Immersive Italian History Tour: Rome, Florence, and More

Duomo of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy

What to expect on this itinerary

Whether trekking through the mountains of Amalfi or uncovering the mummified remains of an ancient Volcano, history fans of all stripes will find plenty that compels them on this historically inspired 11-day Italy tour. Destinations include Venice, Florence, Rome, and Amalfi, and activities are customized for those who are interested in the past. Indulge in a tasting of local wines, uncover the secrets of the ancient world at the Coliseum, and immerse yourself in the incredible history at Pompeii.

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Venice, Florence, Rome, Amalfi Coast

Suggested Duration

11 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Venice – Immersion into a Floating City

Your connecting flight will arrive at the nearby Marco Polo international airport, where a private car will transfer you the remaining distance to the Old Town. From there, a private driver or water taxi will ensure your comfortable arrival at your elegant and conveniently located hotel.  After a long journey, you will have the option to rest and relax in the luxury of your new accommodation. When you are ready, the city awaits. The city center is easy to navigate on foot, and you will be able to see how Venice earned the reputation it now enjoys.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Venice – Tour of the Doge’s Palace

Day 3

Florence – The History of Tuscan Winemaking

Day 4

Florence – The Seat of Renaissance Revival

Day 5

Florence – The Tuscan Countryside

Day 6

Rome – The Vivid Seat of the Catholic Church

Day 7

Rome – A Tour of the Ancient World Part I

Day 8

Rome – A Tour of the Ancient World Part II

Day 9

Amalfi – The Region’s Volcanic Past

Day 10

Amalfi – The Walk of the Gods

Day 11

Amalfi – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Stretch your legs on an unguided walking tour of the center of Venice, where you will be charmed by the city’s stunning architecture, bustling water traffic, and friendly locals
  • Delve into the history of Venice’s wealth and prestige with a visit to the Doge’s Palace and surrounding neighborhood
  • Compare the product of Florentine vineyards on a tasting of local wines and an orientation of the history and techniques of this regional treasure
  • Uncover the history of rivalry and competition between the city-states of Italy on a day trip to the nearby community of Siena
  • Visit the basilica of St. Peter’s, where the vastness of the interior and opulence of the decorations will remind you of the status held by Catholicism for centuries
  • Uncover the secrets of the ancient world on a guided tour of the Coliseum and Forum and witness the scene of Caesar’s famous murder
  • Step into the compelling and somber history of Pompeii, which saw one of the worst natural disasters of the ancient world in the first century
  • Delight in rural charm with a visit to the Amalfi coast, where you will abandon the hustle of busy Italian cities for a quieter encounter with seldom-seen history

Detailed Description

Like a great outdoor museum, visiting Italy is similar to stepping back in time. From the Alpine grandeur of the north to the sun-drenched beaches of the Mediterranean to the south, natural beauty is combined with stunning examples of art, history, and culture that spans millennia. This 11-day tour of Italy combines the best examples of Italian history with the creature comforts of the 21st century to ensure your utmost satisfaction.

You will begin this tour in the floating city of Venice. Constructed on top of an archipelago that quickly overgrew the available dry land, the city of Venice presents visitors with an incredible example of the region’s engineering that goes back to Roman times. After immersing yourself in this setting, you will venture for higher ground in the Italian region of Tuscany and its capital of Florence. Here, you will be exposed to the origins and artifacts of the aptly named Renaissance, sample the history of world-famous viticulture, and indulge in a trip to the neighboring town of Siena. Your next destination will be Rome. You can explore the seat of Christian power at the Vatican and uncover the ancient ruins at the Forum. Your final stop will be in the region of Campania in Southern Italy and the famed Amalfi Coast. Here, you can relax on the many pristine beaches that are available and take to the mountains on the Walk of the Gods.

This tour is customized to the tastes of the history fan, but it can be enjoyed by all. Daily activities include, but are hardly limited to, tours, tastings, hikes, and other suggested methods of exploring the country. The early spring remains the best time to follow this itinerary because many of the sites you visit may become busy in the summer months. However you prefer to travel, you can rest assured knowing that this luxurious exploration of the past is just missing you.

Starting Price

$4,000 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.

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Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 631 reviews

Italy Trip Review: Amalfi Coast, Capri, Boat Ride, Beaches, 4 Nights

Overall, the trip was great. We loved the Amalfi Coast trip with our driver and our guide. Our guide was great. I highly recommend her! The boat ride to Capri was in just the right-sized boat, with 12 people. We liked our hotel location, which was right by the town. But note that a third of the hotel was closed, so the dining area is now just a small alley on the side of the hotel. We loved the proximity to the beach area.

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Italy Tour Review: Amalfi Coast, Cooking Class, Farm Visit, 20 Nights

A number of items on the itinerary were not provided. We did not go to the puppet museum. The food tour was poor. We did not stop at a town on the Amalfi Coast. The hotels were nice.

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Italy Tour Review: Venice, Tuscany, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Cooking Class, Ferrari Experience, 2-Week Vacation

We had the best time during our wonder trip to Italy. We explored Venice, Tuscany, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. Zicasso's travel agency arranged the most beautiful hotels, with exceptional service, and fun and exciting tours in each location.

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Italy Travel Review: Anacapri, Ravello, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi Coast, Maiori, Minori, Cooking Class, Limoncello Tasting, Orchard Tour, Private Boat Ride, 13 Days

Overall, we had an absolutely incredible, memorable trip on the Amalfi Coast. Our personal interests, preferences, and budgets were all well accounted for. The small, personalized tours and experiences were great ways to learn about local culture and history while also relaxing in a beautiful setting.

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Italy Tour Review: Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Positano, Path of the Gods, Cooking Class, Hike, 1 Week

The travel company did a fantastic job planning our Italian vacation to the Amalfi and Sorrento coasts. The hotel in Positano was breathtaking. The excursions that Zicasso's travel designer recommended were fantastic. The cooking class in the hills overlooking the coast was amazing. Our travel plans changed due to airline difficulties and she was incredibly helpful in making adjustments on the fly to ensure our trip went as smoothly as possible.

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Switzerland, Italy Solo Vacation Review: Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt, Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Sorrento, Amalfi, Rome, Skydiving, Gondola Ride, Amalfi Coast Cruise, Scenery, Nature, Local Cuisine, 3 Weeks

My first solo trip was something I had dreamed about for years. I wanted it to be more than sightseeing. I wanted adventure, comfort, safety, and freedom without the stress of planning it all alone. Through Zicasso, I was connected to two specialists and Zicasso's travel consultant stood out immediately. She delivered an itinerary that gave me everything I asked for and more: maximum cities, maximum fun, and maximum value, all without compromise.

Before deciding, I researched and compared tours, packages, and individual prices online. The travel consultant’s proposal came out on top for value and content. While the other agent offered fewer cities and activities at a higher price, her plan was ambitious without being overwhelming. She booked my trains, arranged private transfers where needed, and selected boutique-style hotels that exceeded expectations. I was honestly surprised at how good they were. I stayed at hotels in Interlaken, Florence, and Sorrento. Each was clean, comfortable, and perfectly located for exploring. I had prepared myself for budget trade-offs, but instead, I found thoughtfully chosen hotels that balanced affordability with real quality.

Every document, train ticket, and activity confirmation was uploaded into the app. It became my lifeline throughout the trip, with every detail at my fingertips. The structure gave me confidence, while still leaving me free to explore.

Switzerland came first: Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, and Zermatt. Each city felt like stepping into a postcard. Interlaken gave me the adrenaline rush of skydiving, while Zermatt charmed me with its close-knit magic and alpine beauty. Italy unfolded with equal ease: Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Sorrento, Amalfi, and Rome. Every destination felt curated, yet natural, from gondola rides in Venice to boat tours on the Amalfi Coast.

What I loved most was the balance between structure and freedom. Pre-booked activities and restaurant reservations gave me a strong framework, but I could just as easily decide to spend an afternoon wandering Florence, eating gelato, or sitting in a piazza. The rhythm of the trip was perfect, structured enough to tick off bucket-list highlights, yet relaxed enough to feel like a real vacation.

Food was freestyle, but memorable. Highlights included a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Zurich with its elegant Japanese-Peruvian flavors, a different Japanese restaurant, a restaurant in Como with its modern fusion menu, an Indian restaurant for comforting classics, and international favorites like those in one of the restaurants in Rome. Between those meals and plenty of gelato and crepes, every stop added its own flavor to the journey.

As a solo traveler, safety mattered. I felt comfortable walking around in the evenings and was usually back in my hotel by 1am to stay rested for the next day. What really gave me peace of mind was the travel consultant’s constant support. Communication was fast and responsive. I never had to wait long for answers, whether through the app or email. There was a moment when I made a mistake with the trains and missed an activity. She immediately stepped in and worked to reschedule it or secure a refund that same day.

Earlier in the planning process, I also had a card issue due to an address error. Even though policy would not normally allow it, she and her team patiently waited until I received the refund before finalizing the booking, just weeks before my trip. That flexibility and care spoke volumes.

The difference was clear. She used my budget to its fullest potential, giving me more destinations, more experiences, and better hotels than the alternative option. She managed to combine the efficiency of a fully organized tour with the freedom of independent travel. Everything was planned, yet everything was still mine to shape.

This trip was everything I wanted: good food, beautiful views, safety, and absolute reliability. It was an organized journey with freestyle flexibility, which is exactly what solo travelers dream of. The travel consultant’s planning let me chase adventure while always knowing I had a safety net. Switzerland and Italy gave me memories I will never forget, but it was the behind-the-scenes planning that made it possible. If you want a trip that is your way, your budget, your pace, but without the endless hassle of managing it yourself, the travel consultant at this agency is the person who can make it happen. My first solo trip became my dream trip and that is the highest praise I can give.

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Customizable Itinerary

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

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