Compare Ultimate Italy by G Adventures vs Northern Italy by Odysseys Unlimited

Day 1 Rome

Arrive at any time.

There are no planned activities until tonight's welcome meeting.

We recommend booking pre-tour accommodation to fully explore this magnificent city. Please speak to a G Adventures representative about booking accommodations in Rome before Day 1 of this itinerary. Please note that if Vatican City is on your must-see list, we highly recommend purchasing your tickets online several weeks prior to your trip. Advance tickets can be reserved online at https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home. Same-day entrance to St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) cannot be guaranteed without advance tickets. We also recommend pre-booking your ticket to the Colosseum to guarantee entrance and avoid long queues: https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/ticket-colosseum-roman-forum-palatine_24h/

Day 2 Rome

Enjoy a G Adventures supported migrant led walk of Rome before enjoying a free day to explore a myriad of options. Opt to tour Vatican City, cross the river to charming Trastevere, eat some gelato in Piazza Navona, or swing by the Colosseum and Forum.

While you're here, why not opt to rent a Vespa for the day? Live "la dolce vita" and opt to pre-book the Rome Vintage Vespa Tour on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.

Day 3 Rome/Montepulciano

Travel to Montepulciano in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Explore the medieval and renaissance hill town with an orientation walk.

Montepulciano is famous for producing delectable local pork, cheese, "Pici" pasta, and honey. It is also major wine producing area. Take in the stunning vistas, wander cobbled lanes, or opt to sample the local delicacies in small, family-run establishments.

Day 4 Montepulciano

Spend the day in the Italian countryside. The famous wine-producing region is the perfect place for an optional vineyard tour and wine tasting, or a bike ride in the rolling hills.

Opt to travel further afield to the thermal springs of Bagni San Filippo.

Day 5 Montepulciano/Florence

Continue on to Florence. Enjoy an evening walk to Piazzale Michelangelo for a fantastic panoramic view of the city.

Continue to the inimitable Firenze. Walk through the city catching a glimpse of the Duomo, Piazza Indipendenza, Piazza della Signoria, and the Ponte Vecchio. Continue to Piazzale Michelangelo for the most famous and photographed vista of the city. Opt to visit the local leather markets and souvenir stalls set up all over the city.

Day 6 Florence

With a free day, the choices are endless. Opt to visit the Duomo, David, the Galleria dell’Accademia, Uffizi Gallery, medieval Ponte Vecchio, or the Medici Chapels, just to name a handful.

The day is yours to explore. Check out the Mercato Centrale or any number of cafés and trattorias. If you came to shop, start at one end of the city and just keep going. There's beautiful architecture, famous museums, Renaissance art pieces, and charming cobblestone streets everywhere. If you wish to go further afield, take a wine tasting bike tour up to Fiesole and the vineyards of Chianti. For a truly local experience, indulge your inner gastronome on a culinary tour of the city. Opt to pre-book the "Florence Food Tour" on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.

If you wish to visit popular museums like the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries, we strongly advise reserving tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line for a long time (especially during the high season from May-September, where this can take several hours). Advance tickets can be reserved online at https://www.uffizi.it/en/tickets and https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/tickets/

Day 7 Florence

Enjoy a day trip to vibrant Siena. After an orientation walk around this medieval city, opt to visit Torre del Mangia, Battistero, il Campo, or the Duomo or to take a "passeggiata" and meet the Sienese locals. Return to Florence at the end of the day.

Day 8 Florence/Cinque Terre

Visit Pisa en route to the coast. Settle into the colourful, charming town in the Cinque Terre.

Head by train to Pisa and stop for a visit at the Field of Miracles to see the famous leaning tower (entrance fee not included). Later, head on to the coastal paradise of Cinque Terre.

Day 9 Cinque Terre

Walk the coastal path between Riomaggiore and Monterosso or opt to take the train. Visit charming, colourful towns along the way.

The national park pass and daily unlimited train ticket is included. Opt to follow your CEO along centuries-old footpaths and mule tracks leading through olive groves, vineyards, and orchards on a full day hike, or hop on and off the train, experiencing each town on your own. Choose to rest in each of the 5 villages, sampling delicacies in each place, such as local pesto, espresso, or delicious gelato.

Please note that some popular hiking paths along the Cinque Terre have been temporarily closed due to water erosion and damage caused by landslides in 2016. Your CEO will guide you on the best, most accessible path for today's hike.

Day 10 Cinque Terre/Lake Como

Travel to Lake Como, a perfectly picturesque region laden with villas and lush gardens. Arrive in the late afternoon and start exploring the town.

Set out from Cinque Terre on a train journey with a few changes en route, passing through Milan and on to elegant Como Town, located on the shores of Lake Como. On the border with Switzerland, enjoy the spectacular backdrop of the snowy-peaked Alps.

Day 11 Lake Como

Spend the day on Lake Como with a day pass for the Lake Como boat. Visit multiple towns along the shores. Opt to take the funicular to Brunate for a fantastic view over the area.

Set out by boat to explore the lake and its many elegant villas and towns, such as Bellagio with its shops, restaurants, and fine residences. In the afternoon, there is plenty of free time for soaking up the elegant atmosphere in one of the lakeside cafés or restaurants. Take some time for shopping — some of the finest Italian designers are to be found in Como's chic boutiques.

Day 12 Lake Como/Venice

Travel to Venice, the "city of canals," and enjoy an orientation walk over bridges and canals and view Piazza San Marco.

Travel east to captivating Venice, the unique "city of canals," full of magnificent monuments. There will be plenty of time to wander the narrow cobblestone streets and wide piazzas, crossing hundreds of tiny bridges and, of course, getting lost in Venice's labyrinth.

Day 13 Venice

Spend the day getting lost in Venice. Opt for a vaporetto (water taxi) ride to the islands of Murano and Burano, take a gondola under the Ponte Rialto (Bridge of Lovers), explore the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, or get lost in the twisting maze of the city.

Day 14 Venice

Depart at any time.

We recommend staying an extra day or two to fully experience all this beautiful city has to offer.

Day 1

Depart U.S. for Milan, Italy

Day 2: Arrive Milan/Stresa

Meals: Dinner

After arriving in Milan, we drive to the international resort of Stresa on lovely Lake Maggiore, straddling the border be­­­tween Italy and Switzerland. This afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s welcome dinner.

Day 3: Stresa/Orta San Giulio

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we visit the lovely lakeside town of Orta San Giulio – dubbed “God’s watercolor” by Italian writer Piero Chiara – with its cobblestoned streets, 16th-century town hall, and medieval houses flanking the inviting town square. After lunch on our own here, we return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Day 4: Stresa

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We embark this morning on a cruise to Isola Bella, the beautiful Borromean island in the middle of Lake Maggiore. Fully occupied by 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo and its extravagantly landscaped gardens, the island offers lovely views of the lake and surrounding mountains. We take a guided tour of the palazzo, with its priceless works of fine art, and stroll through the flower-decked gardens then enjoy lunch together on the nearby Isola dei Pescatori.

Day 5: Stresa/Barolo/Santa Margherita

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We leave the Piedmont region today, bound for Santa Margherita and the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. En route, we stop in the village of Barolo for lunch and to sample Barolo, the “king of wines," at Marchesi di Barolo, Italy’s premier vintner of its greatest wine. We continue on to the Italian Riviera resort town of Santa Margherita, with its palm-lined esplanade overlooking the harbor. Tonight we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.

Day 6: Santa Margherita/Portofino

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we travel by boat to the renowned – and beautiful – resort town of Portofino, a former fishing village where palatial yachts now crowd the port and the good life is celebrated. We have free time to wander the colorful streets and visit the chic boutiques and galleries here before we return to our hotel mid-day.

Day 7: Santa Margherita/Cinque Terre/Portovenere

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

We depart this morning by train for the hour-long trip to the Cinque Terre (literally, “Five Lands”), the five cliff-clinging villages seemingly carved from the mountains. Originally medieval fishing villages, the Cinque Terre were inaccessible by land for centuries; even today, no road connects all five. We stop in scenic Vernazza then board a boat for a comfortable cruise along the rugged coastline to visit another village of the Cinque Terre. From here we cruise to the port town of Portovenere, with its cluster of colorful column-shaped houses. After a brief walking tour of the Old Town, we have time to explore and enjoy lunch on our own. We dine together tonight at our hotel.

Day 8: Santa Margherita/Lucca/Florence

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Moving on today, we travel south to beloved Tuscany, stopping first in the atmospheric medieval town of Lucca. We take a walking tour of this incredibly well-preserved gem, whose city walls and ramparts remain intact and a popular attraction. After time for lunch on our own, we continue on to our lodgings in the heart of Florence.

Day 9: Florence

Meals: Breakfast

We spend today touring and exploring wondrous Florence, a living monu­ment to the Renaissance and crown jewel of Tuscany. Our day includes a guided morning walking tour followed by free time. Together we visit the Galleria dell’Accademia to view Michelangelo’s sublime “David” and his pieces for the papal tombs; and the Duomo, with its stupendous dome by Brunelleschi. Then we're free to stroll the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio, with its many jewelry shops; visit renowned museums and churches; shop for leather goods and artful Florentine paper; and to enjoy lunch and dinner on our own at a typical Florentine restaurant.

Day 10: Florence/Siena

Meals: Breakfast

Today we visit the walled city of Siena, whose historic center is a UNESCO site and whose ochre-colored buildings and ancient ramparts vividly evoke its medieval past. Fan-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of Europe’s greatest public squares; its Duomo, with pillars of black and white marble, is one of Italy’s finest, with masterpieces by Donatello and Michelangelo. Following a guided walking tour that includes an inside visit to the Duomo, we have free time to explore on our own. We return to Florence mid-afternoon, with the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 11: Florence/Verona/Bolzano

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

As we travel north today, we stop in storied Verona, renowned as the setting of several Shakespeare plays, including, of course, “Romeo and Juliet.” A UNESCO site, Verona boasts well-preserved monuments from antiquity, including a 1st-century Roman amphitheater still in use today, as we see on our guided walking tour. After time for lunch and to explore on our own here, we continue our journey to the South Tyrol, Italy’s German-accented northern reaches bordering Austria and Switzerland. We’re bound for the regional capital of Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites in the Italian Alps. Late afternoon we reach our hotel, where we dine together tonight.

Day 12: Bolzano

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Set in a basin surrounded by rounded forest-green hills, Bolzano boasts an enviable quality of life – and truly spectacular scenery. We take a cable car to a spot for views of the 18-peak Dolomites, their vertical walls and sheer cliffs presenting a magnificent backdrop to the surrounding woodlands, valleys, and pastures. Then we walk through Bolzano’s colorful historic center and visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, well known for housing the mummified corpse of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to 3300 BCE. This afternoon is at leisure to enjoy this surprisingly cosmopolitan city as we wish; tonight we dine at a local restaurant.

Day 13: Bolzano/Venice

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

En route to Venice today, we travel through the Dolomites themselves, enjoying jaw-dropping scenery at every turn. When we reach Venice late this afternoon, we are free to begin savoring this wondrous city as we wish and enjoy dinner on our own.

Day 14: Venice

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning we take a guided walk through vast St. Mark’s Square. The afternoon is free for independent exploration; tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and to our ­fellow travelers at a farewell dinner.

Day 15: Depart for U.S.

Meals: Breakfast

We depart early this morning for our connecting flights to the U.S.