Classic ITALY. Rome - Milan (12 cities)

Tour start date(s):	01-11-2026
Duration:	8 days / 7 nights
Location:	Rome (1night, arrival) - Spoleto - Assisi (1night) - Perugia - Sienta (1night) - Florence (1night) - Venice - Padua (1Night) - Verona- Sirmione - Lake Garda - Brescia (1н]) - Bergamo - Milan (1night, departure)
Price (including tax):	DBL $2,480.00 US; SNGL $3,285.00 US (flights not included)

THIS TOUR IS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE AUTHENTIC ITALY IN A SMALL GROUP – 12 GEMS OF ITALY IN ONE TOUR

Small group for 12–15 people!

• You will see all the highlights Italy is famous for

• Author's 2026 tour with the most intensive cultural program

• Comfortable coach as we travel across Italy from south to north

• Visits to 12 cities: Rome + Spoleto + Assisi + Perugia + Siena + Florence + Padua + Venice + Verona + Sirmione + Bergamo + Milan

• Constant assistance of our licensed tour leader

• Arrival in Rome and departure from Milan

 

Day 1 — Arrival in Rome

Group transfer from flights arriving between 10:00 and 12:00 to the hotel in Rome.
Meet the tour manager at the hotel who answers questions and assists with check-in.

At 17:00 meeting in the hotel lobby with the tour leader and departure to the Colosseum.
We will enjoy a 2-hour excursion Evening Rome. Rome at night is a special magic: lights, silence, and the breath of millennia.

After the tour you will have free time near the Colosseum from 19:30 to 21:00 for an independent walk or dinner in the Eternal City.
Return to the hotel by bus. Overnight in Rome. 

 

Day 2 — The Soul of Umbria: Spoleto and Assisi. In the Footsteps of Saint Francis

Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 departure with luggage. We head to Umbria.

In Spoleto, we see fortress walls, a Roman theater, and the Ponte delle Torri—a medieval aqueduct 230 meters long. The city once repelled Hannibal’s attack, and its history is felt in every stone.

In Assisi, we visit the Basilica of Saint Francis—one of the first Gothic structures in Italy. It houses frescoes by Giotto, considered the beginning of the Italian Renaissance.

We walk along terraces facing the valley and soak in the spiritual atmosphere. Assisi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Overnight in the Assisi area. 

 

Day 3 — Perugia and Siena

Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 departure with luggage. Transfer to Perugia.

Perugia is the capital of Umbria and one of the oldest cities in Italy, founded by the Etruscans over 2,500 years ago. Its heart is Piazza IV Novembre with the Maggiore Fountain—an engineering masterpiece of the Middle Ages. The city is famous for its university, founded in 1308, and remains an important cultural center.
Perugia is also the city of chocolate—here you’ll have the chance to taste or buy Italy’s beloved Baci Perugina pralines.

Lunch break and transfer to Siena.
Siena welcomes us with its Gothic cathedral decorated with marble of three colors. We stroll through Piazza del Campo—shell-shaped and famous for the Palio horse race. Siena was one of the first banking centers of Europe.

Overnight in the Siena area.

 

Day 4 — Florence: From the Medici to Michelangelo

Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 departure with luggage. Transfer by bus and tram to the center of Florence.
Walking tour of the open-air museum city.

We begin at Piazza Santa Maria Novella, where the basilica façade shines in white and green marble. Here we learn about Florentine Gothic and the patrons who turned the city into the capital of art.

We continue along elegant Via Tornabuoni—the showcase of Florentine fashion and noble palaces.

At Piazza della Signoria we find ourselves at the political heart of Florence, surrounded by outdoor sculptures including the replica of Michelangelo’s David, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Loggia dei Lanzi—an open-air museum.

We admire the grand façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, learning how Brunelleschi’s dome became a symbol of Renaissance engineering. Nearby are Giotto’s bell tower and the Baptistery with the bronze “Gates of Paradise.”

The walk ends at Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence, home to goldsmiths for centuries.

The guide will recommend where to enjoy a delicious Florentine lunch (Florentine steak, ribollita soup, street-style lampredotto) and introduce you to Tuscan cuisine and wines.
Free time in Florence.
Overnight in Florence.

 

Day 5 — Padua, the City of Galileo. Venice — Queen of the Adriatic

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit to Padua: the Basilica of Saint Anthony, one of Europe’s main pilgrimage sites. We walk across Prato della Valle—one of the largest squares in Europe—and learn that Galileo once taught here.

Then by bus and train we arrive in the center of Venice.
Walking tour of Venice, a city built on 118 islands connected by 400+ bridges.

We visit St Mark’s Square, admire the mosaic-covered Basilica of St Mark, and learn how the saint’s relics arrived here. Nearby stands the Doge’s Palace, symbol of Venetian power, which we view from outside.

We continue to the Rialto Bridge, the oldest bridge over the Grand Canal. Walking along the canals, we learn about the trade, spices, and glass that made Venice one of Europe’s richest cities.
Free time for a gondola ride.
Evening return to Padua. Overnight in Padua. 

 

Day 6 — Verona, the City of Romeo and Juliet. The Fortress of Sirmione on Lake Garda

Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 departure with luggage. We head to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet.

We see the colossal Roman amphitheater built of pink marble—the third largest in Italy (viewed from outside). Once a place for gladiator fights and medieval tournaments, today it hosts Europe’s biggest opera festival.

We stroll through Piazza delle Erbe, the old market square framed by gorgeous Baroque palaces. We visit the thousand-year-old Porta Borsari, learn the origin of its name, see the Gothic tombs of the powerful Scaliger family, and of course visit the romantic courtyard of Juliet.

Then we drive to Sirmione, the pearl of Lake Garda. The Scaliger Castle is surrounded by water, and the thermal springs here were used since Roman times. Optional boat cruise around the castle.

Overnight in Brescia. 

 

Day 7 — A Medieval Jewel in the Alps: Bergamo. The Northern Capital of Italy: Milan

Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 departure with luggage for Bergamo—a hidden gem of northern Italy, a perfectly preserved medieval city surrounded by Venetian walls with the Alps as a backdrop.

We walk across Piazza Vecchia, symbol of Venetian power for three centuries, learn why the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore has no main entrance, enter through the Gates of the White or Pink Lions, and discover the Baroque wonders inside: tapestries, wood carvings, and works of Lorenzo Lotto.
We also see the Colleoni Mausoleum with its famous coat of arms featuring three “little eggs”—said to bring luck if touched.

Free time for lunch in the Upper Town, where you can try traditional polenta (corn or buckwheat) with fontina cheese or wild boar sauce, and the local stracciatella gelato, invented here.

Arrival in Milan, where an exciting walking tour awaits.

The tour starts and ends at Castello Sforzesco, a powerful 15th-century fortress. We learn about the Sforza dynasty, Leonardo da Vinci, and Milan as the capital of Lombardy.

At Piazza Duomo, we admire the Milan Cathedral—masterpiece of Gothic architecture with its forest of spires and the golden Madonnina statue on top.
Near it is the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which we walk through—a 19th-century covered street with mosaics, a glass dome, and boutiques.

We exit at La Scala Square, home to the world-famous opera theater. We don’t enter, but learn about Verdi, Toscanini, and the cultural legacy of the theatre.

Evening transfer to the hotel.
Overnight near Milan Malpensa Airport.

 

Day 8 — Departure from Italy (Milan)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer for any flight and departure from Italy.

 

THE TOUR INCLUDES:

• 7 nights in 3–4-star hotels along the route

• Breakfasts

• Licensed Russian-speaking tour leader throughout the trip

• Excursions and visits as described

• Headsets

• Arrival transfer for flights from 10:00–12:00 (Rome)

• Departure transfer for any flight (Milan)

 

THE TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Airfare, insurance, guide tips, tastings, and meals except breakfasts

• Anything not listed in “Tour Includes”

• City hotel taxes

• Venice city access tax (if introduced during the travel dates)

• Entrance ticket to Siena Cathedral (optional)

• Arrival transfer for flights arriving from 12:00 to 18:00 — on request, depending on number of people, from $40 to $100