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Expert-led small-group tours

This video was filmed on our Footpaths of Umbria tour in June 2023 and gives a flavour of what to expect on one of our holidays.

Exploring Italy on a cultural tour

We also offer fresh perspectives on old friends, using art historians, not musicologists, on our opera tours of Verona and seeing Florence, Padua and Bologna through the prism of science and medicine as well as art. We bring you Puccini at the maestro’s lakeside villa, the mosaics of Ravenna and the frozen worlds of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

We dine finely in Piedmont, throw light on the Dark Ages in the northern Adriatic and stand at the crossroads of European civilisations in Sicily. We gaze up at Michelangelo’s David and down at Etruscan tombs. We give you Italy, packaged in a gilt-edged portfolio.

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Cultural tours in Sicily

Whether it’s on a private tour of Palermo’s Palatine Chapel or a guided walk on Etna with an expert vulcanologist, you will be fully immersed in dazzling cultural inheritance.

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Cultural tours in Venice

With special, out-of-hours access to the Basilica di San Marco - as well as on-the-spot insights by our expert lecturers - we give you an unrivalled view of La Serenissima.

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Cultural tours in Florence

Special access is a feature of our Florence tours: visit the vast baroque Palazzo Corsini al Parione, dine at the Palazzo Corsini al Prato, and gaze across the city and Appenines beyond from Palazzo Gondi.

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Cultural tours in Rome

From the underground chambers of the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes viewed in tranquil solitude, we uncover both Rome's cultural triumphs and lesser-known masterpieces.

Browse Italy tours by theme

Why travel with us?

Leading expertise

Since 1988 we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel, offering an unequalled range of tours and events. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.

Privileged access

Special arrangements are a feature of our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.

First-rate speakers

Expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours. Academics, curators, writers, broadcasters and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience. Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform.

Holiday protection

We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL); and for those that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held by ABTOT – The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited.

Personal service

We aim for faultless administration from your first encounter with us to the end of the holiday, and beyond. We want you to come back again and again – as most of our clients do. We can provide options without international travel if you prefer to make your own arrangements.

Award-winning

Five consecutive years as Best Special Interest Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards (2015–19) reflects our commitment to excellence. With a remarkable 99% satisfaction rating from more than 1,100 independent reviews, our attention to detail and client care is unmatched.

Most of our tours run with between 10 and 20 participants. Our travellers are self-selected by common interests and an endorsement of our ethos. You are highly likely to find yourself among like-minded companions, whether travelling solo (as 50% of our clients do) or with a travel partner.

Value for money

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips and drinks with meals. The price published is the price you pay. You can secure your booking today with a 15% deposit.

What do others say about Martin Randall Travel?

Showing 2184 reviews
Venice palazzo tour which was excellent.
Very professional in every way.
*****
Newcomb
06 Nov 2017
IT DELIVERED A DREAM EXPERIENCE.
OMAN. Extremely well-planned. Very interesting tour and I now want to learn more about Oman. So many wonderful experiences but the highlight was the time spent in the desert. magic and this will remain with me for ever.
*****
Intrepid traveller
20 Jan 2017
excellent venue, hotels, lecturer and tour manager
Been with Martin Randall on several holidays and they are all well organised and nothing but the best is acceptable to them
*****
Alf
29 Jun 2021
Sailing the glorious Dalmatian coast by boat - an excellent experience!
Martin Randall always runs exceptional tours. This was my fourth tour with them and there are more tours to enjoy in the future.
*****
Renee
02 May 2019
A perfect St Petersburg itinerary with emphasis on time spent at the Hermitage.
St Petersburg is a wonderful destination in itself. The city has an abundance of magnificent buildings, churches, and, of course, palaces and palace gardens. Some of the churches and palaces have the "wow" factor although the amount of gold was almost overwhelming. The wide boulevards and ...
*****
Lyn
16 Jun 2016
Discovering Northern Italy
It was a tour of main towns of the Venetian Land Empire,, showing the common characteristics of the Venetian control, lifestyle and arts and culture
*****
DV
10 May 2023
Tour of St Petersburg
Martin Randall are experts in their field. The tour leader was excellent with an impressive knowledge of Russian art and St Petersburg and it's envi
****
Jude
06 Oct 2018
A perfect St Petersburg itinerary with emphasis on time spent at the Hermitage.
Martin Randall consistently delivers an excellently planned itinerary and total experience. It includes value added elements - whether it be the access to venues which are otherwise not open to the public, or the addition of other highlights which do justice to the term.
*****
Lyn
16 Jun 2016
Sailing the Dalmatian Coast was a beautiful adventure.
Martin-Randall Travel provides the most excellent service from the moment of booking until the very end of the trip. No detail is left to chance as the planning is perfection. I especially enjoy the architectural and art tours with their exceptional lecturers and guides.
*****
Lori Graham
21 May 2019
A tour of French Gothic Cathedrals
Martin Randall Travel is a well-established specialist cultural tour operator. Their tours are carefully constructed with great attention to detail. We have been on many tours with them over the years and look forward to continuing this.
*****
JohnB
16 Jul 2022
special insights into Renaissance and Baroque Rome
efficient in every respect, from the planning of the itinerary to the return to the home airport
*****
Caroline
14 Nov 2017
Spectacular St Petersburg!
St Petersburg is an astonishing city. So much history and culture. So much architecture. So much music, opera and ballet. Its also a beautiful place, with lots of parks and lovely buildings. And contrary to some reports, we found the people to be helpful and friendly. We always felt safe and welcome...
*****
Coffee and Cake
11 Sep 2016

Joining a Martin Randall Cultural Tour

Between 10–22 participants can usually join our small group tours, though the upper limit can be lower dependent on the tour.

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