Our Team
Our Tour Experts
Heroes and Heroines
Italy's Greatest Cities
Discover the ancient city of Rome, explore the magnificence of Renaissance Florence, visit cosmopolitan Milan with it’s famous fashion houses and cruise the canals of Venice by boat.
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![Amy Waters snow biking]()
Our Team
Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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![William Dalrymple]()
Our Tour Experts
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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![Liz Bonnin]()
Heroes and Heroines
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Italy – The Cultural Highlights
This holiday to Italy is an excellent first visit option that covers good ground including the main highlights of Florence, Venice, Padua, Rome and Milan. Visit these well-known cities and enjoy their art, architecture and history.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
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Italy's Famous Art
Marvel at Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Statue of David, see the beautiful Giotto frescoes in Padua, wonder at Brunelleschi’s venerable Duomo, visit the lace makers at Burano…the list goes on.
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Historical Italy
A visit to the ancient Pantheon, The Vatican City, the Doges Palace and Palazzo Ducale offer a great insight into Italy’s rich history.
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Italy's Iconic Food
Famous worldwide for cuisine, there are plenty of opportunities on this itinerary to enjoy Italy’s most popular dishes. Savour hand-made pizza in Rome, enjoy limoncello tasting at a distillery in Padua or try one of the fish specialties in Venice.
Why we like it
This itinerary encompasses the greatness of Italy – its ancient history and architecture, its breath-taking scenery and culture, all the while staying in small, centrally located, boutique hotels so you are never very far from the action. Choose to rent a car for freedom to explore at your own pace, travel by train and enjoy the scenery, or have a private driver so you can sit back and relax as they show you all their local haunts and hidden gems.
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Day 1
Rome
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Day 2
Rome - Assisi
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Day 3
Assisi - Siena - Florence
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Day 4
Florence
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Day 5
Florence - Venice
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Day 6
Venice
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Day 7
Venice - Padua
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Day 8
Padua
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Day 9
Verona - Milan
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Day 10
Milan
Day 1
Rome
Visit Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum in this ancient city.
Day 2
Rome - Assisi
Spend a night in the small medieval hilltop town of Assisi.
Day 3
Assisi - Siena - Florence
Visit Siena, home to the world famous Palio horse race. While away a few hours at a coffee shop that surrounds the beautiful Piazza del Campo admiring the medieval architecture and striking Duomo that makes Siena one of the prettiest towns in Tuscany.
Day 4
Florence
Feast on world-class art and Renaissance architecture at the Uffizi, wander around stately palaces, visit artisan workshops and savour the renowned Fiorentina cuisine accompanied by fine Tuscan wine.
Day 5
Florence - Venice
Day 6
Venice
Step back in time amidst the waterways of Venice. Visit Saint Marks square with skip the line access to the Doge’s Palace. Take a private boat to explore the islands of Murano and Burano, or simply loose yourself in the myriad of secret alleyways and bridges.
Day 7
Venice - Padua
Day 8
Padua
Visit the beautiful Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni chapel, wander through the medieval market places and visit a family run limencello distillery to savour this most famous of Italian liqueurs.
Day 9
Verona - Milan
Day 10
Milan
Wander the art galleries and boutiques of fashionable Milan.
More details
The History Show of Rome
Italy’s capital city is arguably the most storied and illustrious cities in the world. Positively dripping in history, art and culture, Rome today fuses the ancient with the new. When in Rome we ensure you experience the city to suit your interests – we can arrange a private entrance to the Sistine Chapel, take a Vespa and Segway city tour, or experience a Gladiator show and dinner.
The Art of Assisi
A night in Assisi allows plenty of time to visit this small town, surrounded by walls built in different medieval styles. Visit famous St Francis’s basilica hosting some of Giotto’s masterpieces.
Private Touring in Florence
Florence is a treasure trove of Italy’s most splendid architecture as well as the birthplace of the Renaissance and a city full of art and artists. Visit Michaelangelo’s David in the Museo Accademia, walk to the Piazza del Duomo and climb the 436 steps of Brunelleschi’s venerable Duomo, and admire some of Bernini’s celebrated works of art in the Uffizi gallery.
Walk around stately palaces, world-class art galleries and the picturesque Boboli gardens, not forgetting to try the renowned Fiorentina cuisine in any of the characterful restaurants that line the city streets. We recommend you skip the line at Uffizi and Corridoio Vasariano and take a private tour, visit a small winery, visit the leather school, or take a Vespa tour.
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Floating in Venice
Venice is quite remarkable, a city surrounded by water with plenty to explore. Skip the line at San Marco, arrange tickets for La Fenice with dinner afterwards, make your own piece of Murano glass, take a helicopter flight over the city, dine at Bragozzo or take a cooking lesson in Villa Veneta and a wine tasting tour with the owner.
In Fair Verona
Leave the canals of Venice for Verona, home to a 14th-century house said to have ‘Juliet’s balcony’. However, Verona is also famed for its Grand Arena, a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre still hosting concerts and an annual opera festival. Afternoon visit to Soave, a small medieval village with many wine cellars. Enjoy a small tasting of the famous Soave Classico and the Monte Veronese cheese.
Fashionable Milan
Milan is a place for people who love cosmopolitan cities, from the fashion runways to the frescoes inside the churches. In Milan, you find Da Vinci’s Last Supper, San Siro/Guiseppe Meazza Stadium, Duomo’s statues, Alla Scala Theatre, Sforza Castle and the famous Vittorio Emanuele’s arcades in Piazza Duomo, the worlds’ oldest shopping centre. Milan is also home to lovely parks, great ice-cream shops and a renowned nightlife. Why not have dinner on an old tram while travelling around Milan? We can arrange La Scala tickets and backstage entry.
A note on price
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
This Itinerary
Low Season
From £3,445 Per person
High Season
From £5,745 Per person
When to travel
Italy’s cities are wonderful to visit at any time of the year. Coastal regions are best between June and September. Mountainous regions such as the Dolomites are wonderful for winter sports between December and March and extremely pretty for summer stays from June through to October.
Holiday Inspiration
Our experts have created and curated these tailor-made holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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