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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
Christmas break in Milan
We have used Martin Randall a few times and they are consistently professional and well organised.
*****
KB
01 Jan 2019
Good music
MRT looks after me very well every time
*****
Mrs M T 18
06 Nov 2018
Very interesting subject
Fascinating view of recent Irish history looked at from the vantage point of the Protestant Ascendancy.
****
Fred
21 May 2023
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
A comprehensive cultural adventure around the Ethiopian Highlands.
Everything is brilliantly researched, planned, organised and delivered. It is fully packed with the most important sights and balanced with fascinating travel so, in practice, it represents excellent value for money as just about every thing is included so you can focus on getting the most from the ...
*****
Culture vultures
29 Oct 2015
Art in Japan
The tour operator was Martin Randall Tours an organisation with an excellent reputation. It was my first tour with them so I have only this experience to go on, but I was impressed at every level. I would highly recommend them to my friends and anyone looking to travel with the emphasis on academic ...
*****
Sue from Melbourne
27 May 2017
Agincourt,CrŽcy&Waterloo
We walked the battlefields,accompanied by knowledgeable and lively lecturers and a trumpeter, who marked our progress.
*****
Hil
08 Sep 2015
Classical Turkey
Martin Randall is really very good. Their representative on the tour was patience itself. He was at ones elbow if needed and then completely unobtrusive at other times. Dealing wit them administratively is a pleasure. Nothing too much trouble . They respond quickly to email and phone calls and the p...
*****
Ariadne
14 Apr 2019
Exciting, beautiful and inspiring Sacred India.
10 days traveling through Sacred India. Incredible places, amazing history, friendly and very helpful guides, beautiful hotels. Just a perfect combination for pleasure!
*****
PatiMtz
09 Jul 2018
Efficiently organised with excellent attention given to the physically less able.
Decent central hotel. well organised transport between venues when necessary, courteous staff and an excellent programme of speakers. Good attention to hearing levels in the lecture theatre and a first class projection system.
*****
FA
22 Nov 2018
Excellent balance of taught sightseeing and operas
there was more in Verona than I know, went for the opera
*****
Shona
24 Jul 2018
Hugely knowledgeable tour guide and well organised day
Spanish art in London. Pleasant day and well organised. Great joining instructions and lovely people
*****
Tpher
30 Jan 2018

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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