17 Day Best Of Italy And Spain
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Incredible sightseeing with entry fees included
✓ Visit the ancient walled towns of Assisi, Siena and Montepulciano in Tuscany
✓ Guided tours through Florence, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo by local expert guides
✓ “Skip the Line” entrance and guided tours of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Square
✓ Get a “Taste of Italy” with included traditional meals including lunch in the Piazza Santa Croce in the heart of Florence, a Tuscan lunch in Montepulciano Tuscany, and a spritz in Venice
✓ Airport transfers included on the first and last day of tour
✓ Overnight Ferry transportation from Rome to Barcelona
✓ 15 nights in handpicked, 4-star, centrally located hotels
✓ Breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
✓ Transportation by deluxe motorcoach with onboard complimentary Wi-Fi
✓ Licenced English speaking local expert guides
✓ Complimentary headsets in Italy as well as Cordoba, Seville and Granada in Spain so you don't miss any information provided by our tour leader and local guides
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Benvenuti a Roma! After your arrival at the airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to your hotel.
This evening meet your local expert guide for a walk to discover the wonders of the Eternal City. You will visit the Jewish Ghetto, one of Rome’s most beautiful neighborhoods, full with history and with a real Roman atmosphere. We then walk to the Pantheon, the former temple of Marcus Agrippa later converted into a church, then have an opportunity to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain.
Continue to visit the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), one of the city’s most popular squares where you can walk up these famous steps to enjoy a lovely view from the top. To finish, relax as you enjoy a creamy and tasty Gelato, it’s on us! The tour ends in the Spanish Steps area. Enjoy on your own the rest of the night. Return to the hotel on your own and overnight stay.
The evening meeting and walking tour departs at 07:45pm, late arrivals may miss this activity and meet the group the next morning.
This morning enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Square with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access! Upon arrival, your guide will lead you past all the ques and into the museums where you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Walk along the beautiful Galleries of Tapestries and Geographical Maps before admiring Raphael’s Rooms and, then, the amazing Sistine Chapel.
After this incredible masterpiece, your guide will continue your tour of St. Peter’s Square where you can admire the incredible masterpiece St. Peter’s Basilica: the biggest church in the world! The tour ends in St. Peter’s Square where the rest of the day is yours to explore the city at your own leisure.
Departing Rome early this morning, travel through the picturesque roads of Tuscany to Assisi. Here you will have ample time to explore this ancient walled city built in the Middle Ages at your own leisure. Be sure to take your time to visit the basilica of St. Francis, where you will see masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue and, then, have free time for lunch (not included).
Board the coach and continue to Siena, one of the region's most famous cities and a Unesco World Heritage Site. Enjoy time on your own exploring the winding streets and the renowned Piazza del Campo. Continue your journey to Florence, where you will check in at your hotel before enjoying an included dinner at one of the local restaurants.
After breakfast, you will meet your local expert guide for a guided tour around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance", where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinnacle. You will be fascinated by the uncountable monuments, churches and buildings as Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo. On your visit, you will be amazed by its magnificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Cross a small piazza to see the “Campanile” tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery, with its bronze doors where Michelangelo imagined the “Gates of Paradise.” In the heart of the city, you will see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio), and the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Enjoy an included lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce then free time to spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take an optional trip to Pisa one of the four main historical Marine Republics of Italy. There, you will tour the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s symbol “the Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery (please note, this tour is not included and is bookable locally) . Dinner is at your leisure.
After breakfast in Florence, we continue to Bologna, the lively, historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy. There, you will discover the elegant city center with its “porticos”, it’s shopping streets and so on. From Piazza Malpighi you will walk to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (Neptune square and Major square) in the heart of the city, then King Renzo’s Palace; Palazzo Podestà and the basilica of San Petronio, one of the biggest in the world.
Bologna is a real gourmet’s heaven...don’t miss a tasty meal at your own leisure! In the afternoon, continue toward Padova, with Sant’Antonio Basilica: one of the most visited churches by pilgrims of the catholic world. Later in the afternoon, arrive in Venice (Mestre). Check in at your hotel then enjoy a dinner of traditional Venetian dishes this evening.
After breakfast, enjoy your transfer to Piazza San Marco and enjoy a guided walking tour of the most iconic places of the “Floating City” with an expert local guide as they share the historical sites as well as stories of local customs and traditions. Highlights include Palazzo dei Dogi, symbol of Venice’s glorious past, and the legendary “Bridge of Sighs”.
Following your walking tour, enjoy a traditional spritz or a prosecco to crown your visit to Venice. Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure and then return to the hotel and overnight.
After breakfast, we traverse through Tuscany, world-known for its landscapes, its churches and castles and its delicious wines. You will proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a medieval town rich in history and art. Known for its “Nobile” wine available for purchase in local "wine houses", Montepulciano also hosts an annual Jazz and Wine Festival every July.
Enjoy a lunch in a typical restaurant feasting on local produce before we continue our journey to Rome where the rest of the evening is at your leisure.
Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore Rome on your own. This evening, meet your driver at 7:30 pm for your transfer to Civitavecchia port (Terminal Grimaldi Lines) and board your Cruise Ferry to Barcelona (departure at 11:00 pm).
Enjoy a relaxing cruise across the Mediterranean as you continue your journey to Barcelona today. Experience the many amenities of these ferries including the wide open spaces, swimming pool, numerous lounges, bars, 24 hour cafeteria, al-a-carte restaurants, boutiques, internet lounges, health center and a gym.
Arrive in Barcelona at approximately 7:00pm, disembark from the ferry and transfer to Barcelona.
After breakfast, depart on a guided half-day sightseeing tour around Barcelona. Your guide will uncover the history of this fascinating city while visiting some of the most important sites. Firstly, enjoy a guided walking tour through the small and narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city.
During this visit we will see Las Ramblas, de Cathedral Square, The Cathedral (free time to visit the Cathedral by yourself), the Old Jewish Quarter, among other interesting places. Later we will take our bus to start with a panoramic tour around the rest of the city.
We will pass through the elegant Passeig de Gràcia Street, where two of the most important Gaudi’s buildings (Casa Batlló and Casa Milà “la Pedrera”) are located, the Triumph Arc, the Olympic Village and the Olympic Port. Also visit Montjuic Mountain, home of the 1992 Olympic Games. Finally visit the charming Spanish Village (Poble Espanyol) that consists of a synthesis of all the cultural variety in Spain.
During the visit you will be given some free time to enjoy the different areas inspired in different Spanish regions, where you will find craft shops, restaurants and bars. Return back to your hotel where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure to enjoy this wonderful city and surroundings.
Today we journey from Barcelona to Madrid. Sit back and relax as you see Spain from a different perspective watching the ever changing scenery from your window. Arrive into Madrid early this evening where the rest of the day is at leisure.
This morning we travel to Seville via Cordoba. Drive along La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land and take a brief stop to view the traditional sites of Puerto Lapice. Cross through the natural border of “Despeñaperros” and arrive in Andalusia, Spain’s southern coast. It was under Moorish rule from the 8th-15th centuries, a legacy that shows in its architecture and rich heritage from a splendorous past. Reach Cordoba where we stop to tour its important sites.
Once an important Roman city and a major Islamic center in the Middle Ages, we take a guided tour of the famous La Mezquita, an immense mosque dating from 784 A.D as well as other sites as we stroll through its narrow winding streets of the Jewish Quarter. In the afternoon, after a short two hour ride, reach Seville where the rest of the evening is at leisure.
After breakfast, we take a panoramic city tour visiting the famous Cathedral which is the second largest in the Catholic world after St. Peters in Rome (entrance included), the Santa Cruz quarter; Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España.
This afternoon you will have ample time at leisure for you to discover exclusive views, sites, and specific flavors that make up this vibrant and historical city. This evening is an opportunity to join an optional Flamenco tour (not included and bookable direct while on tour).
After breakfast at the hotel we drive approximately 3 hours east through the Caliphate road into the heart of Andalusia observing an endless number of olive groves and local farming towns as we head towards Granada. Located in southern Spain’s Andalusia region in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada is known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation.
This afternoon we visit the renowned Alhambra - a sprawling hilltop fortress complex which encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife Gardens. Return to the hotel after our tour and the rest o f the evening is at leisure. Alternatively, you may wish to join an optional Gypsy Flamenco show at Sacromonte quarter (not included and bookable direct while on tour).
Today is free to take in the Nasrid capital at your own pace. Granada is more than the Alhambra; the Muslim heritage runs through every corner of the city and mixes with the Christian tradition, giving rise to a unique city.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we continue our journey and drive approximately 4 hours northward to the impressive Imperial city of Toledo. This World Heritage City - where the three cultures Christians, Moorish and Jewish, have lived together. We take a short guided tour through this historic old town as we stroll its narrow streets and learn of its art, history and spirituality. Then proceed with a visit to a famous “Damasquinado” (gold and silver inlaying in iron) factory. Following this, we travel approximately one hour and arrive in Madrid where the rest of the afternoon and evening is at your leisure. .
Your journey through Italy and Spain comes today. After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
Overnight Ferry Rome to Barcelona - accommodation is in internal cabins with private bathroom facilities
Secure your trip with a $99.00 deposit per person.
Once we receive your deposit, we will send you an invoice with your remaining balance and payment options.
Instalment Schedule:
This package is sold as land only, however you do have the option of adding domestic & international airfares to your booking. Simply click on’ book now’, and under upgrades , you will be asked “Would you like us to contact you around our flight service?”. By selecting this option Inspiring Vacations will contact you to discuss adding flights to your chosen destination. We can then assist with turning your booking into a flight inclusive package.
Upon completing the purchase of your package and fulfilling the following booking requirements, you will be granted access to our flight portal via your Traveller Hub.
Once these criteria have been met, access will be made available to you via Traveller Hub to book your flights via our flight portal.
The following requests are able to be processed through the online flight portal:
The online flight portal is unable to process the following requests and you must book these yourself independently:
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. At the commencement of your tour, your Tour Leader will suggest contributing towards a ‘tipping kitty’ which can then be used to tip local guides, hotel staff, driver, etc. You will have complete visibility over amounts tipped and any funds left will be distributed back to travellers. This tipping kitty is not mandatory, however, over time we’ve found it frees travellers from the stress of keeping the right change at hand and not knowing appropriate tipping amounts. We suggest EUR2 for hotel staff, EUR3-4 for local guides and EUR2-3 for the driver (suggestions are per person per day).
Please note that this tipping is not for your Tour Leader. If you are happy with the service provided by your Tour Leader we recommend tipping EUR2-4 per person per day.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $2,667.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book Comprehensive or Essentials cover for your domestic, international or multi-trip journeys simply by clicking HERE.
Note that Inspiring Vacations cannot provide advice with regards to any insurance product.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visas may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://smartraveller.gov.au for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Group Size
Minimum of 2 Max of 45
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
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