Florence Dome Covered in Snow

Italy – The Cultural Highlights

  • TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY IDEA

Duration

10 Days

Prices Start from

$5,489pp(ex. flights)

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

Colosseum, Rome, Italy 1

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.

Dome of Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy 2

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.

Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican, Rome, Italy 3

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.

Ice cream, Italy 4

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.

Explore our suggested itinerary

Italy on your wishlist? Talk to our experts about tailoring this trip for you.

  • Day 1

    Rome

  • Day 2

    Rome - Assisi

  • Day 3

    Assisi - Siena - Florence

  • Day 4

    Florence

  • Day 5

    Florence - Venice

  • Day 6

    Venice

  • Day 7

    Venice - Padua

  • Day 8

    Padua

  • Day 9

    Verona - Milan

  • Day 10

    Milan

Day 1

Rome

View of Tiber & St Peters Cathedral, Rome, Italy

Visit Michaelangelo’s  Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum in this ancient city.

Day 2

Rome - Assisi

Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy

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

Gondola on Canal, Venice, Italy

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

Verona, Italy

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

Cathedral Duomo di Milano, Milan, Italy

Wander the art galleries and boutiques of fashionable Milan.

Our travel experts can tailor this itinerary to suit you.

More Details

Rome, Italy
Rome
Villa d'Este fountain, Rome, Italy
Villa d'Este fountain in Rome
View of old cozy street in Rome, Italy
Rome back streets

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.

Beautiful view of the ancient town of Assisi with dramatic cloudscape in golden evening light, Umbri
Assisi, Italy

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.

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Ponte Vecchio, Arno River, Florence, Italy
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
Uffizi Gallery in Florence

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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Venecian Mask, Italy
Venician mask

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.

Verona, Italy
Verona

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.

 

Cathedral Duomo di Milano, Milan, Italy
Cathedral Duomo di Milano

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 $4,444 Per person
High Season
From $7,411 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.

Why Choose Steppes?

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