Grand Tour of Italy

Travelsphere’s Grand Tour of Italy begins in Venice with a guided walk through St Mark’s Square and a climb up the winding stairs of Scala Contarini del Bovolo, offering rooftop views seldom seen by day-trippers. After a pause in Bologna to see its leaning towers and to taste traditional gelato, the tour turns to Tuscany with visits to Pisa and Florence, where the Gothic cathedral and Ponte Vecchio draw crowds.

Heading south, the group stops in Orvieto to admire its impressive cathedral before settling in Rome for a couple of days, where a walk past the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps is balanced by free afternoons to explore museums or cafés. Later, a full day unfolds across Pompeii’s volcanic ruins and the Sorrento Peninsula, where the pace slows with several leisure days by the beach. The final leg reaches Sicily via Calabria, with time in Taormina perched above the sea and close to Mount Etna’s slopes.

This escorted tour covers classic and less hurried moments, with local guides adding insight but plenty of chances for independent wandering. It offers a clear route down Italy’s boot, pausing where time invites, rather than racing to tick lists.

New to Italy? Our Italy guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.