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Gondolas in Venice

Things to do in Italy

Gondolas in Venice
A cultural powerhouse famed for its legendary art and architecture, glorious landscapes and gourmet food and wine, Italy offers you a wealth of experiences. Our carefully chosen activities offer a deeper insight into the country's most famous attractions and give a local perspective on life in this fascinating destination.

You can explore the backstreets of Rome on a Vespa, go truffle hunting in Tuscany, or revel in an opera performance in Verona’s Roman amphitheater. The options are endless, and whether you learn to cook with a local family, go wine tasting on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius or join a workshop on traditional mask making in Venice, Italy's rich history and culture is revealed at every turn.
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Audley Travel Country Specialist Kerry-Ann

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Ideas for experiencing Italy

Experiences you have as you travel often hold the longest memories. As part of their research trips, our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know Italy, and the best local guides. These activities reflect some of their best-loved experiences.

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  • La Maddalena private boat trip
    Pink beach at Budelli, La Maddalena islands

    La Maddalena private boat trip

    Costa Smeralda

    La Maddalena private boat trip

    On a private boat, you can explore the cerulean coves, turquoise bays, granite islets, and white-sand beaches of La Maddalena archipelago, off the northern tip of Sardinia. Spend the day relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, and soaking up the Mediterranean sun.

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  • Mount Etna summit visit with wine tasting lunch
    Summit crater, Mount Etna

    Mount Etna summit visit with wine tasting lunch

    Taormina

    Mount Etna summit visit with wine tasting lunch

    Mount Etna is Europe's most active volcano. Reaching its summit involves an adventurous trip but reveals much about its history, temperament and geology, which you can then discuss over lunch accompanied by some of the region's finest wines.

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  • Cinque Terre photography tour
    Cinque Terre photography tour

    Cinque Terre photography tour

    Cinque Terre

    Cinque Terre photography tour

    Perched on the sheer cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea, the villages of the Cinque Terre hold a lot of potential for avid photographers. You can explore the area and capture its beauty with the help of a professional photographer on this half-day tour.

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  • Puglian villages tour (Alberobello, Cisternino and Martina Franca)
    Alberobello, Puglia

    Puglian villages tour (Alberobello, Cisternino and Martina Franca)

    Puglia

    Puglian villages tour (Alberobello, Cisternino and Martina Franca)

    You can visit Puglia's most characterful villages on a full-day private guided tour of their historic streets, shady squares and medieval churches. See Alberobello's conical trulli, the whitewashed hilltop town of Cisternino, and the Baroque and Rococo buildings of Martina Franca.

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  • Ancient and Imperial Rome: Colosseum and Forum
    Colosseum, Rome

    Ancient and Imperial Rome: Colosseum and Forum

    Rome

    Ancient and Imperial Rome: Colosseum and Forum

    On this tour you will explore the ancient heart of Rome with your private guide, visiting two of the city’s most famous sites: the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

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  • Siena and San Gimignano tour with Tuscan farmhouse lunch
    Views over San Gimignano

    Siena and San Gimignano tour with Tuscan farmhouse lunch

    Florence

    Siena and San Gimignano tour with Tuscan farmhouse lunch

    Visit the beautiful medieval city of Siena before stopping in the countryside for a traditional Tuscan farmhouse lunch, followed by a visit to the hilltop town of San Gimignano.

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  • Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica
    St Peters Statue at the Vatican, Rome

    Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica

    Rome

    Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica

    With the benefit of a private guide to bring these key sites to life, you will explore the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.

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  • Experience a cooking class with a local family
    Filleting fish at Casa Laura's cooking class

    Experience a cooking class with a local family

    The Amalfi Coast

    Experience a cooking class with a local family

    Experience a half day cooking class at a local family home. You will learn the secret recipes of the D’Antonio family, from making homemade pasta to filleting the catch of the day.

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  • A private boat tour of Lake Como
    Villa Carlotta, Lake Como

    A private boat tour of Lake Como

    Lake Como

    A private boat tour of Lake Como

    Explore Lake Como on a private boat tour, passing lakeside villages and elegant villas. You will stop off at stunning Villa Carlotta and the picturesque town of Bellagio.

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  • Hiking in the Cinque Terre
    Corniglia, Cinque Terre

    Hiking in the Cinque Terre

    Porto Venere

    Hiking in the Cinque Terre

    Meander along narrow paths between citrus and olive groves as you explore the romantic villages of the scenic Cinque Terre. With an expert local guide you'll learn about the history, heritage and culture of this unique place.

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  • Barolo village and winery tour
    Barolo, Piedmont

    Barolo village and winery tour

    Barolo

    Barolo village and winery tour

    On this guided tour, you’ll discover the medieval village of Barolo, renowned for the high quality of its wines. There’s time to stroll its cobbled streets, explore the 11th-century castle and museum, and visit a local vineyard for a wine tasting.

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  • Matera walking tour with tasting lunch
    Sassi di Matera, Matera

    Matera walking tour with tasting lunch

    Matera

    Matera walking tour with tasting lunch

    In southern Italy’s Matera, you can explore cave dwellings and medieval churches in a city cut into the soft volcanic rock of a river canyon. This private half-day tour reveals much about the city's history, its people and the conditions that forced its evacuation.

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  • When life gives you lemons tour
    Lemon grove, Amalfi Coast

    When life gives you lemons tour

    The Amalfi Coast

    When life gives you lemons tour

    Discover the role that lemons play in traditional life on the Amalfi Coast with this half-day tour. You’ll take a guided walk through the lemon groves and tour a local limoncello distillery, as well as sitting down to a seaside lunch.

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  • Hiking the green island of Ischia
    Views over Forio, Ischia

    Hiking the green island of Ischia

    Ischia

    Hiking the green island of Ischia

    Hike into Ischia’s interior for sweeping coastal views and a taste of traditional life on the island. Along the way, you’ll learn about local history and culture, share a meal on a family-run farm, and get a deeper insight into island life.

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  • E-bike from Orvieto to Bagnoregio
    Tufo caves, Orvieto

    E-bike from Orvieto to Bagnoregio

    Umbria

    E-bike from Orvieto to Bagnoregio

    Tour the rural roads of Umbria by electric bike, leisurely exploring the rolling countryside and taking in a crumbling medieval village perched on a plug of volcanic rock in a rugged valley followed by lunch at a local farmhouse.

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  • A private guided tour of Pompeii
    Pompeii street

    A private guided tour of Pompeii

    The Amalfi Coast

    A private guided tour of Pompeii

    Enjoy a guided tour of the ancient Roman town of Pompeii, preserved by six meters of volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius back in 79 AD.

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  • Explore the highlights of Milan
    Duomo Square, Milan

    Explore the highlights of Milan

    Milan

    Explore the highlights of Milan

    Explore the highlights of Milan, including Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’, on a walking city tour around the city with your private guide.

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  • Truffle hunting and tasting lunch
    Fresh truffles, Italy

    Truffle hunting and tasting lunch

    Florence

    Truffle hunting and tasting lunch

    A wonderful opportunity to visit a family truffle business, learn about the production process, go on a truffle hunt and enjoy a tasting lunch.

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  • Historical walking tour of Turin
    San Carlo and Santa Cristina churches, Turin

    Historical walking tour of Turin

    Turin

    Historical walking tour of Turin

    Turin’s wealth of history is unfurled on this half-day walking tour with a private guide, who’ll help you discover its grandest architecture, explain the story of the Shroud of Turin, and offer a deeper insight into the city and its people.

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  • Trekking loop around Cinque Torri
    View of Cinque Torri from path, Dolomites

    Trekking loop around Cinque Torri

    Dolomites

    Trekking loop around Cinque Torri

    Visit the Cinque Torri (Five Towers) UNESCO World Heritage Site on a four-to-five-hour privately guided hike in the northern Dolomites. Along the way, you’ll pass remnants of World War I battles and hear about the history and geology of the area.

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  • Lake Como by kayak
    Views from kayak, Lake Como

    Lake Como by kayak

    Lake Como

    Lake Como by kayak

    Following a local guide, you’ll explore Lake Como from the water on this two-hour kayaking tour. As well as getting an unusual perspective of the lake’s sparkling waters and the surrounding Alps, you’ll pass grand villas as you paddle.

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  • Assisi walking tour and Spello
    Gardens of St Francis, Assisi

    Assisi walking tour and Spello

    Assisi

    Assisi walking tour and Spello

    Get an expert’s view of medieval Assisi on this guided walking tour that introduces you to the highlights of Saint Francis’s hometown as well as the quiet hilltown of Spello where Roman walls encircle a tangle of winding streets.

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  • La Dolce Vita: Vespa tour of Rome
    Scooters

    La Dolce Vita: Vespa tour of Rome

    Rome

    La Dolce Vita: Vespa tour of Rome

    See Rome from the back of a Vespa motorbike, passing some of the main sites as well as venturing further out into more residential areas.

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  • Bologna cooking class with market visit
    Traditional fresh pasta, Bologna

    Bologna cooking class with market visit

    Bologna

    Bologna cooking class with market visit

    Learn from the experts in a region famous for its fine food by starting out in a local market to choose ingredients then mastering how to cook them in a private cooking lesson in Bologna, Italy's 'pasta capital.'

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  • Accademia and Uffizi Galleries walking tour
    Michelangelo's 'David', Florence

    Accademia and Uffizi Galleries walking tour

    Florence

    Accademia and Uffizi Galleries walking tour

    A full day guided walking tour around the highlights of Florence including the Santa Croce Basilica and the incredible Renaissance artwork of the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries.

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  • St Mark's Square & Doge's Palace secret histories tour
    View of St Mark's and the Doge's Palace, Venice

    St Mark's Square & Doge's Palace secret histories tour

    Venice

    St Mark's Square & Doge's Palace secret histories tour

    This half day tour takes you to the iconic Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, and St Mark's Basilica. You will also have the opportunity to see some hidden areas of the Doge’s Palace not always open to the public.

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  • Personal shopper experience in Milan
    Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan

    Personal shopper experience in Milan

    Milan

    Personal shopper experience in Milan

    Renowned as one of the most stylish cities in the world, your personal shopper will ensure you have the best experience possible browsing Milan's boutiques, tailored around your preferences.

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  • Historical walking tour and Cappella Sansevero
    Church of San Francesco di Paola, Naples Square

    Historical walking tour and Cappella Sansevero

    Naples

    Historical walking tour and Cappella Sansevero

    Take a private guided tour of Naples, admiring the architecture and, in particular, Giuseppe Sanmartino's marble statue, 'The Veiled Christ', regarded as a sculptural masterpiece.

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  • Agrigento: Valley of the Temples tour
    Ancient temple, Agrigento

    Agrigento: Valley of the Temples tour

    Agrigento

    Agrigento: Valley of the Temples tour

    The city of Akragas was one of the most lavish ancient Greek outposts and much of it remains intact in the Valley of the Temples. It is best toured with a knowledgeable guide who can reveal its many treasures and mysteries.

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  • Street food city tour
    Street market, Palermo

    Street food city tour

    Palermo

    Street food city tour

    Take the uncertainty out of exploring Palermo's boisterous food markets and sampling their famous delicacies on this guided tour that introduces you to some of Italy's finest produce, as well as some of its greatest street food.

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  • Mask making experience, Venice
    Carnival Masks in Street Market, Verona

    Mask making experience, Venice

    Venice

    Mask making experience, Venice

    Learn about the history of Venice’s vibrant and elaborate masks and try your hand at making your own with materials such as brocade edging and bright acrylic paints.

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  • Verona opera performance
    Verona Opera Performance

    Verona opera performance

    Verona

    Verona opera performance

    Enjoy an opera performance at Verona's historic Roman Arena. The open-air performances benefit from this impressive setting, a circular amphitheater with the stage in the center of stone steps that rise up around it.

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  • Panoramic boat tour of Venice
    Palace canal and Bridge of Sighs, Venice

    Panoramic boat tour of Venice

    Venice

    Panoramic boat tour of Venice

    Travel along the waterways of Venice by boat, viewing the city from the water on this two-hour tour. You’ll see the different areas of the city and will even have the opportunity to view the lagoons and outlying islands.

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  • Su Nuraxi di Barumini & wine tasting experience
    Wine grapes, Sardinia

    Su Nuraxi di Barumini & wine tasting experience

    Southern Sardinia

    Su Nuraxi di Barumini & wine tasting experience

    Delve into Sardinia’s Bronze Age prehistory with a privately guided tour of Su Nuraxi di Barumini, the best-preserved archaeological remains of the Nuragic people. You’ll also explore the murals in the village of Villamar and visit a local winery for a tasting.

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  • Roman Gladiator School
    Testing the equipment

    Roman Gladiator School

    Rome

    Roman Gladiator School

    Learn how to become a gladiator at the Roman Gladiator School, located on the historic Appian Way.

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