Five Cities in Seven Days: Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa & Rome

Italy does not need a summary. But it does benefit from a considered route — and five cities in seven days is tighter than it sounds when the cities are Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome, and the ground between them is covered by private coach rather than self-arranged trains. This is a tour designed to remove the logistics and leave you with the places. You arrive in Milan and spend a morning at the Duomo, the Galleria and La Scala before heading east to Mestre. Day three is Venice: a water taxi to San Marco, the gondola through the back canals, the glassblowers on Murano, and the Rialto by afternoon. Day four brings you into Florence — the Pierotucci leather workshop, Ponte Vecchio over the Arno, the Piazza della Signoria, and Michelangelo's panorama from Piazzale Michelangelo. Day five is Pisa for a stop at the Campo dei Miracoli, then the drive south into Rome. Rome gets a full day. The itinerary covers Sultanahmet-level density: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, St Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City, with a local English-speaking guide who knows the site rather than a group leader reading from a script. Via Condotti — Rome’s main luxury shopping street — closes the afternoon before dinner and the return the following morning. Halal meals are provided throughout. This tour is for you if you want the five cities that define Italy covered properly, without the planning.

• ◆Duomo di Milano — the Gothic cathedral that took six centuries to complete
• ◆Venice gondola — through the back canals away from the San Marco crowds
• ◆Murano Glass Factory — watch glassblowers at work on the island
• ◆Florence — Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and the view from Piazzale Michelangelo
• ◆Pierotucci Leather Workshop — Florentine hand-craft leather, made on site
• ◆Pisa — the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli (UNESCO World Heritage)
• ◆Rome — Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and Vatican City with a local guide
• ◆Via Condotti, Rome — free time on Italy’s premier luxury shopping street

Day-by-Day