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Italy's Best
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Fly for free on this tour
Book any 2019 departure of this tour before 31 January and pay nothing for your flights on selected airlines
This free flights offer is valid on all new tour bookings that start and end in Italy, made between 20 Dec 2018 and 31 Jan 2019, departing the UK between 1 Jan 2019 and 31 Dec 2019. Offer valid for bookings departing London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester or Glasgow airports, on either British Airways, EasyJet or Lufthansa operated flights.
See all tours in this offer-
14 days
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Italy
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Active pace
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Cosmos escorted tours
Great value escorted tours in the world's most captivating places. No other travel company matches our expertise, on-trip experiences - with a great mix of included excursions and free time - and value.
With its magnificent architecture, beautiful landscapes, sumptuous cuisine, ancient ruins, and brilliant art, Italy is a country like no other. On this affordable Italy’s Best tour, you’ll experience all of this and more.
One of the tour’s highlights is the excursion to the Cinque Terre – five medieval seaside villages. The area is noted for its natural beauty with terraces built into the mountainside on cliffs that drop down into the sea. Delight in the unique charm of the area and take in the breathtaking views.
On your journey through Tuscany, watch the undulating hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages. More breathtaking scenery awaits at Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes. Located on the edge of the Swiss Alps, it’s the perfect place to relax and soak in the beauty.
From here, you’ll even take an excursion to Lugano, a lake-side town in Switzerland. Witness breathtaking views of the crystal-clear, blue sea in the relaxing town of Sorrento, and take a day trip to Capri where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves.
History comes alive on this Italy tour. Visit Pompeii, which was completely buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This preserved town gives you an amazingly detailed look into ordinary life at the peak of the Roman Empire. In Rome, during the city sightseeing tour with a local guide, you’ll see the main sights, as well as Vatican City with St Peter’s Basilica.
In Genoa, boasting Europe’s largest medieval historical centre, see the remains of the city’s 17th-century fortifications. Visit St Francis’ Basilica in Assisi, a medieval town set in the Umbrian hills. Guided city sightseeing tours are planned in Rome, Florence, and Genoa. Your visit to Venice includes a boat trip to St Mark’s square to see the maze of canals forming this unique romantic city.
These are just some of the many highlights of this affordable tour through Italy!
At a glance
Rome Guided sightseeing, see St. Peter’s Square
Pisa Mini-train ride to the Leaning Tower
Florence Guided walking tour
Cinque Terre Excursion
Genoa Guided sightseeing
Milan See the gothic Duomo
Lugano, Switzerland Visit
Verona see Juliet’s balcony
Venice Boat ride to St. Mark’s Square, visit glassblowing workshop
Ravenna Visit
Assisi Guided visit St. Francis Basilica
Pompeii Guided walking tour of the excavations
Capri Excursion by boat
What's included
Price match guarantee
Find a like-for-like tour that's cheaper elsewhere and we'll match its price and give you £100 off. That's how confident we are that we offer the best possible value for money on our touring holidays.With accommodation, transfers, excursions, selected meals, private VIP home pick-up and the services of an expert Tour Director all included in the price, our escorted tour holidays are highly rated by our customers. But should you find a like-for-like tour cheaper elsewhere, we will match its price and give you a further £100 reduction.
Private home pick-up service
You'll be picked up at home and whisked off to your departure point in a private, air-conditioned car, and we'll be waiting to take you home too.
Our private home pick-up service is included up to 50 miles to your departure airport. Your driver will happily load and unload your luggage, and drive you to your departure terminal. At the close of your trip, you'll be welcomed by your driver in the arrivals hall and returned home again. A supplement is payable per mile over 50 miles.
Read more about our private home pick-up service.
Make your own way
If you prefer the flexibility of making your own travel arrangements and join us directly overseas, you can book this tour excluding flights, transfers and private home pick-up. Just call our travel specialists on 0330 0588 237 to confirm the price for your preferred date.
For more information please see our booking conditions for tour-only holidays.
Italy's Best
Customer Reviews
Encompassed a lot of areas within Italy into one holiday....
18th September 2018
Mr STEPHEN DODSWORTH
Encompassed a lot of areas within Italy into one holiday. Well thought out itinerary.
Still a little room for improvement in the hotel department,...
12th September 2017
Mrs Jennifer Dedow
Still a little room for improvement in the hotel department, some were great but some could have been in better locations and better beds
Overview
With its magnificent architecture, beautiful landscapes, sumptuous cuisine, ancient ruins, and brilliant art, Italy is a country like no other. On this affordable Italy’s Best tour, you’ll experience all of this and more.
One of the tour’s highlights is the excursion to the Cinque Terre – five medieval seaside villages. The area is noted for its natural beauty with terraces built into the mountainside on cliffs that drop down into the sea. Delight in the unique charm of the area and take in the breathtaking views.
On your journey through Tuscany, watch the undulating hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages. More breathtaking scenery awaits at Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes. Located on the edge of the Swiss Alps, it’s the perfect place to relax and soak in the beauty.
From here, you’ll even take an excursion to Lugano, a lake-side town in Switzerland. Witness breathtaking views of the crystal-clear, blue sea in the relaxing town of Sorrento, and take a day trip to Capri where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves.
History comes alive on this Italy tour. Visit Pompeii, which was completely buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This preserved town gives you an amazingly detailed look into ordinary life at the peak of the Roman Empire. In Rome, during the city sightseeing tour with a local guide, you’ll see the main sights, as well as Vatican City with St Peter’s Basilica.
In Genoa, boasting Europe’s largest medieval historical centre, see the remains of the city’s 17th-century fortifications. Visit St Francis’ Basilica in Assisi, a medieval town set in the Umbrian hills. Guided city sightseeing tours are planned in Rome, Florence, and Genoa. Your visit to Venice includes a boat trip to St Mark’s square to see the maze of canals forming this unique romantic city.
These are just some of the many highlights of this affordable tour through Italy!
Total meals included:
- 13 breakfasts, 4 dinners
UK - Rome, Italy
Day1
Fly to Rome where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital. This evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers.
Rome
Day2
The “Eternal City” is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts with St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Other highlights are the iconic Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre ever built and Circus Maximus. An optional visit is available to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo’s fresco The Last Judgment.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Rome - Pisa - Montecatini
Day3
Vistas of rolling hills, rows of cypress trees, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa, and take a mini-train ride to see the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower. Arrive in Montecatini.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Montecatini. Excursion to Florence
Day4
Today, enjoy an included excursion to Florence. Your Local Guide will show you the city highlights on the walking tour. You will see Piazza Santa Croce; beautiful Piazza Signoria; Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard and Loggia dei Lanzi. To top it all, see Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry, known as the “Gate of Paradise.”
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Montecatini - La Spezia - Cinque Terre - Genoa
Day5
Travel towards La Spezia, a province in Italy’s Liguria region. Then, hop aboard the TRAIN to discover some of the five spectacular Cinque Terre villages. Here, the beauty of the rugged cliffs and romantic fishing villages once inspired poet Lord Byron. From Levanto, head towards Genoa, birthplace of explorer Christopher Columbus.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Genoa - Milan - Lake Maggiore
Day6
Today’s included guided tour is an excellent introduction to Genoa. A maze of squares and alleys, the city grew around the port, a natural inlet, and boasts the largest medieval historical centre in Europe. Some of the highlights include the remains of the city’s 17th-century fortifications. Next, head north into the plains of Lombardy, and stop in Milan to marvel at its magnificent gothic DUOMO. Then, continue to Baveno on Lake Maggiore.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Lake Maggiore. Excursion to Lugano, Switzerland
Day7
Time to relax and get to know Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes, located on the very edge of Alpine Switzerland. On clear days, you can see the peaks of the Alps. Take advantage of the included excursion to visit Lugano in Italian-speaking Swiss Canton Ticino.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Lake Maggiore - Verona - Venice Area
Day8
Travel across the Po River plain and stop in the romantic city of Verona to see Juliet´s balcony, and enjoy some time at leisure marveling at the Roman Arena. Continue to the Venice area.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Venice
Day9
Venice is more like a marvelous film set than a real-life city, with its crisscrossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. The included orientation starts with a BOAT RIDE to St. Mark’s Square, and is followed by time at leisure and a chance to watch Venetian GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Don’t miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Venice Area - Ravenna - Assisi - Assisi Area
Day10
Enjoy an interesting drive southward right across the Po Delta to Ravenna, renowned for its treasure of byzantine mosaics, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Continue to Assisi, enclosed by ramparts and little changed since the Middle Ages. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis. See the BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS with its famous frescoes by Giotto, with history brought to life by a Local Guide. Overnight in the beautiful area of Assisi, in the heart of Umbria.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Assisi Area - Pompell - Sorrento Area
Day11
Travel to POMPEII, where time stopped for the rich, aristocratic town with the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. On the included guided visit, see the remains of luxurious villas, temples, theatre, and forum. Carry on to Sorrento, set on a plateau above the waters of the Bay of Naples. Wander the winding streets lined with shops and stalls, and sit with a glass of wine, absorbing the easygoing life of this charming resort.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Sorrento Area. Boat Trip to Capri
Day12
Enjoy a day trip to the legendary island, surrounded by a rocky coastline where the crashing sea has formed aweinspiring caves. The town with its pretty piazzetta, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and cozy restaurants is a mecca for the jet set. Explore on your own or take an optional island tour.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Sorrento Area - Rome
Day13
Today, enjoy time at leisure or take an optional excursion to Positano before returning to Rome.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Rome - UK
Day14
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning.
Transfer from the hotel to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Hotels
It may occasionally be necessary to use alternative hotels of a similar standard to those shown.
Rome - Buenos Aires
Hotel Buenos Aires welcomes its guests with old-fashioned hospitality in tastefully renovated surroundings, for a pleasant stay in one of Rome's most fashionable neighbourhoods, 20 minutes within walking distance from Via Veneto.
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Location
Via Clitunno, 9, Roma, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Bar/lounge
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
Montecatini - Grand Hotel Ambasciatori
Hotel Ambasciatori, thanks to its geographical position, offers guests the most beautiful panoramic view over Montecatini Terme, Montecatini Alto, as well as the surrounding Tuscan hills. Built to encompass a contemporary style, the hotel provides modern and comfortable areas, as well as a cosy and suggestive rooftop terrace with swimming pool and sunbeds. The terrace is also served by the in-house bars and restaurants and can be used for a relaxing dinner. Situated along one of the town's most elegant avenues, the hotel is close to the spa baths, the park, the train station and to the town centre. The Grand Hotel Ambasciatori welcomes guests under a new management while very proud of maintaining the Italian tradition of hospitality through friendliness and comfort.
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Location
Viale IV Novembre 12, 51016 Montecatini Terme, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Restaurant on site
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
- Pool
Genoa - Starhotels President
The Starhotels President is located in the heart of Genoa, a short walk away from the Fiera Fairgrounds and Brignole train station. The Corte Lambruschini Business Center can be found near the centre of the shopping street.
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Location
Corte Lambruschini 4, 16129 Genoa, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Restaurant on site
- Bar/lounge
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
Lake Maggiore - Simplon
Nestling in a magnificent ancient park of twenty thousand square meters, with its characteristic pink façade recalling the colour of the famous local marble, the Simplon is the ideal solution for guests looking for a relaxing stay.
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Location
Corso Garibaldi 20, 28831 Baveno, Italy
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Facilities
- Restaurant on site
- Bar/lounge
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
- Pool
Venice - Poppi
Situated on the Riviera del Brenta and founded in 1965, the hotel is still family run. Hotel Poppi offers 100 rooms and a renowned restaurant.
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Location
Via Romea ,80, Venezia-Gambarare Mira, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Restaurant on site
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
- Iron/ironing board
Assisi Area - City Hotel and Suites
An 88-room modern property located in the very heart of Umbria, close to the beautiful historical city centre with easy access to Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio and Spoleto. The buffet breakfast offers homemade specialities and Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout.
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Location
Via M. Arcamone 16, Foligno, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Restaurant on site
- Bar/lounge
- Lifts
- Coffee maker in-room
- Hairdryer
Neapolitan Riviera - Panorama Palace
The Panorama Palace Hotel is situated on the cliffs above the sea, a few minutes from the beach of Meta di Sorrento, the first of the towns which form the Sorrentine Peninsula, and a few kilometres from the principal tourist centres Sorrento, Capri, Ischia, Procida, the Amalfi Coast, Pompei Herculaneum, Naples, Cserta and Mt. Vesuvius. Given its position, the hotel boasts an incredible panoramic view of the winding Sorrentine coast. The hotel is managed by a local family who strive to provide an environment of informal elegance and assistance. The hotel offers all comforts and a restaurant facing the the blue Gulf of Naples and the Sorrentine Coast as well as a local restaurant and a swimming pool.
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Location
Piazza Scarpati, Sorrento Area, Italy
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Facilities
- Wifi
- Restaurant on site
- Lifts
- In-room safe
- Hairdryer
- Pool