Villages of Italy - short small group tours

Roam the villages of the northern Dolomites, in Italy, home to more than 40 glaciers. A small group tour is a great way to get to know Italy, or reacquaint yourself with its beauty and hidden gems. Travel with like minded mature couples or solo travellers.

From £5,644GBP

Available

Highlights

  1. 1. Enjoy a full-day excursion to the scenic Dolomite resort of Moena.
  2. 2. Roam the villages of the northern Dolomites, home to more than 40 glaciers.
  3. 3. Visit Parma and learn about the local ham and parmesan cheese production.
  4. 4. Sample the famous balsamic vinegar in Modena.
Villages of Italy - short small group tours itinerary

Departure Dates

Departure Date Price
26 August 2024

Ends 07 September 2024

£5,644 Twin

£6,903 Single

Available
Selected
25 August 2025

Ends 06 September 2025

£5,929 Twin

£7,245 Single

Available
24 August 2026

Ends 05 September 2026

£5,929 Twin

£7,245 Single

Available

Villages of Italy

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Western Europe and beyond. We explore Italy’s incredible natural beauty, its ancient Roman heritage, its World Heritage Sites, and world famous postcard perfect villages, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Italy, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

The Villages of Italy is our short, small group tour for seniors. The Mediterranean nation of Italy is as mature and aged as many of its red wines. However, in terms of nationhood, it is even younger than New Zealand. This can be hard to believe, because Italy gave rise to Europe’s first global empire, which endured for approximately 2,000 years. While taking a tour of Italy, you will see how the new constantly brushes with the old, generating sparks that make the journey a deeply textured, memorable travel experience. A small group tour is a great way to get to know Italy, or reacquaint yourself with its beauty and hidden gems.

Small Group Tour: Italian Villages

Northern Italy is famous for its sunny coastlines, mountainous landscapes, and delicious cuisine. This small group tour showcases the country's wine, cheese, and art, along with its magnificent architecture and countryside. You will learn about the production of Prosecco, and of course have a chance to taste it. You will tour a Balsamic vinegar factory in Modena. Also included are guided tours of Trento and Castelfranco. We'll also uncover the amazing scenery of Tuscany during a tour of Florence. In addition, highlights include a trip to a Parmesan cheese producer in Parma, visits to the magnificent Trento Cathedral and Buonconsiglio Castle, and an excursion to the picturesque Venetian fishing port of Chioggia. Throughout the trip, local guides will bring Italian culture and history to life.

For more details about the Villages of Italy - short, affordable small group tours for seniors, please click the 'Top 5' or 'Itinerary' buttons above! If you're keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

Itinerary

13 days

Day 1: Milan

Accommodation: 1 night at Antares Concorde Hotel or similar.

We come individually to our hotel in Milan. Tonight we come together for our welcome meeting and dinner.

Day 2: Milan -Trento

Accommodation: 3 nights at Grand Hotel or similar.

In the morning we have a short tour in Milan. Later on we depart Milan and head for Trento along the scenic route. We will stop regularly along the way. This evening a local alpine choir will perform for us.

Day 3: Trento

Accommodation: Grand Hotel or similar.

This morning we have a guided tour of Trento, including visits to the cathedral and the Castle of Buonconsiglio. After time for lunch at leisure we head out of town and visit a local vineyard for a tour and tasting. We return to our hotel for some time to relax at leisure before we walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 4: Trento

Accommodation: Grand Hotel or similar.

Today we have a full-day excursion to the scenic Dolomite resort of Moena. We will explore the area with our leader in the morning before having lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we take an afternoon cable car ride from Campitello di Fassa to Col Rodella. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 5: Trento - Castelfranco

Accommodation: 4 nights at Albergo al Moretto or similar.

We have a free morning to explore Trento at leisure. This afternoon we depart Trento bound for Castelfranco. En route we pause at San Michele all’Adige where we will visit the Museum of Mountain Traditions. We continue on to Castelfranco and check in to our accommodation. We will have dinner tonight at a local restaurant.

Day 6: Castelfranco

Accommodation: Albergo al Moretto or similar.

This morning we have a guided tour of Castelfranco. Following that, we visit the Conservatory di Musica A Steffani for a tour followed by a piano recital. We then travel to Treviso where we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch we have a guided tour of Treviso. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 7: Castelfranco

Accommodation: Albergo al Moretto or similar.

We have a full-day excursion to explore the wonders of the charming Venetian fishing port, Chioggia today. We will have lunch at a restaurant offering the local fare before an afternoon free to explore at leisure. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 8: Castlefranco

Accommodation: Albergo al Moretto or similar.

This morning we visit the Prosecco wine school in Conegliano for a tour, a taste, and the chance to learn about how Prosecco is produced. A local guide will then give us a tour of the town of Conegliano before we have time for lunch at our own arrangements. We transfer to the town of Asolo for a guided tour before we carry on to Bassano del Grappa for a guided tasting of the local product. We have dinner at a local restaurant in Bassano del Grappa before returning to our accommodation in Castelfranco.

Day 9: Castelfranco to Correggio

Accommodation: 4 nights Best Western Hotel Dei Medaglioni or similar.

After checking out of our accommodation early, we head for Correggio by way of Venice. We meet our local assistant and board the vaporetto to Piazza San Marco. Our local guide then gives us a guided tour of Venice and we’ll see the attractions of the city, such as the Doge’s palace from the canals before we have a fish and wine tasting. After some free time we jump back on the vaporetto and meet up with our coach to continue the journey to Correggio. We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner.

Day 10: Correggio

Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Dei Medaglioni or similar.

Our day begins with a free morning to relax and stroll around Correggio. At noon we head for Modena, where we have lunch at own arrangements before our local guide gives us a guided tour of the highlights of the city. We have a tour of a local balsamic vinegar factory where we learn what work goes into producing this Italian staple. We will have dinner at a local restaurant in Modena before we board our coach for our return to Correggio.

Day 11: Correggio

Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Dei Medaglioni or similar.

Parma is the destination for our full-day excursion today. This morning we meet our local guide and visit local cheese and prosciutto producers where we learn about the local Parmesan and Parma ham. Naturally, some tasting will be involved. We have lunch at a local restaurant to sample more of the local produce before our local guide gives us a tour of the city. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 12: Correggio

Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Dei Medaglioni or similar.

This morning we explore Comacchio Natural Park in the area of the Po Delta. We have a guided boat tour of the wetlands where we gain an understanding of the local flora and fauna. We have lunch at a local restaurant in Comacchio. After lunch we visit Ferrara where our local guide will take us on a walking tour including a visit to the local castle. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 13: Corregio-Florence

We check out of our hotel and depart Correggio bound for Florence, where we spend half the day with our local guide showing us the highlights of this fabulous city.

The tour concludes after the city tour of Florence.

Tour Notes

  • Group size will be a maximum of 18 participants.

Includes / Excludes

What’s included in our Tour

  • 12 nights of hotel accommodation.
  • Meals as indicated on the itinerary.
  • Transport and field trips as indicated.
  • Applicable entry fees and services of local guides.
  • Tipping and gratuities.
  • Services of an Odyssey Tour Leader.
  • Detailed tour information booklet.

What’s not included in our Tour

  • Return international airfares including taxes.
  • Comprehensive travel insurance.
  • Items of a personal nature such as telephone calls and laundry.
Level 2 - Moderate

Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking / hiking up to 8 kilometers per day on uneven ground.

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Departure

26 August 2024

Available

Ends 07 September 2024 • 13 days

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Room Type

Single Traveller
£6,903
Two Travellers
£5,644 pp

By booking two travellers sharing a room you save $2430 per person.

Payment Type

You can reserve your spot by paying a £1,000 pp deposit, for full details please see our Terms & Conditions .

Pay Deposit
£2,000
Pay Full
£11,288

Prices are per person and valid until 30th December 2024.

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Make it a private tour

If you have a group of 6 friends or more you can book this tour as a private departure, with all the benefits of our small group tours.
Get in touch to find out more.

Easing your journey

Crossing international borders with restrictions

The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:

Pre-departure checklist for travelling across International borders.
Support over email or phone available 24/7 for any questions you have.

For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.

Book With Confidence

If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.

See Terms and conditions for details.

Peace of Mind Travel

The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.

See Peace of Mind Travel for details.

Reading List Download PDF

The Italians

John Hooper

Sublime and maddening, fascinating yet baffling, Italy is a country of endless paradox and seemingly unanswerable riddles.

John Hooper's marvellously entertaining and perceptive new book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Looking at the facts that lie behind - and often belie - the stereotypes, his revealing book sheds new light on many aspects of Italian life: football and Freemasonry, sex, symbolism and the reason why Italian has twelve words for a coat hanger, yet none for a hangover.

The Popes: A History

John Julius Norwich

John Julius Norwich examines the oldest continuing institution in the world, tracing the papal line down the centuries from St Peter (traditionally - but by no means historically - the first Pope) to the present. Of the 280-odd holders of the supreme office, some have unquestionably been saints; others have wallowed in unspeakable iniquity.

One was said to have been a woman, her sex being revealed only when she improvidently gave birth to a baby during a papal procession. Almost as shocking was Formosus whose murdered corpse was exhumed, clothed in pontifical vestments, propped up on a throne and subjected to trial.

From the glories of Byzantium to the decay of Rome, from the Albigensian Heresy to controversy within the Church today, The Popes is superbly written, witty and revealing.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Romans but were afraid to ask

Peter Jones

The Romans left a long-lasting legacy and their influence can still be seen all around us - from our calendar and coins, to our language and laws - but how much do we really know about them? Help is at hand in the form of Veni, Vidi, Vici, which tells the remarkable, and often surprising, story of the Romans and the most enduring empire in history.

Fusing a lively and entertaining narrative with rigorous research, Veni, Vidi, Vici breaks down each major period into a series of concise nuggets that provide a fascinating commentary on every aspect of the Roman world - from plebs to personalities, sauces to sexuality, games to gladiators, poets to punishments, mosaics to medicine and Catullus to Christianity.

Through the twists and turns of his 1250-year itinerary, Peter Jones is a friendly and clear-thinking guide. In this book he has produced a beguiling and entertaining introduction to the Romans, one that vividly brings to life the people who helped create the world we live in today.

Invisible Romans: Prostitutes, outlaws, slaves, gladiators, ordinary men and women ... the Romans that history forgot

Robert C. Knapp

Robert Knapp seeks out the ordinary people who formed the fabric of everyday life in ancient Rome and the outlaws and pirates who lay beyond it. They are the housewives, prostitutes, freedmen, slaves, soldiers, and gladiators who lived commonplace lives and left almost no trace in history - until now. But their words are preserved in literature, letters, inscriptions and graffiti and their traces can be found in the histories, treatises, plays and poetry created by the elite. A world lost from view for two millennia is recreated through these, and other, tell-tale bits of evidence cast off by the visible mass of Roman history and culture.

Invisible Romans reveals how everyday Romans sought to survive and thrive under the afflictions of disease, war, and violence, and to control their fates under powers that both oppressed and ignored them. Their lives - both familiar and foreign to ours today - are shown against the tumult of a great empire that shaped their worlds as it forged the wider world around them.

The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and its Citrus Fruit

Helena Attlee

Travellers have always been thrilled by the sight of citrus in Italy, where dark leaves and bright fruit seem to charge the landscape, making the trees symbols of a sun-soaked, poetic vision of the country. Citrus also holds a special place in the Italian imagination, and in The Land Where Lemons Grow, Helena Attlee sets out to explore its curious past and its enduring resonance in Italian culture. The Land Where Lemons Grow is a heady mixture of travel writing, history, horticulture and art; a unique journey through Italy's cultural, culinary and political past. Helena Attlee is the author of four books about Italian gardens, and others on the cultural history of gardens around the world. Helena is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund and has worked in Italy for nearly 30 years.

Art in Renaissance Italy

John T. Paoletti and Gary M. Radke

With a freshness and breadth of approach that sets the art in its context, this book explores why works were created and who commissioned the palaces, cathedrals, paintings, and sculptures. It covers Rome and Florence, Venice and the Veneto, Assisi, Siena, Milan, Pavia, Genoa, Padua, Mantua, Verona, Ferrara, Urbino, and Naples. Chapters are grouped into four chronological parts, allowing for a sustained examination of individual cities in different periods. "Contemporary Scene" boxes provide fascinating glimpses of daily life and "Contemporary Voice" boxes quote from painters and writers of the time. Innovative and scholarly, yet accessible and beautifully presented, this book is a definitive work on the Italian Renaissance. This revised edition contains around 200 new pictures and nearly all colour images.

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