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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
Journey with Bach
We followed the footsteps of Johann Sebastian Bach through the towns of Thuringia where he lived and worked, accompanied by his music. The itinerary was out of the ordinary, with Weimar and its cultural past a true gem, and Eisenach and its connections with Luther a revelation, on the 500th annivers...
*****
PhilipC
21 Sep 2017
Superb lecturer in St Petersburg tour
Comprehensive 7 day trip to St Peterburg a fascinating city - 7 days still left lots outstanding!
Excellent lecturer provided sparkling commentary.
****
Dawn
03 Nov 2019
A privileged journey through Louisiana, USA
Beautifully organised, the outstanding feature of this holiday was the quality of the lecturer. Louis Nelson is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia, but his expertise spreads far wider than how to read houses. We were privileged. and then there was the choice of accommodation...
*****
Sue Marsh
15 May 2017
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
Interesting tour of Sicily's main historical sites.
The touristic infrastructure of Sicily is very much a work in progress, but Martin Randall Travel smoothed the path for us as much as they feasibly could. Late 2017 / early 2018 visitors to PalermoÕs Royal Palace should find time to see a spectacular exhibition of watercolours of Sicily by artist Fa...
****
Alfee
01 Nov 2017
Superb Cultural experience
The music festival in Bologna was extremely well organized with 7 concerts and 7 lectures in 5 days, tours to experience the rich cultural heritage of the city and free time to explore on our own. A perfect balance of planned activities and free time.
*****
Dr. P G 18
08 Nov 2018
Challenging Church Preconceptions
A ten day tour of Churches and Cathedrals in Castile and Leon, staying in historically and architecturally fascinating towns and cities and accompanied by an excellent lecturer who lived in the area and knew it well. His enthusiasm and knowledge challenged my previous experience of ecclesiastical bu...
*****
mamamont
15 Oct 2018
Sicily
Martin Randall really is one of the best companies and provides a unique experience.
*****
Mary
12 Oct 2015
Duchy of Milan
We have been with them some 37 trips
*****
Mr A W 23
23 May 2023
Music in Venice superb
Very good but lacking some of the verve of earlier tours
****
Jo
19 Nov 2022
All meals, hotels,venues were top notch
Mozart in Salzburg. Excellent tour. Well organized everything kept to a high standard.
*****
JA
07 Feb 2015
Sacred India: A tour of important Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic sites in India, March 2015
I have undertaken a number of tours with Martin Randall Travel, exploring 'old stone' and 20th Century architecture so far and on three continents. Their attention to the details, be it the scheduling, the resources, particularly the lecturers and the logistics have always met and exceeded...
*****
Retirementislife
22 Sep 2015

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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