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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

For 36 years 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, drinks with meals, and airport taxes. 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
Five days of Vivaldi music in Venice, with additional lectures on the music, and art&architecture walks.
Niche market for those who want to enjoy the arts in style and comfort.
*****
mo
13 Nov 2017
Festival of music, history and magic experiences
This was our first Martin Randall holiday and I hope many more will follow. Initially we considered them to be too expensive but now we have experienced the quality of the experience we think it's great value for money.
*****
AL
27 May 2017
Rome at its Best
We travelled with Martin Randall to sample Rome. Wonderful lectures, food & tour.
*****
Susanna
14 Mar 2023
Martin Randall Monteverdi in Venice
Several holidays with Martin Randall have all been of superb quality
*****
anon
09 Nov 2015
Awesome
Brilliantly organised. Very good accommodation and meals. Excellent tour lecturers and tour manager
*****
Roger
21 Mar 2023
perfect
see above
*****
Cobus
28 Jul 2016
Superlative cruise on the Rhine punctuated with many marvellous concerts
The tour manager was splendid. It was very useful to receive the Programme booklet in advance by email so as to give a good idea as to what would be happening and when. The early warning also allowed time to organise maps and also to get copies of some of the recommended books in time to read them b...
*****
BonAccord
11 Jul 2015
Walking, listening and leatning more about music in brilliant historical settings, eating well and enjoying good company.
As above
*****
Bezzer
11 Sep 2019
London Wren walking tour
Excellent tour giving access to all sorts of churches, with a highly knowledgeable guide, well worth it.
*****
Dergirl
29 Jul 2023
Eating our way through history in Kerala
This was our sixth tour with Martin Randall. They consistently send us home with a new view of countries of which we have previously known little. They have a knack of finding special corners or events which make the a privilege to be a participant, even if only a fleeting spectator.
*****
tiglio
28 Feb 2018
Superb day
A fascinating tour of 1930s buildings in Hampstead. The tour guide was engaging and informative.
*****
Adrian
06 Oct 2018
Verona opera and art
Very caring, really looks after the clients. A bit more expensive than most travel firms, but for that you get a really first class service that makes you feel 'special'!
*****
LindaF
08 Aug 2023

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