Verona

Every region of Italy has a distinct and fiercely proud local cuisine, but none is such an abundant source of fresh produce as Puglia – from the freshly caught fish of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, to durum wheat for the celebrated local pasta, sun-ripened vegetables and specialities including caciocavallo cheese and the famous burrata.

Italy not only has many of the greatest 16th and 17th century gardens in Europe, it also has some which have been extensively restored and indeed created in the 20th century. We visit two of these at Ninfa and La Landriana.

5 nights price from £2645 per person

Departs: 11 May 2026, 12 Oct 2026

One has to go far to find a more perfect and peaceful landscape than the shores of Lake Como, where this tour is based. Tranquil, serene and timeless, the mountains that fringe the crystal waters provide a dramatic backdrop, as do the countless pristine villas that stretch up the hillsides from the lake shores.

5 nights price from £3659 per person

Departs: 12 Apr 2026

Chef, writer and broadcaster Valentina Harris grew up and learned her cooking skills in Rome, a city which has an extraordinary culinary tradition dating back two millennia. This carefully-crafted new itinerary will take you...

5 nights price from £3198 per person

Departs: 12 Oct 2026

La Scala, Milan is, for most opera lovers, the world’s most revered and important opera house. The theatre opened in 1778 with a performance of an opera by Salieri and since then, many of the greatest Italian operas have received their first performance on its hallowed stage.

4 nights price from £2445 per person

Departs: 13 Jul 2026, 10 Oct 2026

Held every summer in Pesaro, where the composer was born in 1792, the Rossini Festival has always attracted the world’s greatest bel canto singers. Marilyn Horne, Montserrat Caballe, June Anderson, Rockwell Blake, Chris Merrit and Juan Diego Florez are just a few of those who have sung in Rossini’s hometown.

The mountains that fringe the crystal waters of Lake Como provide a dramatic backdrop to elegant villas and some of the world’s finest gardens.

In 2026 we are making our fourth visit to the Villa Medici, home of Fernanda Giulini, for a very special private house party hosted by Fernanda herself. Her magnificent 17th century villa is home to an extraordinary collection of historic keyboard instruments, which will be brought to life in a series of concerts given by pianist Melvyn Tan.

Our new tour to The Eternal City, led by art historian and adopted-Roman Caroline Howard, will showcase the city’s rich and varied cultural history from the perspective of a local expert.

5 nights price from £2849 per person

Departs: 23 Mar 2026, 16 Nov 2026

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily’s strategic importance has given it a violent, eventful and colourful history. Doric temples, Roman mosaics, elegant and powerful Norman architecture and a wealth of Baroque and Renaissance palaces and churches are a reminder of its great past.

9 nights price from £4980 per person

Departs: 4 Oct 2026