First Class Italian Riviera & Portofino

Your vacation starts as you arrive in Sestri Levante, our home for a week. Home to sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, the town is set on a peninsula overlooking the glittering Mediterranean and surrounded by two attractive bays - Baia del Silenzio and Baia delle Favole. Meet the Tour Manager at our 4-Star hotel in a central location before dinner this evening. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

Please Note - For departures Apr 21, Apr 28, May 05 and Sep 29 we will stay at the Grand Hotel Villa Balbi in Sestri Levante.

• Dinner

Waking up on the Italian Riviera, you're free to explore Sestri Levante, or Sestri as the locals call it, at your own pace today. This laid-back coastal town has a historic old town, where classical colorful Italian buildings and Baroque palazzos line the narrow streets. Near our hotel is the Basilica Santa Maria di Nazareth, a Renaissance church with remarkable frescoes and ornate decorations.

The Bay of Fairytales is named for Hans Christian Andersen who once lived in Sestri. With its port, beaches and shops, this is the liveliest part of town. Palms and umbrella pines shelter the attractive promenade on the edge of a long sandy beach with views of Chiavari in the distance.

On the other side of the old town is the Bay of Silence, also known as Portobello. This is considered one of the best sandy beaches in Italy and is a wonderful spot for a stroll or to relax. The town has many appealing cafés, bars and restaurants you could visit for lunch or dinner - maybe to sample the catch of the day, relax with an Aperol Spritz or a gelato. Overnight Sestri Levante.

• Breakfast

Today we explore three of the picturesque Cinque Terre villages. The villages date from around the 11th and 12th centuries when residents from inland settled on this 10-mile stretch of the Ligurian coast, where vines and olives could be grown easily and the sea provided an abundance of fish.

We set off by train with a local guide to Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the villages. Here, tall, colorful buildings sweep down a steep hill to a small harbor and an emerald bay, with terraces of olive groves above. There is time to explore before sailing to the next location. Vernazza has a 10th-century tower, a piazza and cobbled streets lined by quaint cafes, where you are free to grab a spot of lunch.

Our next stop is Monterosso, where a spacious piazza leads on to bustling streets with many restaurants and bars. Known for its lemon trees, anchovies and sandy beach, there's time to look around before we travel back to Sestri and a three-course dinner. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we cruise to Portofino, a picturesque fishing village that has long attracted the glamorous and elite.

Set in a natural harbor dotted with fishing boats and yachts, above are olive groves and Mediterranean pines. An array of buildings painted terracotta, peach and yellow gather round a piazza, with floral terraces cascading from above. Our guide shows us around and we have lunch in a restaurant, with views across the harbor.

After free time in Portofino, we sail to San Fruttuoso. This gorgeous cove is only accessible by foot or boat and is dominated by a 10th-century Benedictine abbey. Overlooking the abbey is a 16th-century tower, nestled in the wooded hillsides that encircle the bay. Submerged in the bay is the underwater statue of 'Christ in the Abyss', which is said to protect local sailors. There is time here to explore the museum or simply soak up the ambience before returning to Rapallo then driving back to Sestri where we have dinner. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

If weather conditions mean the boat can't land at San Fruttuoso, we visit Santa Margherita instead, a tranquil village with old-fashioned Italian charm.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is a chance to explore the beautiful Italian Riviera independently. Sestri Levante is on the main coastal rail line, and you may wish to catch the train back to the Cinque Terre towns of Manarola or Corniglia. Manarola is famed for its sweet wine, while Corniglia sits high on a rocky outcrop overlooking olive groves and terraces of vines. From the station, Corniglia can be reached via nearly 400 steps, although a small bus does run occasionally.

Alternatively, head to nearby Chiavari for a walk along its promenade, or to explore its historic center. The cathedral here was constructed in the 17th-century after a miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary, but its entrance was added 200 years later in a style inspired by the Roman Pantheon.

Further north, the town of Rapallo with a palm-lined promenade, has been an attractive destination for literary figures since the 1800s. Restaurants in both towns serve Ligurian specialties, that you may wish to enjoy this evening, such as the 'buridda' seafood stew or a simple anchovy dish, 'bagnun'. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we take the train to Liguria's capital, Genoa. A journey along the coast brings us straight to the heart of this ancient port, one of Italy's great cities. A knowledgeable guide takes us on a walking tour of the old town that includes the Doge's Palace, an impressive Renaissance building, and explains why Genoa has the nickname 'La Superba'. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, Genoa is a treasure trove of history, art and grand palaces.

Following our tour, you are free to discover Genoa's fine museums, its cathedral, and beautiful harbor at your own pace. Or relax at a waterfront café or restaurant with a glass of chilled Italian wine and a local lunch.

Returning to Sestri Levante, we head to a nearby trattoria and discover how to make pesto, following a traditional Genoese recipe, before sitting down to a pasta meal for dinner. The aroma of basil is always present in Italy, radiating from market stalls and window boxes, and this fragrant herb is mixed with pecorino cheese, pine nuts and garlic to make pesto Genovese. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we catch the train to the fishing village of Camogli. While Portofino and the Cinque Terre may be the headline acts, Camogli quietly impresses with its pastel-hued and ornate buildings overlooking a bay and a harbor beside its 12th-century church. A warren of alleyways and arcades connect the harborside to the beach, and - with waterfront piazzas creating a sense of connection to the water - there is an air of an undiscovered Venice about Camogli.

A guide shows us round this characterful port village and informs us of its maritime past, when Camogli became known as 'the city of a thousand white sailing ships'. We see the remains of the 14th-century Dragonara Castle, constructed to protect the village. After our tour, you have free time to soak up Camogli's atmosphere and charm. You could indulge in lunch in one of the village's lovely restaurants, perhaps enjoying a spaghetti vongole with a chilled glass of white wine.

Leaving Camogli in the late afternoon, we return by train to Sestri Levante before enjoying our final dinner on the Italian Riviera. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

It's time to leave Sestri Levante this morning. Our tour has taken in the villages and towns of the Italian Riviera, with their pastel-colored houses, sparkling sea and laid-back charm. After breakfast, you can make your way home at leisure with new memories of your Italian vacation.

• Breakfast