A Grand Tour of Italy

Meet at London St Pancras for the Eurostar to Paris, continuing to Lyon where we overnight. On Day 2, we journey to Milan, changing trains for Rome, a treasure trove of historic and cultural delights. We check into our hotel for three nights.

Enjoy a guided tour of Rome on Day 3, discovering its most revered sights. See the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre built in the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum, the centre of Roman public life for centuries, and the Trevi Fountain, a Baroque masterpiece. Pause en-route at Giolitti, the oldest gelateria in the city. Enjoy a taste of the ice cream that's purportedly a favourite of Pope John Paul II, in the charming surrounds of the same parlour that Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck visited in the 1953 film 'Roman Holiday'.

• Day 1 - Eurostar meal, Dinner
• Day 2 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 3 - Breakfast

We're introduced to some of Rome's lesser-known gems today, including the Quartiere Coppedè district. A combination of architectural styles compete for attention here, and the blend of Baroque, ancient Greek, Art Nouveau, and medieval structures give the neighbourhood a whimsical quality. We continue to the Basilica of Santo Stefano Rotondo. This is one of Rome's most unique churches; dramatic frescoes line the circular walls of the interior, each depicting the death of a different martyr, which lends an eerie effect to the beautiful structure. Our final visit is to bohemian Trastevere, known as Rome's 'foodie' neighbourhood due to its incredible cuisine, which we sample during lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon is free. You could visit Vatican City. The tiny principality includes captivating museums and the famous Sistine Chapel, with superb frescoes painted by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo and Botticelli.

• Breakfast, Lunch

We travel by rail to Florence, the Renaissance capital of the world, for three nights. This afternoon, we enjoy a guided tour of the city's treasures, including the Duomo with its iconic red-tiled dome, and the Ponte Vecchio, a 14th-century bridge home to 43 jewellers' shops. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

On Day 6 you are free to explore Florence. The city is home to an impressive fifth of the world's Renaissance art, including 1,700 masterpieces in the famous Uffizi Gallery by artisits such as Caravaggio and Botticelli. Otherwise, visit the historic Boboli Gardens. Designed for the Medici family, they opened in 1766 and feature Italian-style landscaping, with splendid fountains and statues.

• Day 5 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 6 - Breakfast

Today we travel by rail across Tuscany, where rolling hillsides and olive groves surround the railway lines. We arrive in Pisa, famous for its leaning tower, where our guided tour includes the Field of Miracles. Here we see the Leaning Tower, and the white marble Duomo, with its sublime Moorish mosaics. Later we continue to the beautiful walled city of Lucca - a place of true beauty. The heart of the city is filled with charming piazzas, small community churches, and fabulous art galleries, linked together by narrow cobbled streets and intricate passageways, and we have time here to explore.

• Breakfast

This morning we travel by rail to the floating city of Venice. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel on the island of Murano, before we head out to a local restaurant for dinner. On Day 9 we enjoy a guided tour of Venice, beginning in St Mark's Square, which is dominated by the magnificent Basilica di San Marco and Doge's Palace.

This afternoon, and on Day 10 you're free to soak up the atmosphere of this romantic city. For a bird's eye view of the city, climb the Campanile di San Marco, which offers incredible vistas over the buildings clustered around the centre and the shimmering lagoons further out. Or, you could take a gondola ride through Venice's iconic labyrinth of waterways. On the evening of Day 10 we head into the heart of Venice for a farewell meal in a splendid Venetian palace - a truly remarkable end to our adventures in Italy.

• Day 8 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 9 - Breakfast
• Day 10 - Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Venice, travelling by rail to Turin for the night. On Day 12, we continue to Paris by rail, where we join the Eurostar for London St Pancras.

• Day 11 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 12 - Breakfast, Eurostar meal