Italy Experience
Italy Experience
Italy Experience
10 Days Starting in Venice and ending in Rome
Visiting: Venice, La Spezia, La Spezia / Cinque Terre, Pisa - Florence, Florence, Perugia, Perugia / Spello, Rome
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ZMKF
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Take a trip to Italy, from the canals of Venice to the cobblestone streets of Rome. On this ten-day trip, you’ll explore historic sites and picturesque villages through some of the most incredible places in Europe’s treasure trove. Start in the canal-laden Venice and feel like you’ve stepped right into a postcard as you walk the streets on a cicchetti crawl, then visit the gorgeous Cinque Terre for hikes, photos and a pesto-making class. Soak in the coastal colours and then head to Pisa, home to that tilted tower. Explore Florence’s art, history and rich culture with loads of free time and then go on to discover the rolling green hills of Umbria. Sample wine, delicious food and great company and then move on to mighty Rome.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Venice
Location: Venice
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: dinner
Ciao! Welcome to Venice. This watery wonderland of bridges, towers, piazzas, canals, churches and gondolas – practically unchanged for 600 years – is literally sinking under the weight of its iconic sites. There are no activities planned before tonight's welcome meeting at 6 pm, so if you arrive early, there are plenty of things to keep you busy. Take a walk around the maze of streets behind San Marco Square and start to understand the complex canal system of Venice. The Grand Canal is a great place to start, as you can stroll over the Rialto Bridge and browse the endless boutique shops selling Venetian masks and handmade Murano glassware. Tonight, discover the most moreish Venetian bites on a cicchetti crawl through the city's fabulous bacari (wine bars).
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Venice
Location: Venice
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast, venture out and explore Venice. There are only two ways to get around this city – on foot or by boat. This morning, get a taste of both as your leader helps you get oriented in this intricate city. Take the Vaporetto (water bus) over to the island of San Giorgio to climb the bell tower for the best view of Venice. Your afternoon is free to take a trip in a Venetian gondola, enjoy an espresso and people watch in San Marco square, or discover the incredible artwork at the Palazzo Ducale or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection – the choice is yours. In the evening, maybe join your fellow travellers for a group dinner at a local restaurant. Venice is famous for its specialities of fresh lobster and squid ink spaghetti dishes, so make sure you give one a try.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: La Spezia
Location: La Spezia
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Spend the day travelling by train to the once important naval base of La Spezia, now the gateway to the gorgeous Cinque Terre (Five Lands). The name comes from the five tiny villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Venranzza, Monterosso – whose position, wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs, makes it one of the highlights of the whole of Italy. The journey is a very scenic trip through the north of Italy. When you arrive in La Spezia there won't be too much time to explore yet, but after checking into your hotel, you can get your bearings with a short walk around the pedestrian zone on Via del Prione to the gardens along the harbour or head out for dinner with the group.
Day 4: La Spezia / Cinque Terre
Location: La Spezia / Cinque Terre
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, venture out on the footpaths of the Cinque Terre for a leader-led hike. The footpaths between the villages were once the only way to travel in the region and take you through olive groves, vineyards and idyllic vistas. You can walk just a few sections, which will still unveil a great amount of majestic scenery. Some path sections can be difficult, with challenging uphill stretches, narrow sections, steep cliffs and foot bridges. Please remember to bring comfortable footwear such as trainers or light hiking shoes. It's also possible to take the train between the villages or back to the group's base whenever you want. After working up an appetite, take advantage of the foods of the Liguria region with a pesto-making demonstration and the chance to create your own pesto. Of course, you’ll try your creation with a glass of wine afterwards. The rest of the day is free. In the evening, there's no better way to recover from your day of walking than with more indulgence in delicious Mediterranean food.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 5: Pisa - Florence
Location: Pisa - Florence
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Depart Cinque Terre today and catch a train to Pisa. Divided in two by the River Arno, the heart of Pisa is the Santa Maria quarter on the north bank. You can choose to visit the world-famous Leaning Tower, as well as the Duomo (Piazza dei Miracoli, once the largest in Europe) and Pisa Baptistry, or explore the charming town, maybe enjoying lunch and an aperitif in a backstreet restaurant. Return to the station in the afternoon and take the train to Florence. After checking in to your hotel in Florence, the rest of your evening is free to explore the city of the Renaissance.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 6: Florence
Location: Florence
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today is free for you to explore all that Florence has to offer. It's impossible to see everything in this Renaissance wonderland, so take your time to work out a plan. The principal sights are easily discovered on foot – the Pitti Palace, Ponte Vecchio, Arno riverside, the many statues and monuments of the Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, the Baptistry and the Belltower, and the Santa Croce Church. Otherwise, you can visit the Uffizi – one of the world's oldest art galleries and a work of art in itself. If you want to see Michelangelo's iconic statue of David, head to the Galleria dell’ Accademia. In the evening, climb the steep stairs uphill to Piazzale Michelangelo for a renowned sunset view across the rooftops of Florence before an included dinner of Tuscan specialties at a local restaurant.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 7: Perugia
Location: Perugia
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
After a free morning in Florence, travel by train to Perugia. The once-Roman settlement of Perugia sits atop a rocky hill with views over the rolling green hills of the Umbria region and is now a university town with one of Italy's largest schools. When you arrive, head out on an orientation walk of the city’s rambling maze of medieval streets. In your spare time, and for an insight into local history, perhaps visit the National Gallery of Umbria – an impressive collection of Umbrian art housed in the Palazzo dei Priori (a grand stone building from the 13th century). Your evening is then free, with the city's population of students filling the streets with nightlife. Pause for a glass of prosecco along Corso Vannucci, the city’s main street, as you take a very Italian passeggiata.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 8: Perugia / Spello
Location: Perugia / Spello
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Today take a train to the nearby medieval town of Spello, a Roman town that straddles a thin ridge at the base of Mount Subasio – the mountain where St Francis was said to have talked to the animals. It’s a place known for its wine and rural charm. Two of the local churches feature frescoes by famed Renaissance painter Pinturicchio, who later lent his hand to works in the Vatican and Siena’s cathedral. Sample the local wine and regional delicacies here when you lunch at a local enoteca. Tartufo and porcini make up the base of many pasta and risotto dishes, while whole stuffed pig with rosemary is a signature dish of the region. Back in Perugia the rest of your evening is free. It’ll be very hard not to spend the whole time indulging in the region’s fabulous food.
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Rome
Location: Rome
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
This morning, take the train to Rome and remember that while here, the best attitude is ‘when in Rome’! Join your leader on an orientation walk around the city, where you will pass by some of the iconic sights such as the Colosseum (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) and Arch of Constantine, the Forum, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. No visit would be complete without a trip to Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica. Entry to the Basilica is free, and there's a small charge to climb the dome for a panorama over the city. Head out to the Trastevere region tonight with your group for a final farewell dinner – this artsy part of the city is always a great spot for dinner, drinks and wandering around the winding lanes in the evening. Your local restaurant for tonight – Trattoria De Gli Amici – is run by a social cooperative promoted by the community of Sant ‘Egidio – they train and employ people living with disabilities, supported by management and locals.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 10: Rome
Location: Rome
Meals Included: breaksfast
There are no activities planned today, and your trip will come to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay in Rome (and it’s recommended that you do), just speak to your booking agent.
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (9 nights) -
Venice - Cicchetti tour
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Venice - San Giorgio Bell Tower
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Venice - Traghetto Boat Ride
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Cinque Terre - 'Il Laboratorio del Pesto' Making & Demonstration
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Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre Pass and leader-led hike
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Pisa - Half Day Trip to Pisa
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Florence - Piazzale Michelangelo
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Perugia - Leader-led orientation walk
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Spello - Enoteca Wine Tasting & Lunch
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Rome - Leader-led orientation walk
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Included Activities
- Venice - Welcome Dinner
- Venice - San Giorgio Bell Tower
- Venice - Traghetto Boat Ride
- Cinque Terre - Day Trip, including Cinque Terre Pass
- Cinque Terre - 'Il Laboratorio del Pesto' Making & Demonstration
- Pisa - Half Day Trip to Pisa
- Florence - Piazzale Michelangelo
- Florence - Dinner in Local Restaurant
- Spello - Enoteca Wine Tasting & Lunch
- Spello - Half Day Trip to Spello
- Rome - Farewell Dinner at Local Restaurant
Transport
- TRAINS
- The main mode of transportation on this trip is by train. Italian long-distance and inter-regional trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Regional and metropolitan trains are usually a bit more basic and can be quite busy, but this just adds to the experience. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long (and short) distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre of your next destination.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- EUROPEAN HOTELS
- Hotels in Europe often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together/apart. Rooms can be rather small, especially by American or Australian standards.
- Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
- 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 2. As of April 2024, Venice will implement a visitor’s fee for all travellers visiting the city between 25 April and 15 July 2024. This fee is not payable by Intrepid customers, however you will need to apply for an exemption before arrival at https://cda.comune.venezia.it/en/richiestaEsenzione. For further information, please see the “Passports, visas and entry requirements,” section of your Essential Trip Information.
Mode of Transport
- TRAINS
- The main mode of transportation on this trip is by train. Italian long-distance and inter-regional trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Regional and metropolitan trains are usually a bit more basic and can be quite busy, but this just adds to the experience. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long (and short) distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre of your next destination.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
The primary means of transportation on this trip is by train. Italian trains are comfortable, and all have toilets. Due to the destinations visited on this trip, many train journeys are done by local trains.
It’s recommended you pack light and smart for this trip, as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train and bus stations and hotels, which can include going up and down multiple flights of stairs and across cobblestones.
There are many in-demand, ticketed sites to visit in Florence and Rome. Please review the Itinerary for our recommendations on when you will have time available if you would like to pre-purchase tickets.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many regions of Italy (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s essential to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions