Trip Overview
Tales From Topdeckers
Trip itinerary
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Rome, including Vatican City
2You’ve got 24 hours to live out all your Roman Holiday fantasies. First: count your blessings on an included tour of Vatican City with an expert local guide. Then: get out there and do your own, spontaneous, this-is-what-I-came-for thing. Need some local tips? We’ve got your back. Go on a drool-dripping, coma-inducing food and wine tour. Or hike up Capitoline Hill for awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Battle the lunchtime rush for a slice at Pizzarium Bonci. Hunt down the Mouth of Truth. Or simply do as the locals do and indulge in a little dolce far niente (delicious idleness) at a local cafe. You’re in Disneyland for foodies, so finding dinner tonight is gonna to be a breeze. Thought you’d tried all the gelato flavours? Head to Fatamorgana – and think again.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Vatican City with local guide
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Food and wine tour: from €69
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Included Today
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Rome – Pompeii – Sorrento Coast
3Roll out Topdeckers! We’re kicking things off with a traditional lunch and wine tasting (obvs) with the gang on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius. This is livin’. Then, we’ll make a pit stop at one of the most famous ancient cities in the world: Pompeii. Abruptly buried by a volcanic eruption one evening in 79 AD, this incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site is an ancient-history-buff’s wet dream. Get the run around with an expert on an optional guided tour – ticking off ancient forums, colourful preserved artworks and the Stone Phalluses of Pompeii (ask your guide, we dare you). Later, we’ll roll down the glittering Amalfi Coast to Sorrento. Get your bearings, feast at a local restaurant with the gang, then kick back and soak up the atmosphere. Yep, you’re finally here.
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Included Today
- Wine tasting and lunch on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Lunch
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Optional extras
- Guided tour of historic Pompeii: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Sorrento Coast
4Who said group tours have no free time? Here’s 24 hours to do whatever YOU want. Go get it. Ferry over to the gob-smackingly beautiful Isle of Capri. Organise a boat tour to see the famous bluer-than-blue Blue Grotto. Jump on a local bus and explore picturesque Positano. Take in alllll the views from Villa Comunale Park. Or simply pull up a sunbed and soak up some rays. Later, you can test your balance on an optional paddleboarding sesh. It’s more fun when you fall off though (just sayin’). Fact: lemons are kind of a big deal here – so make sure you sample some limoncello or lemon gelato before the day is done.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Stand-up paddleboarding: from €40
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Meals
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Sorrento Coast – Assisi
5Down your cappuccino. Pick up a lemon-themed souvenir for mum. And wave goodbye to the coast (for now). Up next? The picture-perfect hilltop town of Assisi. Located in Umbria (aka central Italy) – this place is all about art, culture and I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E natural scenery. Get the run around St Francis Basilica frescoes, Rocca Maggiore Castle, Basilica di Santa Chiara and Piazza del Comune with a local guide – before splitting off to explore the 14th-century streets solo. Check out Temple of Minerva. Wander around Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo. Then head to a local wine bar to sample a drop (or two) of the good stuff. Dinner tonight is on us. Top tip: try anything with truffles – the region is famous for them.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Assisi with local guide
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Assisi – Siena – Florence
6Been dreaming of sun-soaked, vineyard-covered Tuscan hills? You’re in luck – we’re heading to the capital of Tuscany today. But first: the romantic AF city of Siena – rich in Renaissance architecture, sporting some spesh churches and home to Europe’s greatest medieval square (where the famous Palio horse race is run). Get the full tour with a local guide, then hunt down a local for lunch. Top tip: try this area’s take on pasta called pici. Then? Prepare to make your food baby sing (even louder) as we roll into Florence. Did someone say bar crawl? If you’re feeling it, join the gang on an optional tour where your host will reveal hidden secrets of this scandalous city. Passionate stories AND traditional bevs? We’re in.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Siena with local guide
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Florence Tipsy Tour bar crawl: from €49
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Included Today
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Florence
7Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a London hipster, AND it gave the world gelato (praise be). We’ll get the lay of the land on an in-depth walking tour with a local guide. Then: take your new-found knowledge and hit the streets solo. Uffizi Gallery. Ponte Vecchio. Piazza della Signoria. The Duomo. You can’t see it all, but you sure as hell can try! Been dreaming of rolling Tuscan hills? Head out into the vine-laden Chianti region for an optional dinner and wine tasting at a local winery. Thank us later. Or stay in the city to catch an epic sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo and hunt down a gelateria for a scoop (or two) of the good stuff – we mentioned it was invented here, right?
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Florence with local guide
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Wine tasting and dinner in the Chianti Region: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Florence – Lucca and Pisa – La Spezia
8Another day, another gorgeous Tuscan city. Get that gelato to take-away – we’re making tracks to the walled city of Lucca. This place is the definition of “hidden gem” and you’ll get plenty of free time to discover why. Then: get your creative juices flowing for THAT photo at Pisa before we hit up La Spezia (aka the gateway to Cinque Terre) later. Tonight, dinner is on us – start carb-loading, you’re gonna need it for tomorrow’s adventuring.
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Included Today
- Visit Lucca
- Visit Pisa and see the famous Leaning Tower
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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La Spezia, including Cinque Terre
9The five cliff-side villages of Cinque Terre didn't end up on the World Heritage list for nothing. And each has a vibe of its own. Completely void of corporate development and full of quirks, this is a place where la dolce vita is not so much encouraged as enforced. And you’ve got a full free day to embrace it all. Need some suggestions on how to make the most of your free time? Catch the train to Riomaggiore for colourful postcard-perfect marinas – then down an espresso and hike to Manarola for a quick dip off the rocks. Or trek to the hilltop village of Corniglia for pizza, then work off said pizza with a hike down to Vernazza – check out the church, grab a gelato and train to Monterosso. Sunbake, swim, spritz, watch the sunset, have more spritz. Then head back to La Spezia when you’re done. This is livin’. *Note: is walking the best option for you? If not, save us the headache and just get on the train. You know who you are.
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Included Today
- Visit the picturesque villages of the Cinque Terre
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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La Spezia – Lake Garda – Venice
10Time to get cruisie – we’re gonna spend the morning ferrying on the surface of picture-perfect Lake Garda (aka Italy’s largest lake). Float through the picturesque landscape of Punta San Vigilio while getting low-down on the cultural heritage of Garda’s fairytale islands and picture-perfect villages. We'll park up later in Venice – home to over 400 bridges and birthplace of Vivaldi. After dinner with the gang, this beautiful sinking city is yours for the taking. Go get it.
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Included Today
- Scenic cruise on Lake Garda
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Venice
11Centuries-old architecture. Inventive cuisine. And a bucket load of culture. Venice is just begging to be explored. Check out the who's who of Venice's usual suspects on a walking tour – before rounding things off with a gondola ride down the Grand Canal. And then? The rest is up to you. Insider tip: spend some time seeking out the epic Libreria Acqua Alta bookshop or head off the tourist trail with a trip to Giudecca Island. Go wandering. Chat to the locals. Get lost in the maze of canals and piazzas. Watch the sun go down with a refreshing spritz in hand. That’s what makes the memories.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Venice with Trip Leader
- Gondola ride down the Grand Canal
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Venice – Orvieto – Rome
12Southward and downward with a pit stop at the hilltop town of Orvieto – to see the grand cathedral and dig into a wild boar panini (unless you’re vegetarian). Then: we’ll hit the road back to la bella Roma. End your day in true Italian fashion: in a carb-induced coma at a local trattoria. This is our last dinner with the gang, so you’d better give this incredible trip the send-off it deserves!
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Included Today
- Visit Orvieto
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Rome
13You can’t be serious, it’s over? Time to say our goodbyes (no crying). But the adventure doesn’t have to end here – we hear Greece is lovely this time of year...
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Meals
What's included
Included experiences
- - Walking tour of Rome with Trip Leader
- - Walking tour of Vatican City with local guide
- - Wine tasting and lunch on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius
- - Visit the picturesque Amalfi Coast
- - Walking tour of Assisi with local guide
- - Walking tour of Siena with local guide
- - Walking tour of Florence with local guide
- - Visit Lucca
- - Visit Pisa and see the famous Leaning Tower
- - Visit the picturesque villages of the Cinque Terre
- - Scenic cruise on Lake Garda
- - Walking tour of Venice with Trip Leader
- - Gondola ride down the Grand Canal
- - Visit Orvieto
Accommodation
- 12 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double)
Transport
Optional activities
- FYI: these are optional activities available locally. Things might change – prices are here to give you a rough idea.
- Food and wine tour: from €69
- Guided tour of historic Pompeii: prices available locally
- Stand-up paddleboarding: from €40
- Florence Tipsy Tour bar crawl: from €49
- Wine tasting and dinner in the Chianti Region: prices available locally
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 16 reviews
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Anonymous October 2023
Overall, the tour had a range of great inclusions and optional activities. All the hotels were clean and had the necessities. The itinerary hadn't been updated so most travellers were a bit disappointed that the included cooking class was not happening.
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Christian My October 2023
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Anonymous October 2023
Delve Deep: Italy was amazing!! Italy is a stunning country and although it felt a bit rushed, it was a great way to see a large amount of the country in a small amount of time. For what we got, it was pretty cheap too!
The group was like travelling with family. We all made great friends and got along so well! We often had to come together to organise our own activities and it was so much fun (especially the Karaoke bar in Florence)!
I can't fault the itinerary at all. All included activities were fabulous and the included meals were delicious - I definitely ate my way around the country...
Our trip leader although was not great. He was unorganised, made us pay for 'optional extras' that weren't in the itinerary, would disappear to visit his friends without providing any guidance on where we were or things to do in the area - often with our bus driver.
During our included walking tour of Rome, we would arrive at (for example) the Trevi Fountain, and there was no history provided, nothing to say where we were and why, and at the end he left without giving us a tip on how to get back to the hotel - I know we are adults, but this would've been extremely helpful, especially at night and that is what we were paying him for.
We then arrived in Sorrento (would highly recommend going here, it is stunning). Some of us expressed interest in using our free day to go and explore the island of Capri and the Blue Grotto. Our trip leader then sent us a link saying that he could book us a boat tour of the island including the Blue Grotto for 120euros. Unknowingly, we were excited and agreed, thinking it was maybe through a group that TopDeck knew. Turns out, we had to give our cash (we couldn't pay by card or online) straight to our trip leader (there was about 10 of us total). He then told us to wait while he took our money, handed some over to a man on a boat, then we got on. We were then expected to to pay extra to go into the Blue Grotto, even though our trip leader assured us it was included.
In hindsight, we probably should've done some research and checked the optional extras before committing to the 120euros for the boat tour, but we thought we could trust our leader and that it was a TopDeck approved activity - none of us had previously been on a TopDeck trip before, so we didn't know exactly how things were meant to run.After Sorrento, we headed for Naples, where our trip leader made us pay him 10euros for a walking tour of Naples and ONE slice of pizza. Naples was not included in the trip itinerary.
From there, the group decided to not trust our trip leader when it came to 'optional extras' and would do our own thing. Because of this, he would get visibly annoyed with us and do his own thing.
It wasn't until I went straight to another TopDeck trip in Greece where I realised what he was doing was not normal and we were being ripped off. The final thing he did, was ask us all for a cash tip at the conclusion of our trip.
Would highly recommend this trip, with hopefully a different trip leader.
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