Kick off the new year in the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Start your trip in Venice, where romance is at the forefront alongside sprawling Baroque palaces and meandering, gondola-dotted canals. Then, head to Florence to celebrate the new year where the legacy of the world’s greatest artists can still be felt. And in Rome, history is ever-present, from the crumbling Colosseum to the Forum. The people, the food, the way of life—experience what Italy is all about as you make your way from one city to the next.
Your tour package includes
7 nights in handpicked hotels
7 breakfasts
3 dinners with beer or wine, including a celebratory New Year’s Eve dinner with Champagne toast
3 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
New Year’s Eve in Florence
St. Mark's Basilica
Florence Duomo
Ponte Vecchio
world-famous Italian cuisine
Colosseum
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Included meal: Dinner
Board your overnight flight to Venice today.
Venice2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Venice
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Italy! Transfer to your hotel and get settled in. Later, meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This classical hotel is located in on the Venetian island of Lido. Guests enjoy a solarium, fitness center, and free Wi-Fi. Nearby, you’ll find the Venetian Lagoon, Lido Beach, and St. Mark’s Square.
Grand Hotel Adriatico
This charming hotel is located in Florence’s city center. Guests enjoy a restaurant, courtyard, and fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find the Uffizi Galleries, Piazza del Duomo, and Ponte Vecchio.
Best Western Hotel President
This modern hotel is located near Termini Station. Guests enjoy free WiFi, a minibar, and laundry center. Nearby, you'll find Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Chapel of San Lorenzo, and Battistero Lateranense.
Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto
This cozy hotel is located in Sorrento’s city center. Guests enjoy an outdoor pool, bar, and free Wi-Fi. Nearby, you’ll find Piazza Tasso, Marameo Beach Club, and the city’s many shops and restaurants.
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
In order to enter Italy, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact your destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code VF6.
You will walk for at least 2 hours daily across mostly flat terrain, including cobblestone streets, with few hills or stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should fee comfortable managing your own baggage at times, as well as getting in and out of boats.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Venice and depart from Rome (or from Naples on the tour extension). When you first arrive, a representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers at the time of your arrival. You will be transferred from the airport in Venice to your hotel in an open-air boat.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
Water taxi rides in Venice are included in the price of your tour.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
Winters in Italy are generally mild. However, to ensure you’re comfortable for outdoor sightseeing and celebrations, we recommend packing a warm coat, hat and gloves, as well as rainwear.
We also suggest packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or boots is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or special performance.
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to your departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code VF6.
Venice and Northern Italy are known for flavorful meats and pastries.
Roman food is typically freshly prepared and varies depending on the season. Must-try bites include cacio e pepe (a simple dish of pasta, cheese, and pepper) and supplí (a fried rice ball similar to Sicily’s arancini).
Tuscany is world-famous for its wine, oil, sauces, and pasta. Menus favor subtle, lighter pastas and desserts made with nuts, fruit, and honey. Try a dish featuring the region’s Chianina beef, perhaps the most prized breed of cattle in all of Italy. For wine, popular Tuscan reds include Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which are primarily made from the Sangiovese grape. Well-known white wines are also made around the San Gimignano region.
For more authentic meals, try local trattorias, small restaurants set away from the main piazzas. A typical Italian meal includes wines and the occasional beer, followed by a few sips of after-dinner drinks like grappa or limoncello.
Italy operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
Your hotel may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
Italy is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the euro on this tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
If you are interested in visiting any of Florence's many museums during your free time, we recommend that you make reservations in advance. See uffizi.org for the Uffizi Gallery or accademia.org for the Accademia Gallery. Please note that the museums are closed on Mondays.
This trip was absolutely incredible and my family of four had a wonderful experience. Our tour guide, Alessandra, was so helpful during the trip as well as witty and knowledgeable. She kept our group in line and helped everything run smoothly. It’s so nice to have tickets handed...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Hi Angie,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that your family had an incredible experience on the trip. We are...
A very good tour
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Shane, traveled in Dec 2023
This was a bucket list trip for me. We first started in Venice, which lived up to my expectations. It is a beautiful historic city that was easily walkable.
Our next visit was to Florence, which was nice, but not as nice as Venice and Rome. You should definitely take the...
Magical and Beautiful
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Trever, traveled in Dec 2021
Italy for the holidays was such a magical experience. Each day we visited the most iconic and beautiful places across the county. We had the most amazing food and drinks and each hotel was better than the last! The old world charm of Venice transformed to cosmopolitan style in...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for sharing your magical holiday experience in Italy with your kind words and wonderful pictures! We're thrilled to hear about...
Tour of Italy
5 out of 5 stars
3rd-time traveler Bryan, traveled in Dec 2022
Incredible destinations, amazing excursions, wonderful tour director, and genuinely nice tour mates made this a memorable vacation for my wife and me.
Italy Iconic Cities
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Adjora, traveled in Dec 2022
This was my 1st EF Tour. It was awesome! I also enjoyed every excursion provided & the extension. Seeing the Venice canals & bridges and traveling by water taxi is an experience I will relish, but the gondola ride sealed the vacation dream. Our tour director, Allesandra , &...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Hi Adjora! Thank you so much for your review and we are very happy to hear that your tour was such a memorable experience. Tour guides are...
Thank you for making my dreams a reality
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Laura, traveled in Dec 2022
This was our first trip to Italy and our first time using EF Guided tours, and it was beyond incredible. our tour guide Alexiandera (Ali) was FANTASTIC!! She made it so easy for us and truly cared about our well being and our enjoyment. She made us feel like family, but in a...
