Italy - The Grand Tour!

Imagine quaint hilltop towns looking down onto sparkling Azure waters. Bimble through beautiful buildings and an abundance of art. Shop ‘til you drop in the likes of Milan or linger by lovely lakes. And then there’s the food. Enjoy vineyards and vino and pizza and pasta galore!

Italy is one of my favourite destinations. Why? Simply because of its diversity in everything it offers.

And so, I’d like to take you on a Grand Tour, from North to South.

Venice:

Venice really is the city of love and I absolutely loved getting lost in all of the beautiful streets, in and out of the trinket shops and of course no trip would be complete without a gondola ride. I absolutely loved the beauty of St Marks Square, but top tip – It’s expensive. Definitely enjoy it’s beauty, but maybe stop elsewhere for a coffee and cake!! Getting around on the waterways is easy, allowing you to see the sights including the Rialto Bridge.

Bologna:

Today, a trip to Bologna is where you’ll potentially have the best ice cream you’ve ever had!! Much needed after a sightseeing tour and exploring the Tuscan countryside. Tuscany and Pisa Your base at Montecatini will guarantee an amazing blend of beautiful scenery and historic architecture, famous for its thermal waters and can be considered one of the biggest “spa towns” in Italy. After a visit to The Leaning Tower of Pisa, enjoy the afternoon with free time or take an optional excursion to Lucca, a lovely city within the Tuscan region, a Renaissance city, with views of rolling hills and vineyards just within view outside of the surrounding circling walls.

Florence:

The best way I can describe Florence is ‘impressive’! Set in the beautiful region of Tuscany, yet it is a vibrant city that offers beautiful buildings with unique architecture and an abundance of art. No trip to Florence would be complete without a trip into the Uffizi Gallery.

Orvieto:

Heading south onto Rome, one of the best places to stop and break up the journey is the impressive fortress town of Orvieto.

Rome:

One of my favourite cities! I was blown away by the beauty of the Trevi Fountain and loved the Spanish Steps, and although without a doubt impressive, I was quite surprised at how much smaller the Colosseum is than I’d imagined. Make sure you take a day to visit the Vatican City. My top tip, make sure you pre book. The queues for a ticket are long and no visit to Italy would be complete without a look at the Sistine Chapel. The smallest in the world, you really do feel like you’ve been transported into another country. Make time to spend all day in here. The gardens are just as beautiful as the décor inside.

Pompeii:

Pompeii is a must Italian experience. It’s a fascinating history after being buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius 2000 years ago. When uncovered, 2 amazingly preserved towns were discovered. A fully guided tour will allow you to explore the once busy streets.

Sorrento and Amalfi Coast:

Overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is absolutely breathtaking. With its gorgeous hotels, you can choose to relax and take in the views, although I would highly recommend taking a boat over to the exquisite island of Capri, but make sure you have your credit card! The shopping is high end or if you’re like me, just enjoy a bit of window shopping! The Amalfi Coast offers the most picturesque and iconic stretches of coastline in the world with its picture postcode pastel buildings as you look down below to the sparkling azure waters.

Sicily:

Sicily sits at the tip of Italy and is easily reached from the mainland by a short ferry. The resort of Taormina is a dramatic clifftop location offering seaside activities down below. So, soak up the sun on the beautiful beaches or unravel spaghetti in a hidden trattoria. If you’re still feeling active after exploring so much of Italy, trek Mount Etna or retrace the footsteps of gladiators at Taormina’s amphitheatre.

If you’re wondering how you can experience all of this in one holiday, travelling around is super easy, but one of the best ways to see Italy is on a group tour, with like-minded travellers all seeking the same travel experience, seeing some of the most incredible sights that you’d never be able to see when travelling independently. Our trusted travel partner Travelsphere and Just You offer amazing escorted holidays, providing the perfect balance of immersive experiences and free time to explore, relax and dine. These escorted holidays are the most incredible value for money, including flights, local transport and handpicked hotels, all at a 4 and 5* standard. Adding to that value for money is the expert holiday directors on every tour, with their knowledge and experience they make every holiday authentic, immersive and bring the destination to life. Maybe you’re a single traveller. Whether that be because you are single by status or you and your partner enjoy different holidays, with Just You, travel solo, but never alone. Being the market leader in solo travel you can share your sense of adventure with other solo travellers with NO single supplements and always in your own twin/double rooms, not a little ‘cupboard’ room!!

This really is a whistle stop tour of Italy, with so much more that I could tell you about. So, whether it’s quaint hilltop towns, lingering by lakes, the must-see historic cities or the food glorious food! Get in touch today to discuss your travel preferences and I will find the perfect escorted holiday for you.

**Thank you to my customers that have kindly shared with me their amazing photos of their Italian experiences shown here.