Italy’s Best
14 Days
Tour Description
With its magnificent architecture, beautiful landscapes, sumptuous cuisine, ancient ruins, and brilliant art, Italy is a country like no other. On this affordable Italy’s Best tour, you’ll experience all of this and more. The excursion to the spectacular Cinque Terre—five medieval seaside villages, is not to be missed. The area is noted for its natural beauty with terraces built into the mountainside on cliffs that drop down into the sea. Delight in the unique charm of the area and take in the breathtaking views. On your journey through Tuscany, watch the undulating hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages. More stunning scenery awaits at Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes. Located on the edge of the Swiss Alps, it’s the perfect place to relax and soak in the beauty. Briefly cross the border into Switzerland to Lugano, a lakeside town with a Mediterranean flair. In southern Italy, witness magnificent views of the crystal-clear, blue sea in the vibrant town of Sorrento, and enjoy a day trip to Capri where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. On this comprehensive Italy adventure, history comes alive. Visit Pompeii, buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This amazingly preserved archaeological site gives you a detailed insight into ordinary life at the peak of the Roman Empire. In Rome, during the city sightseeing tour with a local guide, see the main sights, as well as Vatican City with St Peter’s Basilica. In Genoa, boasting Europe’s largest medieval historical district, view the remains of the city’s 17th-century fortifications. Visit St Francis’ Basilica in Assisi, a medieval town set in the green Umbrian hills. Guided city sightseeing tours are planned in Rome, Florence, Assisi, and Genoa. Your visit to Venice includes a boat trip to St Mark’s square to see the maze of canals forming this unique romantic city. These are just some of the many highlights of this affordable tour of Italy!
Traveller Notes
Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi, as well as a train ride La Spezia to Levanto and a boat to Capri and in the Venice canals. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Special Departures
December 24 Departure – Christmas in Rome and New Year’s Eve in Venice, including festive dinner
Traveller Notes
Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi, as well as a train ride La Spezia to Levanto and a boat to Capri and in the Venice canals. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Special Departures
December 24 Departure – Christmas in Rome and New Year’s Eve in Venice, including festive dinner
Priced From:
$ 4889pp *
Start Location: Rome, Italy
End Location: Rome, Italy
Major Destinations: Rome , Italy,Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy,Florence,Cinque Terre,Genoa,Capri, Italy
Breakfast Meals Included:
13
Lunch Meals Included:
0
Dinner Meals Included:
4
Itinerary
Day
1
ARRIVE IN ROME, ITALY.
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital with the help of the CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions.
Day
2
ROME.
The "Eternal City" is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Start the included introduction to Rome's landmarks from St. Peter's Square with a Local Guide. Enjoy a drive along the iconic landmarks of the city: the Tiber River, the Caius Cestius Pyramid, the Aurelian Walls and the Caracalla Baths. Complete the experience with a walk back in time from the Circus Maximus to the Arch of Constantine and to the fascinating Colosseum, symbol of the Roman Empire. * (B)
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Day
3
ROME-PISA-MONTECATINI.
Vistas of rolling hills, rows of cypress trees, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and take a mini-train ride to the Square of Miracles with the amazing Leaning Tower. Arrive in Montecatini. Everything tastes better in Tuscany! See for yourself with an optional culinary experience in the Tuscan countryside to indulge in authentic traditional dishes-with wine, of course! Today's Distance: 273 mi/ 440 km (B)
Day
4
MONTECATINI. EXCURSION TO FLORENCE.
Today, enjoy an included excursion to Florence. Your Local Guide will show you the city highlights on the walking tour. You will see Piazza Santa Croce; beautiful Piazza Signoria; Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard and Loggia dei Lanzi. To top it all, see Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Doors of the Baptistry, known as the "Gates of Paradise." Today's Distance: 81 mi/ 130 km (B,D)
Day
5
MONTECATINI-LA SPEZIA-CINQUE TERRE-GENOA.
Reach La Spezia and hop aboard a train that travels by the Cinque Terre villages. The beauty of these rugged cliffs and romantic fishing villages once inspired the poet, Lord Byron. Enjoy spectacular views from the train, plus a stop with free time to discover one of the villages. Later, re-join the coach and head towards Genoa, birthplace of explorer Christopher Columbus. Today's Distance by coach: 149 mi/ 240 km (B)
Day
6
GENOA-MILAN-LAKE MAGGIORE.
Today's included guided tour is an excellent introduction to Genoa. A maze of squares and alleys, the city grew around the port, a natural inlet, and boasts the largest medieval historical district in Europe. Next, head north into the plains of Lombardy, and stop in Milan to marvel at its magnificent Gothic Duomo. Then, continue to Lake Maggiore. Today's Distance: 155 mi/ 250 km (B)
Day
7
LAKE MAGGIORE. EXCURSION TO LUGANO, SWITZERLAND.
Time to relax and get to know Lake Maggiore, one of Italy's largest lakes, located on the very edge of Alpine Switzerland. On clear days, you can see the peaks of the Alps. Take advantage of the included excursion to visit Lugano in the Italian-speaking Swiss Canton Ticino. Today's Distance: 124 mi/ 200 km (B)
Day
8
LAKE MAGGIORE-VERONA-VENICE AREA.
Travel across the fertile Po River plain. Stop in the romantic city of Verona for some time at leisure. Admire the Roman Arena, perfectly preserved and still hosting concerts and festivals during the summer, shop, or taste some of the excellent local wines. Continue to the Venice area. Do you believe in magic? An optional evening boat ride on Giudecca Canal, dinner in a local restaurant, and St. Mark's square at night will remove all doubt! Today's Distance: 236 mi/ 380 km (B)
Day
9
VENICE.
Venice is more like a romantic film set than a real-life city, with its crisscrossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. The included orientation starts with a boat ride to St. Mark's Square and is followed by time at leisure and a chance to watch Venetian glassblowers fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. O Sole Mio! Don't miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you. (B,D)
Day
10
VENICE AREA-ASSISI-FOLIGNO.
Enjoy an interesting drive southward right across the Po Delta, through the Emilia-Romagna region to Assisi, enclosed by ramparts and little changed since the Middle Ages. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis. See the Basilica of St. Francis with its famous frescoes by Giotto, with history brought to life by a Local Guide. Overnight in Foligno, a town in the green heart of the Umbria region.
Today's Distance: 249 mi/ 400 km (B,D)
Day
11
FOLIGNO-POMPEII-SORRENTO COAST.
Travel to Pompeii, where time stopped for the rich, aristocratic town with the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. On the included guided visit of the archaeological site, see the remains of luxurious villas, temples, theatre, and forum. Carry on to Sorrento, set on a plateau above the waters of the Bay of Naples. Wander the winding streets lined with shops and stalls and relax, absorbing the easy-going lifestyle of this charming resort. Today's Distance: 273 mi/ 440 km (B)
Day
12
SORRENTO COAST. BOAT TRIP TO CAPRI.
Enjoy a day trip to the legendary island, surrounded by a rocky coastline where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. The town with its pretty "piazzetta", maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and inviting restaurants, is a mecca for the jet set. Explore on your own or take an optional island tour. (B,D)
Day
13
SORRENTO COAST-ROME.
Today, enjoy time at leisure or step into a picture-perfect postcard with an optional excursion to Positano to be amazed at the Amalfi Coast as it follows the curves of the coastline, dotted with colourful clifftop villages. Return to Rome. Today's Distance: 168 mi/ 270 km (B)
Day
14
ROME.
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Dates & prices
Dates
Prices
Status
Departure Date :
2025-11-16
Return Date :
2025-11-29
Single :
5859 NZD
Triple :
4889 NZD
Twin :
4889 NZD
Open
Departure Date :
2025-11-02
Return Date :
2025-11-15
Single :
6189 NZD
Triple :
5219 NZD
Twin :
5219 NZD
Open
Departure Date :
2025-10-12
Return Date :
2025-10-25
Single :
6439 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-10-05
Return Date :
2025-10-18
Single :
6609 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-09-28
Return Date :
2025-10-11
Single :
6609 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-09-21
Return Date :
2025-10-04
Single :
6779 NZD
Triple :
5699 NZD
Twin :
5699 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-09-14
Return Date :
2025-09-27
Single :
7039 NZD
Triple :
5699 NZD
Twin :
5699 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-09-07
Return Date :
2025-09-20
Single :
6779 NZD
Triple :
5699 NZD
Twin :
5699 NZD
Open
Departure Date :
2025-08-31
Return Date :
2025-09-13
Single :
6349 NZD
Triple :
5299 NZD
Twin :
5299 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-08-10
Return Date :
2025-08-23
Single :
6299 NZD
Triple :
5299 NZD
Twin :
5299 NZD
Open
Departure Date :
2025-07-13
Return Date :
2025-07-26
Single :
6429 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-06-29
Return Date :
2025-07-12
Single :
6599 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-06-22
Return Date :
2025-07-05
Single :
6599 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-06-15
Return Date :
2025-06-28
Single :
6629 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-06-01
Return Date :
2025-06-14
Single :
6629 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-05-25
Return Date :
2025-06-07
Single :
6479 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-05-18
Return Date :
2025-05-31
Single :
6459 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-05-11
Return Date :
2025-05-24
Single :
6759 NZD
Triple :
5549 NZD
Twin :
5549 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-05-04
Return Date :
2025-05-17
Single :
6459 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-04-27
Return Date :
2025-05-10
Single :
6919 NZD
Triple :
5629 NZD
Twin :
5629 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-04-13
Return Date :
2025-04-26
Single :
6439 NZD
Triple :
5379 NZD
Twin :
5379 NZD
Sold Out
Departure Date :
2025-03-30
Return Date :
2025-04-12
Single :
6239 NZD
Triple :
5219 NZD
Twin :
5219 NZD
Sold Out