Venice and Northern Italy Group Tour

• Tour Length: 10 days / 9 nights
• Group Size: 12–16 travelers
• Starts: Florence, Italy
• Ends: Venice, Italy
• Travel Style: Small group touring by high-speed and regional rail
• Hotels: Centrally located hotels in Florence, Padua and Venice
• Solo Travelers: Welcome. Many of our guests travel solo or without a spouse or partner.

• Travel with just 12–16 travelers on a more personal journey through Northern Italy.
• Spend 3 nights in Florence, with included visits to Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia and the Uffizi Gallery.
• Escape into the Tuscan countryside for an excursion to San Gimignano with a special wine experience and lunch.
• Stay 4 nights in historic Padua, giving you a comfortable base instead of changing hotels every night.
• Visit the extraordinary Scrovegni Chapel and historic University of Padua.
• Explore Verona, including its historic center, Roman arena and famous streets and piazzas.
• Discover Vicenza, renowned for the architecture of Andrea Palladio and the remarkable Teatro Olimpico.
• Finish with 2 nights in Venice, including Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.
• Travel primarily by high-speed and regional rail rather than a large tour bus.
• Enjoy centrally located hotels, expert local guides, included admissions and plenty of time to explore independently.

Northern Italy is even better when you have good people to share it with. This 10-day journey brings together just 12–16 travelers to experience Florence, Venice and some of the region’s most rewarding smaller cities.

You’ll discover extraordinary art, architecture and history in Florence, Padua, Verona, Vicenza and Venice, along with a day in the Tuscan countryside. But this tour is about more than checking famous sights off a list.

Traveling in a small group makes it easy to get to know one another — over breakfast, on the train, during a wine tasting or while deciding where to have dinner. Many guests travel solo or without a spouse or partner, and quickly find themselves part of a friendly group.

At the same time, there is plenty of independence. Join fellow travelers for dinner, explore with a new friend, or enjoy some time on your own.

You have companionship when you want it and independence when you don’t.

Our 10-day Venice and Northern Italy small group tour includes:

Hotels

• 3 nights in Florence at Il Guelfo Bianco Hotel.
• 4 nights in Padua at Majestic Toscanelli Hotel.
• 2 nights in Venice at Hotel American-Dinesen.

Meals

• Daily breakfast at the hotels.
• Tuscan wine experience and lunch during our excursion to San Gimignano.

Transportation

• Rail transportation between Florence, Padua and Venice.
• Regional rail transportation for included excursions to Verona and Vicenza.
• Private transfers between designated train stations and hotels.
• Local transportation as specified in the itinerary.

Tour Leadership & Guides

• Traveling Professor tour leader throughout the tour.
• Expert local guides for scheduled sightseeing.

Included Sightseeing & Admissions

Florence

• Accademia Gallery, including Michelangelo’s David.
• Uffizi Gallery.

Padua

• Scrovegni Chapel.
• Historic University of Padua.

Venice

• Doge’s Palace.
• St. Mark’s Basilica.

Included Excursions

• San Gimignano and the Tuscan countryside.
• Verona.
• Vicenza.

There are plenty of tours that visit Florence and Venice. What makes this journey different is how we experience Italy — with a small group, fewer hotel changes and places many traditional tours pass by.

See More Than Florence and Venice

Along with Italy’s famous cities, you’ll experience Padua, Verona and Vicenza — beautiful cities rich in art, architecture and everyday Italian life, but often overlooked on conventional tours.

Stay Longer and Pack Less

Instead of changing hotels every night, we spend four nights in Padua, using it as a comfortable base for exploring the Veneto region.

Fewer hotel changes mean less packing, less wasted time and more opportunity to actually enjoy where you are.

Travel by Rail — Not a Big Tour Bus

We travel primarily by high-speed and regional rail, an easy and enjoyable way to move between Italian cities.

With just 12–16 travelers, our group can comfortably navigate train stations, historic neighborhoods and pedestrian areas without spending the trip aboard a large motorcoach.

This Northern Italy tour is best suited for active, mobile travelers who are comfortable walking and standing during sightseeing. Many historic areas in Florence, Venice, Padua, Verona and Vicenza have cobblestone streets, uneven pavement, bridges, stairs and pedestrian-only zones.

Travelers should be comfortable:

• Walking for up to 2 hours during guided sightseeing.
• Navigating cobblestones, uneven surfaces, stairs and bridges.
• Boarding and exiting trains independently.
• Handling their own luggage when traveling between cities.
• Standing for periods of time during museum, church and historic-site visits.
• Keeping pace with the group in busy city centers and train stations.

This tour is not appropriate for travelers who require a wheelchair or have severely limited mobility. Travelers should be able to participate independently in the scheduled activities and manage their own luggage throughout the trip.

• March 2026
• March/April 2025
• October 2019