Grand Cities of Italy

Fly to Italy, meet your tour manager and transfer to the hotel in Moniga del Garda. Settle into your surroundings, and depending on the time of your arrival, enjoy a first dinner.

Your first included excursion is to charming Verona, where you’ll explore its historic centre, fashioned in pink marble. Take a seat in one of the numerous pavement cafes that line the Piazza Bra, opposite the vast Roman amphitheatre, or wander the maze of 13th-century streets that Shakespeare brought to life in his timeless tale of doomed love.

Continue on to Mantova, dubbed the ‘world’s most romantic city’. Surrounded by beautiful lakes, its ancient streets and squares are lined with ornate palazzi, and a skyline of turrets and towers straight out of an Arabian Nights fantasy, Mantova is a delight. Return to Moniga for dinner.

Spend a free day in the hotel and its surroundings, perhaps relaxing on the terrace, with its wonderful views, wandering down to the shore or explore the 10th-century castle above the village. Famed for its rose wine, Moniga is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, and boasts a medieval heart of narrow streets and alleyways. The major towns of Desenzano and Sirmione are a short distance away by bus, taxi or lake steamer, should you wish to head elsewhere for lunch in the sunshine.

Today, journey to incomparable Venice and enjoy a walking tour of this breathtakingly beautiful place; with its innumerable bridges, gondolas and water taxis plying their trades on the Grand Canal. St Mark’s Square, with its cathedral, clock tower and Doges’ Palace is one of the world’s great sights, while close by, joining the palace to the prisons, is the famous Bridge of Sighs. Take a seat in a cafe to watch the world go by, or simply wander through the narrow streets that radiate away from the heart of this endlessly fascinating city.

Bidding farewell to Garda’s shores, travel south to Florence. See for yourself the magnificent Florentine skyline, dominated by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and to explore the splendour of Santa Croce and the beautiful Ponte Vecchio Bridge. Florence is also home to the Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s renowned Statue of David, and to the the Uffizi, where the masterpieces on display include Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus (entrances payable locally).

Head into the Tuscan hills to Siena, one of Europe’s most perfectly preserved medieval cities, with its shell-shaped piazza il Campo, home each year to the traditional Palio horse race. After the opportunity for lunch, journey to San Gimignano, to see its beautiful towers, medieval walls and cathedral, before returning to Chianciano for dinner.

The delights of the hotel and Chianciano are yours to savour today. The spa town boasts a wonderful climate and waters that have drawn visitors from far and wide for centuries. Book a spa treatment, explore the old hill town above or enjoy the many small bars, cafes and restaurants.

The last included excursion sees you spend a day in glorious Rome, one of the most fascinating cities on Earth. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour taking in the Colosseum and the Forum, centre of Ancient Rome, the great basilicas of the early Christian Church, and the Baroque fountains into which many a coin has been thrown. In the Vatican City, across the Tiber, the magnificent St Peter’s looks over the vast Square, while the nearby Sistine Chapel houses Michelangelo’s famed frescoes.

Wander through elegant piazzas, delightful gardens and sophisticated shopping streets like the Via Condotti. Relax in a pavement cafe and watch the Roman world go by, and soak up the atmosphere of the city that invented La Dolce Vita, before returning to Chianciano.

Enjoy a last, restful day in Chianciano, before a final dinner offers a chance to look back over the past wonderful few days. 

 Bid “Arrivederci” to your Tuscan hosts, and transfer to the airport for the return flight to the UK.