Venice to Rome by Rail

Our tour starts today in Venice, 'The Floating City'. The bucket-list city is built across 118 islands linked by bridges and canals in the shallow Venetian lagoon. Once home to an empire, the city is now famous for its art, music and food culture; all of which we hope to experience during our stay.

Our tour leader plans to meet everyone at the hotel at 6pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner afterwards for your first taste of Venetian cuisine. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive at any time. Should you miss the meeting, our tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE). The transfer will be by shared taxi and takes around 45 minutes with our hotel a further 5 minutes' walk.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day and you'd like to explore, simply head out on foot and lose yourself among the canals and narrow passageways of the city as you soak in its unique atmosphere. With so much to see and do in Venice itself and the surrounding islands, you could easily spend several days here. If this is your first visit, we recommend arriving early and booking additional hotel nights before the trip starts.

Whether arriving by included taxi transfer, or making your own way to the hotel, please note that as vehicles are unable to enter the narrow streets of the island, you'll need to make your own way on foot (around 700 metres, 10-minute walk) from the drop-off point at Piazzale Roma. Walk across the big bridge (Ponte della Costituzione) over the Grand Canal and continue straight past the Santa Lucia train station to your left. After the train station, turn left into the second street (Calle de la Misericordia). After a few minutes, you'll find Calle Pesaro and the Hotel Villa Rosa on your right-hand side.

We'll waste no time this morning in getting to know the city, heading out on an orientation walking tour through the backstreets of Cannaregio, across the Rialto Bridge into Saint Mark's Square, home to Saint Mark's Basilica, one of the city's most famous landmarks. We'll see the Famous Bridge of Sighs and the beautiful Doge's Palace before heading across the water by Vaporetto water bus to the San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower for a bird's-eye view of this simply fabulous city.

Afterwards, you're free to continue discovering the essence of this enchanting city at your own pace. There are two ways to explore - on foot, losing yourself among the myriad passageways and piazza, or by boat, catching the Vaporetto (water buses) that crisscross along the canals or maybe even indulging in a gondola ride. We'll provide you with a Vaporetto day pass - it's an easy and relaxing way to cruise around the city. Take in famous sights such as the Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, and Doge's Palace, and enjoy art and antiquities in world-class galleries and museums such as the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Palazzo Ducale. Browse the city's artisanal shops - glassware produced on the nearby island of Murano, leatherware, paperware and of course papier mache carnivale masks. Along the way, be sure to stop off at a local bar for an aperativo and cicchetti, delectable Venetian small plates consisting of bite-sized snacks. Popular plates include salt cod on polenta, fried meatballs, octopus salad, and mini panini alongside simpler items like olives or boiled eggs.

We'll travel by high-speed train this morning to the historic city of Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna. The city is famous for its arched porticoes which make it possible to walk for long distances sheltered from the elements; there are over 45 kilometres/30 miles of arcade in the greater city. Bologna is also renowned for its culinary traditions; the popular meat-based sauce Bolognese comes from here and the production of cured pork meats such as prosciutto, mortadella and salami is an important part of the local food industry. Tortellini (filled pasta) served in broth, and mortadella, the original Bologna sausage, are among other local specialities.

We should arrive in Bologna by mid to late morning and, after leaving our baggage at the hotel, our tour leader will take us on a short orientation walk. Afterwards, you're free to explore the city. A great vista over its red roofs of the city can be enjoyed from the Asinelli Tower one of the 'Due Torri', two leaning medieval defensive towers, whose distinctive outline provides a popular symbol of Bologna. It's best to book tickets for this online in advance.

We'll regroup in the late afternoon for an included pasta-making demonstration, followed by dinner and a glass of wine. We'll discover how traditional sfoglia all'uovo (egg pasta) is kneaded and rolled by hand and you'll have the opportunity to make and then eat your own pasta. While the pasta rests, you'll be shown how the filling for traditional tortelloni is made and how to make other pasta shapes such as garganelli, strichetti and tagliatelle.

Bologna's food markets are a must for any food lover and we'll head out first thing today to the medieval area called Quadrilatero where the street names; Drapperie, Pescherie, Orefici preserve their name from the old corporations that were here in the past. It's here where you can taste some of the best street food in Italy and find everything from fresh fish and produce to local meats, cheeses, regional wines, homemade tortellini pasta, fresh Italian breads and all manner of other goods.

We'll then head by train to the fabulous city of Florence. It's a short journey that takes around 30 minutes and we should arrive late morning. The spiritual home of the Renaissance, Florence is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. On arrival, our tour leader will take us out on an orientation walk. Starting out at San Lorenzo market (leather) we'll head on to the bustling Central Market (foodstuffs) then take in San Lorenzo church and the Cappelle Medicee. One of the most important buildings in Florence, you will be able to see the Duomo and Baptistry (outside only) before heading towards the Signoria Square, past the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Museum before taking in the famous Ponte Vecchio, the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence and the only one that was not demolished during the German retreat of 1944.

From mid to late afternoon, you're free to explore Florence at your own pace; maybe this will involve an espresso and people-watching at one of the many alfresco cafes. As with Rome, some forward planning is best to make the most of your time. The city's major sights are all easily reached on foot. You might like to visit the Duomo with its magnificent pink, white and green marble facade and climb up its red-tiled dome that dominates the skyline of the city for your own bird's-eye view. Or take a stroll along the banks of the River Arno. Palazzo Vecchio and Museo di San Marco and Galleria dell'Accademia (home to Michelangelo's David) are just three of the many treasure troves of art that abound in this most enchanting of cities. Early evening is the perfect time to walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a great view over the city. If you'd like to book tickets to the world-famous Uffizi Gallery (home to Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Leonardo Da Vinci masterpieces) it's best to book in advance and we recommend visiting later on the afternoon of Day 5 as you'll have more time. Book online at https://www.uffizi.it/biglietti.

It's around an hour by local train this morning to Pisa where our tour leader will take us on an orientation tour. The Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Dreams), of which the iconic Leaning Tower is but one part, also contains the Baptistery, Duomo and Camposanta, which between them make up a stunning collection of architectural delights. These, along with the churches and palazzi that make up the historic centre, all belong to a period from the 11th to 13th centuries when the city was one of the Mediterranean's major maritime powers.

We'll then have free time in the city and you can return to Florence at your leisure.

We'll catch another high-speed train to Rome this morning. With a history spanning over two and a half thousand years, Rome is packed with iconic ancient sites, exhilarating architecture and artistic treasures. It's the perfect place to experience la dolce vita lifestyle; picturesque piazzas, neighbourhood cafes and bars make for excellent people-watching. With so much to see and do you could easily spend many days here, so if this is your first visit, we highly recommend booking additional hotel nights after the trip ends.

We'll take our luggage to our hotel before heading out for a specialist guided tour of two of Rome's most famous ancient sites, the iconic Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Our first stop is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the world and symbol of the Roman Empire. Built by Flavian Emperor Vespasian, the mighty arena could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, all attracted by gladiatorial contests, mock sea battles and executions. Heading along the Via Sacra (Sacred Way) we arrive at the Roman Forum, the scene of public meetings and law courts, it was lined with shops and open-air markets and was the site of many of the city's most imposing temples and monuments. Right above the Forum, Palatine Hill is the most central of the Seven Hills of Rome and considered the birthplace of the city, having been inhabited since 1000 B.C.

We expect our sightseeing to finish late afternoon, the remainder of the afternoon/evening is left free for you to continue exploring. Make sure to find the time to stop along the way to join the locals for an essential espresso at a street-side cafe or perhaps indulge in a delicious gelato. If you wish to visit the Vatican, Rome's most popular attraction, you should book tickets to the Museum online in advance. Check the Vatican website (vatican.va) for updated information on opening times. We recommend that you do not book a timed ticket for entry any earlier than 5pm. Before the 31st of March and after the 31st of October, the final entry to the Vatican is at 4pm. If you've booked a ticket for 4 pm, please advise our tour leader who will adapt the earlier sightseeing accordingly. Tickets for the Vatican Museum can be booked online at: https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home. Please note that pre-booked tickets are not required if you just want to visit St Peter's Basilica.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Rome.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) which is around 45 minutes to an hour from the city centre depending on traffic conditions.