- Italy Escorted Tours
- Umbria NEW with Rome City Stay
Discover a landscape shaped by history, spirituality, and exceptional local food and wine, from medieval hill towns and rolling vineyards to dramatic mountain scenery. Rich in art, culture, and timeless charm, Umbria invites visitors to experience Italy at a gentler pace, where every town feels deeply connected to its heritage and the easy rhythm of everyday life.
Extend your trip with a 3-night stay in the 'Eternal City', Rome. Wander the romantic lanes of this ancient metropolis to discover a wealth of exquisite artistic masterpieces and a mesmerising collection of monuments.
Dinner
Depart the UK on your flight to Rome. On arrival, transfer to your hotel in Perugia for some time to settle into your surroundings before rejoining your group in the evening for a welcome dinner.
Breakfast
Begin your discovery of Umbria with a walking tour of the region’s capital, Perugia. This picturesque hilltop city has a rich history evident in its medieval and gothic architecture and ancient city walls. Step back in time as you visit the bustling Piazza IV Novembre in the historic centre of the city, which is home to the medieval Fontana Maggiore, the remains of the Renaissance fortress of Rocca Paolina, the historic Perugia Cathedral, and the Etruscan Arch of Augustus. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Breakfast
This morning, spend time in Assisi, a beautiful hill town known for the Basilica of St Francis, a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws pilgrims from around the world. With a local guide, explore Assisi’s charming streets and learn about the town’s most famous resident, St Francis, from his privileged youth to his rejection of wealth and founding of the Franciscan Order. The basilica, built shortly after his death, appears simple outside but inside is richly decorated with colourful frescoes, including works attributed to Giotto, first of the great Italian masters. The basilica’s crypt also houses St Francis’s tomb. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore the town’s historic centre, perhaps sampling delicious local dishes like truffle pasta, or admiring Assisi’s beautiful churches and medieval fortifications.
Breakfast
After breakfast, visit Lake Trasimeno, a vast, scenic lake surrounded by rolling green hills and renowned for the nearby Battle of Lake Trasimene, where Hannibal defeated the Roman legions in 217BC. Take a ferry from Passignano to Isola Maggiore, passing the hillside Guglielmi Castle and the medieval village of Castiglione del Lago, with its historic fortress. Continue to Cortona, a charming hill town with pretty terracotta rooftops, narrow winding streets, and beautiful piazzas which offer sweeping views over the golden Tuscan countryside.
Breakfast
This morning enjoy a guided tour of Spoleto, a city surrounded by hills, olive groves and vineyards in the foothills of the Apennines mountain range. Spoleto’s dramatic aqueduct bridge leads to the imposing Rocca Albornoziana fortress, creating a scene worthy of a historic epic, while the city that sits behind the walls bears the hallmarks of Roman and Lombard rule. The ruins of the city’s ancient Roman amphitheatre contrast with the resplendent Romanesque cathedral built of dazzling pale stone in the Piazza del Duomo. For lunch, you may be tempted by the scent of slow-roasted porchetta and other local delicacies, sold from fragrant street food stalls. In the afternoon, travel into the rich tapestry that is the Umbrian countryside to visit a leading producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco wine, made from the black Sagrantino grapes which are indigenous to the region. Enjoy a tasting of this dark, full-bodied ‘vino rosso’, as well as sampling the delectable olive oil that this region is revered for, completing an afternoon full of the true tastes of Umbria.
Breakfast
Following breakfast, drive east to the Marche region, which lies between Umbria and the Adriatic. Here, delve deep underground to explore the Frasassi Caves, considered to be among the most impressive in Europe. Your tour of these stunning karst caves, with their glistening snow-white walls and icicle-like stalactites and stalagmites, takes you into the Great Cave of the Wind – large enough that it could house Milan cathedral! Learn more about the 1971 discovery of the caves as well as their formation over millions of years: the scale and beauty of the caves create an unforgettable experience. In the afternoon, return to Perugia, where you’ll have some more time to explore the town at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Your journey through Umbria concludes in Orvieto, a city whose ancient ruins lie in eerie underground caves. Explore Orvieto’s fascinating underground world at the family-owned Well of the Cave, a secret passageway leading to nine caves underneath a traditional pottery shop. Built into steep red-hued volcanic rock, Orvieto almost blends into its natural surroundings – although the cathedral is a stand-out feature. After riding up scenic tree-lined funicular tracks to the old town, marvel at the intricate façade of this incredible Gothic building, featuring shimmering mosaics and intricate Gothic detailing which give it the appearance of being illuminated from within. Enjoy lunch at a traditional agriturismo, where farm-to-table dishes showcase the rich flavours of the Umbrian countryside. Indulge in a menu of traditional fare grown in this fertile land at the heart of Italy. Spend some time at leisure before rejoining your group in the evening for your farewell dinner.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Dinner
Enjoy a full-day guided city tour in Rome including the Vatican Museum, inside Vatican City and home to the Sistine Chapel, arguably the most famous work of art in the world.
Breakfast
Continuing on from your end of the tour, the rest of the day is spent at leisure. Take this time to explore the local area and see the many sights of Rome.
Breakfast
Explore the fascinating Italian capital taking in the breath-taking culture, incredible art and mouth-watering food. Your time is yours to spend as you wish during your stay.
Breakfast
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight back to the UK.
Your Next Adventure Awaits! We've been arranging award-winning, expertly crafted hoildays and tours since 1980. We're also ABTA protected and ATOL bonded for your total peace of mind. Call us today to book your next unforgettable holiday!
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace is rated Easy Going. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps and modest hills and streets, that maybe cobbled. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £300- £400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your guide and driver at the end of your tour, this is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately €2 per person per day. Optional excursions are at an additional cost. Tips will be collected at the beginning/end of your tour. Tips are accepted in the local currency.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 15, and the maximum will be 25. If in the unlikely event there are less than 15 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast will be at set times in the morning and dinner (when included) will be at the hotel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information
