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.
“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!
Exhilarating walking including the 'Path of the Gods', on the spectacular Amalfi coast
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.
An expert-led archaeological, cultural and gastronomic tour of Sicily with Peter Sommer Travels.
The Italian Dolomites from Rail Holidays of the World is an exhilarating holiday in Italy. Available from 1 Oct 2025 to 1 Oct 2025 this 8 day trip costs from £3,765, which includes flights.
Join Sarah Burles in tracing the legacy and wonders of the Renaissance in Florence, the birthplace of the famous art movement.
Art and architecture in the major cities and small towns which lie along the Roman road, the Via Emilia.
Romanesque architecture and 16th-century painting are particularly strongly represented.
Based in the utterly charming ducal city of Parma and in the university city of Bologna.
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 through the Dolomites from San Candido to Cortina, including a night in a refuge, and a circuit round the iconic Tre Cime.
