The Grand Tour

(Route via Liguria Riviera and Cinque Terre)

This 16 day rail tour offers all the highlights of Italy in one trip, whilst travelling in complete comfort and style. Your rail journey will begin in the chic and cosmopolitan fashion capital of Milan, where art, style and design are a life form. It is home to the beautiful and decadent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade, filled with designer boutiques, world famous fashion brands and plenty of restaurants and cafes to keep you energised after a day of shopping. The Duomo is possibly Milan’s most famous attraction, with its gothic architecture and impressive steeples. You should make a point to stop and admire from the outside or venture inside to see some fantastic works of stain glass art and the most impressive views of the city below from the cathedrals rooftop. 

Your next stop will take you to Santa Margherita on the Liguria Riviera. A picture-perfect seaside fishing-village with a quaint promenade for watching yachts sail in and out of the harbour. Discover the pastel-colored houses of Portofino with its small cobbled square over looking the harbour, adorned with delicious seafood restaurants or stop off at one of the colourful five villages of Cinque Terre in Sestri Levante, set amongst some of the most dramatic coastal scenery which has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 1997. 

Your rail tour will take you further north to discover Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region. It is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, including The Uffizi Gallery exhibiting works of art by Botticelli and The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, an impressive terracotta gothic style cathedral. Completed in 1436, the Duomo stands tall over the city proudly and houses some of the best mosaic art works in all of Italy. With so much in one place, it is easy to see why Florence attracts such a large number of visitors each and every year. 

No trip to Italy would be the same without a visit to its ancient capital. Once the centre of politics, the city today is a modern world built against an ancient backdrop, including the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, home to Michelangelo's outstanding work of art, the Sistine Chapel. A visit to the famous baroque Trevi Fountain should not be missed and don’t forget to throw a coin into the water to guarantee your return to Rome in the future. 

Your next stop will take you to Venice, a city built on water, it is a metropolis of winding canals and beautiful bridges, including the beautiful Rialto Bridge, one of the oldest bridges in Venice. Sail back on a gondola down narrow waterways or take in the sights of St Marks Square. Each year the city welcomes hordes of international travellers for the annual Venice Carnival, a colourful spectacle of masque parades and characters dressed in traditional fashion of days gone by.

Nothing says history and romance quite like Verona. It is the setting where poet and playwright, William Shakespeare chose to set his famous tragedy, Romeo & Juliet and each year sees thousands of tourists flock to Juliet’s balcony from the plays famous scene. Verona may often be overlooked by some of Italy’s more well-known cities but it has some stunning bridges, narrow streets and an impressive amphitheatre now used for theatrical productions and world class operas. Tickets to the opera are available and an be arranged for an extra supplement and subject to available performances. 

The final leg of your journey will bring you back to Milan where you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight back home.