The Italian Riviera

Your Italian expedition begins at London St. Pancras today. Join your group and Tour Manager at the designated meeting point, and together, board the Eurostar bound for Paris. We change trains in the French capital and continue south to Turin, Italy - the country's first capital. Centuries of Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical architecture fill the skyline as we approach our destination. Transfer to the hotel with the remainder of the night to settle into your new surroundings. Overnight Turin. 

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

The morning is yours to begin exploring Turin, a beautiful city whose influences pull from both French and Italian cultures. Turin is home to incredible museums, including the Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of the Cinema, and fantastic parks and piazzas, such as the Piazza San Carlo, that allow you to explore the city's essence. You could make a trip to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist to see the famous Shroud of Turin, which is believed to be the burial shroud used for Jesus Christ after his crucifixion and shows an imprint of his face. It has been on display in Turin since 1578.

Later, we continue to Sestri Levante, a town on a peninsula overlooking the gorgeous Mediterranean. The views are incredible, with glittering blue bays on either side of the city and colorful Mediterranean buildings at every turn. Overnight Sestri Levante.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a day at leisure to soak in the beauty of Sestri Levante. On one side of the town is the Bay of Fairy Tales, named for Hans Christian Andersen, who lived here in 1833. This portion is perhaps the liveliest, with its port, promenade, and boutique shops. On the other side is the Bay of Silence, largely considered one of the most scenic and enchanting places on the Italian Riviera. Beautiful beaches make this portion of Sestri Levante a wonderful place for a stroll. Perhaps take a walk through Old Town to explore its intertwining streets lined with rainbow-hued structures, or stop at one of the local cafés, bars, or restaurants to sample the catch of the day or an Aperol Spritz. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast

Today takes us deeper into the Riviera to the Cinque Terre, a group of picturesque coastal villages within their own National Park. The Villages share UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to their old-world allures and breathtaking scenery. We begin our excursion on the rails, traveling along the coastline by train to Riomaggiore, a historical destination beloved for its colorful houses, which creep up the hillside from the charming harbor. From here, we cruise through the brilliant blue water to Vernazza, an elegant destination with cobbled streets that lead to its crowning jewel, its medieval castle. Quaint cafés line the boulevards, and around us are all the amazing views one would expect from this part of the world. Our final stop of the day takes us to Monterosso, the most northerly of the villages in the Cinque Terre. This destination is beloved for its large sandy beach and lemon trees and is awash in character with its narrow streets, tall houses, and beautiful squares. Spend some time wandering at leisure before we return to Sestri Levante for the evening. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

Back on the water, we venture toward Portofino, highly regarded as one of the most beautiful port towns in the Mediterranean. Our scenic cruise unveils vistas of sparkling water and majestic coasts as we near this fishing village. Pastel-painted houses surround its stunning natural harbor; beyond, olive groves and forests frame the backdrop. The combination is truly picturesque. Soak in this scenery while we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, savoring the local cuisine and views of the idyllic harbor and blue sea. After lunch, our trip continues toward San Fruttuoso, where we visit the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, an ancient Benedictine monastery built in the 10th century. The abbey is set in a pretty bay beneath wooded hillsides and has seen over 1,000 years of history. Nearby is the underwater statue of "Christ in the Abyss," said to protect local sailors. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

*If weather conditions prevent us from docking in San Fruttuoso, we will visit Santa Margherita instead. Santa Margherita has the undertones of a traditional fishing village yet boasts all of the glamor and beauty of a Riviera resort town.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today provides an opportunity for you to explore the beautiful Italian Riviera independently. With Sestri Levante being on the main coastal rail line, you may wish to catch the train back to the Cinque Terre towns and visit Manarola and Corniglia. Facing each other either side of a steep-sided bay and both awash with beauty, these villages have very differing character. Manarola is famed for its sweet wine Sciacchetrà, and its colorful buildings drape over the sharp cliff and through the winding valley. Corniglia is the only one of the five villages to not have access from the sea and sits high on a rocky outcrop overlooking olive groves and terraces of vines. From the station, it can be reached via nearly 400 steps, although a small bus does run occasionally.

For a flatter terrain, you could head to nearby Chiavari with its long promenade along the glistening sea, or its historic centre around Piazza Mazzini. The cathedral was constructed in the early 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 delightful town of Rapallo sweeps round a small bay and, with a palm-lined promenade, has proved an attractive destination for literary figures since the 1800s. Both towns enjoy a proliferation of restaurants serving up local Ligurian food, including seafood, that you may wish to enjoy this evening. The famous 'buridda' seafood stew originates from this region, while the simple anchovy dish of 'bagnun' reportedly hails from Sestri Levante.

• Breakfast

After breakfast this morning, we take the train to Liguria's capital and a city whose historic importance has been felt throughout this trip - Genoa. An enjoyable journey along the riviera coast with the sea never far from view gets us straight to the heart of this ancient port, one of Italy's great cities.

A knowledgeable guide takes us on an insightful walking tour of the old town that includes the Doge's Palace, an impressive Renaissance building built in 1298, and explains why Genoa has earned the nickname 'La Superba'. As the former home of explorer Christopher Columbus, Genoa has always looked towards the sea for its wealth and influence. Its medieval maritime republic stretched from Morocco to Crimea and the city now contains a treasure trove of history, art and grand 16th and 17th-century palaces. After your tour, you have free time in this lovely Italian city to admire its fine museums and galleries, the magnificent cathedral, ancient churches and beautiful harbour. Or relax at a waterfront café or restaurant with a glass of chilled Italian wine and a tasty local lunch.

Returning to Sestri Levante, we head to a trattoria near our hotel. Here, we discover how to make delicious pesto following a traditional Genoese recipe, before sitting down to enjoy a mouth-watering pasta meal for dinner. The aroma of basil pervades many parts of this beautiful area, radiating from market stalls and window boxes, and this fragrant herb is mixed with cheese, pine nuts and garlic to make pesto Genovese. Such is the popularity of this green sauce, that Genoa airport lifted its ban on liquids above 100ml - but only if the item in question is pesto Genovese.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A local train takes us to the picturesque fishing village of Camogli. This destination captures our attention and hearts with its pristine cliffside location, dark pebble beach, and beautiful harbor filled with colorful fishing boats. Groves of pine and olive trees climb the hillside behind it. While Camogli does not have the glam or prestige of its Italian Riviera neighbors, it has much to offer, and we will discover it all during our guided tour. We explore the town center and the gleaming seashore, lined with attractive sherbet-colored buildings, while wandering through hundreds of years of history. Spend some time taking in the vibrant culture and perhaps tasting local focaccia before returning to our hotel for dinner this evening. Overnight Sestri Levante. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we leave the Sestri Levante and the Italian Riviera by train, the route of which takes us all the way round the arch of the Ligurian Sea through Genoa to Ventimiglia. Passing pretty seaside towns all the way, the route is rarely far from the glistening sea.

Entering France, we make our way to the Côte d'Azur resort of Saint-Raphaël, where we check in to our hotel overlooking the marina and have a three-course dinner. Overnight Saint-Raphaël.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our seaside journey comes to a close this morning as we check out of our hotel and make our way to the Nice train station to board the train bound for Paris. Here, we join the Eurostar service back to London St. Pancras, where you can depart at leisure. 

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal