The Art of Touring in Style

“The Art of Touring in Style”

By Sam

I was invited by Insight Vacations to flavour the wonderful delights of a luxury touring holiday.

I did not know what to expect, but I will tell you, it is the best way to get to see a country.

My trip was to take me from Rome to Venice taking in the wonderful countryside of Umbria and Tuscany.

My Highlights:

All you have to do is get yourself up early, have breakfast, and the rest is left to the Tour Director.

Rome –Early start but well worth it as you get fast –tracked into the Vatican Museum.  We also visited the Colosseum, again, no horrible queues to stand in.

Morning drive to Orvieto, the beautiful hilltop town where we visited the impressive Cathedral known to be one of Italy’s most celebrated buildings. In the afternoon we were entertained by Lorenzo Polegri the zesty “Etruscan chef”. We then headed on to Perugia and had a guided walk at night.

Next was Siena with its cobbled streets and where the famous Palio horse race takes place. Our day also included a visit to Chianti and the Tuscan countryside.

The towers and tastes of San Gimignano were next and this is the home to the world-famous Gelateria di Piazza run by the award-winning  gelato maker, Sergio Dondoli. I tried the Black Olive and Goats cheese, Pink grapefruit and Prosecco and the Saffron Cream. I actually ate the lot!!!

We then continued on to Renaissance Florence where we walked through the streets to the Cathedral, admired the bell tower and “Gates of Paradise” before spending time amid the statues and fountains of Signoria Square.

Our final destination was Venice where we were whisked by private water taxi over to our Hotel. We had a guided walk around the back lanes and small squares and a gondola ride through the canals. Later we embarked a private boat over to the Island of Burano famous for its candy coloured houses and the “Pisa-esque” –  the leaning bell tower.

What an amazing week I had.  The local guides were incredibly knowledgeable and are so well known to the Tour directors. You do get lots of time on your own and some not so early starts!!!

All in all it was a fabulous trip. We did cram a lot in as it was a fact finding trip but we did find lots of time to sample the wonderful wines of the regions we visited.

Thank you Insight Vacations for an amazing experience.

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