10-Day Spain and Italy Cultural Cornucopia Tour

The Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain.

What to expect on this itinerary

The cultures and histories of antique worlds come to life within the comforts of contemporary luxuries during your personalized Spain and Italy tour. The enchanting cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, and Florence conserve the essence of ancient life, medieval charm, and renaissance beauty. From the Prado to the Pantheon and from Gaudi to Michelangelo, Spain and Italy are masterpieces of cultural heritage that are brimming with exclusive experiences.

Countries Visited

Italy, Spain

Places Visited

Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Florence

Suggested Duration

10 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Madrid – Fascinating Introductory Tour

Madrid is a city known for its vividness. The city combines art, cuisine, and architecture along streets that are lined with medieval mansions, royal palaces, and extravagant confections. Your flight will land at Madrid Barajas International Airport, where your private transfer will greet you upon your arrival. After settling into the comforts of your hotel, your guide will lead you through the fascinating city on an introductory of Plaza Mayor. What once held lavish events like bullfights and parades continues to act as a center for life in Madrid.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Madrid – Royal Palace and Prado Art Museum

Day 3

Madrid – The Medieval Town of Toledo

Day 4

Barcelona – Travel by High-Speed Train

Day 5

Barcelona – The Wonders of Barcelona

Day 6

Rome – The Ancient Wonders of Rome

Day 7

Rome – Vatican City and Masterful Artwork

Day 8

Florence – Art and Historic City Streets

Day 9

Florence – The Tuscan Cities of Pisa and Lucca

Day 10

Florence – Depart for Home

Trip Highlights

  • Wander the opulent grounds of Madrid’s Royal Palace, which is one of the largest palace complexes in Europe
  • Witness the delicate features of Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria Accademia dell’Arte in Florence
  • Explore the sensational beauty, intricate architecture, and fascinating design of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
  • Discover the depths of ancient history in Rome when visiting the preserved ruins of the famous and infamous Colosseum
  • Find breathtaking beauty and intimate stonework in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
  • See the fascinating list of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which tilts nearly four degrees
  • Traverse the grand galleries in the Prado Museum and search for Spanish and Renaissance masters
  • Embrace the fascinating medieval history of Italy by strolling the serene streets of Lucca, which is a Tuscan city that is known for its charming location and preserved defensive walls

Detailed Description

Your 10-day Spain and Italy tour embraces the passion, sophistication, and celebration of life for which both countries are known. Whether indulging in Spain’s Buena Onda or settling into the sweet life of Italy’s La Dolce Vita, you will find inspiration and elation in cities and towns that are unlike any other in the world. You can enrich your life by wandering the unspoiled medieval streets of Toledo or by exploring the maintained antique walls of Lucca. You can touch your palm to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and wander the winding cobblestone alleyways of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. Spain and Italy practically overflow with cultural riches and fascinating heritage.

Spain is a country that is full of dramatic fortifications, captivating artwork, and a consistent setting for a passionate lifestyle. Art imitates life amid the fascinating cathedrals and elegant palaces. The capital city of Madrid enraptures visitors with its sophisticated highlights, such as the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum. The town of Toledo retains its medieval charms, which are accentuated by the mixture of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian heritage. Barcelona is a city of imagination and seaside charms.

Italy has an ineffable style and endless allure, both of which derive from fascinating cultures, regions, towns, and neighborhoods. The riches of Italy represent the cultural cache of architecture and art that was crafted by famous Renaissance masters and ancient emperors. Rome effortlessly blends modern life with historic structures and beguiling artifacts. The Colosseum, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps capture the imagination, and the pristine design of St. Peter’s Basilica adds to the splendors of Rome inside Vatican City. Florence retains its title as the Cradle of the Renaissance with works from Botticelli, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Pisa adds a sense of drama to its former glory with the Leaning Tower, and Lucca offers a peaceful respite in the Tuscan hills away from the decorative sumptuousness of Florence.

Starting Price

$3,600 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1892 reviews

Review: Luxury Italy Family Vacation, Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Chianti, Verona, Milan

My husband and I, along with our 2 children (age 20 and 17), enjoyed a wonderful Italian vacation booked through Zicasso and this travel agency.  Our travel consultants listened to my ideas and arranged for us a fantastic custom itinerary.   They stayed within the budget allotted, offered choices for beautiful hotels and private tours, and made several revisions as per our request.  We departed from New York on our 25th anniversary, and spent 10 days traveling the country within the month of November.  This off-season time proved to be a great decision as reservations were easy to obtain, crowds were minimal (mostly all locals), and the weather was conducive for walking and sightseeing (average 60 degrees F).  Transportation and the personal drivers were top notch; with Mercedes SUVs or minivans to take my family from Milan-Chianti-Florence-Verona-Venice and then the high speed train down to Rome.  Accommodations arranged for us were phenomenal!  We stayed in a 12th century castle in Chianti, in the heart of the city center in Florence, and near the Spanish Steps in Rome.  The personal tour guides were friendly and knowledgable, and were happy to recommend eateries preferred by locals.  All in all, everything was flawless. We plan to return some day to see the Amalfi coast, Positano and Capri.  We would absolutely recommend these travel consultants, and the travel company team to anyone who is looking for a personalized Italian vacation.

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Travel Review: Custom Italy Family Vacation - Highlights - Uffizi Gallery, Vatican Museums, Venice

We decided on the location and planned the trip to the three Italian cities of Venice, Florence and Rome only about a month before. Using this travel agency thru Zicasso was key to getting hotels with great locations, good tour guides, transfer arrangements and proper timing for touring of all the cities. The trip went very smoothly and we were able to focus on enjoying the trip.

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Travel Review: Anniversary Trip to Italy, Rome, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Positano, Truffle Hunt, Cooking Class, Food Tour

Locations Visited: Venice, Verona, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena, Pienze, Rome, Pompeii, Positano

My husband and I planned this trip for our 10-year anniversary. I’m a person with high expectation and this travel agency exceeded all my expectations. The entire trip was dream.

We opted for personalized tours and transport for 95% of our trip. All of our drivers were wonderful. They arrived on time and made sure we made it to all of our destinations without issue. They had the contact information for the tour guides we were meeting. Upon arrival to our first hotel, a local cell phone and gift were given to us. Having the iPhone during our trip made any needed communication with our agent and his team a breeze. In addition, we used the phone apps for navigation throughout the cities we visited. We made a last-minute request for an additional private transport, and our agent was able to make it happen. We greatly appreciated their customer service.

We participated in a several unique experiences while in Italy. We went truffle hunting in Pienza, which was amazing. After, we were served a meal that highlighted truffles and the cheeses made locally. In addition, we did a cooking day in Rome. This was a private cooking class where we made pasta, several sauces, and appetizers. The one disappointment is that we never received the recipes from the chef (we were told by the chef that they would be emailed to us). However, this is a knock on the chef and not our travel agent. Once the class was done, we were served a meal in a private garden area. Lastly, we did a food walking tour in Rome. This was an amazing way to find local cuisine that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. A wonderful experience.

All of our tour guides were excellent. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and familiar with the cities. We had one guide that really went into the details and reasons for expressions in the art. We didn’t care for that, but we didn’t specify that ahead of time or to the guide. It was wonderful seeing her excitement and passion for all of the amazing working works of art and sculpture that we saw.

Overall, I would highly recommend this travel agent and his team if you are traveling to Italy!! You will not be disappointed. We gave him our wish list of activities, accommodation preferences, etc. ahead of time and he made sure we got them all! Thank you for such a wonderful and memorable trip. If we are able to return to Italy, you will be hearing from us.

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Travel Review: Memorable Vacation to Italy, Florence, Tuscany, Siena, Antinori Winery Tour, Rome, Vatican Tour
Giuliana of this Italy travel company guided us every step of the way and created one of our most memorable vacations. The most impressive thing at the outset was how quickly she responded to our initial inquiry. We had never been to Italy, had not done a great deal of research, and had only a general idea of what we wanted beyond the dates (mid-May) and the cities we wanted to visit (Florence and Rome). Within a day, Giuliana submitted a detailed proposed itinerary based on a recent client request similar to ours. The proposal included various options that provided a great starting point for further discussion. She asked many questions, including our hotel preferences (small boutique, high-rise, how many stars, etc.) and suggested a number of venues that would expose us to Italy’s remarkable history and culture. The result was a vacation specifically suited to our personal tastes and interests. We spent four days in Florence and three in Rome. In Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Lungarno on the Arno River, a lovely small hotel in the heart of the city within walking distance to everything of interest, including the Uffizi and Academy museums, and the famous Duomo. It rained two nights, but we didn’t have far to go for a great dinner. The hotel restaurant was superb. One of the highlights of the Florence leg of the trip was a day tour of the Tuscany wine region that included a stopover in the historic town of Siena. We had lunch at the Osteria di Passignano, a restaurant at the Antinori vineyards where we were treated to a four course lunch and wine tasting and a tour of the winery. Fabulous. In Rome, we stayed at the Hotel Saint George. Another small, well appointed, boutique hotel, centrally located near the Tiber River, it provided access to all the essential venues, including the Vatican, Coliseum, Spanish Steps, etc. As in Florence, everything was in walking distance, including fine dining restaurants, pizzerias, espresso bars, and gelateria—and lots of places to shop. The hotel was comfortable, attractive, with a friendly and efficient staff, but we would not recommend the hotel restaurant. It was nice enough (although too brightly lit) but was virtually empty the night we were there and the food was just O.K. That wasn’t Giuliana’s fault since the hotel restaurant was not on her recommended list. We were just tired (it was our first night) and thought we’d give it a try. The hotel concierge made up for it, however, by recommending two great nearby restaurants for the remaining two nights. Neither was on Guiliana’s list, but they were terrific. A word about the logistical aspects of the trip: we viewed this as critical to the success of a customized tour with multiple venues and connections. We couldn’t have been more pleased. On arriving at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, we were greeted by Aldo who drove us to the high-speed train to Florence. After sharing an espresso with us in the station café, he made sure we got on the right train, helped us with our bags, and took us to our seats. Similar service greeted us at every connection point during the trip. Our personal tour guides, Enza (Florence), Andrea (Tuscany), and Sylvia (Rome), were exceptionally knowledgeable, personable, and fluent in English. Giuliana telephoned us at several points during the trip to confirm that we had arrived at our destination, that the drivers were on time, and that the accommodations met our expectations. Very reassuring to know she was keeping such close tabs on things. In short, all elements of transportation and personal service were impeccable. Would we visit Italy again? Without doubt. The trip simply whetted our appetites. Would we use this company? We wouldn’t consider any other service. Next time, however, we’ll make more of an effort to visit the restaurants recommended by Giuliana.

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Spain Travel Agent Review: Solo Trip to Southern Andalusia Region, Food, Culture, History & Cities
After visiting Madrid and other surrounding cities, Barcelona and Valencia in the past, I was looking for a trip focused on the southern region of Andalusia. This trip was very well organized including the cities visited, the transportation from city to city, the tours offered and the hotels. The private tours were excellent and comprehensive. The hotels were also of the highest quality and the combination of activities throughout the trip were perfect for me. My travel designer was also available 24/7 by email or phone.

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Spain & Portugal Trip Review: UNESCO Sites, 20-Day Vacation
We have a collection of wonderful memories from the trip.Thank you to Zicasso and our local travel agency! Everything promised was delivered and more. We enjoyed being transferred to and from the hotels in luxurious, impeccably clean cars. We often felt like celebrities attracting onlookers.It would have been impossible to tour all the sites without our travel company's tour guides. They had prearranged passes to access the buildings and sites while other tourists had to queue, probably, for hours. Most of them with profound knowledge of history and architecture made the experience complete.We loved the hotels, they were all located in the core of the cities with scrumptious buffet breakfasts.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

28,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews