Save up to 40% off getaways
Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our content.
Best Italy tours and tour companies for 2022
Find out which tour company will lead you on your dream holiday across Italy with all of the stops on your bucket list.
Italy is food, culture, history and more. It’s a place many fantasise about for good reason and add to the top of their bucket list.
Luckily, Italy is the perfect destination for all ages and all types of travellers, with ancient cities for culture buffs to explore, mountains in the north for nature lovers, medieval towns with surrounding vineyards for foodies and relaxed water destinations for holiday makers in Cinque Terre or the Italian Lakes District.
There are tours that cover just the highlights as well as tours that dive deep into culture, food and leisure activities.
We’ve done the research and found the best tours for each type of traveller, so you can tick off your must-see destinations as you travel across this land of food, wine and scenic sites without having to lift a finger to plan.
Our favourite Italy tour companies
Trafalgar
Trafalgar is all about living the good life, which goes hand in hand with Italian culture. This esteemed tour company is dedicated to showing its travellers the soul of a destination through VIP experiences and by connecting you with locals – which is just what you’ll want on your Italian holiday.
- Best for: Middle-age, seniors, luxury, family
- Cost: Mid-range
- Our favourite itinerary: The Best of Italy tour is the perfect introduction to Italy. In just under two weeks, you can explore many of the highlights of this beautiful country.
Insight Vacations
Travelling Italy in style is a dream come true for many, and Insight can make that happen with tours that cover the highlights of Italy but also go deeper by exploring with locals and allowing you to enjoy authentic travel experiences in luxury.
- Best for: Luxury, middle-age, seniors
- Cost: High-end
- Our favourite itinerary: Discover the real tastes of Italy on the Country Roads of Umbria and Tuscany tour which travels to two of Italy’s most famous regions for medieval towns and decadent foods.
Cosmos
Cosmos wants to make travel tours available for everyone with price points that don’t break the budget and don’t sacrifice on the things you want, such as nice hotels, good food and excellent guides.
Add that to the fact it builds free time into every itinerary, and you’ll be able to customise your Italy experience to do what you want and join excursions as you please.
- Best for: Groups, budget travellers, all ages (8+)
- Cost: Budget
- Our favourite itinerary: Explore the picturesque towns surrounding Italy’s most beautiful lakes on The Magic of the Italian Lakes tour and nab an insider’s look into the life and beauty of this region.
Globus
What started as a small, family company is now leading travellers to incredible destinations across the world offering multiple tour styles for independent, group and private travellers. With so much included, you’ll have the ultimate holiday in Italy.
- Best for: Boomers and groups
- Cost: Mid-range
- Our favourite itinerary: The Italian Vista tour shows you the highlights from Rome to Milan in eight days, which covers the most famous and scenic sites between these two must-see cities.
Intrepid
Enjoy adventure, food and stepping off the beaten path with Intrepid. Intrepid has tours that cover it all, including the must-see destinations across Italy. Combine these with tours designed for leisure travellers of all ages and you’ll easily find your favourite Italy tour.
- Best for: Adventure, families and groups
- Cost: Mid-range
- Our favourite itinerary: The Cinque Terre: Hike, Bike, Kayak tour shows you Italy in a new and active way across one of the country’s most colourful and visited destinations.
Topdeck
Topdeck wants you to makes friends with the people on your tour as much as they want you to enjoy exploring Italy. It makes travel dreams a reality for young travellers by offering tours that are affordable, give free time to explore and bring you on and off the beaten path.
- Best for: Millennials, backpackers, budget and solo travellers
- Cost: Mid-range
- Our favourite itinerary: We love the Bravo Italia itinerary that takes you across Italy to all the highlights between Rome and Venice at a moderate pace so you don’t get burned out.
G Adventures
Enjoy small-group adventure travel in a style that’s ideal for your holiday while giving back to the community. From active trips to local living, a trip to Italy is pretty much hand-picked for you.
- Best for: Eco-travellers, adventurists, all ages
- Cost: Mid-range
- Our favourite itinerary: The Local Living Italy Amalfi Coast tour combines active and immersive travel, basing you in Naples for eight days to allow you to explore the surrounding mountain towns and crystal blue waters to your heart’s content.
Other tour companies that offer tours in Italy
- Exodus Travels
- Italy on a Budget Tours
- Discovery Nomads
- Contiki
- Pure Adventures
- Soleto Travel
- TourRadar
- ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
- Meet and Greet Italy
- Find Your Italy
- Taste and Slow Italy
- Europamundo
Popular Italy tour routes
Classic Italy: Rome to Venice
The classic Italy route is best for those visiting the country for the first time and are looking for a quick taste of Italy’s delights in one go.
A classic Italy itinerary includes the must-visit sites such as Rome, Venice and Florence as the main cities, often with excursions to sites such as Pompeii, Pisa or Cinque Terre.
Italian Lakes
The Italian Lakes District is a picture-perfect destination famous for Lake Como in Northern Italy. The region brings in visitors for its history, food, outdoor pursuits and for being so distinctly Italian. The picturesque towns surrounding the lakes along with the mountains cast shimmering reflections on the lakes. We can’t blame travellers for wanting to explore this region.
Around Sicily
Exploring Sicily can be as in-depth as you desire and can focus on whatever style of travel calls to you. Take a trip around the island for adventure hiking, cycling and regional cuisine found nowhere else in the country.
Amalfi Coast
Perhaps known as Italy’s most colourful spot, the Amalfi Coast brings travellers on a scenic journey from the coastal shores to the stunningly blue waters that brush up against the vibrant towns of this region. Active travellers and holiday-makers can hike, swim and cycle around the area as well as visit extra destinations such as Pompeii and Naples.
Around Tuscany
Tuscany is home of some of Italy’s best wine, medieval hilltop towns, rolling hills, rustic castles and gorgeous views that disappear into the distance. This region typically caters to an older crowd wishing to indulge in the cuisine, hike through the scenery and take travel at a slower pace through the towns.
How long do I need in Italy?
Italy is a country that can easily be travelled in one trip or broken down into multiple parts. What really determines the amount of time you wish to spend in this splendid country is how in-depth you wish to see everything.
From north to south, you can hit the main highlights of Venice, Florence and Rome with stops in between in 7 to 10 days. Two weeks will allow you to have extra excursions, perhaps to Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast.
With three weeks in Italy, you’ll be able to explore at a leisurely pace, including some towns in Northern Italy in the Lakes District or a few days in Sicily. With one month in Italy, you can discover most of the country fairly in-depth with a tour of Northern Italy that finishes in Rome and then jump on another tour to explore the south and/or Sicily.
If you’re starved for time and have only four or five days at a stretch, we recommend dedicating your efforts to a few select cities or a region to truly explore its highlights. For first-timers, Rome alone can eat up your days with visits to the Colosseum, Forum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel.
Latest deals for Italy tours
More guides on Finder
-
6 travel companies where your deposit lasts a lifetime (or at least a long time)
Lock in your next adventure today with a tour deposit that you can use toward another date or a different destination if you need to change your plans later.
-
Best sites to book South America tours online
Want to trek the Inca Trail, sip fine wines in Mendoza or party hard at Carnival, but not sure where to start? Check out the best South America tour companies for your perfect Latin experience.
-
New Zealand tours and companies for your big Kiwi adventure 2022
See a little or see a lot, the choice is yours with these hot tour companies and their top tours of New Zealand.
-
Best Thailand tours for 2022
Discover the top tours around Thailand from the north to the south and where to book them online.
-
Best Vietnam tours for 2022
The ins and outs of booking a tour through Vietnam, ranging from the best tour companies to suit your travel style to the ideal itineraries to see it all.
-
Cuba tours and where to book them for a bargain
Learn about Cuba from the locals with tours that guide you through Cuba’s past to its present, around its cuisine and to the must-see destinations on these top tours.
-
Best Iceland tours and tour companies for 2022
The best multi-day tours to see the Northern Lights, circumnavigate the famous Golden Circle and explore the mysterious north of Iceland.
-
Compare Niagara-on-the-Lake wine tours
Discover some of the best priced wine tours to sample what Niagara-on-the-Lake has to offer. We compare some of the best.
-
The best Christmas markets in Canada
Check out these top Canadian Christmas markets for the best handmade gifts and tasty holiday treats.