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11-Day Northern Italy Cultural & Historical Experience

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Overview

Start your adventure on this Northern Italy itinerary to explore the most beautiful landscapes and cities of the country.

Beginning in the small villages in the Cinque Terre, you'll visit exquisite villas, take in magnificent views and revel in the peacefulness of exploring the lesser known regions of Italy. You'll take in the beautiful coloured houses and iconic marina of the beautiful town of Portofino, tasting your way through the wineries of the Cinque Terre.

After exploring the wonderful city of Florence, you'll spend your days absorbing the Tuscan countryside in all its beauty, visiting Siena, Monteriggioni and San Gimignano, sampling the wine and local cuisine as you go.

Of course, it's not possible to take in the arts, culture and history of Italy without exploring two of its most historic and iconic destinations - Venice and Rome. The Floating City and the Eternal City as they are known will never disappoint, you'll have plenty of time to take in the main attractions and absorb the historic atmosphere of these wonderful destinations.
Culture & Arts
Sightseeing
Outdoors & Nature
Food & Drink

Itinerary

Day 1

Train to Santa Margherita Ligure

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Train to Santa Margherita Ligure

Begin your Northern Italy itinerary by taking a train from Genoa to Santa Margherita Ligure. After checking into your accommodation, you'll start exploring this lovely city by the sea. First, you may want to explore the Chiesa di Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, notable for its 40-metre-tall tower and its beautiful paintings inside. You can also visit the exquisite Villa Durazzo with its beautiful gardens and view over the gulf.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Jolanda3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Chiesa di Santa Margherita d’AntiochiaOptional Activity

    Villa DurazzoOptional Activity: AU$ 12 per person

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Train from Genova Nervi to Santa Margherita Ligure

    Taxi from Santa Margherita Ligure to Hotel Jolanda

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Santa Margherita Ligure

Day 2

Explore Portofino & San Fruttuoso Abbaye

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Explore Portofino & San Fruttuoso Abbaye

Travelling by boat, today you'll go to Portofino and San Fruttuoso. The former is a beautiful town with coloured houses in the Gulf of Tigullio, here you can explore the church and the hilltop castle which boasts incredible views over the harbour, once for defense purposes. The latter is a unique place, by the sea, where the white abbey shines over the green Mediterranean vegetation.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Jolanda3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Marina di Portofino

    Chiesa di San Martino

    Castello BrownOptional Activity: AU$ 11 per person

    Abbey of San FruttuosoOptional Activity: AU$ 17 per person

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Boat from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino

    Boat from Portofino to Abbazia di San Fruttuoso

    Boat from Abbazia di San Fruttuoso to Santa Margherita Ligure

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Santa Margherita Ligure

    Portofino

    Liguria

    San Fruttuoso

Day 3

Explore Cinque Terre by Train

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Explore Cinque Terre by Train

From Santa Margherita to the Cinque Terre, you'll explore this wonderful region and top the day off with a wine tasting. Using locals trains, you'll go to Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza and Riomaggiore. Built to watch over the bay and protect Vernazza from invaders, Castello di Vernazza is perched on a rocky peninsula which juts out into the sea. The round tower, sitting at 60 metres high, is an iconic sight of Vernazza. In this last town, enjoy a wine tasting at a small winery.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Jolanda3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Convento Di San FrancescoOptional Activity

    Castello di Vernazza

    Terra di Bargòn

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Train from Santa Margherita Ligure to Monterosso al MareRequest to Book: AU$ 11 per person

    Train from Monterosso al Mare to VernazzaRequest to Book

    Train from Vernazza to RiomaggioreRequest to Book: AU$ 7 per person

    Train from Riomaggiore to Santa Margherita LigureOptional Activity: AU$ 22 per person

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Santa Margherita Ligure

    Vernazza

    Liguria

    Riomaggiore

Day 4

Travel to Florence & Explore!

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Travel to Florence & Explore!

Continue your Northern Italy itinerary by travelling to Florence by train this morning. After check-in, you'll join a group for a guided tour of the wonders of Florence. This is a tour to introduce Florence to visitors who have never seen the city. During the guided visit you will learn about centuries of History from the Roman era to modern times. You visit the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the Uffizi and l'Accademia, there is so much to see in Florence!

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Alfieri93 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Walking Tour of Florence

    Ponte Vecchio

    Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Train from Santa Margherita Ligure to Florence

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Santa Margherita Ligure

    Florence

Day 5

Siena, Monteriggioni & San Gimignano

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Siena, Monteriggioni & San Gimignano

On this full-day group excursion, you'll explore Tuscany, its villages, its landscapes and its wine. Beginning in Monteriggioni, one of the most beautiful and intact walled towns in Tuscany, you'll then move on to Siena where you'll visit the Piazza del Campo, one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. Whilst in the square, you'll admire the Tower of Mangia, a landmark of the city. You'll finish the day in San Gimignano, a beautiful town surrounded by 13th-century walls.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Alfieri93 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Excursion to San Gimignano, Siena & Monteriggioni from Florence

    San Gimignano

    Piazza del Campo

    Torre del Mangia

    Siena Cathedral

    Monteriggioni

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and lunch

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Florence

    Siena

    San Gimignano

    Monteriggioni

Day 6

Train to Venice & Explore Venice's Islands

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Train to Venice & Explore Venice's Islands

Today, you'll take a train to Venice in the morning. In the afternoon, you'll take a relaxing boat tour towards the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Beginning in Murano, you'll learn about the long and thriving tradition dating back to 1291 of glass blowing. You'll then move onto the colourful streets and pastel-coloured houses of Burano, before finishing in Torcello, the centre of the first Venetian civilization founded between the 5th and 6th centuries.

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    Accommodation

    Hotel Ca Zusto Venice4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Venice Islands Tour of Murano, Burano & Torcello

    MuranoOptional Activity

    BuranoOptional Activity

    TorcelloOptional Activity

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Train from Florence to Venice

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Florence

    Venice

Day 7

Doge's Palace & St Mark's Basilica

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Doge's Palace & St Mark's Basilica

Today, during a shared guided tour, you'll visit the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica. A palace that has been built and rebuilt many times due to its turbulent past, Doge's Palace is a grand and beautiful building that will be exciting to explore. You'll then head to St. Mark's Basilica, an icon of Venice and a 9th-century church, renowned for its mosaics totalling 8000 square-metres.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Ca Zusto Venice4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Doge's Palace

    Saint Mark's Basilica

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Venice

Day 8

Train to Rome & Visit the Colosseum

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Train to Rome & Visit the Colosseum

This morning, you'll catch a train to Rome which will take around 4 hours. After checking into your hotel in the afternoon, you'll join a shared guided tour to visit the Colosseum. Originally built in 80AD for the purpose of Roman games and gladiator shows, it is estimated that the Colosseum could seat up to 80,000 onlookers, with an average of 65,000 attendees per spectacle. Visit this ancient monument and feel the atmosphere that dates back 2,000 years.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Villa Pinciana4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    The Colosseum

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Train from Venice to Rome

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Venice

    Rome

Day 9

Explore the Vatican Museums

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Explore the Vatican Museums

Today, you'll visit another symbol of Rome, the Vatican Museums and Sistine chapel during a shared guided tour. The Vatican Museums not only houses extensive collections of art, archaeology and ethno-anthropology but also contains some of the Apostolic Palace’s most extraordinary rooms. In the afternoon, you'll explore Rome aboard a hop-on-hop-off boat on the Tiber River, which will take you past the most iconic landmarks.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Villa Pinciana4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Vatican Museums

    Sistine Chapel

    Tiber Cruise Hop-On Hop-Off

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Rome

    Holy See (Vatican City State)

    Lazio

Day 10

Villa Borghese

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Villa Borghese

Today, you'll visit one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the third largest park in the city of Rome, Villa Borghese. A beautiful park made up of a complex of museums, buildings and landscaped gardens, Villa Borghese houses a vast number of paintings, sculptures, bas-reliefs and mosaics spread through 20 beautifully-frescoed rooms.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Hotel Villa Pinciana4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Villa Borghese

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Rome

Day 11

End of Your Northern Italy Itinerary

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End of Your Northern Italy Itinerary

Depending on your flight time, you can enjoy some free time in Rome on your last day before your driver takes you to Fiumicino Airport for your departing flight.

  • activities icon
    Activities

    RomeOptional Activity

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Rome to Leonardo da Vinci International Airport

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Rome

Included in Price

  • 10 nights accommodation
  • 21 activities
  • 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 1 dinner
  • Airport transfer
  • Ground transportation
  • Licensed English speaking guides

Not Included in Price

  • Alcohol beverages
  • Domestic flights
  • Entrance fees
  • Entry visas / airport departure tax
  • Gratuities
  • International flights
  • Laundry
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Trekking permits
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