Whether its Grand Tours or terracotta-coloured villas, Italy has always been a travel A-Lister. The challenge comes in picking a particular brand of la dolce vita. Italy’s cities offer time-proven fodder for culture-lovers: Florence’s art, Pisa’s wonky tower, Venice’s canals and Rome’s, well, everything all contenders. Seaside Puglia and hilltown-happy Tuscany represent rental hotspots, while nowhere’s more chic than an Amalfi Coast hotel. Further south, the quasi-autonomous, sun-scorched isle of Sicily scores for sandy shores, still-standing Greek temples and superb food.
What keeps me coming back? The climate and lovely language help, as do those moreish Baci chocolates. But, ultimately, its Italy’s apparently never-ending supply of secret spots which have me hooked: the Pian Grande’s extraordinary poppy blooms, which once made me cry, the trabacchi: rickety wooden fishing piers turned hopelessly romantic fish restaurants in Abruzzo, or up-your-sleeve beaches like Sardinia’s incredible Cala Biriola, rewarding a two-hour trek with near-heaven.
An expert-led archaeological, cultural and gastronomic tour of Sicily with Peter Sommer Travels.
“Embark on the Gastronomic Tour of Sicily for a mouth-watering vacation”. USA Today
An expert-led tour exploring the cuisine and culture of Sicily.
A self-guided hike along the Amalfi Coast from Amalfi to Sorrento, taking in Ravello, Praiano, Positano and the Sentiero degli Dei (Footpath of the Gods). Our own version allows you to walk the whole way without using a single bus or taxi - the only company that offers this!
A study in contrasts: one a city with origins as a major Roman seaport, the other an enchanting little Renaissance settlement high in the hills.
In Ravenna, some of the greatest buildings of late antiquity with the finest Byzantine mosaics.
In Urbino the Ducal Palace, the greatest secular building of the Early Renaissance.
Explores treasures which are lesser-known, rarely accessible or simply off the beaten track.
Access to many is by special arrangement; some are still in private hands. Also an after-hours visit to the Basilica di San Marco.
Includes visits to the islands of Murano, San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Lazzarretto Nuovo.
Explore the heart of the region on this exhilarating seven-day trek, discover more about the local Ladin people and the fascinating World War 1 history of the region and stay in comfortable and welcoming rifugio.
A self-guided hike from the Po valley along the Via del Sale (Salt Road) across the Ligurian Apenines to the Mediterranean - the Italian Riviera at Camogli.
A seven-night self-guided hike from Spoleto to the Sabine Hills, ending at the Abbey of Farfa, near Rome.
A self-guided hike through the Dolomites from San Candido to Cortina, including a night in a refuge, and a circuit round the iconic Tre Cime.
This trip introduces walkers to the glory of the Italian Lakes – specifically Lake Maggiore and its lesser-known companion, Lake Orta. See the glamorous lakeside spots as well as off-the-beaten-track areas, and the Franciscan chapels of Sacro Monte. Savour the region's slow-food cuisine and little-known Alto Piemonte wines.
