Grand Tour of Italy - The 5 Senses 2026-27 "Prestige"

Day-by-day itinerary

Download the itinerary (PDF)

1. 1Day 1Rome – Trieste, 670 km

   Departure from Rome for Trieste – lunch on your own along the way – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Trieste – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Trieste by night: walking tour with your tour leader through the historic center – overnight stay.

2. 2Day 2San Daniele Del Friuli “the homeland of prosciutto” & Udine, 190 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit to San Daniele del Friuli (the former Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, known as the little Sistine Chapel of Friuli for its remarkable Renaissance frescoes, and a panoramic visit of the historic center) – visit to a prosciutto producer, with lunch – in the afternoon, visit to Udine (a city tour in the footsteps of Tiepolo, taking in his splendid frescoes in the Oratory of the Purità and in the cathedral – walking tour through Piazza Libertà, the most beautiful Venetian-style square on the mainland, Via Mercatovecchio and Piazza Matteotti, Udine’s ancient Piazza delle Erbe; visit to the city’s oldest church, Santa Maria del Castello, and to the castle – exterior visit) – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

3. 3Day 3Cividale Del Friuli “Italia Langobardorum, a UNESCO World Heritage…

   Site” & Gorizia, 150 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit to Cividale del Friuli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the leading town of the Italia Langobardorum project; Cividale brings visitors close to the Lombard world of the 8th century through the Lombard Temple and the Christian Museum, and to the centuries before it through the extraordinarily rich collections of the National Archaeological Museum; visit to the cathedral and walking tour of the historic center as far as the famous Devil’s Bridge – lunch at a traditional osteria – in the afternoon, visit to Gorizia and Nova Gorica (panoramic coach tour of this provincial capital on the Isonzo, touching the border at Casa Rossa and continuing to Piazza Transalpina, half Italian and half Slovenian, the Austro-Hungarian railway station and Borgo Castello with its medieval castle) – continuing along the scenic Wine Road through the world-renowned Collio winegrowing area, celebrated for its excellent wines – visit to a winery with a tasting of DOC wines – return to the hotel in Trieste in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

4. 4Day 4Trieste “Mitteleuropean charm” – Aquileia “the ancient Roman colony,…

   a UNESCO World Heritage Site” – Padua, 280 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit to Trieste (an extensive tour of Borgo Teresiano, the Rive waterfront, Piazza Unità d’Italia, the Porto Nuovo, the Risiera di San Sabba, one of the emblematic sites of the Second World War – exterior visit – San Giusto Hill with the cathedral, and a walking tour of the historic center and the former Jewish ghetto) – lunch at a traditional beer hall – in the afternoon, guided visit to Aquileia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site: this ancient Roman colony reveals the glories of its past through the excavations of the forum, the former river port and the residential quarters, 2,000 years old) – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Padua – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Padua by night: panoramic tour by private coach and walking tour with your tour leader through the historic center – overnight stay.

5. 5Day 5Venice “La Serenissima”

   Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion – transfer by coach to the Padua railway station – departure by train for Venice Santa Lucia – full day devoted to this UNESCO World Heritage city – in the morning, guided visit of classical Venice (St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace – exterior visit – then through the narrow streets of the Castello district to Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo and on to the famous Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal) – lunch on your own – free afternoon for shopping and/or excursions to the lagoon islands, also UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Murano, Burano, Torcello), or for a romantic gondola ride – return to the hotel in Padua in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

6. 6Day 6Padua – Verona “the city of love and music”, 90 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit to Padua (the Basilica of Sant’Antonio, the historic center, the Palazzo della Ragione, the Scrovegni Chapel, and the Palazzo del Bo with the university’s Anatomical Theater) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit to Verona (a UNESCO World Heritage city: panoramic coach tour of the hills, walking tour of the historic center taking in the Scaliger residences, Piazza dei Signori, Piazza Erbe, the houses of Juliet and Romeo – exterior visit – and the Arena – exterior visit) – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Verona by night: walking tour with your tour leader through the historic center – overnight stay.

7. 7Day 7Verona – Mantua “the city of Virgil” & Sabbioneta “the Gonzagas’…

   ideal city” – Parma, 110 km. Breakfast at the hotel – visits to two UNESCO World Heritage cities – in the morning, guided visit to Mantua (Palazzo Te by Giulio Romano – interior visit – and the Ducal Palace, or Gonzaga Palace – exterior visit) – visit to a rice farm, with a walk through the paddies and a visit to the historic rice mill – tasting lunch at the rice estate – in the afternoon, guided visit to Sabbioneta (an intact star with six bastions at its points: this is the urban spectacle Sabbioneta offers, with the Ducal Palace, the Palazzo Giardino with the Galleria degli Antichi and the Teatro all’Antica) – arrival in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Parma by night: tour by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

8. 8Day 8Parma “Italian Capital of Culture 2021” – Langhirano “Parma Ham”…

   Fontanellato “the Masone Labyrinth”, 100 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit to Parma (the historic center, the monumental Pilotta complex with the Farnese Theater, the National Gallery and the Archaeological Museum, the cathedral and the baptistery) – visit in Langhirano to a producer of Prosciutto di Parma – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, visit in Fontanellato to the largest labyrinth in the world, created by the Franco Maria Ricci Foundation – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

9. 9Day 9Parma – Milan “the capital of fashion and new trends” – Lake…

   Maggiore, 220 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion to Milan – full day devoted to a guided visit of the city (the Duomo; the Sforza Castle with the Rondanini Pietà; the Brera Art Gallery with Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin and Bramante’s Christ at the Column; the Museum of Science and Technology; the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, the Sistine Chapel of Milan; and the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the evening, return to the hotel on Lake Maggiore in Baveno or Stresa – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

10. 10Day 10Lake Maggiore & Villa Taranto “the most beautiful garden in Italy”…

    30 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit to the Borromean Islands by private speedboat (Isola Bella with the splendid Palazzo Borromeo and the marvel of its Italian garden, laid out on ten terraces descending toward the lake; Isola dei Pescatori with its ancient alleys and evocative views) – lunch at the hotel – in the afternoon, guided visit to Villa Taranto (a splendid botanical garden, considered the most beautiful in Italy and among the finest in the world) – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – overnight stay.

11. 11Day 11Lake Maggiore – Turin “the Egyptian Museum & Venaria Reale”, 150 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Turin – full day devoted to a guided visit of the city (the historic center with Piazza San Carlo, Via Roma, Piazza Castello, Palazzo Madama and the Royal Palace – exterior visits – both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Church of San Lorenzo, the cathedral, Piazza Carignano, the Egyptian Museum – interior visit – and the Palace and Park of Venaria Reale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Turin by night: walking tour with your tour leader through the historic center – overnight stay.

12. 12Day 12Turin – The Langhe “UNESCO Heritage Sites” – Genoa, 250 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion through the Langhe and its winegrowing landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – visits to La Morra, Barolo (historic center, Piazza Falletti, the Falletti Castle of Barolo), Serralunga and Alba (the heart of the Langhe: Piazza Risorgimento, the Town Hall, the cathedral, the Church of San Domenico) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – during the day, visit to a winery with a tasting of DOC wines – arrival in Genoa in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Genoa by night: walking tour with your tour leader in Nervi – overnight stay.

13. 13Day 13Genoa “a jewel set between sea and mountains”

    Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to a guided visit of the city: the historic center and its patrician residences, the Strade Nuove with the UNESCO-listed Palazzi dei Rolli (panoramic tour, Via Garibaldi, Piazza Caricamento, Palazzo San Giorgio, Piazza Bianchi, Piazza San Matteo, Piazza De Ferrari, Porta Soprana, the House of Christopher Columbus, Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Spinola – interior visits), the Aquarium (self-guided visit) and the Old Port district, with the chance to ride the Bigo, a 40-meter panoramic lift with views over the city – street-food lunch on your own – free time for shopping – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Genoa by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

14. 14Day 14Genoa – Florence “the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site”…

    220 km. Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Florence – full day devoted to a guided walking tour of Florence’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Pazzi Chapel, Piazza della Signoria, the Loggia dei Lanzi, Palazzo Vecchio, the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and the San Marco Museum with frescoes by Fra Angelico) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – dinner at a traditional restaurant – after dinner, Florence by night: panoramic minibus tour with your tour leader (Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato al Monte, Scandicci, the Certosa, Fiesole) – overnight stay.

15. 15Day 15Florence “the Uffizi Gallery” – Rome, 280 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of the Uffizi Gallery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the gallery occupies the entire first and second floors of the great building raised between 1560 and 1580 to a design by Giorgio Vasari: it is one of the most famous museums in the world for its extraordinary collections of ancient sculpture and of painting from the Middle Ages to the modern era. Its 14th-century and Renaissance holdings include some of the absolute masterpieces of all time — it is enough to recall the names of Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio — as well as masterpieces of the European painting tradition, above all German, Dutch and Flemish) – lunch on your own – free time for shopping – in the afternoon, continuation of the journey – arrival in Rome in the evening – dinner on your own, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

16. 16Day 16Rome – Naples, 230 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Naples – street-food lunch on your own – in the afternoon, guided tour of Naples (panoramic tour along the city’s great avenues, Piazza Municipio with the Maschio Angioino, the Teatro San Carlo and the Galleria Umberto I, Piazza del Plebiscito with the Royal Palace and the monumental Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, the Santa Lucia district – an age-old fishermen’s quarter – Via Caracciolo, the hillside district of Posillipo with stunning views over the entire gulf, the National Archaeological Museum – interior visit – and the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – in the evening, check-in at the hotel – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Naples by night: panoramic tour by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

17. 17Day 17Naples – Pompeii “the most visited archaeological site in the world”…

    Morano Calabro “the heart of Pollino National Park” – Vibo Valentia, 420 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Pompeii, the most visited archaeological site in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – continuing to Morano Calabro in the heart of Pollino National Park – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit of Morano Calabro, one of the most charming villages in Pollino National Park (the historic center, the monastic complex of San Bernardino da Siena, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena) – arrival in Vibo Valentia in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Pizzo Calabro by night with private coach and tour leader – tasting of the famous artisanal tartufo gelato – overnight stay.

18. 18Day 18Vibo Valentia – Messina – Cefalù – Palermo, 330 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Messina – tour of the city (the cathedral and Piazza Duomo) – street-food lunch on your own – in the late afternoon, guided visit of Cefalù (the historic center and the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – arrival in Palermo in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Palermo by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

19. 19Day 19Palermo & Monreale “UNESCO World Heritage Sites”

    Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to a guided visit of Palermo and Monreale and their UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Palazzo dei Normanni with the Palatine Chapel – interior visit – San Giovanni degli Eremiti – interior visit – the cathedral – interior visit – followed by a panoramic tour with exterior visits of the Teatro Massimo, Piazza Pretoria, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as La Martorana, and the cathedral and cloister of Monreale) – street-food lunch on your own: this is the moment to try the classics of Palermo street food, panelle, crocchè (or cazzilli), boiled octopus, pani ca’ meusa, rice arancini and sfincione – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Palermo by night: panoramic tour by private coach and walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

20. 20Day 20Palermo – Agrigento – Modica, 270 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Agrigento – guided visit of the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest archaeological park in Italy (Temple of Concordia, Temple of Juno, Temple of Jupiter, Temple of Castor and Pollux, Temple of Hercules) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – arrival in Modica or Ragusa in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

21. 21Day 21Ragusa Ibla “the other Sicily” – Modica “an incomparable land” Scicli.

    Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Ragusa (an ancient historic center that preserves its late-19th-century urban layout) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit of Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of the poet Salvatore Quasimodo (its refined Baroque buildings and the Church of San Giorgio) and of Scicli, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (panoramic tour of the Baroque town, Via Mormino Penna, the visionary Palazzo Beneventano) – stop at a famous pastry shop to taste the renowned Modica chocolate – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Modica by night: panoramic tour by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

22. 22Day 22Modica – Noto “where Baroque takes center stage” – Syracuse “the Greek…

    city” – Catania, 150 km. Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to Noto – in the morning, guided visit of this splendid UNESCO World Heritage town, capital of European Baroque, with its magnificent cathedral, churches, monasteries and noble palaces, Porta Nazionale and the Town Hall – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit of Syracuse, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the archaeological park (Greek Theater, Roman Amphitheater, the Ear of Dionysius), the island of Ortigia and the cathedral – arrival in Catania in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Catania by night: panoramic tour by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

23. 23Day 23Etna & Taormina “myth and passion”, 100 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided excursion on Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – we climb to 1,900 meters to discover the wonders and lunar landscapes of Europe’s highest volcano, walking around the Silvestri Craters, small and long dormant – please note: guests who prefer not to make the ascent for health reasons may wait in the charming village of Zafferana Etnea, where lunch will be served – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit of Taormina (the Greek Theater, the public gardens, the historic center, Palazzo Corvaja, Corso Umberto) – free time for shopping – return to the hotel – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

24. 24Day 24Catania – Reggio Calabria – Tropea “the balcony over the Tyrrhenian Sea”…

    Cosenza, 330 km. Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Reggio Calabria – guided visit of the National Archaeological Museum with the famous Riace Bronzes – continuing to Tropea – lunch at a traditional restaurant – guided visit of the town (the cathedral and the historic center, with a stop at the Affaccio, a stunning balcony over the Tyrrhenian Sea) – tasting of traditional red-onion specialties at a local producer – arrival in Cosenza in the afternoon – guided city tour (the old town with its cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Cosenza by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

25. 25Day 25Cosenza – Matera “the City of the Sassi”, 210 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Matera – full day devoted to a guided visit of Matera, the City of the Sassi, ancient dwellings now inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the cathedral, a walking tour through the Sassi districts of Sasso Caveoso, Santa Lucia alle Malve and Madonna de Idris, and a visit in the Petrapenta district, 14 km from Matera, to the Crypt of Original Sin, known as the Sistine Chapel of rock-church painting) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – free time for shopping – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Matera by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

26. 26Day 26Matera – Taranto “the city of two seas” – Lecce “the Florence of the…

    South”, 180 km. Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Taranto – guided visit of the city of two seas (the historic center with the Aragonese Castle – exterior visit – the Cathedral of San Cataldo and a panoramic tour) – continuing to Lecce – street-food lunch on your own: we recommend the savory rustico leccese and the sweet pasticciotto leccese – in the afternoon, guided visit of Lecce (the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Church of the Gesù, San Matteo, the cathedral, Sant’Irene, along with a great many noble palaces, and Roman remains including the Theater and the Amphitheater) – visit to a traditional papier-mâché workshop – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Lecce by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

27. 27Day 27Salento Tour – Otranto – Santa Maria Di Leuca – Gallipoli, 190 km

    Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of Otranto (the historic center and the cathedral, with the precious 1163 mosaic that covers its floor), of Santa Maria di Leuca, de finibus terrae, and of Gallipoli (from the Greek for beautiful city, with its distinctive old town) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – return to the hotel in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

28. 28Day 28Lecce – Ostuni “the white city” – Valle D’Itria – Alberobello “the…

    trulli” – Bari, 170 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of Ostuni, the white city, with an olive oil tasting at a working mill – the Itria Valley – Alberobello and its famous trulli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – lunch at a traditional restaurant – arrival in Bari in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Bari by night: panoramic tour by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

29. 29Day 29Bari – Trani – Castel Del Monte “a UNESCO World Heritage Site”…

    Campobasso, 280 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Bari (the historic center with the Basilica of San Nicola), followed by guided visits of Trani (the Romanesque cathedral that seems to rise straight from the sea, dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim, with a tasting of Moscato di Trani at a wine bar) and of Castel del Monte (Frederick II’s castle, built on the model of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – street-food lunch on your own: we recommend focaccia barese, sgagliozze and octopus sandwiches – arrival in Campobasso in the evening – dinner at the hotel/restaurant – after dinner, Campobasso by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

30. 30Day 30Campobasso “the Samnite Museum” – Agnone “the Marinelli Foundry” – Isernia…

    “the Paleolithic Museum” – Rome, 290 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Campobasso (the historic center and the Samnite Museum) – continuing to Agnone – light lunch with a tasting of cheeses and dairy products, and a visit to a historic cellar and to a tuff cave used for aging cheese – visit of the Pontifical Marinelli Bell Foundry in Agnone – continuing to Isernia – guided visit of the Paleolithic Museum – arrival in Rome in the evening. Please note: the scheduled visits may be rearranged among the various days depending on museum opening hours or for operational reasons, but the itinerary itself remains unchanged.

    Experience here: Segreti di MarmoExperience here: I Tesori di Carta