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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
Wellington in London
The day trip was excellently organised. Such an interesting variety of locations combining to make a well rounded, fascinating day. Undoubtedly one of the best I have enjoyed with Martin Randall. The tour leader Josephine Oxley was so well informed and so enthusiastic about her subject. I was entran...
*****
mr H P 19
17 Apr 2019
Cave Art in Spain
It was a delightful mix of Cave Art, excellent hotels and wonderful food! Id recommend them.
*****
Traveller
14 Jul 2022
Morocco, interesting, well paced and varied, brilliantly guided, great food and hotels, excellent company.,
Martin Randal run small specialist tours in a range of categories - mainly within a few hours flying in distance. They clearly research their itineraries very carefully to ensure a well paced and varied experience with everything (and it can be a lot) fitting together seamlessly. they employ excelle...
*****
Clare
26 Sep 2013
Essential Jordan - Highlights through History
Almost all inclusive trip to Jordan. Accompanied throughout by a superb guide/lecturer, a UK-based tour manager and, in Jordan only, a local tour guide. We stayed at three different locations (Amman, Petra and Sweimeh) and transport in Jordan was by air-conditioned coach. The hotels had their indivi...
*****
Maddie
15 Apr 2019
A feast of fascinating history, stunning archaeological sites, beautiful scenery, amazing geology, and delicious food.
It was a fascinating trip with excellent accommodations, knowledgeable guides, and delicious food.
*****
Maria
28 Oct 2014
Shakespeare 400
The best organizer of tours for people who seek to develop their knowledge on theatre, art, music and culture.
The guides, managers and organization is unfailingly excellent.
I have been on eight tours with Martin Randall and look forward to many more.
*****
Beryllium
12 Aug 2016
A wonderful trip in Moldavia and Transylvania
This is the second time I take a tour with Martin Randall and I will continue to use this company. They provide well-organized tours for sophisticated travelers who want to learn about art and history of the country they are traveling in. The big point for me is that they use real experts as lecture...
*****
Tatiana
22 Oct 2019
Divine Office Choral Music Tour in Oxford
A week of memorable music in timeless venues. A once in a lifetime music experience.
*****
Jules
22 Oct 2015
Outstandingly good. Fascinating subject dealt with in an exemplary fashion.
Martin Randal Travel run special interest tours, with high quality specialist guides. The tours include visual arts, literature, music, history, architecture, archeology etc.
*****
Bracken
06 Sep 2017
Rich and inspiring
This was a one-day event at the National gallery, consisting of 4 lectures on Italian Renaissance painting, given by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott.

From an academic and lively presentation, I learned a lot about the subject, so that I feel inspired to learn more.
*****
Capricorn
16 Mar 2018
Cathedrals of England
Martin Randall Company was excellent in handling my booking. What they told you would happen, did. They made the trip so relaxing for me and I just sat back and enjoyed every minute. The staff never minded any questions and handled requests efficiently. The tour guide made the trip pleasant for us a...
*****
mdh
31 Oct 2014
Gastronomic Veneto
Martin Randall ran an efficient but unhurried tour of the Veneto region
*****
Driz
30 May 2017

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