This itinerary was prepared in response to the following tour suggestions from BB members:

• Italy (including the Amalfi Coast and Sicily and possibly a night stay on Capri) [MargaretC & Cat's Inheritance]
  
• Monaco, Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Sorrento & Italian Lakes [Gennevive]
  
• Italy or France: Food & Wine tour [Tuffet42 & Loves2Travel]

It is a composite of several past and present Insight tours, tour information gathered from numerous internet sources plus my own experience on three tours in Italy (one with Insight), BB tour journals (thanks Gennevive!) as well as places I’ve heard about (but not yet visited). The tour is in the style of Insight’s “Easy Pace” tours with:

• Italian Lakes: 3 nights [Grand Hotel Dino]
  
• Montecatini Terme: 2 nights [Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe]
  
• Florence: 2 nights [Plaza Lucchesi]
  
• Radda in Chianti: 4 nights [Palazzo Leopoldo]
  
• Spoleto: 2 nights [Hotel San Luca]
  
• Rome: 2 nights [Mecenate Palace Hotel]
  
• Sorrento: 4 nights [Hotel Parco dei Principi]
  
• Rome: 1 night [Courtyard by Marriott Rome Airport Hotel]

The tour itinerary is quite long but I believe that Insight’s experienced itinerary planners could shorten it to a more reasonable length if that was required. Similarly, I have suggested hotels in several places based on pricing, style, room numbers and internet reviews but whether these would be suitable would require considerably more investigation.

In many places, I have not bothered to indicate whether activities are included or optionals, nor have I included as many optionals as may be possible. This is something that Insight would do in building up the tour pricing.

In Rome, I have totally avoided most of the usual tour activities (e.g. Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, etc) but apart from a few specific suggestions, I have ended up providing a list of other places that I have enjoyed in the past.

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Late Spring (May) 2010 would be my suggested time.
Alison Gatt would be a perfect Tour Director for this tour!

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DAY 1: ARRIVE MILAN – ITALIAN LAKES
Welcome to Italy! On arrival at Malpensa Airport, your airport shuttle service leaves for the tour hotel in the Italian Lake District at 09:00 & 12:30. Settle into the tour hotel in Baveno overlooking Lake Maggiore and relax—the rest of the day is at leisure. Before dinner, enjoy a Welcome Drink with fellow passengers and your Tour Director.
Hotel: Grand Hotel Dino.

DAY 2: MILAN EXCURSION
Visit Milan, Italy’s renowned fashion capital, a city dominated by the magnificent Cathedral, its marble facade bristling with 135 pinnacles and over 2,000 statues. See the massive Sforza Castle and world famous La Scala Theatre before using your free time to explore or shop. Return to your beautiful lake-side resort where you might like to engulf yourself in the living culture and participate in a traditional early evening stroll.

DAY 3: LAKE COMO EXCURSION
Today’s highlight is enchanting Lake Como, considered the jewel of the Italian Lakes for its superb mountain setting. Stop in the resort of Como, dominated by its marble cathedral set in the narrow streets of the Old Town. After some time to explore, return to the hotel to relax and enjoy your beautiful surroundings. Why not take a cruise out to the lovely Isola Bella to visit the palatial home and magnificent gardens of the Borromeo family?

DAY 4: ITALIAN LAKES – MONTECATINI
Travel south from the Italian Lakes, passing around Milan and following the autostrada, we travel through Genoa, arriving in the town of Pisa, once one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean. Its wealthy merchants dedicated some of their wealth to building a fine cathedral and baptistery, but today it is the belltower that attracts most notice by leaning four metres from the perpendicular. After leaving Pisa, a short drive leads to the delightful medieval town of Lucca where a local guide takes us through the town. Its churches, squares and palaces are perfectly preserved within its encircling ramparts. See the birthplace of Puccini, who wrote the tragic opera ‘La Boheme’, and the bronze statue dedicated to him. After time to explore, we drive on to Italy’s most fashionable thermal spa town of Montecatini Terme where we will spend the next two nights.
Hotel: Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe.

DAY 5: MONTECATINI AT LEISURE
Today is a day when you can pamper yourself with a massage and beauty treatments at one of the resort’s health spas?
Alternatively, you can take an optional excursion to Cinque Terre. We travel to the harbour city of La Spezia and board a ferry for our tour of the five small coastal villages that are referred to as the Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. The ferry provides a different vantage point of the rugged coastline and shore line at each village and there will be an opportunity to disembark and explore at each of the ports except Corniglia. (Ferries do not stop at Corniglia because it does not have a natural harbour or marina). After the last port, Monterosso al Mare, we will travel back to Le Spezia by train, where we reboard our coach for the drive to the Monte Carlo region (between Lucca and Montecantini) to the Fattoria il Poggio, an "agritourist" business with vineyards, a winery and an olive oil business together with a restaurant featuring their products for our Tuscan Countryside and Wine Tasting optional. After being shown around the farm, (they grow olives and grapes) and the production sheds, we will be treated to a fine Italian meal and wine tasting.

DAY 6: MONTECATINI – FLORENCE
A short drive leads you to Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. See the lofty Cathedral, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, known as “The Duomo”, comprising Brunelleschi’s dome, the baptistery with its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures, dubbed by Michelangelo "the Gates of Paradise" and Giotto’s 14th century Campanile (said to be the most beautiful bell-tower in the world) as well as the Piazza della Signoria with its open air gallery of Renaissance sculpture. Then we visit the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Statue of David. After lunch, we cross the Ponte Vecchio, the famous Medieval bridge over the Arno River, to visit the Pitti Palace, which was formerly the residence of the grand-dukes of Tuscany and later of the King of Italy, which now houses several important collections of paintings and sculpture, works of art, porcelain and a costume gallery, besides providing a magnificently decorated historical setting which extends to the Boboli Gardens, one of the earliest Italian gardens famous also for its fountains and grottoes. Consider joining a Tuscan dinner party at night. Our hotel is right in the heart of the ancient city on the banks of the Arno River, giving you easy access to all the famous sites.
Hotel: Plaza Lucchesi.

DAY 7: FLORENCE
Today begins with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. Its collection of Primitive and Renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpieces of all time, including works by Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. German, Dutch and Flemish masters are also well represented with important works by Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens. Then a visit to the Santa Croce basilica containing the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a cenotaph), and many other notables. The remainder of the day is reserved to enjoy Florence. Why not dedicate some time today to shopping for leather and gold products and then perhaps discover more of the art treasures housed in the many museums and galleries in Florence or simply relax at an outdoor café with a glass of vino or visit the Vivoli Gelateria for what is arguably one of the best gelatos in the world.

DAY 8: FLORENCE – RADDA IN CHIANTI
This morning we travel to Siena, best known for the famous Palio horse race held in the magnificent Piazza del Campo. Predating the Renaissance, much of the city is in Gothic and Romanesque styles. Being the birthplace of St Catherine, it is an important religious centre and has a fine cathedral built in stunning black and white marble with a magnificent interior; the Piazza del Campo is possibly the most complete Gothic piazza in Italy. Then it’s a short drive to Radda in Chianti, a delightful hill top town that has remained unaltered in its medieval charm. This is a region full of natural beauty and ancient history, undulating hills, woods, olive groves and vineyards, peace and tranquillity as well as a wide choice of activities and unforgettable wines and food. Our Tuscan home, Palazzo Leopoldo, is a patrician villa where history, art and modern comforts meet to provide that certain old-world touch. Our four nights here will give us time to slow down, explore the region, discover the sensational flavours, spectacular scenery, and meet the charming locals. We also allow plenty of time to enjoy the facilities of our historic hotel, including the wellness centre and the pool.
Hotel: Palazzo Leopoldo.

DAY 9: SAN GIMIGNANO, MONTERIGGIONI, VOLTERRA
Today we visit three Tuscan villages. First we travel to San Gimignano to admire the picturesque Salucci Towers. This beautiful town was renowned for its Saffron Trade in the middle ages, exporting it both to the west and to the east (one of the few spices to go in that direction), and indeed the towers that are now San Gimignano's major attraction were financed in major part by the saffron trade. San Gimignano has remained intact over the centuries and is well known for excellent produce such as cured meats, vegetables, and wine. We are guided through the town and enjoy sampling its specialties, including the gelato at Sergio Dondoli's Gelateria di Piazza in the Piazza della Cisterna. Next we visit Monteriggioni, a mediaeval Tuscan town surrounded by its virtually intact curtain walls and fourteen towers that are the best preserved example of their kind in all of Italy. We travel on to Volterra, an important Etruscan village, of later interest to the Romans. Of particular interest is the Roman Theatre (1st century BC), excavated in the 1950s, Piazza dei Priori, one of Italy's most beautiful squares, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum.

DAY 10: CHIUSURE, MONTALCINO, PIENZA
This morning we head to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, a large Benedictine monastery founded in 1319. The cloister is famous for the series of frescoes begun in 1497. After lunch, we continue to the hilltop town of Montalcino. The famous Brunello grape (Sangiovese Grosso) has its very origins and exclusive growth here. Brunello di Montalcino was invented more than a century ago and has become one of the most famous wines in the world, prized and praised by wine critics, collectors and lovers. Enjoy a guided tour of Casato Prime Donne winery to discover the secrets of wine production and taste several different wines in the tasting hall that has the warmth of a home and the panorama of a helicopter. We end the day in Pienza (recently made famous by the film, "The English Patient"), often referred to as the “utopian city”, it is one of the best planned Renaissance towns, perfectly combining architecture and nature. It is located in the middle of the Val d’Orcia, a wonderful and untouched valley. We return to the villa and have an opportunity for an exclusive culinary experience: a hands on cooking lesson in the 18th century kitchen. Using local produce we will be taught the secrets of Tuscan cooking and then dine on the results, perhaps with a glass of Chianti to match.

DAY 11: AREZZO, CORTONA, MONTEPULCIANO
We discover Arezzo today, an important market for products from the fertile surrounding districts and trades in textiles, clothing, shoes, antiques and gold. After lunch we stroll Cortona’s narrow streets and alleyways, made famous by the book Under the Tuscan Sun, and we’ll realise how much history a little town can contain. We also visit picturesque Montepulciano, encircled by walls and fortifications designed in 1511. Inside the walls the streets are full of Renaissance-style palazzi and churches, but the town is chiefly known for its good local Vino Nobile wines. A long, winding street climbs up into the main square, which crowns the summit of the hill and offers spectacular views of the countryside.

DAY 12: RADDA IN CHIANTI – SPOLETO
We travel past Lake Trasimeno, one of the largest lakes in Italy, to Perugia, the capital city of the Umbria region. Your sightseeing begins on foot in the main street of Perugia’s Old Town. See the Collegio del Cambio, the splendid Priors’ Palace, the Cathedral and the finely sculptured Great Fountain. After lunch, we travel on to the ancient town of Spello. Our local guide reveals the treasures of this beautiful region. Finally, we travel on to the famous town of Spoleto, described by the poet Shelley as the “most romantic city”. A guided tour will take us to its Roman amphitheatre, the arch dating from 23AD, the recently restored cathedral and the fortress that soars above the ancient aqueduct.
Hotel: Hotel San Luca.

DAY 13: ASSISI, TODI, BEVAGNA
We start the day with a visit to Assisi and the Basilica of San Francesco, the great monument to the Saint, started after he was canonised in 1228; it has stunning frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and Lorenzetti. We then travel to the town of Todi, which has been voted the world’s most liveable town. We then visit the small unspoilt hill-town of Bevagna. Here, we will visit a papermaker, housed in the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, who still uses traditional methods. An optional tonight includes a visit the delightful town of Corciano, where we enjoy a traditional Umbrian dinner in typical surroundings.

DAY 14: SPOLETO – ROME
We travel to the hilltop town of Orvieto where an orientation tour shows you the Cathedral with its richly decorated façade. Then we head to Tivoli, to the east of Rome, where we first visit Villa Adriana (Hadrians Villa). Built by the Emperor Hadrian, starting from 117 A.D., it is the most extensive ancient Roman villa, covering an area of at least 80 hectares, more or less as Pompeii. Next we visit nearby Villa d'Este, a masterpiece of the Italian Garden that is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles. In the 16th century Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este had much of the marble and statues in Hadrian's villa removed to decorate his own Villa. Finally we drive into Rome for our two night stay.
Hotel: Mecenate Palace Hotel.

DAY 15: ROME
We start the day with a visit to Ostia, the harbour city of ancient Rome. The beautifully preserved ruins of Ostia lie 32 km from Rome, in the meadows between the Tiber River and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was founded, probably in the 4th century BC, as a military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions. Later, during the centuries when virtually all imports reached the Capital via the Tiber, Ostia gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. By the 2nd century AD, it had become a flourishing commercial centre inhabited by upwards of 100,000 people, whose apartment buildings, taverns, and grocery shops are still intact. (Ostia seen from the sky) After lunch, we head back into Rome and visit the Capitoline Museums. These are composed of three main buildings surrounding the Piazza del Campidoglio and interlinked by an underground gallery beneath the piazza.

Some suggestions for extra places to visit in Rome:

• National Etruscan Museum a museum of the Etruscan civilisation is housed in the Villa Giulia
  
• Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
  
• Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
  
• Basilica of St. John in Lateran (the cathedral of the church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope.)
  
• Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church with its “soaring pointed vaults, delicate ogival arches, predominant blues and golds, flickering lights from stained-glass rose windows, filled to bursting with art treasures.” Yet the façade of this church is quite plain with an elephant obelisk out the front.

[See also: Some links relevant to Rome & surrounds]

DAY 16: ROME – SORRENTO
We visit the formidable Abbey of Monte Cassino, carefully rebuilt after the epic battle of 1944, and still dominating the surrounding countryside from its mountain top setting, stopping briefly at the nearby Commonwealth War Cemetery before continuing on to Pompeii. Walk with your local guide through the cobbled streets of this Roman resort buried by an eruption of Vesuvius in AD79. Afterwards, a scenic drive leads to you to Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast. Tonight, an optional dinner at one of Sorrento’s best restaurants: Ristorante L'Antica Trattoria.
Hotel: Hotel Parco dei Principi.

DAY 17: AMALFI COAST EXCURSION
We travel along the famous road that clings to the cliffs above the coast, offering breathtaking views to Amalfi. We stop first in Positano and explore the town and then travel to the town of Amalfi where we pause briefly to visit the Duomo di Amalfi and the piazza and possibly sample some Limoncello liqueur for which the area is famous. Then we travel up into the hills to the delightful village of Ravello. It is located on a ledge with spectacular views over the sea and the coast. We visit the Villa Cimbrone, a beautiful garden in the classical style, which contains historic statues and temples. We will also visit the Villa Rufolo with its beautiful garden overlooking the sea. Built by the powerful Rufoli family, it was the residence of several popes and Charles of Anjou. Returning to the Bay of Naples, we see where mozzarella is made! Tucked away amongst the lemon and olive groves, a chance to taste the home produce in a fabulous traditional setting.

DAY 18: ISLE OF CAPRI EXCURSION
Today we take a ferry for a short distance across the Bay of Naples to the fabled island of Capri. Capri, the Island of Dreams, enchanted two Roman emperors, Augustus and Tiberius, and continues to attract artists, writers, musicians and celebrities. It is known for its temperate climate, luxuriant vegetation and dramatic, rugged coastline. On arrival we will take the funicular to the town of Capri for a guided tour. An optional here could first include a cruise around the island visiting the White grotto (weather permitting). Then by minibus, we take the spectacular Corniche road to Anacapri, with its stunning views. Here we have free time to stroll amongst the elegant shops before enjoying a light lunch. Our tour ends in Capri town at the beautiful Augustus Gardens with the picture postcard views of the Faraglioni rocks and Marina Piccola.

DAY 19: ERCOLANO, NAPLES
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD is infamous and while the ruins of Pompeii are well known, the upscale city of Herculaneum (Ercolano), buried under ash that same day, is better preserved. An informative guided tour of the antiquities precedes a visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples where many of the important finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum are displayed, as well as the Farnese family collection of sculptures. After visiting the museum, our guide will take us on an orientation drive around Naples and the Bay of Naples, and a walking tour of the city with the opportunity to sample pizza in its birthplace. The tour will include a visit to grandest interior in southern Italy, the Galleria Umberto I and perhaps even a visit to the nearby Gran Caffè Gambrinus (in the Piazza del Plebiscito), famous for its coffee and pastries like Sfogliatelle.

DAY 20: SORRENTO – ROME
Leaving Sorrento, we travel to Caserta and visit the Palace of Caserta which is the largest palace and probably the largest building erected in Europe in the eighteenth century. The garden, a typical example of the baroque extension of formal vistas, stretch for 120 ha, partly on hilly terrain. It was inspired by the park of Versailles, but it is commonly regarded as superior in beauty. After our extended visit to both the palace and gardens, we travel north to the celebrated wine town of Frascati and continue to Castel Gandolfo to see the Pope’s summer residence. Tonight we have a Highlight farewell dinner.
Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Rome Airport Hotel.

DAY 21: ROME
Arrivederci Roma! Sadly, your tour comes to an end after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 & 09:30.

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Google Maps tour route, part 1
Google Maps tour route, part 2
Google Maps tour route, part 3
Google Maps tour route, part 4

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phil

This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil,

Hi Phil, I like this tour plus the southern France and Spain tour.

I also really like this tour especially as it spends so much time in the Italian Lakes area. There are many included villages of Tuscany and Umbria and an extended stay in Amalfi Coast. It's perfect really and to do Italy properly you certainly need lots of time!!
Helen

Phil

I would love this tour. This is a perfect itenerary for someone like me who adores Italy, and it is a great length.

I would definately go if it were scheduled in September 2010. It is impossible for me to take time off from my job in May as this is coming towards the end of Semester One and is the busiest time of the year for me.

I can see a lot of thought has gone into this. Maybe if it proves to be a popular topic and generates plenty of interest from others it could become a standard tour for the brochure.

Well done Phil

Gen

This is also a perfect itinerary for me - thanks Phil. It would be great if we could get an early decision on the country/region for the 2010 BB Tour as this would assist greatly with my planning for 2009!!!

We will just have to wait and see what Insight come up with but, sadly for me, if it should be Italy that is chosen for the 2010 tour then that will almost definitely count my wife and I out as we have been there many times in the past and prefer to do something that is a bit different.

I too am looking forward to a decision and sadly for us if it turns out to be a "John Cleese tour" of a city a day then my wife and I will opt for one of the very easy paced tours already on offer.

Sharon, Helen, Gen and Margaret,

thank you for your kind remarks. I certainly did put a lot of time and thought into this itinerary.

In the past, my wife and I have been to many parts of Italy/Sicily, some more than once, including a total of nearly 6 weeks in Rome. When I sat down to develop this itinerary, I also knew that a very large proportion of past Insight travellers have also visited Italy at some time or other. My challenge then was to develop an itinerary that either included towns/cities that Insight never or rarely goes to, or, in towns/cities that Insight regularly does take visitors, I sought places/activities that Insight never offers or only offers on a less travelled tour (like the Country Roads of Italy). Another challenge was to develop a "slower" paced tour with several multi-night stays, allowing a more detailed experience of each area.

As Dragon has said, we will just have to wait and see what Insight comes up with from the 16 suggestions so far made by BB members and possibly some of Insight's own ideas. Then the challenge will be to find one of these possible tours favoured by a large enough group to make the tour economically viable. Perhaps even more challenging will be the agreement of a suitable time. It won't be easy!

phil

That's what impressed me Phil, the easy pace and the towns/cities rarely visited by organised tours. Just as an example, I have recently been looking at tours for 2009 and so many tours of Italy include Pompeii, which I enjoyed the first couple of times but I want to see something different!! Yes it is going to be difficult to pin everyone down to an itinerary and a time but it has worked before so why not again in 2010? Here's hoping.

Phil
In fairness, you are not going to be able to please everyone.

Although I would be really interested in taking this particular tour, for me it would have to be in Sepember. I know that not everyone is adaptable, mainly for work reasons.

Can we take a poll of which month and which tour suits the majority? It might save a bit of beating around the bush so to speak.

Gen