9 days to discover the best of Northern Italy.
Visit some of the most famous Italian cities Florence, Pisa, Venice, Verona, Cinque Terre, Milan, Lake Como and lots more in small groups and with the guidance of our local team. It is the perfect mix of free time and group activities.
Meet your tour leader at 7:30pm for an original and fun orientation walk to discover the city, the main sites and the local traditions including the famous gothic Cathedral and the old bridge ” Ponte Vecchio”. We will end the tour in one of the busiest streets of Florence renowned for the many bars where to hang out at night. Here we will stop at the bar rated by the locals as the best aperitivo place in town. Thanks to the great atmosphere you will try the Italian lifestyle; sit down, socialize with the rest of the group, enjoy your drink and then eat and eat as much as you would like from the buffet of tasty Italian food. (D)
Note: We recommend you to arrive in the morning to have a full day to visit the city and the museums. Check in time to your accommodation starts usually at 2:00pm but if you arrive earlier you can store your bags there.
The first day we leave the travellers free to arrive to Florence whenever it is best for them and completely free to visit the museums and monuments in full relax. Our team recommends booking in advance the entrance to the Accademia and Uffizi gallery.
Full day to explore Florence, check out the monuments and some local leather markets in complete freedom. If you have enough of churches and crowds, our team recommends taking a day trip to Tuscany to explore the wine region and the famous Medieval villages as Siena and San Gimignano . Don’t forget to bring your camera…..the scenery from here is stunning!
Recommended day tours for the day : The Tuscany Experience or The Grape Escape wine tour.
Bright and early meet us again at the Santa Maria Novella Train Station as there is a full busy day ahead of us. Cinque Terre are not quite around the corner but the effort is worth the wait. We will travel by train as there is no better way to mingle with the locals and learn their life style. The first stop will be Pisa. Everyone will have some downtime to explore the Square of Miracles, which is home to the beautiful Pisa Cathedral, Baptistery, Campo Santo and the famous Leaning Tower. Take a beat, relax, or take a bunch of pictures posing with the Leaning Tower before heading to the next destination. We will explore the best of the Cinque Terre or Five Lands: Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza. These coastal villages are famous for their natural beauty, picturesque walking trails, panoramic views and warm beaches. Before the day ends, everyone will have a chance to relax on the beaches of Vernazza or explore the town at their leisure. Back to Florence at 8:00pm.
Bye Bye Florence, Venice here we come. We will catch the fast speed train from Florence train station and in only 2h we will reach Venice. After check in to our accommodation in Venice, we will head down to town for an orientation walk of the city to explore the city of the many canals, the gondolas, the millions of pigeons and the amazing churches. We will visit St. Mark’s square, the Cathedral, the Rialto bridge and the Palazzo Ducale. The afternoon will be all yours if you wish to take a gondola ride across the canal or find out how the Carnival masks are made.
There are plenty of things you can do on your full free day in Venice. You could just relax, visit the Duomo and famous sites or wander in Venice centre. You could also join a half day tour to the islands of Murano and Burano to check out the many colourful houses and the glass factories or take a 30m gondola ride alongs the Venice canals.
In the morning head to one of the most romantic Italian city Verona, home of the famous Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet and well know for its spectacular Roman Amphitheatre. Once in Verona, we will visit the famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet, get some luck from Juliet’s boob, do some shopping and sightseeing. We will be back to Venice in the late afternoon. Free evening.
Travel in the morning to Milan, the global capital of fashion and design. Check in to our accommodation and head down to the historical centre passing by the Duomo, Vittorio EmanueleII’s gallery to conclude by the Navigli, a popular area in Milan perfect for a night out.
In the morning we will travel to Como. After a 1h30 minutes ride, arrive to Como, situated on the banks of the lake, encircled by enchanting hills and famours for being the birthplace of many historically notable figures including the scientist Alessandro Volta. Here you you will have free time to check out the many interesting sites whilst meandering through the streets of Como, visit the historical monuments, beautiful villas and breath-taking sights.
We will then take a ferry across the lake Como towards Bellagio, a small village at the top of a long hilly promontory between the two southern branches of Lake Como. This elegant but tiny town is an excellent place to relax and enjoy the lovely views, classy boutiques, two gardens to visit, picturesque lanes, a choice of restaurants and bars. After Bellagio catch a ferry to Varenna, an attractive village on the eastern shore of Lake Como with the picturesque lanes and old fishermen’s houses for a perfect gelato or cold drink with amazing views. Back to Milan in the evening.
On the third day we will check out in the morning at 10:00am which is officially the time the tour ends but if you wish to spend the whole day in Milan you can simply store your bags at the hostel until you leave…. or take a train to Rome and take part of an other exciting week in the South of Italy with our Let’s Go South tour.
You can arrive to Florence whenever it is best for you. Check in time is from 3:00pm but if you arrive earlier feel free to store your bags in the accommodation. Tour will officially start in the late afternoon (8:00pm approx ).
All year round. The tour starts on Sunday and ends on Monday in Milan after check out.
8 nights in our favourite budget accommodations; 3 nights in Florence ( Hostel ) – 3 nights in Venice ( Hostel in Venice Mestre ) – 2 nights in Milan ( Hostel ).
Room Type: Multi-share – Private double/twin – Single
Good mix of organised activities with our team to meet new travellers and free time to explore on your own.
You can arrive to Florence whenever it is best for you. Check in time is from 3:00pm but if you arrive earlier feel free to store your bags in the accommodation. Tour will officially start in the late afternoon (8:00pm approx ).
The primary means of transportation of this trip is by train. Trains are the fastest way to cross long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Please note that you’ll have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, so make sure it doesn’t exceed in weight and size.
Be prepared to walk a lot as we believe that there is no better way to explore a new city than on foot.
If you choose the multi share room, you will share a room with other travellers not necessarily taking part of the tour. This trip is a great opportunity to get to know other like-minded people, so embrace it while you can.
We are not a bus tour company and we do not shepherd the groups from one place to the other. Flexibility, good mix of free time and organised activities with our team are part of our company and philosophy
Your leader and the composition of your group may change in certain days as the groups are small and we want to make sure you can meet as many new fellow travellers as possible.