Tuscany, Rome and the Amalfi Coast

Today you’ll arrive at Pisa Airport, where you’ll be met by your tour manager and transferred for two hours to your hotel in Arezzo, the heart of Tuscany.

You’ll have the evening to unpack and get settled before exploring the surrounding area and having dinner at the hotel. 

After breakfast, you can embrace a morning at leisure, accompanied by your tour manager.

In the afternoon, you’ll set off on a guided city tour of Arezzo, providing an introduction and orientation of this charming city. Points of interest include the Piazza Grande, Corso Italia and the Pieve di Santa Maria, which has a striking Romanesque façade.

The highlight of the tour will be a visit to Basilica di San Francesco, a 13^th-century complex that encompasses two churches, adorned with colourful frescos and towering over the historic centre.

Later that day, you’ll return home to unwind and have dinner at the hotel.

The choice today is yours to either take advantage of a full day at leisure or join an optional excursion to Siena and San Gimignano.

Your first stop on this excursion will be Siena, famous for its medley of medieval brick buildings positioned around a fan-shaped square, Piazza del Campo. Here, you’ll also get to view the city’s Gothic town hall, Palazzo Pubblico and its 14^th-century tower, Torre del Mangia, embellished with a white crown and looking out over the countryside.

You’ll then continue to another hill-topped town, San Gimignano, with its 14 fairy-tale-like towers rising amongst the other roofs. A ring of 13^th-century walls encloses the old town centre, which is set around a triangular square, dotted with medieval houses. The Duomo di San Gimignano, a 12^th-century church is a must-see during your visit given its fascinating assortment of frescos.

At the end of the day, you’ll return to your hotel for a well-deserved rest and dinner.

Fuel up on breakfast as you have a jam-packed journey around Florence today. The tour will lead you to the centre of the Renaissance movement and showcase the highlights of the city, followed by time to survey the winding streets at your own pace.

The imposing Florence Cathedral, Duomo di Firenze, is the starting point of this tour, and you can gaze at it in all its Gothic-style glory from the Piazza del Duomo. This striking structure, dating back to 1296, along with Baptistery and Giotto's Campanil are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site enveloping the historic centre of Florence. You’ll then see the splendour of the Basilica di Santa Croce before meandering across the medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge, spared by the retreating German forces.

This afternoon, there will be time at leisure to seek out Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s fabled statue of David, and the Uffizi, where Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus, as well as the sprawling Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio frieze and Fontana di Nettuno.

Your coach will then take you back to the hotel, where you can put your feet up, maybe with an Aperol Spritz in hand before having dinner. 

You’ll check out of the hotel today and leave Arezzo for Rome, stopping for wine tasting at Montalcino, a beautiful town balanced on a hilltop in Tuscany. Famous for its production of wine, particularly the Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino, Enoteca La Fortezza is the perfect place to sample some local labels. Three tasting will be available, as well as a selection of cured meats and cheeses.

The tour will then continue to Rome, Italy’s ancient capital where you’ll check into Romoli Hotel Roma.

Following breakfast, you’ll get to tick off more Rome monuments by day on another tour. From the Spanish Steps, dating back to 1723 and the exterior of the Colosseum, the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, to Saint Peter’s Square in front of the Vatican City, you’ll definitely see it all. 

With the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps take a stroll to the 18^th-century Trevi Fountain to toss a coin into the waters and then grab a gelato. Or make your way to the cobbled streets of Trastevere in search of tiny osterias to feast on Italian delicacies amongst the locals.

Head back to your hotel once you’ve had your fill of the city’s splendours.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and another day to potter around Rome at your own pace – ideal for fitting in any of the sights that you had missed.

Maybe pay a visit to the Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope.

You may also want to see the Rome Opera House, Castel Sant’Angelo, ‘The Castle of Angels’, the BorghesGallery and Museum, and the Roman Forum by the Coliseum.

Post-exploring, perhaps partake in the cultural tradition of Italian Aperitivo, opting for a spot on one of the pretty piazzas like Piazza Navona.

Have breakfast, check out of the hotel, and then you’ll be driven to Rome, stopping off first at Pompeii. Here, you can see the ruins of Roman Pompeii, which were destroyed and miraculously preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.

Pompeii, then lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years before being rediscovered in the 18^th century. Follow your guide as they point out the villas, temples, and frescoed houses, which offer a vivid insight into Roman life.

Upon arriving in Sorrento Peninsula, a coastal haven looking out across the Bay of Naples, you’ll check into your hilltop hotel, where you might want to head straight to the rooftop terrace to take in the vista before dinner.

Once you’ve had breakfast, you can discover the delights of Sorrento Peninsula under your own steam or join an optional excursion to Capri.

This day trip starts off with boarding a boat and cruising around Capri, set in the Bay of Naples, known for its rugged cliffs and sheltered grottos. The boat will dock amongst the sparkling yachts, and you’ll have a chance to stroll the streets, lined with polished hotels and boutique shops and snorkel in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

You’ll also get to see some of the island’s natural wonders like Grotta Bianca (white grotto), the natural arch, Villa Malaparte resting dramatically on a cliff edge, the soaring Faraglioni rocks, Grotto Verde (green grotto), the active lighthouse of Punta Carena, and the villa of Tiberius, the island retreat of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius. If you would like to visit the famous Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto), with its incredible azure reflection, you can do this during your free time on your own account.

You'll then return to your, where you can refresh and relax during the evening before having dinner at the hotel.

It’s your final day in Italy, and you can enjoy a full day at leisure or really make the most of it with an all-encompassing optional boat tour.

Exclusive to small groups, the tour will start with you being picked up from your hotel and driven along the arresting Amalfi Coast, passing by colourful towns, clinging to the cliffs with the sea shimmering below the craggy rocks.

After spending some time in Amalfi, you’ll then board a boat and sail towards Positano with its ribbon of pebbled beach and labyrinth of lofty lanes lined with lemon trees. Amble past whitewashed buildings to the main square, which is dominated by the domed cathedral, Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta and find a scenic spot to take a Limoncello break.

In the late afternoon, you’ll be driven back to your hotel for the last night to soak up the seaside spectacles before dinner. 

As your Italian escape has come to an end, you’ll check out and be transferred to Naples Airport.