Country Roads of Italy, a Women-Only Tour
with Insight Vacations
- Explore 19 cities in 2 countries
- Visit Cinque Terre, Capri, Sorrento & more
- Small group - up to 24 travellers
- The Big Tour Sale - Save up to 10%^
Experience the scenery, masterpieces and food of Italy on this 15-night Women-Only Tour.



Journey across the Italian peninsula on this women-only tour that stretches from the sapphire waters of the Amalfi Coast to the calming canals of Venice. On this small group tour, visit a winery run by the matriarchs of the family who are leading the way in making incredible wine and olive oil. Sail to the rock isle of Capri, where you can climb nearly 2,000 feet for unrivalled views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In Perugia, learn the art of loom-weaving from a women-owned and -run weaving association and join a cocktail-making class in Florence. Conclude in Venice, cruising the canals to Burano, an idyllic, colourful island in the Venetian Lagoon where you’ll toast to a fantastic trip with artist and environmentalist Allison Zurfluh.
Highlights:
- Rome Colosseum Visit: Visit the Colosseum, still echoing with the thronging crowds and ghostly cries of gladiatorial combat.
- Sorrento Evening Walk: Experience the social ritual of la passeggiata.
- Cruise by Jetfoil to the Isle of Capri: Cruise by jetfoil to this famous isle through beautiful blue Mediterranean waters and enjoy a city tour.
- Pompeii City Tour: Walk with a Local Expert through the cobbled streets of this ill-fated town, frozen in time since the first century.
- Women-Run Winery in Umbria: Visit an Umbrian winery where two sisters create outstanding wines. Founded by Giorgio Lungarotti, pioneer of modern Italian oenology, this winery supports quality production and sustainability. Today, the family legacy is carried on through the passion and skill of sisters Chiara and Teresa, their mother Maria Grazia and Teresa’s sons.
- Assisi Basilica of St Francis Visit: Discover why the Basilica of Saint Francis is considered one of the crowning achievements of medieval Europe.
- Meet Artisanal Hand Weavers in Perugia: Meet Marta, founder of weaving association that is owned and run by women. Learn how Marta offers employment opportunities for local women and, alongside her weavers, preserves the ancient craft of loom-weaving in an artisan workshop.
- Natural Thermal Spa Visit: Attracting health-seekers since the Etruscans, these hot springs offer healing and relaxation to countless guests. You’ll savour every moment of this opportunity to experience the therapeutic waters of the natural thermal spa reputed to restore both harmony and vitality to the body.
- Siena Panforte Tasting: Enjoy a tasting of Panforte, a traditional Tuscan dessert containing fruits and nuts.
- Cinque Terre Visit: Led by your Local Expert, visit this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, tucked away on the mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Explore one of the five charming fishing villages for some memorable pictures.
- Parma Cheese Tasting: At Ciaolatte Parmesan you will meet, Signor Paolo, a local passionate about Italian food and quality cheese. Witness the cheese-making and ageing process of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Venice Gondola Ride: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you glide along the canals by gondola.
- & many more!
Inclusions
- Handpicked 4 & 5 star hotels in great locations
- Superior dining in top rated restaurants
- Daily breakfasts & many relaxed morning starts after 9am
- 24/7 personal service – knowledgeable Travel Director & expert Driver
- ‘Business Class’ style coaches with extended legroom (available on most tours)
- Insider Access, Insightful Encounters and Insight Choice experiences
- Local discovery led by Local Experts
- Porterage, plus tips and gratuities at hotels and restaurants is included
Day 1: Welcome tothe Eternal City of Rome
2025 marks a Jubilee Year, a momentous Roman Catholic event celebrated every 25 years, turning Rome into a centre of celebration. As festivities unfold, itineraries may be adjusted to ensure you make the most of your time as you visit the Eternal City.
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your hotel. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and getting to know your fellow travellers over a delicious Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Room 007 Select
Meals: Dinner with wine
Day 2: Vatican and Rome a Local
Today is devoted to The Eternal City. Join a Local Expert to discover the modern-day city and how people lived in Ancient Rome. See St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. Then cross the Tiber river to see the Circus Maximus and learn about the history, the construction and the legends of the iconic Colosseum on a guided visit. Imagine the roar of the spectators as you enter the arena and stroll around picturing the gladiators and their adoring fans..
Accommodation: Room 007 Select
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Sorrento
Venture south leaving the region of Lazio for Campania. Drink in the views of the Bay of Naples and the distinctive outline of Mount Vesuvius as you reach the resort town of Sorrento.
Accommodation: Majestic Palace Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Capri, the Isle of Dreams
Meet your Local Expert and cross the Bay of Naples to reach the beautiful Isle of Capri, a rock rising sheer from the Mediterranean. For 2,000 years, Capri has beckoned visitors from Tiberius Caesar to Gracie Fields. Arrive at the Marina Grande by boat and ascend to Capri town. Explore the narrow alleyways, browse in exclusive boutiques and wonder at the views over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Descend to the port by funicular railway and return to Sorrento. Travel along Italy’s finest coastline, the Amalfi Coast. Stop for a bird’s-eye view of the terraced houses of Positano.
Accommodation: Majestic Palace Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Pompeii and Todi
Journey to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii to explore this extraordinary site with your Local Expert. Travel into the heart of Italy to enjoy free time in Todi, located on a hilltop pedestal overlooking a vineyard-covered plain. Savour the distinctly medieval ambiance during your orientation and admire the Piazza del Popolo where locals take their evening 'passeggiata'. Cap off the day dining at a local restaurant with a glass of Orvieto Classico wine - a magical culinary experience.
Accommodation: Fonte Cesia, Todi
Meals: Breakfast, dinner with wine
Day 6: Todi
Journey through the undulating splendour of the Umbrian hills where the glossy green vine leaves reflect the warm sunshine of the region. Nestled in this glorious scenery is a family-owned business run by the females of the family. Taste the flavours of the region including Umbrian wine and olive oil. Learn how they have developed their business and produced award-winning wines before tasting the results of their work.
Accommodation: Fonte Cesia, Todi
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Assisi and on to Perugia
In Assisi see St. Clare’s Church and the cathedral. Continue to walk down the Via San Francesco and visit the huge Basilica of St. Francis with a Local Expert. Journey to beautiful Perugia - the jewel of Umbria. Your guided walking exploration begins in the main street of Perugia's Old Town. See the Collegio del Cambio, the splendid Priors' Palace, the Cathedral and the finely sculptured Great Fountain in the magnificent main square. In the evening there is the option to discover the edible treasures of a traditional Umbrian kitchen, accompanied with wines of the region.
Accommodation: Sangallo Palace Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8: Perugia, the Jewel of Umbria
In Perugia, explore more of this gem of a town. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit a women-run artisanal workshop and meet Marta, a recipient of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Learn how Marta and her weavers are preserving the ancient craft of loom-weaving. With the rest of your day at leisure, perhaps visit Cortona, one of the oldest hill towns in Tuscany. On this Optional Experience, journey to a recently unearthed Etruscan Temple before a guided exploration through the town's historic centre with views of Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana.
Accommodation: Sangallo Palace Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9: Florence
Embark on your journey passing Lake Trasimeno to renaissance Florence. Join a Local Expert to see the marble-clad cathedral, bell tower and Gates of Paradise on the baptistery. Enjoy time at leisure to explore Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at the fountains and sculptures along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Wander the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods of gold and leather. This afternoon, learn the art of cocktail-making from a local mixologist during a tasty cocktail class. Later, soak up the waters of a natural thermal spa, renowned through the centuries for the beneficial effects on the body, delighting the Etruscans, Romans and modern-day visitors before arriving at your elegant hotel.
Accommodation: Relais Certosa, Florence
Meals: Breakfast, dinner with wine
Day 10: Siena and San Gimignano
This morning, explore Siena with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the medieval Basilica of St. Catherine or alternatively, sample panforte, a traditional Tuscan dessert. Continue to the hilltop town of San Gimignano strikingly visible from every angle with its towers dominating the skyline and giving it the nickname the Medieval Manhattan of Tuscany. Enjoy tasting the award-winning frozen delights of master gelato maker, Sergio Dondoli, whose great inventions include innovative and mouth-watering flavour combinations. Journey through the rolling, cypress-clad hills and vineyards of Tuscany as you return to your hotel.
Accommodation: Relais Certosa, Florence
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11: On to Lucca
Travel to Lucca to view the churches, squares and palaces, perfectly preserved within encircling medieval ramparts. Pause a while and taste the lavish loaves of buccellato, Lucca's sweet raisin anise bread, said to be a favourite of the ancient Roman army. Later, you could take the opportunity to explore Pisa.
Accommodation: Hotel Villa La Principessa
Meals: Breakfast, dinner with wine
Day 12: Exploring the Cinque Terre
Get ready to explore the Cinque Terre, or five villages, which for years were only accessible by foot. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Italy's most beautiful landscapes. Join a Local Expert in one of the picturesque fishing villages, before cruising along the rugged coastline (weather permitting). There is plenty of time to explore the old medieval quarter and popular sandy beach before returning to your hotel in Lucca.
Accommodation: Hotel Villa La Principessa
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13: On to Parma
Journey to the beautiful university town of Parma, world-famous for its local ham and cheese. Meet one of the locals, Paolo. Learn about the process of making Parmigiano-Reggiano as Signor Paolo shares with you his passions for Italian food, especially excellent quality Parmesan cheese. Taste samples of the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano, accompanied by a glass of wine.
Accommodation: Starhotels Du Parc Parma
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14: Modena and on to Venice
Visit one of Modena's top producers of authentic, traditional, artisan balsamic vinegar and take a master class to understand what makes this vinegar as expensive as top-rated wines. Continue through the Soave vineyards past Padua to Venice, Queen of the Adriatic. To the tune of accompanying musicians, you will be serenaded through the atmospheric canals as you glide by gondola past water-lapped doorways and rococo palaces.
Accommodation: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Meals: Breakfast
Day 15: The Magic of La Serenissima
Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a traditional arts centre where you can see how beautiful, handcrafted glass is made by expert glassblowers, safeguarding traditional skills. Visit St. Mark’s Square where the city’s former wealth and power is evidenced by the riches of St. Mark’s Basilica and admire the Doge's Palace with its adjoining Bridge of Sighs. Cruise the islands of the Venetian Lagoon to arrive at Burano, famous for its candy coloured houses. Over another MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, meet artist and environmentalist Allison Zurfluh for a boat ride and art show over a glass of Prosecco. Conclude your women-only tour over a sumptuous celebration dinner with wine, sampling the local specialties.
Accommodation: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Meals: Breakfast, dinner with wine
Day 16: Arrivederci Venice
Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Prices
Standard Price per person, twin share |
Promotional Price per person, twin share |
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From $10,975 | From $9878 |
Dates
Departs |
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Between May - October in 2025 & 2026 |
*Advertised price is based on twin share and is based on 08 August 2025 departure. Other travel dates available at seasonal surcharge. Please enquire with your RAC travel consultant for current availability and pricing.
*Advertised price is based on 08 August 2025 departure and is subject to availability and change at any time. Please enquire with your RAC travel consultant for current availability and pricing. Other departure dates available at seasonal surcharge. Further conditions apply, please check with your RAC travel consultant at time of booking.
^The Big Tour Sales - Save up to 10%: Applies to select 2025 departures featured as “The Big Tour Sale”. New bookings only made with deposit by 20 February 2025. Full payment due 120 days prior to departure or at time of booking if booked within 120 days of departure from Australia; whichever comes first. The Big Tour Sale savings are valid on the land-only portion of select itineraries and departure dates (does not apply to airfares or extra night’s accommodations), are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. If guests change to another tour or date not on sale, they are responsible to pay the difference and adhere to different payment conditions. The Big Tour Sale may be combined with Global Tour Rewards 5% past guest discount only; not combinable with group discounts, custom group bookings or any other discount or promotion. Please note that websites do not reflect live capacity and in some instances, sold out departures may still display for a brief period of time. Other conditions may apply.
General RAC Travel terms and conditions apply.