Classical Italy for solo travellers

Itinerary

• Day 1
  You’ll be met at the airport by a member of the team for your flight to Rome. On arrival, a coach will transfer us to the delightful medieval city of Arezzo in Tuscany, where we stay at the four-star Minerva Hotel for the next four nights on a half-board basis (2024 only - B&B for 2025 departures). The hotel started out life as a restaurant fifty years ago, and we will dine there tonight on some traditional Tuscan fare after a welcome drink to get to know your fellow travellers.
• Day 2
  After breakfast we set off for one of Tuscany’s medieval cities, Siena.  Formerly one of the world’s largest cities, Siena still exudes style and class, especially around the crescent-shaped main square.  We will have plenty of time to enjoy the many palaces, piazzas and the stunning black-and-white marble cathedral.  Later today we journey past classic, scenic Tuscan landscapes to Arezzo for our evening meal and a chance to share stories of today’s visit with like-minded people also travelling alone.
• Day 3
  Florence is a city on many people’s ‘must-visit’ list due to its fairy-tale, riverside location, monumental art collections and typical Italian buzz.  We’ll enjoy a guided tour of the important sights of the city before our timed entry into the incomparable Uffizi Gallery.  Containing works by the likes of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Raphael and numerous other artists, it houses one of the best art collections the world has to offer.  Away from the gallery are wonderful markets and shops to discover, interspersed with an essential coffee at a pavement café.
• Day 4
  After breakfast in our hotel, our tour takes you to the main town of Arezzo for a guided walk around this city that boasts a kaleidoscope of architectural styles.  The cathedral is home to some of the world’s most detailed and best-preserved tapestries.  The main square is a masterpiece, one of Europe’s most stunning.  This afternoon there is plenty of time to explore everything this town has to offer.
• Day 5
  Today we leave Tuscany after breakfast driving firstly to Assisi, where we enjoy a guided tour. This delightful medieval town, with its flower-hung streets, lovely views over the Umbrian countryside and fountain-splashed piazzas is famous for a single event – the birth of Francis, the most revered saint in Italy. The man himself was one of the most extraordinary figures the Italian church has ever produced. He had a privileged upbringing, leading a very un-Christian lifestyle, but whilst imprisoned, God appeared to him. After release, he renounced his inheritance, living the life of a beggar, and mixed with lepers, but ultimately found his vocation founding the order of monks which bears his name, the Franciscans. Two years after his death, the basilica was built, financed by donations from all over Europe creating one of the most beautiful shrines in the Christian world adorned by arguably its greatest art collection outside an actual gallery. The building today is actually two churches, one on top of the other with St Francis himself lying under the floor in the crypt. The mood inside is most respectful, being in tune with Franciscan principles – silence being the rule, quite plain around the tomb itself and accompanied by brown-robed monks. We have ample time to visit the basilica together with the town, arriving in Rome early evening. Our hotel in Rome is the four-star Welcome Piram Hotel.This evening, we will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
• Day 6
  This afternoon you have time to explore the Eternal City further, the weight of the past is inescapable as you view the magnificent heart of the Roman Empire. Gazing at the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon, it's easy to let your mind wander and imagine those who have preceded you: Julius Caesar, Emperor Augustus, Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Take a stroll around the Piazza Navona, Rome's most picturesque square, lined with luxurious cafés where present-day Romans come to see and be seen. Walk down the Spanish Steps as Countless visitors have done since the 18th-century.
• Day 7
  This morning we visit the historic town of Tivoli, just outside of Rome, where we have an included visit at the Renaissance Palace of Villa d'Este. A 16th-century villa, Villa d'Este is famous for its terraced hillside italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. After a chance to explore, we will leave Tivoli and journey towards the Frascati region where we visit one of th elocal wineries for a tasting. later this afternoon, we return to Rome where you will be able to enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
• Day 8
  After breakfast, our coach will return us to Rome airport for our flight home, after an exhilarating journey into the very heart of Italy.