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The 20 Best Italy Tours

See Italy's top tourist attractions and stunning cities on these guided excursions.

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Visitors can discover charming neighborhoods, enjoy delicious food and see top sights on Italy's best tours.

There's so much to see and do in Italy that it can feel a bit overwhelming to plan a trip that makes the most of the country's fabled history, art, architecture and cuisine – not to mention its 55-plus UNESCO World Heritage sites. Guided tours are an efficient, hassle-free way to explore the country's top attractions and cities. These Italy tours – considered the best by travelers and experts alike – vary by region, focus and method of transportation, but they all have one thing in common: highly motivated and informed guides ready to help you better appreciate your time in this beautiful European country.

The Roman Food Tour – Prati by Sunset – Rome Food Tour

Price: Adults from 135 euros (about $148); kids from 80 euros (about $88) Duration: 4 hours

Enjoy Italian cuisine via this small group walking tour of five food-centric places in Rome 's Prati neighborhood near Vatican City . Stops include a cafe, a pizzeria and a gourmet food shop, and food samples typically include cheese, truffles, cured meat, pasta, tiramisu and pizza as well as wine. Food and wine enthusiasts regularly report enjoying learning about Roman culinary arts from the passionate, well-informed guides on this tour.

Outings last about four hours and are available daily all year long starting at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. with additional 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. start times from May through October. Prices start at 135 euros (about $148) for adults, 89 euros (about $98) for teenagers 13 to 17 and 80 euros (about $88) for children 5 to 12. Prices cover all food and beverage samples, which may exceed 20 in total. The Roman Food Tour offers a variety of other foodie outings to different areas around the city, including one to the Trionfale neighborhood.

View & Book Tickets:  Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3

City Wonders – Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Tour

Price: Adults from $42; kids from $37 Duration: 2 to 3 hours

Visit some of the most famous attractions in Rome on this 2- to 3-hour walking tour. Highlights include the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums, which are filled with historic art pieces. Tour-takers rave about the spectacular art and architecture and appreciate the insightful guides.

Tours depart multiple times a day Monday through Saturday, typically between around 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets start at $42 for adults and around $37 for children ages 6 to 18 (kids 5 and younger tour for free), but prices may vary by day and time. Tickets cover all entrance fees. Groups are limited to 20 participants. Note: Modest attire may be required to enter some sites. City Wonders operates several other tours around Rome as well as in other Italian cities like Milan .

View & Book Tickets:  Viator | GetYourGuide

LivItaly Tours – Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum

Price: Adults from 139 euros (about $152); kids from 124 euros (about $135) Duration: 3 hours

Explore renowned sites of ancient Rome on this three-hour walk. Tours start at the Colosseum and visit areas of the amphitheater, such as underground cages and dungeons, that relatively few people get to see due to space and ticketing limitations. Other highlights include the Palatine Hill, one of Rome's seven hills where politicians of the Roman Empire once lived and where the ruins of numerous buildings from that era remain, and the Forum , once the center of social and political activity in ancient Rome. Reviewers frequently say the guides are not only informative, but also humorous and make learning about Roman history fun.

Tours, which are limited to six participants, are offered daily at a variety of times, typically between 9:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets start at 139 euros (about $152) for adults, 129 euros (about $141) for teenagers ages 13 to 17 and 124 euros (about $135) for kids ages 3 to 12. Students also receive a slight discount. LivItaly runs multiple tours in Rome, including one that visits some of the city's top attractions .

View & Book Tickets: Option 1 | Option 2

Walkabout Florence Tours – The Best of Tuscany in One Day Trip from Florence

Price: Adults from 83 euros (about $91); kids from 70 euros (about $77) Duration: 12 hours

Take a day to experience Tuscany and its UNESCO World Heritage sites on this trip via air-conditioned coach. Highlights include a guided walking tour in the medieval town of Siena , a visit to San Gimignano and a trip through the countryside to Pisa. Optional upgrades include lunch and wine-tasting at a Chianti vineyard and skip-the-line entry to Pisa's famous Leaning Tower . While trip-takers consistently describe the guides as knowledgeable and personable, they also appreciate having time to explore each destination on their own.

Buses depart from Florence 's Piazza Stazione daily at 8 a.m. and return approximately 12 hours later. Prices start at 83 euros (about $91) for adults and 70 euros (about $77) for kids ages 8 to 17, not including lunch. The full tour, including lunch at the winery and access to the tower, costs approximately 113 euros (around $123) for adults and 100 euros (approximately $109) for kids. Note: While there's no charge for children younger than 8 to take the tour, they cannot climb the tower.

View & Book Tickets: Viator

Walks of Italy – Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica with Terraces & Doge's Palace

Price: Adults from $113; kids from $107 Duration: 3 hours

This tour encompasses some of the most significant spots in Venice : St. Mark's Square , St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace . Both the church and the palace are art-filled buildings with eventful histories. (The palace, for instance, was more than a site of political administration; it also contains prisons and torture chambers.) Guides recount the colorful backstories, which tour-takers invariably find informative and entertaining.

Three-hour walking tours beginning in the square happen daily at 2 p.m. and every day except Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Earlier departures (at 8 a.m.) may also be available on select days. Tickets start around $113 for adults and $107 for children 2 to 14, though you may find some higher or lower prices depending on the date and time. (There's no charge for infants.) The visit to the basilica includes access to a balcony affording views of the square and nearby lagoon. Another bonus? Taking this tour enables you to bypass the lines to enter the palace and the basilica.

View & Book Tickets: Viator | GetYourGuide

Withlocals – The 10 Tastings of Venice

Price: From 85 euros (about $93) per person for a group of six Duration: 3 hours

As its name indicates, this tour features 10 tastings of typical Venetian food and drinks. It's essentially a private, customizable, small-group walking tour that can be tailored to participants' interests. Even so, samples usually include local favorites like spritz (a wine-based cocktail) and gelato. Tour-takers tend to enjoy both the visits to multiple local eateries and the amusing guides' insightful commentary.

Three-hour tours depart from Venice's Campo Manin daily with multiple start times; the earliest is typically 10 a.m. and the latest 6 p.m. Prices vary by group size and start at approximately 252 euros (about $275) for one person (the minimum) and descend to about 85 euros (about $93) per person for groups of six (the maximum). Groups larger than six should contact the tour company directly to schedule.

Blue Star Boat Tours – Amalfi Coast Group Tour

Price: From $88 Duration: 7 hours

Another option for seeing the beaches and caves of the UNESCO-listed Amalfi Coast is from the water. Sights seen on this daylong expedition typically include the picturesque geological features of Fiordo di Furore beach; Grotta della Pandora, a cave accessible only from the sea; and the Emerald Grotto, named for the color of the light that fills the cave. The approximately seven-hour tour, which departs from Positano, also includes an hour or two of free time to explore the town of Amalfi. Travelers typically appreciate the professional, personable staff and the opportunities to swim in such a scenic setting.

Tickets cost approximately $88 per person. There is a maximum of 12 people per group. Note: There's an additional fee to enter the Emerald Grotto. Private boat tours and sunset cruises are also available.

You Know! – Sorrento Coast and Capri Boat Tour from Sorrento

Price: Adults from 104 euros (about $114); kids from 84 euros (about $92) Duration: 9 hours

See the sights along the Sorrento coast, including a waterfall, a lighthouse and Roman ruins, on this boat ride. The tour also features a three- to five-hour stop on Capri during which travelers can explore the small island's famed Piazzetta, as well as churches and a medieval district. There's also time for swimming and snorkeling. Tour-takers consistently find the scenery beautiful and the guides professional and friendly.

The approximately nine-hour trips happen daily starting at 9:45 a.m. Prices vary by season, but typically start at around 104 euros (about $114) for participants 10 and older and 84 euros (about $92) for kids ages 3 to 9. (There's no cost for infants to join the trip.) Trips are capped at 12 to 14 people. Prices include transportation between Sorrento and the port as well as snacks and beverages on the boat. Fees don't cover lunch on Capri, snorkeling equipment or entrance fees to attractions. The company also offers boat tours to Capri that depart from Amalfi.

World Tours Italy – Pompeii and Amalfi Coast (with Lunch)

Price: From 128 euros (about $140) Duration: 8 hours

Visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites on this daylong excursion. When the volcano Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, ash swallowed the city of Pompeii and preserved many buildings. Now, the archeological site affords glimpses into how people lived during the era of the Roman Empire. This trip includes two to three hours at Pompeii as well as a drive along the Amalfi Coast with stops in the towns of Amalfi and Ravello, both of which boast notable art and architecture. You'll also have a few photo stops, including one in Positano . Travelers consistently remark on the exceptional coastal scenery and the insight and humor of the guides at Pompeii.

Tours occur daily. Passenger pickups begin around 7:30 a.m.; the drive to Sorrento begins at just before 9 a.m. After a busy day, the tour returns to the city around 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at 128 euros (about $140) for adults, with discounts for children ages 5 to 12. (There's no fee for children younger than 5.) Prices vary by time and day. Keep in mind that tours in English may not be offered in the colder months. Prices include lunch at a restaurant on the coast, but do not cover entrance to Pompeii. If you can't get enough of the Amalfi Coast, World Tours also offers daytrips that visit Capri and Sorrento.

Prestige Rent – Wine Experience in Tuscany

Price: Adults from 89 euros (about $97); kids from 79 euros (about $86) Duration: 5 hours

Enjoy red wines typical of the Chianti region on this trip to two wineries. You'll also sample Tuscan fare, including olive oil, cheese and cured meat, during this approximately five-hour outing. Along the roughly 45-minute drive from Florence, guides will provide background information on local viniculture. At each stop, resident experts will describe the wine-making process. Wine lovers typically find the samples delicious and the guides energetic and informative.

Tours, which are capped at 25 participants, are offered twice a day starting at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Prices start at 89 euros (about $97) for adults and 79 euros (about $86) for youngsters 12 to 17 and include transportation between Florence's Piazzale Montelungo and the vineyards, as well as the various food and beverage samples. Note: Children younger than 12 are not permitted on this tour. Prestige Rent also leads tours to Siena and San Gimignano.

Italian Days Food & Wine Tours – Bologna Food and Wine Tour #1

Price: Adults from 180 euros (about $197); kids from 150 euros (about $164) Duration: 8 hours

Observe the production of three Italian staples – Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar and prosciutto – on this daylong culinary excursion. Of course, this tour also includes samples of the cheese, vinegar and cured meat, as well as breakfast, coffee, wine and a multicourse family-style lunch. Throughout the day, guides explicate the food-making processes, which foodies invariably find fascinating.

Minibuses pick up in front of Grand Hotel Majestic in Bologna around 7 a.m. and head to Modena every day except Sunday. The tour lasts about eight hours. Tickets start at around 180 euros (about $197) for adults and 150 euros (about $164) for children 2 to 11, though costs vary by season. Prices include transportation as well food and beverages. The tour is capped at 18 participants. Italian Days offers a variety of food tours, including a walking tour in Bologna.

View & Book Tickets:  Viator

Bici & Baci Tours – The Grand Tour of Rome

Price: From 150 euros (about $164) Duration: 3 hours

Admire the signature sights of Rome from atop an Italian Vespa, on this approximately 22-mile ride around the city. Highlights include the Aurelian Walls, the Appian Way , the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain , St. Peter's Basilica , the Pantheon , ruins of ancient aqueducts and baths, and more. Reviewers consistently describe the guides as helpful, skillful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Fees start at 150 euros (about $164) for a single person operating a Vespa or a passenger riding with a guide. Fees are about 250 euros (about $273) for two people on a scooter. Prices include use of a helmet as well as coffee or ice cream. Daily tours start at 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and typically last around three hours.

Note: Operators of Vespas must have valid motorcycle or driver's licenses. Children are permitted as passengers with their parents as long as they are tall enough for their feet to reach the scooters' foot pegs. The company also operates tours that travel to some of the city's most iconic movie filming locations.

City Wonders – Best of Milan Duomo Cathedral & Da Vinci's 'Last Supper' Tour

Price: Adults from $125; kids from $114 Duration: 3 hours

Take a walking tour of Milan and enjoy skip-the-line access to two of its top attractions. You'll experience the Duomo , a monumental cathedral, construction of which commenced around 1386 and went on for centuries. Another highlight of this trip is a visit to Leonardo's "The Last Supper" in its original location, a former convent. Plus, you'll visit spots like Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th-century shopping arcade housing upscale boutiques; Sforzesco Castle , a 15th-century military fortification; and the cobbled streets of the Brera district. Travelers consistently describe the guides as insightful and professional.

This excursion happens multiple times every day except Monday. Specific start times vary by day. Tours last three hours, including 15 minutes with the famous painting. Prices start at around $125 for anyone 15 and older and $114 for those 14 and younger. Groups have no more than 14 participants.

Grape Tours in Tuscany – Super Chianti Wine Tour

Price: From 195 euros (about $213) Duration: 7 hours

Spend a day indulging in wine on this trip to the cellars and vineyards of two wineries. In addition to visiting Chianti and Chianti classico wineries and sampling vino, cheese and olive oil, you'll also enjoy lunch at an eatery in the Tuscan hilltop town of Panzano. Wine lovers report enjoying learning about the regions' wine from the adept guides.

Tours happen every day except Sunday. Buses leave Florence at 10 a.m. and return approximately seven hours later. Tours, including transportation and food and beverages, cost approximately 195 euros (about $213) per person. The outing welcomes up to eight participants, and guests must be at least 16 years old.

View & Book Tickets:  Grape Tours in Tuscany

TopBike Rental & Tours – Rome City Bike Tour

Price: From 65 euros (about $71) Duration: 4 hours

Wind through the streets of Rome and see several of its famed attractions on this four-hour electric bike ride, offered in either the morning or the afternoon. Tours may include visits to popular attractions like the Colosseum, the Piazza Navona , the Jewish Ghetto, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Orange Garden for its views of the city, including the dome of St. Peter's. Cyclists regularly praise the insightful, friendly guides on this leisurely ride.

Morning start times vary by time of year, but are usually 8:45 or 9:30 a.m.; afternoon trips start at 2 or 3 p.m. It costs approximately 65 euros (about $71) to take this ride, and that includes use of an e-bike and helmet. The company also operates daylong bike tours that include lunch, as well as guided outings along the Appian Way.

City Wonders – Florence Fully Guided Tour with Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo's David and Accademia

Price: Adults from $108; kids from $102 Duration: 5 hours

Bypass the lines to enter both the Uffizi Gallery – home to 14th-century and Renaissance masterpieces by the likes of Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio – and the Accademia Gallery – where Michelangelo's 14-foot David sculpture resides – on this tour. In addition to independent visits to the galleries, the small-group outing includes a two-hour guided walking tour of the center of Florence to see top sights, such as its cathedral, the Ponte Vecchio bridge, the leather market and Piazza della Signoria. Tour-takers generally appreciate the guides' commentary regarding the city's art, architecture and history. Others warned future travelers that the visits to the galleries are unguided.

Half-day tours with 10 and 10:30 a.m. start times happen daily. Prices are about $108 for adults and $102 for children 4 to 14. Children 3 and younger tour for free. Groups are limited to 17 people.

Walkabout Florence Tours – Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence with optional Hiking Tou

Price: Adults from 113 euros (about $123); kids from 100 euros (about $109) Duration: 13 hours

This daylong expedition takes travelers to the towns comprising the Cinque Terre , a string of old fishing villages overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buses travel from Florence to Manarola, home to vineyards and colorful buildings typical of the area. From there, trains head to Corniglia, which boasts unrivaled views of the sea. After lunch, participants can either hike the mule trails that connect the towns or ride a train to Vernazza, where swimming or visiting cafes and bars are among the optional activities. Trains then proceed to Monterosso, a town known for both beaches and shops. Weather permitting, the tour also includes a boat ride to the fifth and final Cinque Terre town, Riomaggiore. Trip-takers rave about both the scenic locations and the efficient, personable guides.

Tourgoers return to Florence approximately 13 hours after the daily 7:30 a.m. departure time. Tickets for the tour start at around 113 euros (about $123) for adults and 100 euros (about $109) for kids 8 to 17. Children younger than 8 are not permitted. Prices do not include lunch in Corniglia, but an upgrade is available for an additional fee.

Delicious Bologna – Daylight Food Tour Bologna

Price: Adults from 90 euros (about $98); kids from 70 euros (about $76) Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Taste some of the essentials of Italian cuisine on this small-group walking tour. In addition to a light breakfast of cappuccino and cornetto (a croissant-like pastry) and lunch of multiple pasta dishes, this outing features samples of local cheese, cured meat, vinegar and wine. It also visits a food market and a pasta factory. Throughout, guides provide commentary about regional culture and traditions, which culinary enthusiasts tend to find informative.

Tours take place every day except Sunday at 10 a.m. and last four to five hours. Groups of up to eight people begin the day at the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. Fees start at 90 euros (about $98) for adults and 70 euros (about $76) for kids and teens ages 2 to 14. (There's no charge for infants.) Additional food and wine tours, as well as cooking classes, are hosted by Delicious Bologna.

Streaty Street Food Tours of Italy – Palermo Street Food and Local Market Tour

Price: Adults from 54 euros (about $59); kids from 20 euros (about $22) Duration: 3 hours

Savor varieties of Sicilian fare on this walking tour of Sicily 's capital, Palermo. Samples are likely to include arancina (stuffed rice balls), cazzilli fritters, pani câ meusa (a veal offal roll), sfincione (focaccia with tomato sauce), cannoli filled with ricotta, broscia col gelato (an ice cream sandwich) and seasonal items, as well as beer and wine. After departing from Teatro Massimo, tours wind through backstreets rather than the city's main thoroughfares. Travelers typically find this tour both fun and educational.

Walks last three hours and are available at multiple times Monday through Saturday all year, usually starting between 10 and 11 a.m. Prices start at 54 euros (about $59) for participants ages 12 and older and 20 euros (about $22) for children 6 to 11. Groups are limited to 10 participants. The company also offers an evening food tour in Palermo.

Etna Tribe – Excursion Etna and Taormina

Price: Adults from 85 euros (about $93); kids from 70 euros (about $76) Duration: 9 hours

Explore Mount Etna , an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily that ranks as the highest island mountain in the Mediterranean, on this daylong tour. Your guide will drive you from Catania to a section on Etna's south face where you'll hike up to 6,560 feet above sea level, or (for additional fees) take a cable car up to 8,200 feet. From there, you'll have the option of taking a van to Torre del Filosofo, which sits at an elevation of more than 9,500 feet. With an alpine guide leading the way, you'll explore the lava-carved terrain. The trip also includes a stop at an organic farm and a visit to the town of Taormina, where you'll have time to wander among attractions, such as a cathedral, a clock tower, a palace and a theater, before the drive back to Catania. Tour-takers enjoy walking among the volcano craters and learning about the area from the friendly, accommodating guides.

Pickup starts at 8:30 a.m. and tours, which occur daily, last approximately nine hours. Prices start at 85 euros (about $93) for those 12 and older, 70 euros (about $76) for kids ages 3 to 11 and 20 euros (about $22) for infants. Paying online in advance may save you a few euros per ticket. The optional cable car ride costs an additional 50 euros (about $55) and the high-altitude option, including both the cable car and the van rides, start at 78 euros (about $85) per person. Etna Tribe also offers sunset excursions to the mountain, among other options.

The Best Multiday Tours in Italy

While there are plenty of tours across Italy's most popular cities that last a few hours or an entire day, some travelers may be interested in multiday tours that visit several destinations or points of interest. Below are some of the top multiday tours in Italy.

• Best of Italy: Visit Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Venice and more. Book on GetYourGuide .
• Amalfi Coast Small Group Tour: Explore Pompeii, Capri and Sorrento. Book on Viator .
• Scenic Sicily Tour: See the towns of Taormina, Palermo, Mount Etna and Erice. Book on Viator .
• Classic Cultural Cities: Discover the sights of Rome, Venice and Florence. Book on Viator.
• Highlights of the Italian Lakes: Enjoy Milan, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda and more. Book on Grand European Travel .
• Scenic Sailing Adventure: Sail around Sardinia and Corsica. Book on Viator .
• Fun for Foodies: Taste your way across Italy on a nine-day food tour. Book on The Table Less Traveled .

You may also be interested in:

• The Best Places to Visit in Italy
• The Most Beautiful Beaches in Italy
• The Best International Travel Insurance
• The Best Places to Visit in Europe
• The Best Cheap European Vacations

Tags: Tours , Travel , Vacations , Italy

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Escorted Tours to Italy | Travel to Italy

Perillo Tours has been America’s leader in Italy travel since 1945. The following escorted tours have been enjoyed for over 40 years by more than 750,000 of our guests. Each itinerary . . . activity . . . hotel . . . and meal . . . has been personally selected, continuously innovated, and expertly perfected by Steve Perillo, according to the highest standards of founder Joseph Perillo and Mr. Italy himself – Mario Perillo. Chances are, YOU know someone who’s enjoyed one of our famous Italy tours! Look for 2025 dates and rates in May!

Starting at $3795

This 12-day tour includes 2 of the most beautiful regions of Italy: Campania & Puglia. The south of Italy is known in Italian as the 'Mezzogiorno' (Midday) region; some of the oldest and most important historical towns in Italy are located here as well as some of the best food in all of Italy! You’ll be able to try a margherita pizza in the city where it was invented – Naples! Explore the beautiful region of Puglia which has a culture, history, and a dialect all its own. Discover the Trulli in Alberobello and explore Lecce, also known as the “Florence of the South”. You'll be surprised by how the 'old country' has very much joined the 21st century while retaining its special charm.

Discover the region of Umbria, also known as "the Green Heart of Italy", along with Tuscany and Rome on this new 11 day tour. Enjoy a wine tasting and an unforgettable hands-on cooking class with a Tuscan chef! Go on an exciting truffle hunt with a truffle hunter and his trained dogs. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and discover Gubbio, a well-preserved medieval town dating back to the Etruscan period.

Important: There are many steps and different buildings in Castello di Spaltena, the hotel in Tuscany. Anyone with reduced mobility should consider a different tour.

Starting at $4695

Perillo's Italy North Classic is the largest selling Italy tour in history. Developed in 1975 by Mario Perillo and Lucio Massari, it remains our most popular itinerary today. The 'Continental' tour delivers the identical itinerary (in reverse) but without dinners.

Starting at $4850

Perillo's Italy North Classic is the largest selling Italy tour in history. Developed in 1975 by Mario Perillo and Lucio Massari, it remains our most popular itinerary today. The 'Continental' tour delivers the identical itinerary (in reverse) but without dinners and without Milan.

Starting at $5875

Perillo's Italy North Classic is the largest selling Italy tour in history. Developed in 1975 by Mario Perillo and Lucio Massari, it remains our most popular itinerary today. This departure will be staying in superior/deluxe  hotels.

Starting at $3995

Our Marco Polo Tour is the counterpart to our Vesuvius Tour. One featuring Venice, the other featuring Sorrento. Either way, you can be assured that Steve Perillo has hand-selected every hotel, restaurant, sightseeing experience and guide that will make your vacation the memory of a lifetime.

Starting at $3395

The 'Continental' gives you the chance to dine on your own in Italy! Your tour guide will be happy to suggest everything from trattorias to the finest dining experiences.

Starting at $4225

The Renaissance was a rediscovery of classical Greek culture in Italy, and especially Florence.

Michelangelo and Leonard da Vinci were the big names of this period.

But on this deluxe 9-day tour, you’ll also meet the many other creative geniuses of the Renaissance!

Starting at $3295

Lemon trees and vineyards cascade down the terraced cliffs to the sea. Soft sea breezes mix with the scent of fresh basil, tomatoes and olive oil. Capri sparkles in the distance. Welcome to Amalfi! This is a no-holds-barred invitation to live life to the fullest.

Due to popular demand this tour is also now available with similar options on additional dates not show here:

• Mar 28 - Apr 4
• Apr 21 - Apr 29

Starting at $3695

There's no place on earth like Sicily. A true melting pot of cultures, you'll see Greek and Asian influences in the exotic architecture, unique cuisine and faces of her people. If you happen to be of Sicilian heritage, you'll be surprised by how the 'old country' has very much joined the 21st century while retaining its special charm.

If you're looking for a compact and affordable Italy Vacation - Our Vesuvius Tour is perfect! The itinerary is meticulously crafted by Steve Perillo and his team to run like a 'Swiss Watch' and be lots of fun too!

• Sep 5 - Sep 14
• Oct 3 - Oct 12

On this Perillo tour, you'll experience firsthand the wonders of Northern Italy. This treasure packed tours takes you throughout the celebrated northern gems including Bologna, Rapallo, Stresa, Parma, Venice, Cinque Terre, La Spezia, Portofino, Lugano, Lake Como.

format_quote Testimonials

We just wanted to tell you what a wonderful time we had. The accommodations, food and tours were all terrific. There was a nice balance of group time and alone time. It was great not having to deal with luggage too.  We would definitely recommend Perillo to anyone considering a trip to Italy.

The Southern Italy and Sicily tour was fabulous! The places we visited were varied and filled with culture, history, and wonderful sights. It was highly diverse. Our travel guide Raffaelle, was so fabulous. He made our trip. Perillo tours are highly organized, excellently guided and competitively priced. Definitely will use Perillo again. I first heard of Perillo as a child living in the Bronx, NY. All the people from the Arthur Avenue secition used them, and as you can see we still are!

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Enjoy la bella vita in Italy

Beauty is everywhere in Italy—its spectacular scenery, rich history, lavish artistic masterpieces, and its beloved cuisine. Discover the romance of Italy when you fall in love with this legendary country.

Venice's Grand Canal is lined with grand, ornately adorned buildings dating back to the 13th to 18th centuries.

Roman Colosseum

Rome's architectural marvel allowed 50,000 spectators to view gladiatorial contests, wild animal hunts—including bears, elephants, and giraffes—and even "sea battles" on water channeled in via aqueducts.

• Sistine Chapel

A restoration of Michelangelo's richly painted ceiling frescoes in the late 20th century not only removed layers of dirt and grime—it also erased the fig leaves and loincloths that Pope Pius IV had added to the nude figures in the 1500s.

Perched on a cliff of volcanic rock, overlooking the verdant valleys of Umbria, Orvieto is full of rich history, from its gorgeous stone buildings to the elaborate system of tunnels and wells built beneath the city by the ancient Etruscans.

The volcanic ash that blanketed Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD preserved its contents so well that archaeologists found loaves of bread, walnuts, figs, and eggs among the ruins.

The charming coastal city of Sorrento is built into the cliffs above its world-class beaches and crystalline seas.

Duomo in Florence

It took two centuries to create the cathedral in Florence, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and artistry. Step inside for a few minutes to enjoy the gorgeous frescoes inside the dome.

Historic Bologna has become legendary for its cuisine, including the Bolognese sauce that bears its name.

• Trevi Fountain

It's tradition to throw coins over your left shoulder, using your right hand, when you visit the grand Trevi Fountain in Rome. Throwing just one ensures that you'll return to Rome someday, while tossing two more coins into the fountain means your wishes for love and marriage will come true.

Italian Cuisine

Italy lays claim to one of the world's truly great national cuisines. Treat yourself!

Amalfi Coast

Campania's seductive Mediterranean landscape overflows with delights for all the senses, from intoxicating blossoms to brilliant views and marvelous cuisine.

• Isle of Capri

Candy-colored boats and buildings line Marina Grande, beside the aquamarine sea on the Isle of Capri.

MIchaelangelo

From his David to the Sistine Chapel, viewing the great artist's works are an unforgettable art lover's dream.

Try the world's most famous pie in the country that invented it, and the mozzarella that is its signature topping.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

You can shop for souvenirs right along this medieval span, where jewelers and art dealers keep shop right over the Arno River.

• Roman Forum

Walk in the footsteps of Julius Caesar in these remarkably well-preserved ancient ruins, once the very heart of Rome.

One of the world's truly unique and unforgettable cities, Venice offers its romantic canals, gorgeous churches, and delicious food.

The heart of the Roman Catholic Church is the home St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the residence of the pope.

Italy Tours

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• Ireland - Custom Groups
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• 8 - 14 Days
• 3D Battle Show
• Abbey Tavern
• Achill Island
• Alnwick Castle
• Aran Islands
• Arigna Mining Centre
• Ashford Castle
• Ballachulish
• Ballinwillin House
• Ballycotton
• Ballyfarnon
• Ballyknocken Cookery School
• Bernese Oberland
• Black Forest
• Blakes of the Hollow Pub
• Blarney Castle
• Bristol Tour
• Brjansstadir
• Cambridge Punting
• Cambridge Tour
• Canterbury Cathedral
• Carlingford
• Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
• Carrick-on-Shannon
• Causey Farm
• Celtic Whiskey Bar
• Charles Fort
• Chavenage House
• Chocolate-Making Experience
• Church Bar and Restaurant
• Cliffs of Moher
• Cobh Heritage Centre
• Connemara Celtic Crystal
• Cooking Competition
• Croke Park Stadium
• Cross Guns Gastropub
• Crosskeys Inn
• Culzean Castle
• Dalkey Castle
• Derrynane House
• Distillery Visit
• Down Cathedral
• Dromoland Castle
• Dublin Tour
• Dun Aengus Fort
• Dun Laoghaire
• Ely Cathedral
• Farm to Table Dinner
• Farmhouse Visit
• Florence Court House
• Gallarus Oratory
• Gedächtniskirche
• Glasgow Tour
• Glasnevin Museum
• Glastonbury Tor & Abbey
• Glenlo Abbey
• Glenveagh National Park
• GPO Witness History
• Grasmere Gingerbread Shop
• Hampton Court Palace
• Hazel Mountain Chocolate Factory
• Highland games
• Irish National Stud
• Irish Whiskey Museum
• Jameson Experience
• John B. Keane's Pub
• Johnstown Castle
• Kilkenny Castle
• Kilronan Castle
• King John's Castle
• Kyle of Lochalsh
• Lake Distillery
• Leeds Castle
• Letterkenny
• Long Meadow Cider
• Lough Ree Viking Cruise
• Malahide Castle
• Mary Rose Museum
• Melrose Abbey
• Montecatini Terme
• Muckross House
• Muckross Schoolhouse
• National Piping Centre
• New Chocolate Company Tasting
• Newmarket-on-Fergus
• O'Connors Famous Pub
• Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub
• Parknasilla House
• Peace Bridge
• Pollok House
• Quiet Man Walking Tour
• Rhine Gorge
• Ring of Kerry
• Riverside Transport Museum
• Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
• Rosscarbery
• Royal Tunbridge Wells
• Royal Yacht Britannia
• Scotney Castle
• Scottish Evening
• Seaweed Foraging
• Shepherd Neame Brewery
• Sissinghurst Castle Garden
• Slane Castle & Distillery
• Slea Head Loop
• Smithwick's Experience
• Spike Island
• St Michael's Mount
• St Patrick's Day in Dublin
• St. Austell
• St. Michan's Church Crypt
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• St. Peter's Basilica
• Stone of Destiny
• Strahov Stadium
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Strokkur Geysir
• Svartifoss Waterfall
• Taigh Chearsabhagh
• Taylors Three Rock Pub
• Teeling Distillery
• Tenby Walking Tour
• Thames River Cruise
• The Armitt Museum
• The Church Bar and Restaurant
• The Glyde Inn
• Thingvellir National Park
• Three Bridges
• Timoleague Franciscan Friary
• Tintern Abbey
• Titanic Belfast
• Titanic Walking Tour
• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• Toompea Castle
• Tower of London
• Town Crier Tour
• Trafalgar Square
• Trim Castle
• Trim Living History
• Trinity College
• Triona Design
• Trotternish Peninsula
• Turf-Cutting Demonstration
• Turkish Bazaar Bas Carsija
• Uffizi Gallery
• UN Building
• Upper and Lower Old Town
• Urquhart Castle
• Veliko Jezero
• Venice Gondola Ride
• Venice Walking Tour
• Victorian Tall Ship
• Viking Splash Dublin Tour
• Villa Borghese Gardens
• Vilnius Castle
• Vilnius University
• Vintage Afternoon Tea Tour
• Walking Tour of Korcula
• Walled City Brewery
• Warner Brothers Studio “Making of Harry Potter”
• Waterford Crystal
• Waterford Tour
• Welsh Banquet
• Welsh Language Lesson
• Wenceslas Square
• West Coast Coastal Drive
• Westminster Abbey
• Westport House
• Whitby Tour
• White Cliffs
• Wild Atlantic Way Drive
• Windsor Castle
• Winter Palace
• Yansa Gora Monastery
• York Minster
• York Walking Tour
• Zwinger Palace
• Abbotsford House
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Ardmhor on Barra
• Armadale Castle
• Armory Museum
• Astronomical Clock
• Auschwitz-Birkenau
• Ballintubber Abbey
• Bamburgh Castle
• Bannockburn Visitor Center
• Baroque Town Hall
• Basilica of San Marco
• Bell Tower Clock
• Belleek Pottery
• Belvedere Palace
• Betws-y-Coed
• Black Madonna
• Blair Athol Distillery
• Blair Castle
• Blarney Castle & Killarney
• Blarney Woollen Mills
• Blasket Centre
• Bled Castle
• Blenheim Palace
• Blue Lagoon
• Bodmin Moor
• Bodnant Welsh Food Centre
• Boka Waterfall
• Book of Kells
• Bosta Beach
• Brecon Beacons National Park
• British Golf Museum
• British Museum
• British Music Experience
• Brodie Castle
• Brú na Boinne Visitor Center
• Bunratty Castle
• Burren Smokehouse
• Cabra Castle
• Caernarfon Castle
• Callanish Standing Stones
• Canal Cruise
• Cardiff Bay Tour
• Cardiff Castle
• Cardiff Tour
• Castle Esplanade
• Castle Hill
• Castle Howard
• Castle Square
• Cathedral of St. Dude
• Cathedral of St. Vitus
• Catherine Palace & Park
• Cavern Club
• Cawdor Castle
• Charles Bridge
• Chester Cathedral
• Chester Walking Tour
• Church of St. Donat
• Churchill Barriers
• Clan Donald Centre
• Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
• Corrib Cruise
• Crown Jewels
• Cruiser Aurora
• Crumlin Road Gaol
• Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center
• Culross (Outlander)
• Culross Abbey
• Culross Palace
• Daliborka Tower
• Dan O’Hara’s Homestead Farmhouse Visit
• Dartmoor National Park
• Derry’s Medieval Walls
• Dingle Bay Cruise
• Dingle Peninsula
• Diocletian’s Palace
• Doge’s Palace
• Dome Cathedral
• Dominican Monastery
• Donegal Castle
• Doune Castle
• Dublin Castle
• Dubrovnik Walking Tour
• Dun Carloway Broch
• Dunbrody Famine Ship
• Dunrobin Castle
• Dunvegan Castle
• Edinburgh Castle
• Edinburgh Tour
• Eiffel Tower
• Eilean Donan Castle
• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
• Evening Canal Cruise
• Falconry Exhibition
• Famous Blacksmiths Shop
• Field of Mars
• Firth of Forth
• Fisherman’s Bastion
• Florence Walking Tour
• Fort Augustus
• Fort William
• Forth Bridge
• Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum
• Franciscan Monastery
• Fridheimar Tomato Farm
• Gavrilo Princip Museum
• Gearrannan Blackhouse Village
• Gediminas’ Tower
• Gellert Hill Citadel
• General Post Office Museum
• Giant’s Causeway
• Glamis Castle
• Glasgow Cathedral
• Glen Grant Distillery
• Glencoe Mountains
• Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
• Glenfiddich Distillery
• Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter)
• Glengesh Pass
• Goathland Station (Hogsmeade from Harry Potter)
• Golden Circle
• Golden Lane
• Goriska Brda
• Gothic-Baroque Cathedral of St. Mark
• Government Palace
• Gower Peninsula
• Grafton Street, Dublin
• Grampian Mountains
• Great Orme Tramway
• Gruz Harbor
• Guinness Storehouse
• Gullfoss Waterfall
• Hallgrímskirkja
• Harlech Castle
• Harry Potter Walking Tour
• Harry’s Bar
• Hebridean Smokehouse
• Hekla Volcano
• Heroes’ Square
• Highland Safaris
• Hillsborough Castle
• Hofburg Palace
• Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra
• Horgabost Beach
• Horseshoe Pass
• Houses of Parliament
• Husref Bay’s Mosque
• Hvar Island
• Inveraray Castle
• Inverewe Gardens
• Iron Age House
• Isle of Benbecula
• Isle of Bute
• Isle of Harris Distillery
• Isle of Lewis
• Isle of Skye
• Italian Chapel
• Jacobite Steam Train
• Jamaica Inn
• Jaunting Car Ride
• Jewish Ghetto
• Johnstons of Elgin
• Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
• Jupiter’s Temple
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
• Kashmir Goats
• Kensington Palace
• Killarney National Park
• Killarney’s Lakes
• Killary Harbour
• Kilmainham Gaol
• Kilmuir Graveyard
• Kinsale Walk
• Knock Shrine
• Kylemore Abbey & Gardens
• Lake Bohinj
• Lake District
• Lake Windermere Cruise
• Lanhydrock House
• Lava Center
• Lazienki Park & Palace
• Leverburgh on Harris
• Liberty Monument
• Limerick Panoramic Tour
• Lissadell House
• Literary Tea with Scones
• Little Museum of Dublin
• Llandudno Tram
• Loch an Duin
• Loch Linnhe
• Loch Lomond
• Lochboisdale
• London Pub Food Tour
• London Tour
• Lovespoon Workshop
• Luskentyre Beach
• Lynch’s Castle
• Machynlleth
• Malo Jezero
• Matthias Church
• Mayflower Steps
• Medieval Castle Banquet
• Mercato Centrale
• Merry Ploughboy Pub
• Mljet Island & National Park
• Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto
• Moscow University
• Mount Snowdon
• Mount Stuart House
• Nace Homestead
• Nant Gwrtheyrn Welsh Heritage Centre
• National Slate Museum
• Nelson’s Column
• Neolithic Tombs
• Nevsky Prospect
• Nine Glens of Antrim
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway
• Northern Lights
• Novodevichy Convent
• Old Market Square
• Old Royal Palace
• Olive Oil & Wine Tasting
• Olympic Stadium
• Orlando’s Column
• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Oxford Walking Tour
• Palace of Holyroodhouse
• Palace of Science and Culture
• Palace Square
• Palaces for the People
• Palazzo Vecchio
• Pembroke Castle
• Penderyn Distillery
• Peter and Paul Cathedral
• Peter and Paul Fortress
• Petrodvorets
• Piazza della Signoria
• Piccadilly Circus
• Pitlochry Pub Lunch
• Plitvice Lakes
• Politician Pub
• Poljanska Sora
• Postojna Cave
• Powerscourt House
• Prater Amusement Park
• Provand’s Lordship
• Rannoch Moor
• Rector’s Palace
• Red Deer Encounter
• Reykjavik City Tour
• Reynisfjara Beach
• Riga Castle
• Ring of Brodgar
• River Avon Cruise
• River Clyde
• River Moskva
• River Shannon
• Robba’s Fountain
• Roman baths
• Ross Castle
• Royal and Ancient Clubhouse
• Royal Castle
• Royal Castle of Hradcany
• Royal Cathedral
• Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
• Royal Military Tattoo
• Royal Route
• Russborough House
• Russian Folklore
• Saxon Gardens
• Schiller Theater
• Schloss Charlottenburg
• Scone Palace
• Secret Lagoon
• Seine River Cruise
• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
• Selska Sora
• Semper Opera House
• Senate Square
• Sergiev Posad
• Shakespeare’s Birthplace
• Sheepdog Demonstration
• Shepherd’s Museum
• Shrewsbury Walking Tour
• Skaftafell National Park
• Skellig Experience
• Skofja Loka
• Skogafoss Waterfall
• Skogar Folk Museum
• Slieve League Cliffs
• Smallest House in Britain
• Smolny Cathedral
• Snowdonia National Park
• South Pole Inn
• Spanish Steps
• Spean Bridge
• Speyside Distilleries
• Sponza Palace
• Square of the Five Wells
• St. Anastasia
• St. Andrews Castle
• St. Andrews Walk
• St. Anne’s Church
• St. Asaph’s Cathedral
• St. Basil’s Cathedral
• St. Catherine’s Church
• St. Columba’s Cathedral
• St. David’s Cathedral
• St. Fagans Castle
• St. Fagans National Museum of History
• St. George’s Basilica
• St. Isaac’s Cathedral
• St. Isaac’s Square
• St. Jacobs Cathedral
• St. John’s Cathedral
• St. Magnus Cathedral
• St. Mark’s Church
• St. Mary’s Church
• St. Michael’s Mount
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• St. Patrick’s Grave
• St. Paul’s Cathedral
• St. Peter and Paul’s Church
• St. Peter’s Church
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral
• Step Dancing
• Stirling Castle
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2025 Tours: Book Early, Save $200pp - Use Code EBD25200

Taste of Italy

Starting from $2,345

Get your first taste of the delights of Venice, Florence, Rome, and more on this enchanting Italian tour. You'll  get to enjoy the ancient ruins, architectural and artistic masterpieces, and…

​Guided Tours, Guided Small Groups

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Taste of Italy with Sorrento

Starting from $3,745

Enjoy a little more time—and a lot more beauty—on this extended tour of Italy. Visit the most spectacular sights of Venice, Rome, and Florence with our Taste of Italy tour, then move on to the…

Tuscan Treasures with Cinque Terre

Starting from $2,095

Stay in a luxurious spa town to explore Tuscany’s medieval gems, enjoy gourmet food and wine, and discover the captivating villages of Cinque Terre.

Italy at a glance

1 euro per person or 10% when dining

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Local lingo

Figurati (Don't worry about it)

Che figata (How cool!)

Amore a prima vista (love at first sight)

Must-have souvenirs

Murano glass

truffle pasta

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and our tour director was wonderful! He really made this trip one to remember for a long time!

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Experience Italy differently. Enjoy one-of-a-kind experiences and uncover local secrets when our friends across the country open their doors to you. Here’s just a sample of the rich experiences you can expect.

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“Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a world class museum with an incredible renaissance art collection. Enjoy a guided tour with a Local Specialist to make the experience more memorable, especially when in front of Botticelli’s stunning ‘Birth of Venus’ painting”

Pino, Travel Director

See Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel

One of the most important structures of the Catholic faith, the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel is a must-see on a tour of Italy. Though the chapel walls have witnessed centuries of worship, it’s the renaissance ceiling paintings of Michelangelo that will leave you in awe.

Visit the glamorous Isle of Capri

Enjoy the classic Italian summer in Italy’s picture-perfect Gulf of Naples. Famed for its crystal grottos, dramatic coastlines and endless glamour, our trips to Italy are complete with a day of freedom spent under a striped umbrella, watching sailboats pass by.

Cruise your way through Venice

The charm found in the canals of Venice is nothing short of irresistible. Admire gothic palaces and postcard bridges whilst adrift in a gondola, gaining an understanding of life in a city that floats. Exploring a city by foot will never be the same after a trip to Venice.

Journey to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii

An unfathomable history lesson is found in the archaeological ruins of Pompeii. Buried and preserved by the ash of a volcano eruption in the year 79, in this Italian town you will discover the progressive life of early Roman times as you walk within the parameters of an open-air time capsule of life on Earth.

Go shopping in Italy's fashion capital Milan

Armani, Gucci, Prada and Versace. These are some of the prestigious fashion brands that call the Italian city of Milan home. In between yearning through boutiques and department stores, stop to sample the city’s delicacies like breaded veal cutlet and ossobuco.

Our top 5 things to do in Italy

It's the moments of quiet stillness that take your breath away on a Trafalgar tour through Italy. Sitting in the calm halls of the Vatican. Floating on the canals of Venice. Standing beside the ruins of Pompeii.

Uffizi Gallery

The Tuscan capital is home to Uffizi Gallery, where the brushworks of art’s true masters are found. Names like Raffaello, Leonardo, and Michelangelo dress Uffizi’s grand pink walls, whilst internal courtyards leading to the Arno River will show you the building’s architectural brilliance.

Vatican Museums

A collection of Christian artwork that spans centuries and stirs the soul is found in Rome’s Vatican Museums. From the intricate ceiling by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel to the detailed Pope portraits from the 16th century to today, you will be lost for words once inside this blessed museum complex.

Doge's Palace

Home to the leader of Venice from its opening in 1340, Doge’s Palace summarizes the sparkle of this city. An opulent example of Venetian Gothic architecture and home to numerous historical works, this museum is a must when you visit Venice.

Best museums in Italy

The epicenter of the Catholic faith and the birthplace of art’s most renowned masters. Our guided tours of Italy will take you to the many museums found here, whether in the Sistine Chapel, by the canals of Venice or in the grand galleries of Tuscany.

The authentic carbonara experience will take place in Rome, covered in salty Pecorino Romano cheese. A simple dish inspiring heart-warming meal times, this pasta will connect you with Italy’s rich culinary customs - an impressive evolution from its supposed heritage as a coal-miner’s meal.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

Literally translating to ‘hunter’ in Italian, cacciatore offers an appreciation for Italy’s meals of days gone by. Typically a preparation of rabbit or chicken, it’s the simmering tomato stew that makes this dish so mouthwatering. Satisfy a genuine hunger and consume with hand-ripped bread.

Italy tours are best served with an oversized slice of tiramisu. Cementing this country's obsession with espresso, this cake of layered biscuits soaked in coffee is the perfect after hours pick-me-up before an evening stroll through the charming streets.

Best food in Italy

A date with Italian food will likely start and end with a slice of pizza. But it’s the menu items that we share with you in between that will take your appreciation to new heights; think cacciatore and Carbonara with a slice of tiramisu in between.

What to pack for Italy

A classic linen outfit

The Italians are famous for their equal parts glamorous and effortless dress sense. Look the part with a few ensembles featuring classic linens in navy and white.

A blank journal

With the wealth of inspiration tucked into every corner of Italy, you might find yourself compelled to write down notes or memories. At the very least to remember the traditional Italian recipes you learn.

With such a large expanse of space to explore, on some days, long journeys are unavoidable. The scenery will provide plenty of visual entertainment, while headphones can be used to listen to some local music or enjoy podcasts about Italian history, culture and politics when you're not enjoying the storytelling from your Travel Director.

A small blanket

When exploring the soul-stirring setting of Tuscany, a picnic may call. Come prepared with a small blanket to cover in wine and cheese.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

A classic memoir that brought the romance of Tuscany to the world, there’s no better time to read this book than when venturing through the country yourself.

Pack for sustainable travel

Consider your environmental impact when you next take a trip and go single-use-plastic-free by packing a reusable water bottle, a steel straw, your own shopping bags and reusable toiletry bottles.

Our Europe & Britain destinations

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Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside

About this tour.

On a journey through the less-traveled country roads of Umbria and Tuscany, discover another side to the Italy you love. Stroll Assisi’s old city, and explore the Etruscan hill town of Orvieto, where one of history’s rarest frescoes is on display inside a Gothic cathedral. Visit Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” In Siena, stand inside one of Tuscany’s most ancient piazzas. Admire the famous towers of San Gimignano. Delight in regional specialties and Italian wine with every dinner. Feel like a local as you discover the marvels of wine, cuisine, culture, and history.

Your Tour Includes

• 4 Handpicked Accommodations
• 2 Choice on Tour Options

Included Highlights

• Olive Oil Mill

Your Tour at a Glance

9 Breakfasts

Travel Style

Explorations

Best Time for travel

Customize your tour.

Activity Level

• Level This Tour

For specific details about this tour's activity level and other info to know before you book your trip, click here.

Extension Style

Best time for travel tuscan & umbrian countryside featuring italy's charming hill towns.

While just about any month is great to visit Italy, there are a few prime times of the year for the Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside tour. Here are some recommendations from our destination experts.

Spring: Spring is a great time to travel in this region of Italy. With summer’s crowds not yet arrived, mingle with the locals as you explore along old cobblestone streets. April, May, and June are popular months to travel.

Fall: Fall is a fantastic season to travel to Umbria and Tuscany, with fewer crowds, cooler days, and a bit of foliage to enjoy – all pairing well with a glass of red wine!

Travel Styles

Highlights and inclusions.

Must-See Inclusions:

Surround yourself in the mystery of the Etruscan hill town of Orvieto.

• Discover Florence, the "Cradle of the Renaissance."

Explore historic Siena and see the famous piazza of the Palio Horse Race.

Cultural Experiences:

Take a hands-on cooking class in a 12th-century abbey.

Behold the unique water-filled piazza in the village of Bagno Vignoni.

Enjoy 3 nights in a restored Tuscan villa.

Culinary Inclusions:

• Experience a home-cooked meal in one of Umbria's country homes.

Sample pecorino sheep-milk cheese at a local farm in the Orcia Valley.

Savor the famous Brunello red wine during a musical tasting at a winery in Montalcino.

• Cooking Class
• Home-Hosted Lunch
• Orcia Valley
• Bagno Vignoni
• Pecorino Cheese Farm
• Choice on Tour**
• San Gimignano

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Getting Prepared

Know before you go, travel tips, enhance your tour.

Pre and Post Tour Extensions

• Choice On Tour

Unique Experience

Cultural Experiences

Enhance Your Trip

• Tour Extensions

In Tuscany, you have the choice between two activities. Your first option is join a local truffle hunter. Explore the wooded landscape, searching for the elusive mushroom. After your hunt, sample the goods yourself with a tasting. Your second option is to take to the countryside on an ATV adventure. Head off-road and wind your way along dirt paths, admiring the quintessential Tuscan hills. After your ride, enjoy a tasting of truffle bruschetta.

Start your Italian sojourn with a 2-night stay in the eternal city of Rome. Shop side-by-side with locals at one of the city’s oldest farmer’s markets before rolling up your sleeves for a chef-led cooking class. Experience an ‘after hours’ visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, including a happy hour drink. Spend a full day exploring Rome at your leisure or join an optional walking tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum before setting off to discover the charms of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.

• Overnight Flight
• You are on your way to the eternal city of Rome.
• Rome, Italy - Tour Begins
• Enjoy time to get settled into your hotel and acquaint yourself with the area on your own. Perhaps you’ll explore the nearby neighborhood of Trastevere, Rome’s medieval heart.
• Market and Food Tour - Vatican Museums
• Start your morning with a stroll in Rome’s ultra-local Testaccio neighborhood. Soak up the lively atmosphere - with home-makers stocking up in local delis, market workers stopping for a quick espresso at a corner café, retirees soaking up the sun on the benches of a nearby piazza. Taste your way through Rome’s beloved Testaccio farmers’ market before pausing at a local trattoria restaurant for a dish of pasta and a glass of wine. Later this afternoon, venture inside the Vatican Museums,* a treasure trove of ancient statuary and Renaissance masterpieces for a guided tour of its highlights and a visit to the Sistine Chapel, featuring Michelangelo’s Last Judgement.
• Rome - Optional Excursion
• Make the most of a free day in Italy’s capital city. Consider strolling through the Borghese Gardens for views of the city’s skyline or meander through Rome’s streets all the way to the top of the Spanish Steps for a view over the rooftops. Perhaps you’ll set out to delve into Rome’s classical heritage with an optional tour to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, or wander around the city on your own and toss a good luck coin into the Trevi Fountain. In the early evening, meet with your fellow travelers to start off your exploration of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.

Discover Florence, the "Cradle of the Renaissance."

Experience a home-cooked meal in one of Umbria's country homes.

Accommodations

Kolbe hotel rome, antica dimora alla rocca, hotel corsignano, villa san lucchese, need more information.

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Best Italy tours with departures in 2024 and beyond

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Looking for the best Italy tours scheduled for 2024 and beyond? There is a vast array of options on offer. But, how do you choose the right trip?

The best tours of Italy will show you highlights as well as hidden treasures. And balance sightseeing with free time to explore. They will meet your timing and budget but have extras included to ensure your trip is special. Whether you choose a large operator or boutique tour company, you want to make sure your trip exceeds your expectations.

Here at Untold Italy, we recently launched our very own small group tours of hidden regions of Italy full of all the magical experiences we cherish and talk about on our podcast. If you love food, wine, getting off the beaten path and experiencing true Italian hospitality then we’d love to have you join us on tour.

Summary: Best Italy tours: highlights packages

We reviewed the market and major operators to bring you this breakdown of the best tours of Italy available in the coming months and years. This article includes highlights journeys, itineraries by region and interest, and those suitable for families.

If you want to compare tour prices and itineraries yourself, have a browse of Tourradar and Stride Travel . These sites are where tour operators list their upcoming trips until 2024. You can read reviews by people who have experienced the tour and they often have great deals on early bookings and late departures.

Our pick and reviews of the tours we think offer the best value in terms of inclusions, accommodation, and itineraries are below.

Article contents

Best Highlights of Italy Tours

Most first time visitors to Italy want to see the tried and true highlights – Rome, Venice, and Florence, so you’ll find many tours catering to that wish. Here are some of the top tours on the market and what to expect

Trafalgar’s Best of Italy

Best for: first time visitors to Italy on a moderate budget

This classic and very popular tour of Italy covers all the highlights and contrasts of the country over 13 days. From the historic grandeur of Rome to coastal Sorrento, the lakes, Venice and Florence, this is a great introduction to Italy for first time visitors.

The tour price includes all breakfasts, some evening meals, including a regional dinner and 1 Be My Guest, and complimentary airport transfers. Accommodation is mostly 4* hotels, plus the unique experience of sleeping in a converted Franciscan monastery.  Expect VIP entry to some of the major attractions and detailed briefings of the history and significance of the major sights.

Most passengers who choose Trafalgar are in the 50+ age group and who enjoy cultural activities over fast-paced adventure. Solo travelers are welcome however a supplement may apply.

With plenty of free time built in and the opportunity to choose optional extras, this trip is one that will give you a perfect taste of Italy and have you planning your next visit as soon as you arrive home.

At a glance:

• Major stops: Rome – Sorrento – Venice – Lake Maggiore – Florence – Assisi
• Tour length: 13 days
• Departs: All year
• Group Size: 40 – 45
• Average age: 50+
• Accommodation: 3-4 star hotels
• Travel method: Coach

If you like the look of this itinerary but absolutely must see the Cinque Terre as well, check out Globus tours Italian Treasures with Sorrento

G Adventure’s Ultimate Italy

Best for: Solo female travelers with wanting a small group experience

Join G Adventures on their Ultimate Italy highlights trip for adventure across several regions, taking in some of the most celebrated places in the country. Over 14 days you’ll explore the best of the center and north of Italy from Rome to Venice with stops in Florence, the Cinque Terre, the northern lakes and Venice.

This small group tour will have a maximum of 16 participants so you are guaranteed a more personal experience. Included in the tour price are all transportation, smaller tourist level (2-3 star) hotels, and breakfasts. As with all G Adventures tours, there is plenty of free time to explore and they make it easy to add your interests into the itinerary – some of these come at an additional cost, however.

G Adventures s itineraries attract travelers aged over 30 who are interested in traveling as part of a group but appreciate free time to explore on your own. The company is dedicated to responsible travel and hires local tour leaders with in-depth personal knowledge of each destination. Solo travelers are warmly welcomed however supplements may apply.

• Major stops: Rome – Florence – Lucca – Cinque Terre – Lake Como – Venice
• Tour length: 14 days
• Departs: April to October
• Group Size: 12 – 16
• Average age: 30+
• Accommodation: 2-3 star hotels
• Travel method: Train plus private transportation

Contiki’s Simply Italy  

Best for: Younger travelers (18 – 30) wanting an action-packed itinerary

Contiki’s Simply Italy tour takes you on a whistle-stop tour of all the highlights from Rome to Capri, Pompeii and the Cinque Terre. This 15 day itinerary will give you the perfect taste of Bella Italia and have you planning more adventures in pasta and gelato before you can say That’s Amore!

This large group tour of up to 50 people is bound to be social. Hotels are around 2 star, breakfasts and some meals are included plus 20 activities making the trip a great value option for younger travelers on a budget. Optional activities such as the Burano island cruise with dinner in Venice are reasonably priced and fun.

Contiki is the tour company of choice for younger travelers, so expect a fast-paced itinerary stopping at all the best Instagram-friendly spots, wifi on board your coach, late nights and early starts.

• Major stops: Rome – Florence – Cinque Terre – Milan – Venice – Amalfi Coast
• Tour length: 15 days
• Departs: Year round
• Group Size: around 40
• Average age: 18 – 30
• Accommodation: 1-2 star hotels

Best Small Group Tours of Italy

Exploring Italy beyond the major cities, towns and tourist routes is one of our favorite things to do. Here you discover a slower pace of life, beautiful landscapes and fascinating stories of people who have lived there for generations. Not to mention amazing regional food and wine.

Untold Italy’s small group tours take you to some of our favorite hidden regions of Italy including Sicily, Umbria, Piedmont and Puglia. With only 14 people in each group we’re able to take you on a journey of discovery to the family-run vineyards, olive groves and hilltop towns that you’ve been dreaming of.

These places can be difficult to reach without a car so a group tour means you can relax while we handle the logistics and plan out your days with incredible experiences that it’s difficult to organize on your own. Of course, we all love to explore, so there’s plenty of free time to wander on your own or relax as you prefer.

We think the perfect way to enjoy your time in Italy is to combine a small group experience in a hidden region of Italy with time in the major cities like Rome or Florence where it is easier to explore on your own.

Italy Tours on a Budget

Looking for value on a small budget? These Italy tour packages offer some of the best value trips on the market. With great value inclusions and action-packed itineraries, your dream of visiting Italy is possible on a modest budget.

Costsaver’s Italian Scene

Best for: Value conscious travellers wanting a full highlights of Italy package

Offering a north to south overview of the best Italy has to offer at a wallet-friendly price, Costsaver’s Italian Scene tour is a great choice for those looking for a tour packed with value. Stopping in the iconic cities plus smaller towns like Verona and Pisa, this tour will give you a true taste of the country without breaking the bank.

With a full itinerary covering many of the highlights of Italy, generous inclusions such as full buffet breakfasts and several 3-course dinners, the Italian Scene tour offers lots of value. You can add optional activities or choose to spend your free time at leisure. Popular with travelers aged 40 – 60, you’ll find the tour group social and interested in culture and history.

Costsaver is owned by Trafalgar so you get all the benefits of their itinerary planning and infrastructure at a price well below the tours offered by their parent company. The main point of difference is the location and standard of hotels. Costsaver accommodation is usually a little out of town and will not have the same level of amenities.

• Major stops: Rome – Sorrento – Assisi – Venice – Florence
• Tour length: 10 days
• Group Size: around 50
• Average age: 40 – 60
• Accommodation: 2-3 star hotels outside the city center

Intrepid’s Highlights of Italy  

Best for: The best budget small group tour of Italy

If you want the small group experience with lots of free time built into your itinerary, Intrepid’s Highlights of Italy tour will suit you perfectly. This itinerary is part of Intrepid’s Basix range which delivers great value budget tours without sacrificing experience. You’ll see Venice, Rome, Florence and the stunning villages of the Cinque Terre on this journey with a group of no more than 16 other travelers.

Your tour leader will ensure you are familiar with the places you visit and conduct orientation walking tours. You can then explore on your own or take advantage of the well-priced optional activities offered. Some breakfasts are included and you can expect basic accommodation at 1-2 star hotels or hostels.

Intrepid’s itineraries attract mainly female travelers aged over 30 who are interested in traveling as part of a group but appreciate free time to explore on their own. The company is dedicated to responsible travel and hires local tour leaders with in-depth personal knowledge of each destination. Solo travelers are warmly welcomed however to keep costs down, you will share a room with a person of the same gender.

• Major stops: Venice – Cinque Terre – Florence – Rome
• Tour length: 8 days
• Departs: April to November
• Group Size: No more than 16
• Accommodation: Budget hotels / hostels
• Travel method: Train plus some private transportation

Best Southern Italy tours

If you’re dreaming of a summer vacation and la dolce vita on the Italian coast , head to Southern Italy and explore the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Sicily and the legendary isle of Capri.

Trafalgar’s Southern Italy and Sicily

Best for: exploring the magical Sorrento, Capri and Sicily

Southern Italy will capture your heart on this 10 day tour stopping at Pompeii, Sorrento, and towns in Sicily. The heady combination of incredible scenery, hundreds of years of history and of course delicious food and wine is irresistible. Trafalgar’s Southern Italy and Sicily itinerary covers all the highlights of this beautiful part of the world and includes local experiences that you’ll cherish forever.

Your tour price includes all breakfasts, some dinners including 1 Be My Guest experience, and complimentary airport transfers at set departure times. You’ll stay in mostly 4* hotels and enjoy VIP entry and to major attractions. Your tour director will provide detailed briefings of the history and significance of the major sights. Optional excursions include visits to some of the quaint fishing villages of Sicily and a boat cruise around Capri.

Most passengers who choose Trafalgar are in the 50+ age group who enjoy cultural activities over fast-paced adventure. Solo travelers are welcome however a supplement may apply.

This trip covers all the highlights of Southern Italy and uncovers hidden gems you’ll be talking about for years to come.

• Major stops: Rome – Sorrento – Taormina – Palermo
• Accommodation: 4 star hotels

Highly recommended

Interested in visiting the up-and-coming Puglia region? Insight’s Country roads of Southern Italy & Sicily trip includes visits to all the highlights of Southern Italy including Alberobello, Matera, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and the famed isle of Capri!

Best Family Tours of Italy

Want to take your children to Italy but want the convenience of a tour with assistance on hand when you need it? These tours are specifically designed with families in mind. You can expect fun activities aimed at engaging your kids in the culture and beauty of the Italian cities and countryside. Relax and enjoy your travels as the logistics and bookings are taken care of.

Trafalgar’s Gladiators, Gondolas and Gold family tour of Italy

Best for: Families wanting a first fun taste of Italy

Make history and culture come alive for your family on this fun tour of Italy’s major cities with Trafalgar. This well-thought-out itinerary has inclusions to keep the whole family entertained. From pizza making in Rome to taking photos with the famous Leaning Tower in Pisa, this will be a trip to remember.

Your tour price includes hot breakfasts, several dinners including 1 Be My Guest, and complimentary airport transfers. Accommodation is mostly 4 star hotels. This itinerary includes plenty of fun experiences however it is designed so you can set your own pace too. Perhaps some members of your group would like to explore the fountains of Rome while others take a nap. It’s up to you.

Trafalgar have designed an itinerary that works for the whole family with plenty of free time built in. The only question is, will your kid’s favorite moment be their ride on a gondola down Venice’s Grand Canal or the gladiator school in Rome?

• Major stops: Rome – Florence – Venice
• Departs: May to September

Intrepid’s Northern Italy Family Holiday  

Best for: Exploring Venice to Rome as a family with like minded travelers

Intrepid’s family tour of Northern Italy is full of adventure and fun experiences for the whole family. Starting in Venice and visiting the Cinque Terre and Pisa before finishing in Rome, this tour gives the perfect taste of Italy. You’ll wonder at the beauty of the Venetian canals, make pesto in Liguria, and go on an art safari in Rome!

Your group of no more than 16 other travelers is led by an expert guide who knows how to keep the kids entertained. Intrepid have also included lots of exciting activities along the way such as mask-making in Venice and gladiator school in Rome. Of course, there will be plenty of time for gelato stops at each destination.

Breakfasts are included on most days as well as some dinners. You can take advantage of well-priced optional extras such as a Cinque Terre cruise. Expect 3 – 4 star hotels and train transportation.

Intrepid’s itineraries are well thought out and are ideal for those wanting a guided experience but appreciate free time to explore on your own. Responsible travel is an important value held by Intrepid. They hire local tour leaders with in-depth personal knowledge of each destination, use mainly public transportation, and support local businesses.

• Major stops: Venice – Cinque Terre – Pisa – Rome
• Departs: June to September
• Average age: kids from 5 – 18 years of age plus accompanying adults
• Accommodation: 3 – 4 star hotels

Last Minute Trips to Italy

Did the stars align and you suddenly find yourself with time to spare for a trip to Italy? If you’re thinking of joining a tour we recommend browsing Tourradar and Stride Travel . These sites are marketplaces for multi-day tours where you can find great last-minute bargains as the tour companies strive to fill their last remaining seats.

They are authorized tour resellers with direct relationships with the tour companies and strive to assist clients to make the best choice of tour for their travel style.

Tourradar has great deals on tours by Trafalgar, Globus, Intrepid, and many other smaller tour companies. You can access their online travel experts dedicated to finding a tour that suits your timing, budget and interests, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – click here to browse tours of Italy on Tourradar

Stride Travel has the best deals for Perillo tours as well as some of the most popular luxury tours of Italy including Abercrombie and Kent and Tauck Tours. You can compare the inclusions, prices and itineraries of different tour companies and enlist the services of their travel experts to find the right tour for you – click here to browse Italy tours on Stride

5 Reasons to Choose a Guided Tour of Italy

• Get your bearings and build confidence for traveling on your own – this is a great approach for first-time visitors to Italy who can use their tour as a launchpad for further adventures
• See many sights within a short timeframe without worrying about logistics or finding and booking your hotels – guided tours of Italy have this all planned out so you can relax and enjoy your vacation
• Access in-depth knowledge and local experiences – your tour guides are there to make sure you enjoy the best Italy has to offer. Many companies now add special local elements such as farm dinners and special stays to ensure your tour is packed with special memories
• Meet like-minded travelers and form lasting friendships – tours are a great way to expand your social circle and meet people from all over the world
• Manage your costs – often if you tried to do all the things included in the tour on your own, you would find the costs are much higher

How to Choose your Italy Tour

Firstly, decide when you want to go and how long to stay in Italy. Deciding when to go to Italy is often a challenge so read our guide to the best time to visit Italy to help you make your plans. It includes the best months for sightseeing and visiting the beaches and popular cities. Spoiler alert – we like late May and early October!

The length of your trip is also a consideration. Most tours run for between 7 and 10 days. Don’t forget to factor in transit time to and from your home country into your plans. You might also like to add a few days on your own to explore a little at your leisure.

Next, determine your budget. Most tours include land transportation only (not flights). So you’ll need to add the cost of your flights to Italy into your budget.

Click to search flight deals on skyscanner

As a general rule, large tour groups generally involving travel by bus are the most cost-effective. Smaller groups will attract higher prices but you will get more personalized service. Private and customized tours attract the highest rates.

Most importantly, know your travel style and how much assistance you want from a tour guide. There are fully guided tours and independent package tours for Italy to suit your preferences.

Things to look for

• early morning starts and packed agendas – are you happy to be starting your days at 07:30 am or do you prefer a more relaxed pace with lots of time to explore on your own
• hotel standard – are you prepared to save some money on hotels or do you like some luxuries
• hotel location – if you’re hoping to explore, a hotel out of town may not be a great option
• group meals or free time to organize your own dinners
• inclusions vs optional extras – would you like to choose additional activities or be led the entire way – there are advantages to both approaches

Best sites to look for deals

Keep an eye on the tour company sites and sign up for their news. Offers are released regularly throughout the year. If you are trying to decide between a few tour companies and itineraries you can compare tour prices and trips on Tourradar  and Stride Travel . These sites have trip listings for departures up to 2024. You can read reviews by people who have experienced the tour and they often have great deals on early bookings and late departures.

Best Italy Tour Companies Reviewed

When you’re planning the trip of a lifetime, make sure you choose a reputable company for your tour of Italy. Here are some of the best and most trusted tour operators:

Trafalgar – with over 70 years of experience worldwide, Trafalgar is a popular choice for good reason. The company is expert at designing itineraries that visit the highlights of Italy in the most efficient way in terms of cost and covering a lot of ground. The company makes sure that you can enjoy local experiences as well as sightseeing.  For example, you can take advantage of their Be My Guest program, and dine with local families in their homes. Expect group sizes of around 40-45 and travel by coach.

Insight Vacations   – with a more leisurely pace and clientele in the 60-70 age bracket, Insight Vacations are more upmarket than Trafalgar. Hotels are 4.5* and their buses have been designed to allow much more legroom than on standard coaches.

Intrepid – the world’s largest small group tour company, Intrepid are one of our favorite providers. With group sizes averaging only 10 people, you can expect more personalized service and the ability to get off the beaten path. Intrepid have been recognized for their commitment to responsible travel and offer inclusive tours for all ages. They have over 50 itineraries for Italy with three different tour styles – Basic, Standard and Comfort.

Monograms – if you want to travel independently and plan your own spare time but want a set basic itinerary then Monograms is for you. They provide ground transportation, hotels and a brief tour at each place you visit. This unique service also includes a brief city tour and destination concierge who can help with dinner suggestions and other on-the-ground questions. With a variety of packages throughout Italy, this is a great solution if you’re finding researching your own trip overwhelming.

Contiki – aimed at the youth market aged between 18-35, Contiki tours generally attract under 30s making their first trip abroad without their parents. Fast-paced and intense with early starts and late nights, these trips are definitely made with a young party crowd in mind. Contiki offers a great budget alternative to DIY travel but if partying is not part of your travel style then think twice about joining a Contiki tour.

Rick Steves – if you’re a fan of America’s favorite Europhile, his company also offers group tours of Italy. With mid-sized tour groups of fewer than 30 travelers, they are a more intimate experience than the larger group tours. The price range reflects this midpoint. People traveling on these tours are usually American, aged 50+ and are interested in history and culture.

Onwards Through Italy

We hope you have found a tour of Italy to suit your travel style, timing, and budget. If you can spare a few extra days, why not add some additional time to the end of your trip to explore at your leisure? Your tour will give you the confidence to discover treasures of your own. If you’re looking for something more bespoke, there are many reasons to consider a private tour of Italy . Whatever you decide, Italy is waiting.

Buon viaggio!

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Italy Tours & Holidays

Cruise canals, peruse piazzas, veer towards the Vatican and polish off the perfect pizza.

Italy may be one of Europe 's most-visited countries, but finding your way around Venice’s canals, choosing the best place for gelato in Rome, and knowing your agnello from your agnolotti are skills best learnt from locals. Our Italy tours & holidays  are all about strolling down cobbled lanes in city backstreets and ancient walled villages in search of la dolce vita. Once here, the opportunities are endless – from tasting balsamic vinegar in a traditional acetaia in Modena and sailing past pastel-hued cliffside villages on the Amalfi Coast , to sampling local wine in Tuscany's vineyards  and admiring lesser-known Renaissance art in Florence . One thing's for sure: you won’t be going hungry.

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Italy at a glance, capital city.

Rome (population approximately 2.87 million)

Approximately 59 million

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Learn more about Italy

Culture and customs.

The Renaissance, opera, Vespa, Valentino, slow food, espresso, the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel, the culture of Italy is as rich as its food. And with iconic cities like Rome, Venice, Florence and Naples showcasing historic gems around every corner, it's easy to see why Italians are so very proud of their heritage. Italy drips with sensational artwork, ancient icons, ornate architecture and historic sights. The streets are filled with people and places that exude character and charisma, and the famous Italian artists, inventors and public figures that have contributed so much to the world are openly adored and celebrated.

In general, Italians value family, food and the enjoyment of life. Good quality food made with the best ingredients is preferred over processed products and fast food. Eating is a pleasure to be enjoyed with friends and family, not a necessary inconvenience. Respect for the family unit is paramount, with many families choosing to live close to each other for life. Community is also an important element of Italian life and this can be seen in neighbours enjoying a passeggiata (an after-dinner stroll and chat).

Italians certainly live their lives with passion, and this is evident in their zealous approach to driving, passionate following of football (soccer) matches and exuberant social life. It's common to see Italians debate politics, fashion, sport and current affairs with ferocious verve, which can sometimes be quite confronting for people from meeker cultural backgrounds. But lying underneath the bold, animated exterior of most Italians is a deep, passionate love of life itself.

History and government

Rise of the empire.

The rise of the Roman Empire has been the subject of much fascination, intrigue and interest from scholars, artists, travellers and students around the world. The modern world owes a lot to this civilisation, with many important scientific inventions, art movements, architectural triumphs and philosophical ideas being born from Roman civilisation – most notably during the Renaissance.

Founded sometime around 750 BC, Rome is still considered one of the most important and enduring cities in the world. Home to such famous citizens as Julius Caesar, Emperor Augustus, Claudius, Nero, Mark Antony and Marcus Aurelius, Rome has enjoyed the great highs of dominating the Mediterranean region and the artistic triumphs of the Renaissance, but also the lows of the Great Fire of Rome, which ended up destroying a large part of the city. Rome has survived natural disasters, political turmoil, feuding families, plagues and fierce wars.

Spanning centuries, the story of Ancient Rome is full of dramatic twists and turns, and explains how tourist icons like the Colosseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus and Palantine Hill came to be.

The Renaissance

The time of the Renaissance in Italy (15th to 16th century) marked the clear transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity. The social and cultural revolution began in Florence, which was under the rule of the Medici family, and spread south to Rome. During this time, there was a reinvigoration of the arts, literature, science, invention and political theory, which influenced all of Europe – all centred in Italy.

People in protest

After the Renaissance, Italy was unified with Sardinia in 1861, becoming the Kingdom of Italy. After World War I, Italy came under the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini, who ruled until 1943. Siding with Nazi Germany in World War II, the Italian Army suffered many losses and ultimately surrendered in 1945. After a referendum in 1946, Italy became a Republic and flourished during the 1950s and 1960s. The post-war period marks a time of economic progress for Italy, also largely reflected by the rest of the world's increased economic stability during a period of relative peace.

From the late 1960s, Italians lived with political upheaval and uncertainty, marked by the ‘Anni di Piombo’ or ‘Years of Lead’. This time was marked by conflict and public protests, and in the years to follow, corruption, organised crime, terrorism and government debt was prominent in Italy. This led to extremist incidents of political terrorism and crisis on the left and the right, with one terrorist group – le Brigaterosse (or the Red Brigade) – a key player in the turmoil.

In 1994, media mogul Silvio Berlusconi was elected to the office of Prime Minister but was forced to step down later in the year after losing support from his political partners. Social unrest died down a little after the turn of the millennium, but Italy’s political system remained fraught with instability. Undeterred, Berlusconi regained power on two separate occasions, both times amid controversy and scandal.

Currently, Italy is run under a unitary parliamentary republic system, and has been since 1946. The final downfall of Berlusconi has marked a shift in Italian politics, with many parties vying for office, and alliances and coalitions the only way to do so.

Top places to visit in Italy

Oh, Venice. The city of romance, gondolas, Piazza San Marco and an endless maze of canals. With plenty of free time to eat, drink, shop and stroll, you’ll lose all sense of direction – but remember, getting lost in Venice is the whole point! Don't forget to sample a big slice of tiramisu (coffee-soaked sponge cake), the region’s specialty.

Explore Venice on our 14 day Best of Italy tour, on our 8 day Highlights of Italy tour, or on our 8 day Italy Real Food Adventure.

2. Cinque Terre

The footpaths between the villages on the enchanting Cinque Terre were once the only way to travel in the region. Hike along the rugged clifftops and discover olive groves, vineyards, breathtaking vistas and five pastel villages perched on the coastline – each more colourful than the last. If hiking isn’t your thing, don’t worry – just jump on the train!

Fall in love with Cinque Terre on our 15 day Barcelona to Rome tour, on our 8 day Cinque Terre: Hike, Bike & Kayak tour, or on our 8 day Northern Italy Family Holiday tour.

3. Amalfi Coast

Discover southern Italy’s dazzling coastline of cliffside villages and rugged terrain by land and sea. You might like to hike the famous Walk of the Gods, sip Campari in Sorrento, or tuck into traditional pizza in Naples – the birthplace of pizza.

Adventure along the Amalfi coast on our 10 day Explore Southern Italy tour or on our 8 day Amalfi Coast: Hike, Bike & Kayak tour.

There's much more to Tuscany than Florence's impressive Renaissance art and architecture – though there'll be plenty of time to explore this! From rolling hills and fruitful vineyards to charming fortified towns with their relaxed vibes, the Tuscan countryside is the Italy that continues to draw you back; the one you fall in love with.

Marvel at Tuscany's picturesque countryside on our 10 day Italy Experience tour or on our 8 day Cycle Tuscany tour.

Italy’s enduring capital, the epicentre of the fierce Roman Empire – Rome is a living, breathing history book. Dive deep into the city’s most iconic sites – the Forum, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps – and stumble upon the country within a city: the Vatican. Or simply sip espresso at one of the tiny streetside cafes and watch life go by.

Absorb Rome's history on our 8 day Rome to Amalfi tour or on our 8 day Highlights of Italy in Winter tour.

6. Taormina

If mainland Italy is the boot, Sicily is the football. The further south you go, the more relaxed Italians get – so immerse yourself in an island culture full of charm, and a cuisine packed full of arancini and granita. Take a day trip to the charming city of Taormina and visit the world-famous Greek theatre and cathedral, take a dip in pristine coves or enjoy lunch while looking at the imposing Mt. Etna.

Visit Taormina on our 24 day Rome to Sicily adventure.

Eating and drinking

Italy may be the food capital of the world (not exaggerating), but sometimes it can be difficult to know what to eat and where to go.

When eating and drinking through Italy, be sure to walk a street or two away from the tourist attractions to find a restaurant, as they often are cheaper and much more authentic than the ones close by. Be sceptical of menus entirely in English and those with pictures, as this is, again, not the authentic way. Also, bigger is not always better – often the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ restaurants produce the best food. But above all, go with your gut and follow your eyes and nose, and you will be satisfied.

Sample and sip your way through the best flavours Italy has to offer on our 8-day Italian Real Food Adventure Tour

Must try dishes and drinks in Italy

• Antipasto If any country knows its way around cured meat and vegetables, it’s Italy. Discover salami, olives, artichokes, anchovies, cheeses, grissini and more, with each board changing depending on what region you find yourself in.
• Pizza If you were asked to describe Italy in one word, chances are someone would yell ‘pizza’. This carby dish of 100% joy is found all over, with regional specialities everywhere you go. And if you’re vegan? No stress – just ask for one of the vegetarian pizzas ‘senza formaggio’ (without cheese) and you’ll be set. Expect to be crucified if you ask for pineapple, though. 
• Pasta Different shapes, different sauces and different preparations make this one of the world’s most versatile dishes. From a fiery penne arrabbiata and a creamy spaghetti cacio e pepe to a baked gnocchi alla romana, you really can’t go wrong.
• Gelato Traditional Italian flavours like bacio (chocolate hazelnut), amarena (sour cherry) and limone (lemon) are the perfect accompaniment to sightseeing on a hot summer's day. Stack the gusti (flavours) up on a cono (cone) or in a copetta (cup) for a quick snack.
• Wine Italy produces some of the world's best wine, so savour a glass (or three) of Chianti or Sangiovese with dinner. Most regions of Italy produce their own wine, but the area that everyone talks about is the one and only Tuscany.
• Aperitivo A classic Italian pastime, aperitivo hour calls for two things: to find a local restaurant or bar in the early evening, and to order yourself a drink. This is usually a light and dry tonic, but can be wine or a cocktail. It’s usually accompanied by some complimentary nibbles.

Read more about what to eat in Italy

Read more about what to drink in Italy

Geography and environment

Sharing borders with Switzerland , France , Slovenia and Austria , Italy also encompasses the independent territories of San Marino and Vatican City and includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

Home to mountains, volcanoes, islands, beaches, spectacular cliffs and expansive stretches of coastline, the natural landscapes of Italy provide dramatic scenery as well as popular places to explore and relax for travellers. The major cities of Italy, although industrialised, still retain buildings, churches and relics from the past. It's quite common to see modern shops housed in historic cobblestone streets and new Vespas perched beside piazzas.

In smaller cities and more isolated areas, rural life is a whole lot slower. Permaculture remains popular, with many Italians growing fruit and vegetables in their backyards. The traffic and frenetic pace of the cities give way to idyllic olive groves, vineyards and farmhouses.

8 iconic Italian landscapes

• Capri Be blown away by the shimmering beauty of this sun-bleached island that sits in the middle of a mass of deep blue water. Home to luminous sea caves, stunning cliff faces and whitewashed buildings, Capri is the perfect setting for a romantic escapade, relaxing boat ride or some serious sun-worshipping.
• Tuscany An enchanting mix of rolling green hills, vineyards, simple farmhouses and charming villages, Tuscan landscapes are effortlessly beautiful. Whether you're cycling around vineyards, hiking through the countryside or lying in a field of golden grass, Tuscany is made for life in the slow lane.
• Lake Como Lake Como is considered one of the most picturesque slices of Italy. A vast expanse of deep blue water set to a stunning mountainous backdrop dotted with rustic villas and wildflowers, Como is the sparkling jewel of Italy's north, naturally polished to perfection.
• Mount Vesuvius Sitting on the Bay of Naples, the austere beauty of brooding Mt Vesuvius offers a contrast to the luscious green landscapes of the Mediterranean. Mt Vesuvius is still active, but a hike to the summit is possible – and worth it for the views of the bay below.
• Amalfi Coast A journey along the winding roads of the Amalfi Coast offers panoramic sea views, alluring towns perched on cliffs and beaches bathed in sunlight. Admire landscapes dotted with lemon trees and olive groves and enjoy the gentle sea breezes.
• Sicily Sitting under the watchful eye of moody Mt Etna, Sicily is a taste of authentic Italy. Surrounded by a sea of turquoise speckled with volcanic islands, Sicily boasts diverse landscapes of rocky mountains, rural pastures, ancient ruins and villages steeped in history.
• The Dolomites Carpeted in wildflowers during summer and covered in a blanket of white snow during winter, the Dolomites are a breathtaking sight in any season. Whether you're hiking the trails during summer or skiing downhill during winter, you’ll soon realise why the Dolomites have such a mighty reputation.
• Le Cinque Terre A quintessential Italian sight, the Cinque Terre, or Five Lands, is a destination to be cherished. Walk the rocky path over steep cliffs and past character-filled villages perched beside the sea. Wander past shady trees, gardens and groves as the sea reflects the sun’s rays. This is panoramic perfection!

Italians are known for their style and this is reflected in their designer fashion and furniture. Be prepared to part with money – shopping in Italy can get quite expensive – but the quality of handmade and tailored items is generally exceptional.

Things to buy

• Clothing Milan, Rome and other big cities are packed with high-end designer fashion boutiques, chic outlets and tailors. Wherever you are in Italy you're guaranteed to get the latest fashions straight from the catwalks of Europe.
• Colourful ceramics Vibrant, hand-painted ceramic bowls, jugs and glasses can be found in the shops and markets of the Amalfi Coast and Sicily – a perfect reminder of the Mediterranean. If you do happen to head to the island of Murano in Venice, be sure to check out their renowned glassware.
• Masks Venice is filled with shops selling elaborate, handcrafted masquerade masks. These colourful creations look great hung on walls and are a true Venetian keepsake.
• Leather footwear, bags and accessories Florence and Rome are hotspots for sourcing gorgeous handmade leather items. Splash out on an 'investment purchase' – a leather handbag that will last a lifetime. You deserve it.
• Italian foodstuffs Now, this one you’ve got to be careful with, but if you know your limits, you’ll be eating and drinking authentically when you arrive home. Infused olive oils, syrupy balsamic vinegar, local dried pasta, limoncello and more – all (likely) fine to pack carefully in your luggage and take home. Be careful with anything fresh or unsealed, though, or you might be in for a hefty fine if you try to get them back home.

It's a good idea to check with your local customs officials to ensure that you are able to bring certain items back into your home country. Australia and New Zealand, in particular, have strict quarantine laws.

Top Italian events and festivals 

Keep the ‘festa’ (or party) going in Italy with festivals and events all around the country. If there’s something going on in Italy, you know that food and drink is somehow involved, too.

1. Regata Storica di Venezia (Venice Historical Regatta)

For four days, Venice’s romantic gondolas take second place on the scenic canals to races featuring the world’s best rowers. Dating back to the 13th century, this historic event is held on the first Sunday of September each year.

2. Natale di Roma (Rome’s Birthday Celebrations)

Every April, Rome throws itself an epic birthday bash and parties like it’s 753 BC. Gladiator battles, historic re-enactments, equestrian events, parades and concerts are all part of this three-day throwback to ancient Roman times.

3. Pasqua (Easter)

Beautifully decorated shop windows, colourful painted eggs, church services, parades, feasts and fireworks make Easter a wonderful time to visit and be immersed in traditional Italian cultures. A huge Easter celebration mass is held at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, followed by an address from the Pope at noon. There are many festive recipes rolled out for Easter too, including the colomba – a dove-shaped cake flavoured with almond.

5. Carnevale

Each city may celebrate differently, but Carnevale festivities in the lead-up to Lent are always a raucous affair in Italy. Venice celebrates with masked parties. Viareggio opts for parades featuring floats, costumes and enormous papier-mache puppets, and Turin hosts the Battle of the Oranges – a spectacular food fight with, you guessed it, oranges.

6. Verona Opera Festival

The country that gave the world opera hosts the oldest opera festival in Verona each summer in the historic Verona Arena, a massive first-century Roman amphitheatre.

Read more about festivals in Italy

Further reading

For inspiring stories to prepare you for your Italy adventure, check out these books:

• The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco
• I’m Not Scared – Niccolo Ammaniti
• The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri
• Naples ‘44 – Norman Lewis
• Call Me By Your Name – Andre Aciman
• The Sicilian – Mario Puzo
• Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire – Simon Baker
• A Thousand Days in Venice – Marlena de Blasi

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Italy travel FAQs

Do i need a covid-19 vaccine to join an intrepid trip.

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Do you need a visa for Italy?

Generally, you will not need a visa to travel to Italy for a period of up to 90 days. Some citizens of a select few nationalities may need to obtain a Schengen visa before travelling to Italy. For more information, contact the Italian embassy or consulate in your home country.

This page is for general information only and may be subject to change. It is your responsibility to obtain relevant visa and travel information required for entry, departure and travel to each country or region you visit on your trip. You should confirm these with the relevant embassies and/or consulates. 

Last updated: 06/06/2023

Do I need to purchase travel insurance before travelling?

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

Is tipping customary in Italy?

Tipping isn’t customary in Italy, but it is appreciated. Feel free to leave a small amount if the service has been particularly good. Some restaurants will add a cover charge or ‘servizio’ to your bill.

What is the internet access like in Italy?

Italy, like the rest of Europe , is well connected. Wi-fi is almost always available at larger hotels and guesthouses, either included in your room price, or for a small additional fee. Some smaller accommodations, such as rural guesthouses and homestays, may not have wi-fi available, or the signal may be patchy.

Many fast food chains, bars and restaurants also offer wi-fi connectivity, often with an access code located on a purchase receipt. Look out for the international wi-fi symbol, or politely ask a waiter if the option is available. Some major Italian cities also offer public wi-fi hotspots with registration.

If you do not have your own device, there are still some internet cafes in Italy’s major cities.

Can I use my mobile while in Italy?

Mobile phone coverage is generally good in Italy. Your best (and often cheapest) option is to purchase a local SIM card when arriving in Italy if your phone is compatible and unlocked.

There is also the option to activate global roaming with your service provider before leaving home. Check the roaming charges before you leave home, as this option can often be highly expensive.

What are the toilets like in Italy?

Western-style flushable toilets are the norm in Italy.

Public toilets are not in abundance in Italy, so your best bet is to use the facilities in museums, galleries, department stores, train stations and restaurants. You may have to pay a small fee to use public toilets – ranging from around EUR 0.50 to EUR 2.

What will it cost for a…?

Italy’s unit of currency is the euro (EUR). Here's what you can expect to pay for a:

• Cup of coffee = EUR € 1.50
• Small gelato cone = EUR € 2-3
• A glass of beer = EUR € 4-5
• Bottle of wine in a restaurant = EUR € 10
• Mid-range meal at a restaurant = EUR € 30-40

Can I drink the water in Italy?

Drinking water from taps in Italy is generally considered safe. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water instead.

Are credit cards accepted widely in Italy?

Major credit cards are widely accepted by stores in Italy. Smaller cafes, shops and markets may not accept credit cards, and smaller museums or galleries may charge an entry fee in cash only, so ensure you carry enough cash to cover small purchases.

What is ATM access like in Italy?

ATMs are common in Italy, so finding one won't be a problem in most towns and cities. Beware of transaction fees that ATMs charge and the conversion rates they may offer, as they are often much worse than what your card offers.

What public holidays are celebrated in Italy?

• 1 Jan: New Year’s Day (Capodanno)
• 6 Jan: Epiphany (Epifania)
• *Mar/Apr: Easter Sunday (Pasqua)
• *Mar/Apr: Easter Monday (Pasquetta)
• 25 Apr: Liberation Day (Giorno della Liberazione)
• 1 May: Labour Day (Festa del Lavoro)
• 2 Jun: Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica)
• 15 Aug: Feast of the Assumption (Ferragosto)
• 1 Nov: All Saint’s Day (Festa di Ognisanti)
• 8 Dec: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Festa dell’Immacolata Concezione)
• 25 Dec: Christmas Day (Natale)
• 26 Dec: St Stephen’s Day (Festa di Santo Stefano)

Please note, Italy public holidays may vary.

Is Italy safe for LGBTQIA+ travellers?

Italy is mostly a safe destination for LGBTQIA+ travellers. Same-sex relationships are legal and are largely accepted, with civil unions entrenched in law since 2016. Same-sex marriage is currently not legal. There are some anti-discrimination laws to protect sexual orientation and gender identity.

In more rural and regional areas, overt displays of affection can attract negative responses in smaller towns, which tend to be more conservative. Rome, Milan and Bologna have the largest gay scenes, and Florence and Naples have a handful of LGBTQIA+-friendly venues too.

For more detailed and up-to-date advice, we recommend visiting Equaldex  or  ILGA before you travel.

If you are travelling solo on an Intrepid group tour, you will share accommodation with a passenger of the same gender as per your passport information. If you don’t identify with the gender assigned on your passport, please let us know at time of booking and we’ll arrange the rooming configuration accordingly. A single supplement is available on some tours for travellers who do not wish to share a room.

When is the best time to visit Italy?

Italy enjoys a temperate climate most of the year, with June, July and August the warmest months. Popular tourist spots get very busy and crowded during the European summer, but don’t let that deter you – the sun will be shining, and the gelato will be served icy cold.

The shoulder seasons of April–May and September–October offer great conditions for travel, with milder temperatures and fewer crowds at main sights and beaches. Even though it’s not as hot, you’re still set for some warmer conditions and more pleasant temperatures to walk around the cities like Rome and Florence.

It can get quite cold in the winter months, especially in the north, with cities like Milan, Turin and Venice often seeing snow, fog and rain in December and January. Major coastal tourist spots like the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre can be very quiet during winter with many establishments closing at this time, so it might be best to visit in the warmer months if these places interest you.

What is the weather like in Italy?

As you can tell from a world map, Italy is a pretty long country compared to its European neighbours. This gives it one of the more diverse climates in Europe , with mountainous zones in the north and dry arid landscapes in the south graced with all different types of weather.

Much of the inland northern regions have harsh winters and hot summers, while coastal areas of Liguria, Tuscany and the south of Italy generally fit that Mediterranean stereotype, with hot and dry summers and mild winters. The east coast of the Italian peninsula is not as wet as the west coast, but in winter, the east coast is usually colder.

Generally, Italy’s hottest month in the south is August and can reach upwards of 40°C, while the north hits its peak in July and has slightly milder maximums. January is the coldest month throughout the country.

What to pack for Italy?

You’ll need to consider the time of year you want to travel, plus the places you’re travelling to so you can work out what you should wear in Italy.

In summer, loose-fitting cotton clothing like light t-shirts and shorts or light trousers, is recommended no matter what part of the country you’re in. During the transitioning seasons of April-May and September-October, packing a jacket and long pants is encouraged so you can layer, if needed.

Winter brings snow and sub-zero temperatures to the north of the country, so if you’re travelling in Milan or the Piedmont region, pack warm clothing, such as thermals and thick jackets. A scarf and gloves are encouraged too. For the south, you may not need all the heavy stuff, but having warm, windproof and waterproof gear is advisable.

If you wish to visit the Sistine Chapel and other churches and religious sites in the Vatican City and beyond, it is highly recommended that men and women wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees, any time of year. If you are found to be wearing immodest clothing by security guards or staff, you will be denied entry.

Read more about weather in Italy

Is Italy accessible for travellers with disabilities?

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, whatever physical or mental limitations they might have. We’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help choose the most suitable itinerary and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Despite Italy’s charm and old-town feel, travellers with mobility and sight or hearing impairments may find it difficult to travel around the country independently. Old cobbled streets and pavements blocked by parked cars are the norm, making it difficult for wheelchair users.

Despite this, much of Italy’s public transport system is mobility friendly. The service ‘Sala Blu’ (Blue Hall) is provided to travellers who require assistance at the 14 main train stations around Italy. These services include providing a wheelchair, a representative to accompany you to your train, another to meet at the other end, lift service to get on and off the train, and free use of baggage trolleys.

Many of Italy’s most-visited attractions, like the Colosseum, Vatican museums and the Uffizi Gallery, are almost entirely wheelchair accessible, with ramps and lifts available. Venice may be considered the least accessible, but it is possible. Bridges between canals should be avoided, but vaporettos (or water taxis) can be used, especially the routes along the Grand Canal.

If you do live with a visual, hearing or other impairment, let your booking agent or group leader know early on so they’re aware and suitable arrangements can be made. As a general rule, knowing some common words in the local language, carrying a written itinerary with you and taking to the streets in a group, rather than solo, can help make your travel experience the best it can be.

How do I stay safe and healthy while travelling?

Intrepid takes the health and safety of its travellers seriously and takes every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone. We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure:

From Australia?

Go to: Smart Traveller

From Canada?

Go to:  Canada Travel Information

From the UK?

Go to:  UK Foreign Travel Advice

From New Zealand?

Go to:  Safe Travel

From the US?

Go to:  US Department of State

The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.

How will I be travelling around Italy?

Intrepid believes half the fun of experiencing a new country is getting there, and getting around once there! Where possible, Intrepid uses local transport options and traditional modes of transport – which usually have less of an environmental impact, support small local operators and are heaps more fun.

Depending on which trip you're on while in Italy, you may find yourself travelling by bicycle.

Whether it’s riding through fields of grass scattered with wildflowers or past quaint buildings down cobblestone lanes, taking a quick spin around town or tackling the towering Dolomites, two wheels open up so many options.

What better way to see Italy’s island of Sardinia or the Amalfi coast than on a small-group sailing adventure? Cruise past idyllic islands to fabulous shore stops dotted around the Mediterranean.

What kind of accommodation will I be staying in?

Travelling with Intrepid is a little bit different. We endeavour to provide travellers with an authentic experience to remember, so we try to keep accommodation as unique and traditional as possible.

When travelling with us in Italy you may find yourself staying in a:

Agriturismo (farmstay)

Your time in Italy is further enhanced with an agriturismo, or farmstay, experience. Immerse yourself in a picturesque setting overlooking the countryside, with food and relaxation the main focus.

Does my trip to Italy support The Intrepid Foundation?

Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. In fact, we make a donation on behalf of every traveller. Trips to Italy directly support our foundation partner, Cooperativa Coraggio.

Cooperativa Coraggio

Cooperativa Coraggio set up agricultural projects on unused public land to create local jobs and produce organic food in communities in Italy. Donations help their regeneration project on 22 hectares of land at Borghetto San Carlo Estate, located on the outskirts of Rome.  

Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

What is it like travelling on a small group tour?

Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or you’re about to embark on your first trip, travelling can be as intimidating as it is exciting. That's the beauty of a small group tour. From handling the logistics and organising amazing cultural activities to local leaders who know each destination like the back of their hand (like which street has the best markets and where to get the most authentic food), travelling on a small group tour with Intrepid will give you unforgettable travel experiences without the hassle that comes with exploring a new place. Plus, you'll have ready-made friends to share the journey with. All you have to do is turn up with a healthy sense of adventure and we’ll take care of the rest.

APRIL SALE:   Discover and book at   up to 60% off!

Coach / Bus Tours in Italy 2024/2025

Take in the picturesque landscapes and remarkable sights on a guided Coach / Bus adventure of Italy. There are 200 vacation packages to choose from, that range in length from 3 days up to 22 days. The most popular month for these tours is September.

200 Coach / Bus trips around Italy with 6,587 reviews

• Coach / Bus

Sicily & Aegadian Islands (10 days/9 nights) - starting from Catania

• €50 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

Italy from North to South

We really enjoyed the trip, everything was well arranged including the airport transport. All hotel rooms were really good with air- conditioned rooms. Our tour guides and drivers were excellent especially the north tour - Stephano, Clara and Franco was a brilliant team. We visited a lot of places over the 10 days, but it was just right without rushing through too many things. Most of the days we reached the hotels back at around 6pm, so there was enough time to relax in the evening at our own leisure. WhatsApp contacts were very useful, so you didn’t have to call anyone, and the messages were quickly answered. Only things to suggest - it would be great if an available menu was provided to choose for those with dietary requirements ( vegetarians, gluten free etc). Saying that the restaurant at Hotel Michaelangelo at Sorrento was brilliant, my son really enjoyed their gluten free menu. Overall we had an excellent experience- seeing lot of places with good tour directors and drivers for north and south tours along with knowledgeable and friendly local guides.

Discover Italy

Very nice and knowledgeable your guides. Bus driver was spectacular as well. Great timing on the locations. Is a bit rushed but that’s the nature of guided tours. But allows you to see many places in one week

Best of Italy (Summer, 13 Days)

First of all Trafalgar should have known that on Wednesdays the Pope is in audience so disappointed the people on our tour that we did not get to see the Basilica. The tour guide told us that they only learned that that morning which is not true. It has always been Wednesdays for years now. Very disappointing. So the people who go on the tour starting on another day get to see the Basilica and we are paying the same money. One of the main reason people go to Rome. VERY DISAPPOINTING. When people complained the guide told us that we could go and line up in the afternoon and hope to get in after a couple hours when he knew that meant we would miss the afternoon tour. The day could have been arranged differently so that the Rome tour ended at the Basilica and not started there. Secondly the Lake Como optional cruise was very disappointing as we did not get to see all the famous villas e.g. George Clooney, Richard Branson etc. as our tour guide pointed to an area and told us that it was around the corner in the distance. It would have taken 5 minutes to take us there. The optional cruise around Capri Island was another disappointment as you saw nothing more than what you see coming in on the Ferry. These optional tours are extremely expensive for what you get from them. The meals were very repetitive, pasta, pasta,and more pasta. Some of the hotels were very second rate. I had to ask to change rooms twice. A/C not working at night in the summer, showers with doors that did not fit and bathroom flooded after taking a shower. Enjoyed the itinerary although very rushed and having to get up at 6.00 am everyday but very disappointed in the three expensive optional tours above that we did not get what we paid for. Great bus driver and tour guide. Would I recommend this trip, maybe with a higher rated tour company.

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Splendor of Sicily 8 Days Tour - from Catania

Everything is good.Mr.Omar help me a lot.

Italian Holiday (7 Days)

Everything was great.

A Taste of Italy: 11 Days

Overall the tour was good. The hotel Delfino in Venice was a 2 star ⭐️ so disappointing. The south of Italy part seemed very unorganised with different tour guides and little communication. The bus drivers down south drive like maniacs and I’m surprised we didn’t have an accident.

Sicilian Landscapes: Catania-Catania (8 days/7 nights)

Meals need to be improved, especially dinners. Stop at the mall was waist of time. We were not informed about swimming opportunities so we left our swim attire on the bus.

A Taste of Italy: 8 Days

At least one emergency contact phone number did not work. In several incidences, we were left to find our own ways back to the hotels from the tourist spots. Since the radio is not always clear and some tour guides have heavy accents, It would be much better if all the important instructions could be available on printed paper.

Highlights of the Amalfi Coast

First time traveling with Exodus, and would definitely do again. It was well organized, our guide had great ideas and the food was good!

Mini Tour of Sicily from Catania to Palermo

The accommodation was excellent, the meals were great, the tour guide and driver did their jobs well. At times we were standing for too long listening to guides. Need to consider the age demographic and look at finding more seating on the walking tours. Some of the towns we visited were for free time and there was really nothing to see or do- wasted hours. Please consider the locations and the number of stairs as this impacted our enjoyment. The tour stated suitable for children through to 90- a little misleading. Overall we enjoyed the tour, just a few glitches that could be addressed. ????

Italian Expresso - 5 days

We were looking for a good overview of Italy north of Rome and that is what we got. It was a good mix of tours as well as free time to explore cities like Florence and Venice. The tour provide suggestions of what to see as well as instructions on using public transportation. The hotels were all clean and comfortable. Our tour guide, Clara, was informative as well as attentive to individual needs.

Rome, Florence & Venice

Our Guide Director was absolutely wonderful!!! The air conditioning in the Poppy Hotel didn’t seem to work and was very in comfortable at night to sleep. But the tour it self was fabulous!

Best of Italy (Classic, Summer, 11 Days)

My wife and I took the Best of Italy tour in September, 2017. The tour director (Debra) and bus driver (Alessio) were excellent. The itinerary was also excellent. We visited all of the sights in Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Pisa, Assissi, Pompei, Sorrento, Positano, and Capri. The hotels were average at best. All of the breakfast buffets were disappointing. We had terrific lunches at rest stops while driving from city to another. The food at these rest stops is surprisingly good. My biggest complaint is the included group dinners which were either at the hotel or in a restaurant. These dinners did not offer any choice of meals. They just served everyone the same thing where the food was tasteless and sometimes inedible. My whole life I heard how amazing the food in Italy is supposed to be. Because this happened on several dinners, I cannot give Insight a overall good review. On the days where were able to eat out on our own for either lunch or dinner, we did enjoy the food at restaurants that we found by recommendations.

The Best of Italy

The tour was more that i expected went to places that was not pointed out on the itinerary. Only one dinner was not so great it was over cooked chicken and some of the breakfasts were like eating an instant meal. But our guide alessandro was far above excellent. I have a medical issue and every time i got off the bus he was always there to help me without being asked. This is only one of the many things he did that i noticed which are too many to mention. Also i was not the only one of the walking wounded that he attended to. He was so attentive to everyone,

Italy Coach / Bus Tour Reviews

I would recommend it to my friends.

It was overall a great trip!

Overall good, seemed a bit rushed with not enough time to absorb the sites.

Regions in Italy

• South Italy (75)
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• Italian Lakes District (10)
• Apulia (10)
• Lombardy (7)
• Cinque Terre (5)

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

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Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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