Hamilton & Chase Tours
Essence of Italy — Private Package 7-day Italy tour: Venice, Florence & Rome

7-Day Private Package Journey

Essence of Italy

Venice, Florence & Rome

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided
From €2,490 per person 7 days / 6 nights
View Itinerary

Tour Overview

7 days across Italy.

Seven days is exactly enough time to fall in love with Italy — if you spend them in the right places. This private journey begins in Rome, where two thousand years of history are not in museums but in the streets, the piazzas, the ruins you pass on the way to dinner. It continues north to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and the city where Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo all lived within walking distance of each other. It ends in Venice, where the absence of cars and the presence of water make the city feel like a dream that someone has been maintaining with enormous effort for a thousand years. Every guide is a specialist, every hotel is chosen for position and character, every transfer includes private drivers and train tickets.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1 — Arrival in Rome
Day 1
1

Day 1

Arrival in Rome

Two thousand years waiting for you to arrive.

Your private driver meets you at Rome Fiumicino Airport and transfers you to your hotel in the historic centre. After settling in, the afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace — Rome rewards the unplanned wander. Follow the sound of water to the Trevi Fountain, duck into the Pantheon for five minutes and stay for forty, or find a quiet table in Trastevere as the neighbourhood transitions from daytime bustle to evening charm. We'll have our curated list of favourite restaurants waiting for you at the hotel — the kind of neighbourhood trattorias where cacio e pepe and supplì are served the way they've always been.

  • Private airport transfer into Rome
  • Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona at leisure
  • Curated restaurant recommendations for your first Roman evening
4–5★ centrally located hotel, Rome historic centre
Day 2 — Rome Highlights
Day 2
2

Day 2

Rome Highlights

The empire that built the Western world, in ruins you can walk through.

Your private guide — an archaeologist who has spent decades working on Roman sites — meets you after breakfast for a full day in Rome's most essential spaces. The morning begins at the Colosseum with skip-the-line access: fifty thousand spectators, a hundred days of inaugural games, the most recognisable silhouette in the ancient world. Your guide makes the engineering and the spectacle feel immediate. From there, walk through the Roman Forum — the collapsed heart of a city of one million people — and up to Palatine Hill for views over the ruins that are worth the climb. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace: the Capitoline Museums, the Aventine Hill keyhole with its perfect view of St. Peter's dome, a coffee in the Monti neighbourhood, or simply the pleasure of wandering streets where every corner reveals something ancient.

  • Colosseum skip-the-line with archaeologist guide
  • Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
  • Free afternoon to explore Rome at your pace
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Rome historic centre
Day 3 — Rome to Florence
Day 3
3

Day 3

Rome to Florence

From the Eternal City to the cradle of the Renaissance.

A leisurely Roman morning — perhaps a final espresso at the corner bar, a walk through Trastevere in the quiet morning light, or a visit to the Borghese Gallery if your departure timing allows. Your private driver transfers you to Roma Termini for the high-speed train to Florence — a comfortable ninety-minute ride through the Lazio countryside and into the green hills of Tuscany. At Firenze Santa Maria Novella, another private driver is waiting to take you to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to discover Florence on foot: cross the Ponte Vecchio at golden hour, browse the leather workshops of the Oltrarno, or settle into Piazza Santo Spirito with an Aperol and watch the Florentines go about their evening.

  • Private driver transfers, high-speed train Rome to Florence
  • Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno neighbourhood at leisure
  • First Florence evening at your own pace
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Florence historic centre
Day 4 — Florence Renaissance Highlights
Day 4
4

Day 4

Florence Renaissance Highlights

The city where the modern world was invented.

Your private guide — an art historian who specialises in the Medici period — meets you after breakfast for a morning that moves through Florence's most extraordinary spaces. The Baptistery's gilded Gates of Paradise, the Duomo whose dome Brunelleschi engineered without scaffolding, Piazza della Signoria with its open-air sculpture collection, and the narrow streets where Dante, Machiavelli, and the Medici once walked. The Uffizi Gallery or the Accademia follows: the Uffizi for Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Leonardo's Annunciation in the densest concentration of Renaissance painting on earth; the Accademia for Michelangelo's David, which is larger and more present than any reproduction suggests. The afternoon is free — the leather school behind Santa Croce, the Mercato Centrale, or a long coffee in Piazza della Repubblica as the city moves around you.

  • Baptistery Gates of Paradise and Duomo complex
  • Uffizi Gallery — Botticelli and Leonardo
  • Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David
  • Free afternoon in Florence
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Florence historic centre
Day 5 — Florence to Venice
Day 5
5

Day 5

Florence to Venice

Trading the Renaissance for the lagoon.

A Florence morning before the train — the Boboli Gardens above the Palazzo Pitti, a final walk past the Duomo's marble facade, or a stop at the Mercato Centrale for provisions. Your private driver transfers you to Santa Maria Novella station for the high-speed train north — two hours through the Po Valley before the Venetian lagoon appears on both sides of the causeway. At Venice Santa Lucia station, your private water taxi meets you for the ride to your hotel: through the back channels first, then into the Grand Canal where the palazzi lean over the water and the Rialto Bridge frames the view ahead. Check in, find a bacaro in San Polo, and order cicchetti and a glass of Soave — the Venetian equivalent of tapas, and the perfect introduction to a city unlike any other.

  • Private driver transfers, high-speed train Florence to Venice
  • Private water taxi arrival through the Venetian canals
  • Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge first views
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel near Grand Canal, Venice
Day 6 — Venice Highlights
Day 6
6

Day 6

Venice Highlights

A Byzantine basilica, a maritime empire's palace, and streets made of water.

Your Venetian art historian meets you after breakfast for a morning in the city's most spectacular spaces. St. Mark's Basilica before the crowds: the golden mosaic ceiling represents a thousand years of Byzantine art, each conquest bringing its treasures back to be built into the church. The Doge's Palace — seat of a maritime republic that controlled trade across the eastern Mediterranean — follows: the Great Council Chamber, Tintoretto's Paradise, and the Bridge of Sighs connecting to the prisons. The afternoon opens into the quieter Venice: Dorsoduro's Zattere promenade, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco with its Tintoretto ceiling cycle, and the back canals of Cannaregio where the cats sleep and the tourist trail hasn't arrived. An optional gondola ride at dusk — the Grand Canal in the last light, the palazzi turning gold — is the way to end a Venetian day.

  • St. Mark's Basilica — Byzantine gold mosaics
  • Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs
  • Dorsoduro and Scuola Grande di San Rocco
  • Optional gondola ride at golden hour
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel near Grand Canal, Venice
Day 7 — Departure
Day 7
7

Day 7

Departure

Three cities, seven days, and the feeling that Italy has kept a part of you.

Your last Venetian morning: a final espresso at the bar, a walk across the Rialto Bridge and through the Rialto market where the vegetables are arranged as if someone is competing and the fish from the lagoon is still glistening. At the agreed time, your private water taxi transfers you across the lagoon to Marco Polo Airport. Your travel specialist remains reachable until you're home — and a few days later will be in touch to hear which of the three cities has already claimed a permanent place in your conversation.

  • Final morning in Venice — Rialto market
  • Private water taxi transfer to the airport
Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Rome

Rome

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, and best restaurants

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Florence

Florence

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to the Uffizi, Duomo, and Ponte Vecchio

4–5★ hotel near the Grand Canal, Venice

Venice

2 nights

4–5★ hotel near the Grand Canal

San Marco or Cannaregio

Canal view rooms available on request; central position for all guided visits

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

  • 6 nights in 4–5★ centrally located hotels (double occupancy)
  • Daily breakfast at each hotel
  • Airport meet & greet on arrival
  • Private airport transfers in Rome and Venice
  • Private driver transfers to and from train stations
  • High-speed train tickets (Rome–Florence, Florence–Venice)
  • Private water taxi in Venice
  • Luggage handling (1 suitcase per person)
  • Private expert guides in Rome, Florence, and Venice
  • Skip-the-line access at Colosseum and major sites
  • All entrance fees included in guided visits
  • All scheduled tours and transport as per itinerary
  • 24/7 local support throughout your trip
  • Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant and local recommendations

Not Included

  • International flights to Rome / from Venice
  • Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
  • Lunches and dinners
  • Personal expenses (shopping, additional drinks, gondola rides)
  • Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
  • City tax (collected directly by hotels, typically €3–6 per person per night)

Good to Know

  • This itinerary is a starting point — days, hotels, and experiences can all be adjusted to suit your preferences and travel style.
  • The 7-day format is genuinely achievable without feeling rushed — this is the standard itinerary for first-time visitors to Italy.
  • Venice has no wheeled transport — all movement is on foot or by boat. Luggage is handled by our team from station to hotel.
  • All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your group — never shared with other travellers.
  • Flexible booking: adjust or postpone your dates up to 60 days before departure at no charge.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

A private guided morning in the Vatican — skip-the-line access to the museums, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica

From €95 pp

Tuscany day trip from Florence

Siena's Campo, San Gimignano's towers, and a Chianti estate tasting — the full Tuscany day in one sweep

From €165 pp

Venice lagoon islands tour

Private boat to Murano for glassblowing demonstrations and Burano for the painted fishing houses — the lagoon beyond Venice proper

From €120 pp

Gondola serenata evening

A private gondola with a musician at dusk — the Grand Canal at its most romantic, with an accordion echoing off the palazzo walls

From €180 pp

Borghese Gallery Rome

Bernini's sculpture in the intimate rooms of a Baroque villa — requires advance booking but is one of the finest art experiences in Rome

From €75 pp

"We did Rome, Florence and Venice in seven days and it never felt rushed. The guides were exceptional in every city — especially the Rome archaeologist who made the Colosseum feel like it was happening around us. Exactly what Italy should feel like."

Jennifer & Paul T.

Chicago, IL · Essence of Italy, June 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Is 7 days enough for Rome, Florence, and Venice?

It is enough to experience each city meaningfully — 2 nights in each gives you the essential experiences plus breathing room. Guests often say they want more time in every city, which is the correct response — it means the cities worked. The natural extension adds 1–2 nights in each, making a 9–10 day itinerary.

Can I reverse the direction and start in Venice?

Yes — the itinerary works equally well in either direction. Some guests prefer to end in Venice so the final impression is the most dreamlike. Your specialist will advise on flight routing.

Private Package Journey

Essence of Italy

7 days / 6 nights

From €2,490

per person

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