces – the other historical periods are also represented, starting with the Roman era with its Theatre and Amphitheatre) - visit of a “Lecce papier-mâché” workshop – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Lecce by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide – visit of Otranto (visit of the historic centre and of the Cathedral, with the precious mosaic of 1163 covering its floor), Santa Maria di Leuca “de finibus terrae” and Gallipoli (from the Greek place name “the beautiful city”, with its characteristic old town) - typical lunch at a restaurant – in the evening return to the hotel – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide - visit of Ostuni, the “white city”, and tasting of extra virgin olive oil at an oil mill– the Itria Valley - Alberobello with its famous “trulli”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – typical lunch at a restaurant – evening arrival in Bari - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Bari by night: panoramic tour by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit with a guide of Bari (historic centre with the Cathedral of St Nicholas) - followed by a visit with a guide of Trani (the Romanesque Cathedral “that rises from the sea”, dedicated to St Nicholas the Pilgrim, tasting of Moscato di Trani at a wine shop) and Castel del Monte (the castle of Frederick II, built on the model of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – lunch at leisure, street food - we recommend focaccia barese, sgagliozze and octopus sandwiches – evening arrival in Campobasso – dinner at the hotel/restaurant – after dinner, Campobasso by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning visit of Campobasso with a guide (historic centre, Samnite Museum) – continue to Agnone - light lunch with a tasting of cheeses and dairy products, visit of a historic cellar and of a tufa cave used for maturing cheeses – visit in Agnone of the Marinelli Pontifical Foundry – continue to Isernia – visit with a guide of the Palaeolithic Museum – evening arrival in Rome.