Journey through Italy: Milan to the Amalfi Coast
18 days | 21 days with Taormina Region extension
Special Event Spotlight
From December 24, 2024, to January 6, 2026, the Jubilee—a major Catholic celebration—will take place in Rome. On some departure dates during this time, tour itineraries may be modified to accommodate for events taking place in the city. Click here for more information.
Cross every corner of Italy off your bucket list.
Relishing simple moments—say, enjoying a seemingly never-ending meal of pasta and wine in Rome—is a way of life in Italy. This feeling of la dolce vita is palpable from the winding canals of Venice and the cliffs of Cinque Terre, to the streets of Florence and the shores of the Sorrento Peninsula. On this immersive tour, each slice of ancient history, dreamy landscape, and fresh local flavor this showstopping country is known for is yours to experience.
Your tour package includes
- 16 nights in handpicked hotels
- 16 breakfasts
- 1 lunch
- 5 dinners with beer or wine
- 10 sightseeing tours
- Expert Tour Director & local guides
- Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
- Milan Cathedral
- St. Mark’s Square
- Balsamic vinegar tasting
- Cinque Terre
- Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Basilica of Santa Croce
- Assisi’s basilicas
- Pompeii ruins
- Roman Forum
- Capri
Itinerary
Overnight flight1 night
Day 1: Travel Day
Board your overnight flight to Milan today.
Milan3 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Milan
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Italy! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner this evening.
Reviews
Hotels
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.
Crowne Plaza Milan City
This urban hotel is located in the Isola Bosco Verticale area of Milan. Guests enjoy the fitness center, wellness area, and outdoor pool. Nearby you'll find the vibrant Isola neighborhood, BAM Tree Library, and several...
Hotel Giorgione
This charming hotel is located in the Cannaregio district in central Venice. Guests enjoy a private courtyard, pool, and billiards area. Nearby, you’ll find the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark’s Square, and Doge’s Palace.
Park Hotel Suisse
This modern hotel is located in Santa Margherita Ligure on the Italian Riviera. Guests enjoy the outdoor pool, bar, and bicycle rentals. Nearby you'll find Santa Margherita Ligure Castle, Villa Durazzo, and beautiful beaches.
Hotel Diplomat
This charming hotel is located near the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi and a restaurant. Nearby, you’ll find the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo dei Congressi, and the Accademia...
UNAWAY Hotel Empire Roma
This historic hotel is located in the heart of Rome. Guests enjoy the Venetian architecture, a piano bar, and an on-site coffee house. Nearby, you’ll find the National Museum of Rome, Villa Borghese, and Trevi Fountain.
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.
Excelsior Palace Hotel Taormina
This historic hotel is located in the city center. Guests enjoy an outdoor swimming pool, sun deck, and restaurant. Nearby, you’ll find Corso Umberto, the Greek Theater, and Taormina Cathedral.
Flights
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
FAQ
- 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 2026, 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 2026, 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 MIG.
- You will walk for at least 2 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills and 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 feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times, as well as stepping between boats and uneven docks.
- 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 Milan and depart from Naples (or Catania on the tour extension). 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 to the bus at the time of your arrival.
- Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
- Water taxi rides in Venice are included in the price of your tour. (The tour extension also includes a flight from Naples to Catania.)
- 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.
- We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
- A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
- You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
- It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
- 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 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 MIG.
- Venice and Northern Italy are known for flavorful meats and pastries.
- On the Italian Riviera, a taste of the region’s famous basil pesto is a must. Delicious seafood dishes are popular along the shore, but true Ligurians favor simple, traditional recipes like minestrone soup and farinata, an unleavened chickpea pancake.
- 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.
- 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).
- The cuisine of Southern Italy is often what diners think of when imagining Italian flavors—pasta with tomato sauces, olives and olive oil, zucchini, veal, and fish are all featured prominently on menus throughout the region.
- On the tour extension, Sicilian cuisine in particular is heavily influenced by Spanish, Greek, and Arab traditions. The Spanish brought New World influences to the region in the form of tomatoes, chocolate, and maize, while the Arab influence can be tasted in recipes that include rice, spinach, saffron, and citrus fruits. Regional specialties include arancini, cannoli, and granita.
- 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, F, or L plugs with two or three 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.
- The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
- Your hotels 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 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 is 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 $4USD 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.
- If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
- The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.
- 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 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.