online tour of italy

18 Wonderful Virtual Tours of Italy

Updated December 4, 2020

// By Margherita

Are you stuck at home, dreaming of travelling to Italy? Well, what if I said that you can? Have a look at these amazing virtual tours of Italy – from Florence, Rome and Venice virtual tours, to virtual tours of Italian museums, online cooking classes, and lots more!

If you’re reading this, 2020 was probably the year you were finally planning to travel to Italy, but your plans are now on hold – who knows for how long.

Or maybe you’re just bored and dreaming of Italy , of visiting David in Florence , marvelling in front of the Last Supper in Milan , hiking Cinque Terre or the Dolomites .

If these were ‘normal’ times, you’d be looking at flights and start making plans – but this is 2020. 

What if I said that in a way, Italy has never been so close? True, you may not be able to travel there physically, but you can experience Italy from the comfort of your own home , thanks to many different virtual Italy tours, cooking classes, and other online travel experiences. 

You’ll be able to learn the secrets of the Colosseum, admire the Uffizi in Florence, learn how to make fresh pasta… and a lot more. These are just some of the best virtual tours of Italy , created over the last few months, for visitors from all over the world to experience our beautiful country. 

If you know of any more Italy virtual tours or other travel experiences , feel free to share them with us!

Meanwhile, check this post for the best online travel experiences from all over the world!

Venice Virtual Tours

1) St. Mark’s Basilica Virtual Tour

Have you always wanted to visit Venice ? This 2-hour St Mark’s Basilica tour is your chance to explore the floating city’s most famous church , a true architectural wonder with a history stretching over one thousand years. 

Follow licensed guides as they narrate a millennia of Venetian history in a fun and informative manner, before moving to St. Mark’s and learning about its art, architecture, and hidden symbols. 

This tour is organised by Take Walks – for any virtual tour you join , you’ll receive a $25 voucher you can use to book any live tour over the next 2 years, not just in Italy!

2) Venice Highlights Webinar

Venice is a unique and fascinating city, and there’s nothing better than exploring it with a local! In the duration of this 1-hour Venice webinar , you’ll be led on a virtual walk around the city, learning about iconic sights such as St. Mark’s Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Murano and the famous gondolas. 

It’s a great chance to chat with a Venice connoisseur , so make sure you have all your questions at hand!

3) Free Tour of Doge’s Palace

Google Arts & Culture is a great way to explore many of Italy’s best sights and museums for free.

If you want to virtually travel to Venice , one of the best tours on offer is that of Doge’s Palace. You approach the Palace from the water, gliding under the iconic Bridge of Sighs connecting the Palace to the former prisons nearby.

Afterwards, you can enter the palace, wander the corridors and explore its luxurious rooms, taking a close look to some of the most notable artworks like Carpaccio’s Lion of St. Mark. 

You can find many other Venice museums on Google Arts & Culture, including Ca’ Rezzonico – Museum of the 18th Century, Museo Correr , and the legendary Biennale .

4) Explore a Squero

Google Arts & Culture is not just for museums! You can also learn about local crafts and traditions – for example, you can virtually visit a Venetian squero , workshops in courtyards hidden throughout the city where gondolas are built by hand.

Florence Virtual Tours

5) Florence Highlights Webinar

If you’ve visited Italy in the past, or you’re considering doing so, I’m sure Florence features in your travel plans.

Did you know you can explore the best Florence highlights in just one hour, without having to worry about the heat and the crowds? This Florence webinar offers the perfect intro to places like the Florence Duomo, Ponte Vecchio , the most famous squares in the city, and naturally Michelangelo’s David!

There’s also a Q&A session at the end , with a Florence guide at hand sharing local tips – so you can start planning your future visit!

6) Free Uffizi Virtual Visit

If you only have time to visit one place in Florence , it would have to be the Uffizi Gallery . This art gallery shows the best artworks of the Italian renaissance, including the two famous Botticelli masterpieces – The Birth of Venus and The Primavera . 

The Hypervisions section of the Uffizi website offers a high-tech virtual experience, allowing you to visit specific rooms or explore individual artworks. There are also virtual tours you can follow , and all images shown can be enlarged up to 40 times to appreciate even the smaller details.

7) Uffizi Gallery Virtual Tour

Sure, exploring by yourself is all well and good- but to really make the most of your time at the Uffizi, it’s better to visit (even virtually) with a guide. 

This virtual tour of the Uffizi Gallery takes place twice a week. Over the course of two hours, you’ll explore the life and work of Renaissance masters like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli with a local Florentine art historian, broadcasting from their home in the heart of the city. 

You’ll also learn about pictorial techniques and about life in Florence during the Renaissance , plus a lot more – you’ll just have to join to find out. 

Rome Virtual Tours

8) Colosseum Virtual Tour

I mean, who hasn’t dreamed of visiting the mighty Colosseum , the symbol of the power of Ancient Rome?

The history of the Colosseum is one of light and darkness, or death and glory, symbolised by the feared and revered Gladiators , who battled to their death amidst these ancient walls. 

This virtual tour of the Colosseum is an hour-long journey to this ancient Roman arena and its history, accompanied by a licensed guide and Rome expert . Get ready to discover the Colosseum from different viewpoints, and to learn secrets and curious facts.

9) Vatican Virtual Tour

This tour focuses on the two most famous attractions in the Vatican – St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums. 

Over the course of an hour, you’ll be introduced to their history and treasures. The tour starts with the Basilica , learning about its architecture and artworks like Michelangelo’s Pietà , before moving on to the Museums and admiring some of the best exhibits. 

You’ll end your exploration at the Sistine Chapel – get ready to be amazed!

10) Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour

If you want to know more about the Sistine Chapel and the genius of Michelangelo, this dedicated tour is for you! You will learn about Michelangelo’s life and work , about the symbolism hidden in the various parts of the chapel, and about life in Rome at the time.

However, this is not all – for centuries, the Sistine Chapel has been the location of the Conclave , the papal election. During the tour, stories about the Conclave and its rituals will also be shared.  

11) Discover Ancient Rome

When I say ‘Rome’ , what do you think? If Ancient Rome is your answer , you’ll love this virtual tour !

Over the course of one hour, you’ll be led on a virtual walk through some of the most iconic Ancient Rome locations, which survive to the present day. Start with the Colosseum , and its dark tales of gladiators and intrigue; then move onto the Palatine Hill , to learn about the foundation of the city. 

You’ll also explore the Roman Forum , where you’ll journey back to the time of the markets and of Caesar’s assassination. 

Other Virtual Tours of Italy

12) Milan Duomo Virtual Tour

Italy is full of beautiful churches, but if you asked me what the most beautiful one is, I would respond with no hesitation – the Duomo of Milan !

True, I am from Milan, so I guess I am biased – but there’s something special about our cathedral , its façade with statues and spires, its interiors with stained-glass windows, and the amazing rooftop terrace. 

If you want to know more about our Duomo, you can have a look at GetYourGuide’s FREE Milan Duomo Tour! It’s a wonderful 20-min video, narrated by a licensed Milan guide, covering the locations visited during traditional Duomo tour. Find the free Duomo tour (along with many others) on GetYourGuide’s The World At Home page ! 

Looking for other ways to explore Milan from your home? Have a look at our full post about Milan virtual tours!

13) Pompeii Virtual Tour

Pompeii is probably Italy’s most mysterious town , frozen in time at the moment when it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. 

It’s also one of those places in Italy that is best explored with a guide, to learn not only about the town’s history and tragic demise, but also about life and culture at the time of Ancient Rome. 

This amazing virtual Pompeii tour does just that – in one hour, you’ll travel to the heart of Southern Italy with a guide, who will bring the history of Pompeii and its inhabitants to life. 

14) Introduction to Italian Wine

Think about Italy. What drink comes to mind? More than likely, the answer will be wine – but how much do you really know about Italian wine?

If the answer is ‘not much’ , that this virtual wine tour led by an Italian sommelier is just what you need. You’ll learn about the history of wine in Italy and the difference between Italian wine regions , focusing on those surrounding Venice, Florence, and Rome. 

After taking this tour, you’ll know what wine to order when visiting Italy!

15) Wines from the Past

The love Italians have for wine is not a recent fashion – it stretches over thousands of years, to the time of Ancient Greeks and Romans. Back then, wine was consumed differently compared to now , most of the times with the addition of honey and spices or fruit. 

Wine and history lovers will love this Wines from the Past virtual tour , available on Airbnb Experiences, led by an archaeologist from Naples. Over the course of an hour, you’ll learn about the history of wine in the Italian peninsula , from the times of Pompeii to the Renaissance. 

You’ll also prepare different types of spiced wine to enjoy with your family and friends, and find out about ancient cuisine!

Virtual Italian Cooking Classes 

16) Online Pizza Cooking Class

True, you can have pizza nowadays these days, but after taking this online pizza-making course with Italian chefs you’ll sure impress your friends at your next dinner party!

You’ll learn how to make perfect pizza dough , but not only – the chefs will also reveal the history of pizza in Italy, and how the famous ‘Pizza Margherita’ came to be. There will also be time to ask about the perfect toppings, but remember – pineapple is not allowed!

17) Online Pasta Cooking Class

After pizza, there comes pasta! Learn about Italy’s most famous export in a fun, interactive virtual pasta cooking class , where you’ll find out all the secrets on how to make pasta from scratch. 

The chefs will also teach you how to make their favourite sauces , and there will be time to ask them to share their nonna’s cooking secrets. Trust me, your dinner parties will be very popular!

18) Online Tiramisu Class

No Italian meal is complete without a dessert, and Italy’s most favourite is definitely tiramisù!

Originally from Venice, this delicious mascarpone and coffee concoction can now be found all through the peninsula – and thanks to this online tiramisù class on Airbnb Experiences , you can learn how to make it in just an hour and a half!

Spoiler alert – making tiramisù is super easy and also very, very rewarding. The only challenge will be making sure you share it with your family and friends, rather than just eating the whole thing!

Airbnb Experiences also offer many more online Italy experiences – like a Medici escape room to learn about Florence history in a fun way, a themed tour about Caravaggio in Rome, a pasta cooking class with an opera singer and a lot more.

If you’re not on Airbnb yet, sign up using this invite link to get credit you can use towards your first online experience!

• VIRTUAL TOURS
• PRIVATE VIRTUAL TRIPS

Italy is one of the most exciting and memorable places in the world. Join our Italy virtual tours with our qualified and professional guides to get a taste of this amazing country from the comfort of your couch! Get ready to explore the vibrant art and culture of Italy , visit beautiful destinations and idyllic villages, immerse yourself in its thousand year old history , learn about local life , traditions and food . Let yourself be charmed by the wonders of Italy for an unforgettable journey without leaving home. ✈️Get on board and explore Italy with us!

The Amalfi Coast and the three gems: Capri, Ischia and Procida

Monday, May 13th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Montepulciano Walking Tour – The Quintessential Tuscan Hill Town

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 12.00 pm – 01.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Cooking with history: Peposo – the fuel of Brunelleschi’s Dome

Thursday, May 16th, 2024 01.00 pm – 02.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Pinturicchio Virtual Tour – The Renaissance Master of Frescoes

Friday, May 17th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Assisi Underground: Hidden Heroes Virtual Walking Tour

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 12.00 pm – 01.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Pompeii Virtual Tour – a City Frozen in Time

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Giotto Virtual Tour – the Father of the Renaissance

Saturday, May 25th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Naples San Gennaro Virtual Walking Tour: Miracles and Marvels

Monday, May 27th, 2024 12.00 pm – 01.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

The Sistine Chapel Experience – Virtual Tour

Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Tuscany Virtual Walking Tour – Lucca, the Walled City

Thursday, May 30th, 2024 11.00 am – 12.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Foligno Virtual Walking Tour – Discovering “the Center of the World”

Monday, Jun 03rd, 2024 12.00 pm – 01.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Calabria Virtual Tour – Exploring the Land of Two Seas

Tuesday, Jun 04th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Luca Signorelli’s Masterpieces Virtual Tour – A Renaissance Art Experience

Thursday, Jun 06th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Taste of Tuscany: Pappa al Pomodoro, Pecorino di Pienza & Brunello Wine Virtual Experience

Friday, Jun 07th, 2024 01.00 pm – 02.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Luisa Spagnoli Virtual Tour – Fashion and Chocolate

Monday, Jun 10th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Turin Virtual Tour – Italy’s Most Elegant City

Thursday, Jun 13th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Florence Cathedral & Brunelleschi’s Dome Virtual Tour

Friday, June 14th, 2024 02.00 pm – 03.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Leonardo da Vinci’s Masterpieces Virtual Tour

Monday, Jun 17th, 2024 02.00 pm – 03.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Naples and the Royal Palace of Caserta Virtual Tour

Thursday, Jun 20th, 2024 03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

Sansepolcro Virtual Walking Tour – the homeland of Piero della Francesca

Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024 11.00 am – 12.00 pm EDT ( New York Time )

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10 ways to take a virtual trip to Italy from your own home

This article may contain compensated links. See our full disclosure here

Even if you can’t be there in person, a virtual trip to Italy is good for the soul.

Do you dream of Italy? I sure do, but as we live on the other side of the world we can’t be there as often as we would like. So to keep my connections to this beautiful country strong while we await our next trip, I like to immerse myself into Italian culture, food and language as much as I can.

If you’re dreaming of Italy but can’t make it there any time soon here are my favorite ways to bring a little piece of bella Italia into your life.

Article contents

Eat and cook Italian food

There is nothing more Italian than eating and enjoying food. When I am missing Italy, cooking up my favorite dishes takes me back there in a single bite. From a simple pasta pomodoro to my favorite melanzane (eggplant) parmigiana and decadent tiramisu , it’s an easy way to enjoy a little piece of bella Italia every day.

Best Italian cookbooks and resources

Even if you don’t have a lot of confidence in the kitchen, Italian cooking is wonderfully simple and easy to master. And there is no shortage of cooking books dedicated to Italian food. Find a style that you prefer and start with making simple pasta and sauce dishes.

Here are some of our favorite Italian recipe books to get you started:

• Jamie Cooks Italy – celebrity British chef Jamie Oliver was trained and mentored by some of Italy’s best chefs. His love for Italian cuisine knows no bounds and he keeps his recipes simple and easy to follow. We’ve been using his pizza dough recipe for years and you will never look back once you’ve tried his version of the classic chicken cacciatore hunter’s stew
• Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking – Marcella Hazan introduced Americans to many traditional Italian dishes in this classic book. In it you won’t find pictures but instead consider it a guide to techniques, ingredients, and recipes that are typical in Italian cuisine
• Pasta Grannies – cookbook to accompany the YouTube channel of the same name. In this collection, you’ll find recipes for basic ravioli and ragu and a mouthwatering pasta basket with ricotta and lemon

Plus some of our go-to Italian recipe sites:

• Italy on my Mind – Paola shares beautifully photographed and very tasty dishes focused on seasonal produce
• Emiko Davies – Florence-based cook and photographer Emiko has a beautiful collection of regional Italian recipes to explore
• Jamie Oliver – this huge online collection of recipes includes instructions for pizza fritte and cannoli!

If you want access to Italian ingredients and produce and are not near or able to access a specialty store, check out our favorite Italian pantry items on Amazon including this chocolate hazlenut spread – a Nutella alternative – delicious!

Learn to make pasta live with Nonna Nerina

Nonna Nerina is famous on AirBnB experiences thanks to over a thousand 5 star reviews. Her enterprising grand daughter Chiara has found a way to live stream her 84 year old nonna’s pasta class live to you from their home in a lovely village just outside Rome. You’ll learn to make pasta from scratch and some family recipe secrets – not all of them though! >> Click here to check class times

Nonna Nerina is often sold out and hard to book into so here is another option

• If you’re looking for a private cooking experience try Withlocals . Book in a time to learn the secrets of Tuscan pasta making with a local expert > class details

Learn modern Italian cooking with Massimo Bottura

Massimo Bottura is head chef at Osteria Francescana in Modena – twice voted the best restaurant in the world. I’d love to eat there one day but his online English language cooking course might be the next best thing!

Massimo is a really fun guy with some great ideas on sustainability and assisting people who are socially and economically vulnerable. In this course Massimo teaches you how to transform classic Italian recipes into exciting modern dishes. You’ll learn how to make tagliatelle al ragù, pumpkin risotto, and a MasterClass-exclusive Emilia Burger recipe > course details

Watch Italian movies or films set in Italy

How lucky are we to have movies and tv shows available at the click of a button to immediately transport us to where we want to be. Now I know it’s not the same as actually being there but there’s nothing like beautifully produced Italian scenes to soothe the soul.

Favorite Italian movies and films set in Italy

Life is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella). Set in Arezzo, Tuscany at the outbreak of World War II, Roberto Bernigni’s Oscar winning film tells the love story of bookshop owner Guido and Dora. As the war and persecution of Jews gathers pace, and their family is torn apart by the war, Guido guides his young son through the trauma with imagination and grace. This is my favorite film of all time and it’s beautiful to watch when you’re feeling hopeless in times of adversity.

A Room with a View – Merchant Ivory’s production of the classic novel by E.M. Forster perfectly captures the beauty of Florence and surrounding countryside. Swoon worthy views from the pensione overlooking the Arno river ensure you’ll covet a room with a view in Florence too. The contrast between Italian and British culture is laid bare as the heroine, Lucy Honeychurch, undergoes her own awakening  under the Tuscan sun.

Roman Holiday – starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star in this fun story about a modern day princess who escapes the confines of her strict life and has an adventure in Rome. Gorgeous frocks, romance and scooter rides around the sights of Rome in 1950s style make this movie a must watch for pure escapism.

Want more movies? Here are some favorite movies set in Italy to add to your watch list.

Take a virtual tour to Italy’s favorite sites

For an interesting and intimate experience, Withlocals offer private online experiences for up to 10 participants. Discover the mysteries of Pompeii, Venetian secrets and more with your personal tour of some of Italy’s best known cities and sights. You can even prepare aperitivo with a host from Rome! Cin cin! > browse private online experiences

Read books about Italy

Are you a book lover? I fell in love with Italy through the pages of books and I love to explore Italian culture, cities and regions through written words to this day.

• A Room with a View – E.M. Forster’s classic coming of age story of an Englishwoman discovering Italy (and herself) in Florence
• My Brilliant Friend – the first in a brilliant four part series of novels exploring the lives and friendship of two women growing up in Naples in the 1950s by Elena Ferrante. I read all four in two weeks – full review here .
• The Agony and Ecstasy – the epic biography of genius Michelangelo that transports you straight into Renaissance Florence.

For more reading inspiration, check out our huge list of books set in Italy and about Italy .

Watch TV shows about Italy

TV Dramas set in Italy 

• Medici: Masters Of Florence  – highly dramatized series exploring the rise and fall of the ruling Medici family in Florence. Starring Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman, it is an entertaining series that is loose on historical accuracy.
• My Brilliant Friend [HBO] – adaption of the beloved books by Elena Ferrante following the lives of friends Lila and Lenu growing up in Naples in the 1950s. 3 seasons with a 4th coming soon. 
• The Borgias [Showtime] – 3 seasons of high drama starring Jeremy Irons and Holliday Grainger tracking the impact of one of Rome’s most powerful families, the Borgia, through the Renaissance era.
• Rome [HBO/BBC] – historical drama that chronicles Ancient Rome’s transition from Republic to Empire.
• Inspector Montalbano [RAI/BBC]- Italian series about a fictional detective in Sicily. With subtitles
• Gomorrah [Sky Atlantic ] – equal amounts grit and drama in this series about organized crime in Naples

Italy travel shows

• Dream of Italy [PBS] – American travel writer Kathy McCabe explores the places and people of Italy
• Rick Steve’s Europe – Travel writer Rick Steves takes us to 21 popular places throughout Italy
• Travel Channel’s Italy episodes – includes several featuring chef Anthony Bourdain
• BBC travel – stories to inspire travel to Italy

Italy food and wine shows

• Jamie Cooks Italy [Channel 4 UK] – celebrity chef Jamie Oliver eats and cooks his way around Italy with mentor Gennaro Contaldo
• Stanley Tucci – Searching for Italy [CNN] – Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the country’s regional cuisines. Already a firm favorite in our Italy Travel Planning community , series 2 is out now. 
• Chef’s Table [Netflix] – Season 1, Episode 1 – Massimo Bottura (head chef of Osteria Francescana – twice voted best restaurant in the world; Season 4, Episode 2 – Corrado Assenza (Sicilian gelato); Season 6, episode 2 – Dario Cecchini (renowned Tuscan butcher)
• Vincenzo’s Plate [YouTube] – Vincenzo takes us on a food journey around Italy with his nonna, family and friends

Learn to speak Italian

Italian is such a beautiful and expressive language. It pulls you in and makes you smile when you hear it spoken. There are so many ways to brush up on your Italian these days if you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced speaker.

Want to get beyond a friendly “Ciao!”, “Buongiorno!” or “grazie”? Then invest some time in your language skills. Take advantage of free online resources like Duolingo – an online platform and app that uses game-like lessons to accelerate your learning.

Or, if you’d like to focus on pronunciation and conversational Italian these podcasts

• Coffee Break Italian – 15-30 minute lessons focused on building confidence around every day experiences using Italian
• 5 minute Italian – bite sized fun Italian language lessons
• News in slow Italian – current affairs for those with an intermediate understanding of Italian

For those of you who like or need a more structured approach, we are working through the Rocket Italian program. This three stage course (beginner, intermediate and advanced) uses a variety of techniques to get you speaking and reading Italian quickly.

Use the voice recognition technology to perfect your accent and learn at your own pace with easy to digest 20 minute lessons. Everyone learns differently, so it’s a good idea to test out what works for you. Access the Rocket Italian free trial and try it for yourself or read our full review .

READ: Best ways to learn Italian

Visit Italian museums and sites with your laptop

The internet gives us the opportunity to admire the art masterpieces and historical artefacts on display in Italian museums like the Uffizi Gallery, Pompeii archaeological site and the Vatican Museums. These days you don’t have to leave your home to discover the treasures of these famous locations. Here are some of our favorites:

• Sistine Chapel – stunning 360 views of one of the most beautiful and most visited paintings on the planet. Use the zoom function to examine Michelangelo’s masterpiece for yourself.
• Uffizi Gallery – this video shows some of the many highlights of the Uffizi in Florence including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and the Caravaggio Medusa.
• Pompeii – there’s no narration but this walk through Pompeii shows you the scale and size of the city destroyed when Vesuvius exploded in 79AD

Google also has a project to document major cultural sites in Italy in conjunction with UNESCO and the Italian government. You can browse many sites and cities across Italy via the Wonders of Italy project.

Listen to Italian music

Can you visit Italy in a song? Of course you can! We asked our Italy Travel Planning community to nominate their favorite Italian songs and created this playlist from the answers. You’ll find classic tunes from Andrea Bocelli, Paolo Conte and Il Volo.

Or, if you just need more Andrea Bocelli in your life, download his greatest hits !

Browse the Internet for inspiring content

There are almost too many resources to choose from on the internet so we’ll share our favorites across the many platforms at your disposal.

Blogs and websites

Apart from our own sites Untold Italy and travel blog Untold Morsels we enjoy:

• Italy Magazine – online publication dedicated to all things Italian – culture, food, travel and even property
• Italian Tourist Board – discover the places to go and things to see across each of Italy’s beautiful regions
• Atlas Obscura Italy – explore quirky places and curiosities across “the boot” including a bookshop that uses gondolas for storage in Venice and a keyhole where you can look through three countries

Top inspiration articles from our sites

• Beautiful Tuscan towns
• Our favorite fountains in Rome
• Picturesque towns of the Italian Riviera
• The best beaches in Calabria

Italy Instagram accounts

A little Insta-escapism never hurt anyone. Here are some of the best accounts to fuel your Italy wanderlust

• @borghiitalia – a collection of the prettiest towns and villages in Italy posted daily
• @nickipositano – escape to the Amalfi Coast with gorgeous images and scenes from southern Italy
• @italy_bestplaces – all the incredible sights of bella Italia in one beautiful feed

YouTube Italy content

YouTube is very popular however there aren’t too many channels specifically dedicated to Italy. Here are some that you can get lost in for hours and bring Italy to your home.

• Rick Steves’ Italy playlist – hours upon hours of Italian history, culture and sights from the ever prolific American traveler
• ProWalk tours – no narration and really just a guy walking through places with a camera strapped to his head but it really does give you the unedited view of what your trip to Italy will be like
• The Roman Guy / The Tour Guy – informative and fun videos with Italy travel tips and inspiration from one of our favorite tour companies
• La Rosa Works Sicily tours – lovely insights in the people, places and culture of Sicily

Italy podcasts

If you haven’t checked out our Untold Italy podcast then head on over for discussions on the highlights of major destinations, Italian food and wine and general travel tips for your trip to Italy. If you love listening to podcasts then I can also recommend

• Italian Wine Podcast – exactly what it says on the bottle
• A History of Italy – bite sized insights into important events in Italian history
• Rick Steves Audio Tours – Rick takes you on a walk through some of Italy’s famous sights including the Colosseum

Latest episodes from our Italy travel podcast

Episode #223: delicious umbria’s most tasty food experiences, episode #222: must have experiences in venice, episode #221: magical marsala – the sweet taste of sicilian wine, episode #220: italian hospitality – come as a guest, leave as a friend, episode #219: 10 (or more) reasons to visit sardinia, episode #218: how hard is it to learn italian, shop italian made goods and gifts.

What you discover when you visit Italy is that Italians are master artisans and craftspeople. Great care and attention is paid to the quality of materials used whether they are creating a designer leather bag, a moka coffee pot or a bottle of wine. Often traditions and skills have been passed down over many generations. So the products you buy are themselves steeped in history

When I can’t be in Italy then I like to have a few beautifully made things that remind me of the time I spent there. My favorite fragrance from Capri , this Alessi cheese grater for my pasta and Gray Malin’s stunning coffee table Italy photography book to thumb through.

You can browse our shopping guide more of our favorite products and Italian themed gifts.

Make a photo book of your last trip to Italy

Do you have hundreds of photos of your trip to Italy sitting on your phone or laptop? I do! Actually thousands. There’s no better way to relive the memories of your trip to Rome, Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast than to browse your curated photos in a beautiful album of cherished memories.

Create a photo book and you’ll need to select your favorite snaps and arrange them. Spend time reminiscing over past vacations and adventures while you create your book and those memories will come flooding back. If you want your book to last, along with your memories choose a professional quality photo book. We like Blurb’s print on demand service where you can choose from a range of sizes and layouts – you can check out the options here .

Plan your travel to Italy

To be honest, planning our next trip is my most favorite way to bring a little piece of Italy into my life. I love gathering inspiration, mapping out itineraries and choosing accommodation for adventures to come.

If you want to get started planning your next trip then head over to our article on planning a trip to Italy that takes you step by step through the planning process.

Other useful resources from our websites:

• Want to know the best time of year to visit Italy? Click here
• Read our guide to the costs of a trip to Italy
• Choose a guidebook from our selection of best Italy travel books
• A fast paced 10 day itinerary for first time visitors
• The best booking sites for travel to Italy

How will you take a virtual trip to Italy?

We hope you enjoyed learning about the many ways to bring Italy to your home. Now you know that no matter how long it is between visits, you can always go to Italy through your tastebuds, your television, your mind and your dreams. Italy is waiting.

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Virtual Tour of Italy: 10 Easy Ways of Visiting Italy From Home!

Fancy visiting Italy, but not able to right now? Well, mi amico , let me take you on a virtual tour of Italy instead!

I get ya; I know what it’s like. I’m a frequent visitor to Italy , and the place has my heart. The people, the scenery, the scent of lemon and pine on a sea breeze. The language lilting through the air, or laughing through cypress trees. The feeling of warm Italian sunshine, and eating wonderful Italian food al fresco. Siiiiiigh.

But, most of us can’t travel the world full time. You might not always have the money, vacation time, or ability to pack up and go visiting Italy whenever you like, because life is terribly cruel like that. Sometimes it seems as though when you need a trip to Italy most, it just isn’t possible.

But don’t despair, because I’ve compiled the ultimate virtual tour of Italy for you! This is the definitive guide to having that perfect Italian experience without ever leaving home, ideal for those times when your heart craves Italy so badly, but you just can’t get there. This is how to see and experience the best of Italy from your own home!

Visiting Italy from home

Okay, this is how it works!

I’ve thought long and hard about the very best aspects of visiting Italy; the experiences, sights and scents that I love the most. I’ve researched what other people enjoy about visiting Italy, scrutinizing their primary motivations (including much silent judgement if sampling pizza in Naples isn’t on their bucket list. C’mon folks), and analyzing the most popular attractions. That all sounds terribly scientific, but it means that I’ve been able to distill your average trip to Italy into its most potent, addictive essence.

I’ve then stuck this bottle of Italian magic under an imaginary microscope, sucked out individual elements with a pipette, and researched just how you can experience that element from home. Museums, food, culture, and wonderful scenery – I discovered that it was all possible!

Against the backdrop of a sky filled with lightning, I have created my masterpiece – a virtual tour of Italy, which harnesses the power of the interwebs to bring the best Italian experiences into your own home! You can see it all, and you don’t even need travel insurance! Hahaha! Mwahahahaha!!!

Ahem, yeah. This is my virtual tour of Italy, designed especially for you, because everyone needs some Italy in their lives sometimes.  Look, we’re about to land in Rome!

Virtual art galleries

We’ve arrived in Italy – hurrah! And we’re getting straight into our virtual tour of Italy; we’re just going to throw our suitcases into our rooms and head straight out to the art galleries. Visiting Italy without setting one sandal-clad foot into an  art gallery is tantamount to treason, people.

Art galleries are perfect for virtual tours. After all, you get all of that gorgeous, culture-laden art with none of the crowds, and none of the achy feet from standing on the spot for too long. You can check out some lesser-known gems, things you might’ve missed on another visit. You can stay as long, or as little, as you want!

My favorite art gallery in the whole of Italy is the Uffizi Gallery in Florence , and their HyperVisions online tours are a wonderful way of seeing their collection. Their artworks are most definitely among the world’s best, and a thorough explanation of each gives you far more info than you’d receive if visiting in person! The tours are based around themes, and all of them are most certainly worth checking out.

Florence’s other star gallery is the Accademia . Although the home of Michelangelo’s David doesn’t go as far down the virtual tour route as the Uffizi, its site still contains a plethora of information and beautiful photos of its most important pieces, including some rather nifty videos!

However, if you want to get your virtual tour of Italy off to the very best start, check out the Vatican Museums Virtual Tour . This amazing resource gives you full 360-degree views of some of the most beautiful rooms and art-filled corridors in the world – yep, including the Sistine Chapel! Even on a computer or phone screen, the beauty of the place simply leaps out at you, and there’s no pesky tourists to ruin it. You can zoom in on individual artworks, and get a better view of that famous Sistine Chapel ceiling than you probably could in real life. It’s a must-see!

If you make it to Tuscany after all, or want some inspiration, check out my guide to two days in Florence!

Virtual tour of Italy: city walks

So, what else do we love about visiting Italy? I don’t know about you, but I love just strolling around. Taking in the sights of blue seas or glorious architecture, whilst sunshine gently warms your skin. Seeing Italian putter past on their Vespas. Experiencing local life in the city, or soaking up the natural surroundings of the countryside. Surely there’s not much we can do to include that on our virtual tour of Italy?

Guess again! As with so many things in life, YouTube is your friend. If you can think of an Italian location – whether it be Rome, Venice, or Cinque Terre -there is almost certainly a high-quality walking tour video out there. The very best ones will even give you a bit of history and local culture notes, too! 

One of my very favorite YouTube channels (yes, one of my favorites on the whole site!) ,is ProWalk Tours . I’ve linked to his Amalfi Coast tours on my articles about Sorrento , Positano , and Capri for one simple reason: they’re flippin’ awesome. He straps a GoPro to his head, and takes a leisurely, scenic walk around some of the loveliest places in Italy. That also explains some of the weird looks he gets from passers-by; seriously, watch out for those!

So, what are the best videos to watch in order to get that true, virtual tour of Italy feel? Check out my favorites from some of Italy’s most iconic cities!

Rome:  the Roman Forum , Colosseum , and Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain .

Venice:  The Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge , Murano  (with a glassblowing tour!)

Florence: a  long walking tour  , and a Tuscan hill town

Virtual museum tours

If you’re visiting Italy, whether in real-life or sitting in your jammies by a computer screen, you’re going want to visit some museums! Seriously, what kind of virtual tour of Italy would this be without some museums?

Predictably for somewhere that has been at the center of human history, Italy has some of the world’s best museums, with Rome leading the way. The city’s museums are practically overflowing with Roman history, and you can easily spend one day – and a very full day at that – simply soaking in the collection of a single institution. So what does the city have to offer for the virtual tourist?

Well, how about the Capitoline Museum , one of my favorites in Rome? It’s a great place to go and see antiquities (it’s within spitting distance of the ancient Roman Forum, after all), and the excellent virtual tour does a brilliant job of bringing it to life, and allowing you to virtually skip down its corridors! It’s easiest to navigate if you use the floor plans, but you can spend many an hour feeling like you’re walking through its stately passageways. Check out all those Roman goodies, especially in the Great Hall!

Want more Roman history in your life? No problemo; have a look at the Trajan’s Market virtual tour, an impressively-rendered landscape which lets you poke around one of the most recognizable buildings in Rome. This really is a treat; again it’s located right on the boundaries of the Forum, and it allows you to explore a building which is incredibly impressive, but far less famous than it should be! It’s actually the world’s oldest shopping mall, though probably lacking a branch of Forever 21.

But let’s be honest – if you’re visiting Italy, or just taking a virtual tour of Italy, there’s one place you want to see in particular. Pompeii is one of the most-visited historic sites in the world, and quite rightly so. Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by a volcanic eruption of nearby Mt Vesuvius in AD 79, and they’ve been shrouded in mystery and archaeological excitement ever since their rediscovery. If you’re staying in Rome or Naples, a day trip to Pompeii by train is a must!

But don’t worry, virtual tourists! You don’t need to miss out. Our old friend ProWalk Tours has got a 360-degree tour of Pompeii . That means that you can drag your mouse, or tilt your phone, and look around you as he’s walking. Yep, you can look in any direction you want! How. Awesome. Is. That?

Virtual Italian cooking class

I know, I know. I can hear you, shouting through your computer screen.

“Giiiiiiirl, this is all well and good, but what about food? What about my beloved Italian food?! I can’t get that virtually through my screen!”

Well… no, you can’t. The internet is super-clever, but as yet we have no reliable way of 3D printing a genuine Neapolitan pizza. I know, it’s a crime.

But how about the next best thing? How about a cooking class with a genuine Italian grandma, where she and her friends can teach you how to make those delicious dishes you love, in the comfort of your own home?

That’s exactly what you get if you sign up to Nonna Nerina Live ! This adorable 84-year old is a local legend in her village, holding the undisputed title of Pasta Master. She’s also a budding entrepreneur: having gained an excellent reputation for her cooking classes hosted through AirBnb, she’s now gone online with her granddaughter Chiara to teach the entire world how to cook authentic, delicious Italian dishes. You’ll even be emailed a list of necesssary ingredients and equipment beforehand – but don’t worry, there’s nothing too obscure!

Nonna Nerina teaches on two or three days a week; on other days, you’ll be taught by Chiara or one of the other grannies in the village. These ladies are having an absolute ball with their new internet fame, and their passion really shines through. It’s incredibly reasonably-priced, you won’t have to worry about language issues, and it’s just as much fun as taking a cooking class in Italy! Plus if you go a bit wrong, no-one’s going to see the charred embers, which is definitely a plus for me!

If you want a sneak preview, plus some bangin’ Italian tunes, here she is being utterly awesome!

Italian language classes

One of my top travel tips for visiting Italy, especially if it’s for the first time, is to learn some Italian. It’s not a difficult language to learn, there’s a lot of words that are very similar to ones we use in English, and it’ll help you in situations where you need to read instructions – in a train station, for example. Plus it makes you seem generally a bit cool when you get home. Win-win!

But even for our virtual tour of Italy, I’m going to recommend learning some Italian. Partly for those vital street cred points, but partly because one of the joys of visiting Italy is hearing the language in action. Italian is a beautiful language, and being surrounded by it is one of the joys of a trip. Just doing a little bit of learning per day seriously has you picking it up in no time! So unless you import a household of Italians into your home, which can probably be considered an extreme way of going immersive with your staycation, you’re probably going to want to download some language learning apps!

Which language learning app to use?

Let’s go through the big hitters one by one, because they each have their own pros and cons. First up, and most well-known of the language learning apps, is Duolingo . Fun, well-developed and attractive to look at, Duolingo is the undisputed king of language apps, and it has a great community surrounding it. It’s also completely free to use, which is always a major plus point in my book! But there are one or two flaws – there’s not enough notes on why a particular grammar rule is the case, or just the little details that make you understand what you’re learning a bit better. You can feel like you’re just parroting words. And there are many, many people scarred for life by the Clitics section.

Memrise is similar to Duolingo in some respects (it’s also free, and designed to be game-like), and it certainly manages to go a little more in-depth on some of the vocabulary (I found that even the beginner’s course brought up some words that Duolingo never did). It prides itself on being one of the quickest ways to learn a language, and the style it teaches you in certainly seems to work – I did a large chunk of their Japanese course, and can still remember a lot of the kanji characters very clearly. But again, it’s severely lacking on notes, and background detail.

Rosetta Stone is a survivor from the days when you learned languages on a cassette tape (remember that? No? Oh, you sweet summer child). Impressively, it adapted with the times, and is now an online course and app! It very much likes to immerse you in the language – you won’t find heaps of English instruction – but there’s no denying that it’s a tactic that works, even if it might be confusing to begin with. It’s also got an impressive amount of vocabulary to teach you, way more than the free options. The downside? The cost. But it’s worth checking out, and doing a free trial at the very least!

Babbel falls somewhere in the middle of all of these – and that alone actually makes it my favorite of the bunch. I learnt Italian from this very app; it has a paid subscription, but it won’t break the bank. The amount of vocabulary on offer is incredibly extensive (it’s more than possible to come away with a very good grasp of the language, well before you finish all the modules), and using the app is easy and fun. And hurrah: it actually has notes on why grammar rules are set the way they are, as well as cultural notes! At last!! It’s a must for any virtual tour of Italy; click the link, and give it a look!

Driving through Italy… virtually!

What would a virtual tour of Italy be without a little road trip? Winding the window down, seeing the Italian countryside zip by, relaxing in your seat…

I have loooong been a fan of Euro Truck Simulator 2. It’s on my list of the best travel TV shows, books, and video games, and if I’m being totally honest, it takes over my life on occasion. Especially when I’m trying to get things done, or get this blog written. It’s mellow, relaxing, and perfect for a virtual trip through any country in Europe.

Download ETS2 from Steam , and after a few loading screens, you’ll be in charge your own trucking business. Choose a base in Italy, and after a few practice runs you’ll be free to drive wherever you so choose. Haul goods from Sicily to Milan, or from Rome to Venice – all beautifully and realistically rendered. This is no generic landscape, but one intended to be as close to real life as possible – you can drive past the Vesuvius National Park, for example, and actually recognize it exactly.

Want to expand your virtual tour of Italy a little? Well, the clue is in the name of the game: most of Europe is lovingly recreated for you to take relaxing drives through. France, Scandinavia, the Baltics… it’s all there for you, with some remarkably beautiful scenery.

If you want to take a drive through Italy, revel in the thought of not having the real-life consequences of crashes, and ensure that Italy is properly supplied with everything from fishfingers to empty wooden pallets, this is the video game for you!

Books about Italy

Sometimes, using your own imagination can be the best way of taking a virtual tour of Italy. Whether it’s beautifully-written fiction, or travel guides that’ll help you visualize visiting Italy in real-life, there’s a number of wonderful books set in Italy that’ll have you transported there in seconds.

Let’s have a look at some of my favorite books about Italy!

Lonely Planet’s Italy : The Bible of Italy travel – if it’s not in here, then it’s quite possibly not worth visiting. I love Lonely Planet guides and have read them for years; you can read through them almost like a novel, and visualize visiting every hotel, restaurant and attraction. Cultural notes and history add extra appeal.

Bill Bryson – Neither Here Nor There : I always enjoy Bryson’s grumpy looks at the world, and Europe comes under scrutiny in this classic. It’s clear that Italy holds a special place in his heart (he’s even impressed by a pickpocket who relieves him of his traveler’s checks), and the whole book is worth reading purely for his descriptions of Sorrento and Capri. The section on Capri in particular will have you transported into a flower-scented, sunlit world.

Tim Parks – Italian Neighbors : I read this a few years ago, and it really stayed with me. On the surface, it doesn’t sound that exciting – it’s the author’s experience of moving into a small village in northern Italy – but the local characters, scenery, and his seemingly insane neighbors will instantly be recognizable to anyone who has ever visited the country. Reading it feels like moving into the village yourself, and it’s easy to imagine yourself in Italy for the duration!

E.M. Forster – A Room With A View :  This was one of my exam texts back when I was in school. I don’t know about you, but I always think that if you have to study a book for school and you don’t end up hating it, then it’s clearly a very good book! That certainly holds true for Forster’s classic tale of upper-class English folks visiting Florence as part of the Grand Tour. Love interests enter the scene, but you may well fall in love with the descriptions of the city instead – you’ll certainly think of the novel every time you see bluebells. 

Donna Leon – various titles :  Fancy some crime and mystery? Donna Leon’s novels focus around the investigations of Commissario Brunetti, an intensely likable Venetian police officer who patrols his home city solving crimes, and trying not to have too many mobs of tourists getting in the way. Light-hearted without being all-out comedic, Leon has a talent for taking situations which seem almost surreal, then unraveling it until it makes perfect sense. Beautiful descriptions of Venice, too!

Michele Giuttari – various titles : Okay, another crime series, but these are far more gritty than the Donna Leon novels. Giuttari is a retired police officer turned novelist, and you get the distinct impression that his novels – which expose the darker side of Florence without ever turning you against the place – are based on real experience. The dealings of the Mafia are certainly his favorite topic to write about, and it provides a realistic, occasionally dark, view of life in Italy.

Other Italian goodies

Okay, we’ve got all the visual elements we need for our virtual tour of Italy! But what about some of the other elements of visiting Italy? What about scent, or taste?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered here too! I like to grab Italian products when I can – anything that brings back memories of the place, so I can add to my own virtual tour of Italy – and I’m going to share some of them with you! These all evoke some of my very favorite parts of Italy… except fishing villages, because I don’t need to experience the scent of those, thanks.

Nesti Dante soap : I LOVE THESE. Italy’s premier soap company is based in Florence, and specialize in creating bars of suds which represent different cities and regions of the country. Aside from soaps which smell like Tuscan hills , monasteries , or Italian forests , my pick would be the Dolce Vivere range. These capture the typical scents of plants found in places as diverse as Rome , Venice , Lake Como or Capri , and they’re absolutely glorious . And they last forever, too! Pick your favorite part of Italy, and just breathe it all in.

Limoncello : Nothing says a trip to the Amalfi Coast region than a little bit of limoncello! Italy’s favorite lemon liqueur most typically comes from the region, and it’s a great way of bringing a little taste of the country into your own home. Any Italian will tell you that Sorrento is where the good stuff comes from, and fortunately for us all, it’s available online! PèpeCello is one of the best brands out there – I’ve seen it on the shelves of the local supermarket in Sorrento, which is always a good sign – and is well worth getting!

Carthusia perfume : Also from the Amalfi Coast region – specifically the glorious, flower-strewn island of Capri – are the wonderful perfumes made by Carthusia . I always include these on my lists of the best souvenirs from the Amalfi Coast, because they’re sooo good at bringing back memories! The scent is so evocative… I own a bottle of their Mediterraneo perfume, which is based on lemons and green leaves, and every time I smell it, I’m transported back to Capri in the sunshine. They truly manage to capture Italy in a bottle, and applying a bit of this per day will definitely enhance your virtual tour of Italy!

Share this guide to Italy virtual tours!

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this article about taking a virtual tour of Italy in your own home! Visiting Italy isn’t always a possibility, for whatever reason – but there’s no need to be disheartened when there’s some easy steps to bring Italy to you!

If you have indeed enjoyed this, you get a big hug from me, you lucky thing! How about giving it a share in return? You can hit any of those awesome little share buttons, pop it on your favorite social media network, and totally make my day.

If you’re a smart cookie (and I know you are!), share the below images to Pinterest! That way, this article gets a share, and you get a permanent bookmark back here, saved on Pinterest for when you need it. Rainy day? Feeling down? Can’t make it abroad this year? Go to Pinterest, and you’ll be able to come back here, and get instant Italy. Yay!

Psst! This article contains some affiliate links! These incur zero extra cost to you, should you choose to purchase the product provided, but it earns this blog a bit of commission which goes towards running costs. Any extra money earned gets spent on my beloved Nesti Dante soaps, specifically pinging them around my bathtub.

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This is actually so cool! I had heard of virtual tours but never really knew much about them until recently. I’ll have to give it a try! 😁

This is a great overview! I love the sweet women making pasta. This will hopefully inspire people who have never been to Italy to travel in future once this passes.

Cindy Scott

I’ve never taken a virtual tour before, thanks for all of the tips!

Juleen Meets World

Ooooh! That virtual cooking class is looking really tempting

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NEW Live Virtual Tours of Italy

Posted on April 22, 2021

Discover our NEW Live Virtual Tours – we take you to Bella Italia from the comfort of your own home!

Live La Dolce Vita on a Virtual Live Tour of Rome, just as Audrey Hepburn did during her “Roman Holiday”

Recently I shared with you our new initiative of online Virtual Tours to help keep the dream of Italy alive .  Italian Allure Travel can’t wait to literally welcome back international travellers from all over the world back to our beautiful Italy.

Until your turn to jump on a plane arrives, due to popular demand, we have created the following New live online virtual tours with our expert guides and chefs who are based all over Italy.  We offer you the chance to virtually discover Italy via zoom video call connecting with our local guides as they walk you around their local towns and properties – view our new selection below..  

Bellagio, the Pearl of Lake Como

Enjoy an introductory tour of the “Pearl of Lario” and find out why for centuries many have flocked to Bellagio!

Live online tour of Bellagio, the shiny “Pearl of the Lario”

Today, Lake Como in its entirety is your oyster and beautiful Bellagio is its shiny “Pearl of the Lario”. Join your expert guide, who is proud to call this area her home, for a virtual stroll through one of Italy’s most charming towns. This is a live online tour starting from the most panoramic point of Bellagio. Whilst you are online, our guide will walk you through the historical centre to discover the local specialties and curiosities of this charming and characteristic village which has something for everyone – a rich history written in architectural gems, a vibrant centre with wine bars, delicatessens and boutique shops selling everything from local artisanal wares to high fashion; and picture-perfect panoramas around every corner. This virtual tour will prepare you for your next trip to Lake Como in Italy! (Tour duration: 1 hour)

Next we take you to Rome..

Virtual Discovery of Ancient Rome

Would you like to live La Dolce Vita, just as Audrey Hepburn did when she had her “Roman Holiday”? Jump on a virtual tour with an expert guide who is based in Rome and enjoy an entertaining introduction to the most iconic sites and learn more about the fascinating history of the Eternal City.

Virtual Live Tour – Discovery of Ancient Rome

From the comfort of your home, enjoy an entertaining virtual tour with your Roman guide and discover the rich history, cultural highlights and true Roman flair of the Campo Marzio, once a living history lesson and a celebration of Rome’s famed Dolce Vita! From the incredible beauty of the baroque square of Piazza Navona to the unbelievable work of the ancient Roman architect who built the Pantheon, you will be guided around to discover the cobblestone secrets, explore historical monuments and hear about the stories that made Rome, Italy’s capital city so famous…

We encourage you to make your wish while observing the stunning beauty of the Trevi Fountain and perhaps your wish will come true – we wish for you to visit Rome as soon as possible! (Tour duration: 1 hour)

A fascinating town of mystery.. 

An Introduction to Como – known for its dramatic scenery, set against the foothills of the Alps

Sitting at the southern tip of Lake Como’s western branch, the town of Como is both bustling with commerce and completely charming with narrow streets and historical monuments. Join our expert local guide for a virtual walking tour that will make the rich history of Como come alive. This is a perfect introduction to Lake Como in preparation for your next visit! 

Virtual Tour Introduction to Como

Join your local guide for a virtual walking tour of Como’s must-see sights, starting from the main Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built in three different styles it is better known as Como Cathedral, this is the first place of worship in the city of Como.  Next, pass through the charming Piazza Volta where many remember Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), one of the most important historical personalities and the local inventor of the electrical battery.  You will take the romantic lake walk with your guide to end the experience where you will have breathtaking lakeside views. You will hear of the town’s fascinating history, its importance in the production of silk, while admiring the beauty of the famous lake to which the city gives its name. (Tour duration: 1 hour)

To the seaside and one of the pretties fishing villages in the world… 

Virtual Tour – Cinque Terre: Manarola

Built on a rock 70 meters above sea level, Manarola is one of the most charming of the Cinque Terre villages.

Join your local expert guide for a live virtual tour around Manarola! Starting from the upper section of the village, walk along the alleyways through the old tower houses: from there you will have a great view over the vineyards before walking along the main (and only!) street in town, lined by small local shops and eateries, you will be dreaming of your next trip during this experience. Visit the old port area, with its wooden boats and then finally arrive at the viewing point which will allow you to see two of the neighbouring villages from a distance – Corniglia and Monterosso. Your local guide is at your complete disposal to answer any questions you may have! (Tour duration: 1 hour)

If you are really after some fascinating history, virtually head to Sicily on our next new experience… 

Welcome to Agrigento and the Valley of Temples

Explore one of the largest archaeological parks in the world and visit Olympus on earth? Jump on a private zoom call with our expert guide who will be there live in person (on site) to help you learn more about the majestic Valley of Temples in Agrigento, this will be a great occasion to chat about Sicily, its culture, traditions and of course its tastiest food!

Virtual Tour of Agrigento and the Valley of Temples

Join your expert guide to virtually explore one of the best-preserved Greek sites of the island, the Valley of the Temples. You’ll hear the amazing story these eight temples tell: from the almost entirely intact Temple of Concordia to the Temple of Juno on its hilltop perch to the ruins of the Temple of Zeus that was one of the five largest greek temples in the world dismantled by greedy builders over the centuries for its stones. Take the chance to learn more about Sicily, its rich culture and history and of course make mention to its delicious food! (Tour duration: 1 hour)

And for a special treat, if you can’t resist Italian cuisine, take part in this exclusive Italian Allure Travel Cheese Production Class, live online from the hills of Tuscany… 

Online Cheese Production Class – Tuscan Cuisine

Are you a cheese lover and would you like to enter the world of an authentic dairy farm?  Our exclusive virtual live tour takes you to the rolling hills of Pienza in Tuscany to discover the secrets behind this very special farm!

This virtual journey will take you through the rolling hills of Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia where you will join the organic farmer Ulisse to explore his estate. Learn about his earth-friendly cultivation techniques and move to the dairy farm for a cheese-making class: Ulisse will share with you the secrets to making – and aging – a great cheese – like the award-winning pecorino toscano made exclusively from raw ewe’s milk.

You will be also guided through historical notes, production techniques and many curious anecdotes of the world of products from the farm and the Crete Senesi area. For lovers of dairy products this activity will be a moment of pure fun! Before this virtual experience, you may wish to order a box of delicious cheese and the estates’ wines that will be shipped directly to your home…contact us for more information – [email protected]    (Tour duration: 1,5 hours, Maximum 6 guests online)

Why not try our Italiano online feast class – one of our New Live Virtual Food Experiences.. 

Online Bread, Pizza and Pasta Making Class

Do you love Italy’s most iconic delights: Bread, Pizza and Pasta? Join our chef at her organic farm among the rolling hills of Tuscany and learn all the techniques and tricks to prepare the best dough for your preferred dishes!

This virtual class, designed for true fans of Italian cuisine, will take you through the rolling hills of Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia where you will join an organic farmer and chef to learn how to prepare the perfect dough for pizza, bread and pasta. Thanks to this lesson, you will discover everything about the various preparation phases and many small local tricks that you will need to make the final result truly unique and special.

You will learn how to prepare the dough for bread with ancient grain flours, the pizza dough and techniques and recipes for two types of fresh pasta: one short and one long.

You will also receive the list of ingredients and tools and the recipes needed for the different preparations, in order to surprise your family and friends with your new skills! Before this virtual experience, you may wish to order a box of organic flour and the estates’ wines that will be shipped directly to your home.  C ontact us for more information  (Tour duration: 1,5 hours)

View a full list of our Virtual Tours and Food & Wine Experiences at the following –  Link

Contact us  for more information – [email protected]

x Melissa 

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Virtual Venice: How To Tour Venice From Home

Here’s my armchair travel guide to Venice Italy. Via 15 virtual tours, you can visit Venice’s famous landmarks, must see attractions, and world class museums from your couch or computer. You can feel like you’re in Venice even if you’re not.

La Serrenissima is one of the world’s most beautiful and captivating cities. No other place looks anything like it. It’s a magical floating city of grand palazzos, golden domes, picturesque canals, and labyrinthian lanes.

Venice has suffered lately — from overtourism, flooding, and now the world wide lockdown. If, like me, you had a trip to Italy planned and canceled, you may be feeling disappointed.

But thanks to the wonders of armchair travel, you can now take a virtual cyber vacation to Venice. To be sure, it’s not nearly as fascinating as the real thing. But you can see the iconic place in a quiet and peaceful state, without crowd or queues. Perhaps the Venetians prefer it this way.

REA D: 2 day itinerary for Venice

How to Enjoy A Virtual Venice Vacation Online

1. google earth | google maps | youtube.

Google Earth and Google Maps are perfect for an overview of Venice. These sites enable you to see different digital views of Venice – aerial views, street views, and panoramic views. You can navigate your way around online using your keyboard or mouse. In addition, you can explore Venice here or take this 360 tour .

There’s also a brilliant live webcam on YouTube here . It shows Venice shut down, eerily quiet and empty. YouTube’s “I Love You Venice” channel plays live footage to classical music. It claims to have the “most beautiful live cam” of Venice.

National Geographic also has a lovely 4 minute video about Venice.

2. Google Arts & Culture: Virtual Tours

Google Arts & Culture is a brilliant initiative for the travel starved. Google has partnered with museums and institutions around the world to bring masterpieces to you in high resolution or present thematic tours of important art and architecture.

If you’re a culture vulture, it’s one of the best online best resources. In addition to the specific Venice sites, Google Arts & Culture also has an online exhibition from the National Gallery in London of Impressionist Claude Monet’s paintings of Venice.

3. Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace or Palazzo Ducale is Venice’s most iconic landmark. Set in St. Mark’s Square, the palace is the very symbol of Venice. This pink and white marble Gothic-Renaissance building was the official residence of the doges, rulers of Venice for more than 1,000 years.

Now, from your armchair, you can explore the architecture of the building, the grand interior, and some of the fabulous Renaissance and Venetian art. The must see masterpieces are Veronese’s Rape of Europe and The Triumph of Venice, paintings and ceilings by Tintoretto, and Tiepolo’s Neptune Bestowing Gifts upon Venice .

You can tour the Doge’s Palace virtually on Google Arts & Culture and take a 360 tour of the exterior and tour the interior here .

READ : Must see sites along the Grand Canal

4. Saint Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s is one of the world’s most ornate churches, designed in an Italo-Byzantine style when Venice was a wealthy military power. It’s right on the Piazza San Marco and connected to the Doge’s Palace. The basilica used to be a smaller chapel for the doge.

It’s called St. Mark because it holds the body, a relic, of St. Mark. St. Mark was hugely important as one of the authors of the New Testament. Venetian merchants actually stole the relic from Alexandria in 828.

St. Mark’s is constructed in a Greek cross design, with each arm equal. The interior is like a golden jewel box. The walls are covered with mosaics, 40,000 square feet in total.

You can take a virtual tour of St. Mark’s here and listen to a Smarthistory lecture here .

5. Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Ah, this is my favorite museum in Venice. And it’s one of the finest modern art museums in the world. It was founded by Peggy Guggenheim, an eccentric American heiress with a nose for spotting talent.

The museum is housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, an 18th century palace on the Grand Canal. Peggy purchased it from another eccentric European personality, Maria Louisa Casati.

Peggy’s collection includes works from the major movements of Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism, and Abstract Expressionism. There’s an entire room dedicated to her beloved Pollack. You can see works by Picasso , de Chirico, Kandinsky, Miro, Klee, Ernst, Magritte, de Kooning, Dali, and Calder.

The Schulhof Collection, also on site, is also impressive. It’s housed in a wing of the museum called the Barchessa. The collection features post-war American and European art, from the period following Guggneheim’s works.

The focus is on minimalism, pop art, and post-painterly abstraction. It includes works by Frank Stella, Cy Twombley, Ellsworth Kelly, Jasper Johns, and Eduardo Chillada.

You can tour the Peggy Guggenheim Collection online here . Here’s my complete guide to Peggy Guggenheim Collection .

6. Palazzo Rezzonico

Also located on the Grand Canal in the Doursoduro area, Palazzo Rezzonico is a shrine to 18th century Venetian artists. This period is sometimes called the “Age of Decadence.” You’ll find paintings and frescoed ceilings by Tiepolo, Longhi, Canaletto, Guardi, Molinari, and Lazzarini.

You can take a virtual tour of Ca’ Rezzonico here . You can also take a Google Street View tour of the lovely palace and admire the beautiful furnishings, the paintings, the Throne Room, and the Grand Ballroom.

The palazzo also has an online exhibition on Canaletto, a painter renowned for his oil paintings of Venetian canals.

7. Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art

Ca’ Pesaro is a spectacular 18th century Venetian palace in Venice’s Santa Croce area. While not as renowned as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Ca’ Pesaro is real a hotspot for modern art lovers.

It has a fabulous collection, spanning several movements from the 19th and 20th centuries with an especially rich collection of expressionists and surrealists.

The collection includes art works by works by Kandinsky, Chagall, de Chirico, Ernst, Matisse, Miro and Gustav Klimt . A highlight is Klimt’s Judith II .

You can take a virtual tour here .

8. Palazzo Fortuny

Palazzo Fortuny is an intimate personal museum to check out. It was founded by the Fortuny family, who manned a successful company producing silk and velvet fabrics.

The visually stunning museum is filled with eclectic art — printed fabrics, drawings, and sculptures, paintings, and photography. They’re all works created by Mariano Fortuny in the early 1900’s.

You can take a virtual tour here . Touring virtually will quell the desire to reach out and touch the goods on display.

9. Museum of Natural History | Museo di Storia Naturale di

This little museum is housed in the Fontego dei Turchi Palace on the Grand Canal. Its collection focuses on the natural history of the lagoon that surrounds the city. The museums conducts and coordinates scientific research.

Inside, you’ll find dinosaur skeletons, big game taxidermy, fossils, insects, shrunken heads, etc. It’s a perfect place for a history or science buff. You can tour the museum online at Google Arts & Culture here . You can take a Google Street View tour here and here .

10. Gallerie dell’Accademia

Located on the south bank of the Grand Canal, the must visit Gallerie dell’Accademia is housed in the former Santa Maria della Carità church and convent complex. It was built, in part, by famed Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio.

The Accademia was founded as an art school in 1750. In 1807, a conquering Napoleon opened the collection to the public.

The 24 galleries of the Academia are home to astounding artworks by pre-19th century Venetian artists. The Accademia boasts masterpieces by the likes of Canaletto, da Vinci, Veronese, Bellini, and Titian. This is where you can find Leonardo’s famous Vitruvian Man .

You can tour the Accademia virtually here or on YouTube here .

11. Correr Museum | Museo Correr

This little museum is dedicated to the history of Venice. The sumptuously decorated rooms include an opulent ballroom, a Napoleonic loggia, a throne room, and a dining room. All have beautiful frescoed ceilings.

Amid the ornate rooms, you’ll find beautiful Neo-Classical sculptures by one of my favorites, Antonio Canova. His themes were love and beauty. The museum also has an outstanding art collection, spanning the earliest days of Venetian painting up to the 16th century.

You can take a virtual tour of the Correr Museum on Google Arts & Culture.

12. Ride A Gondola Online

You can even take a gondola ride from home. Geneeo, a tech company, filmed a 20 minute virtual gondola ride through Venice’s canals with 360 views. Sip a limoncello and enjoy the beautiful views here .

If you’re ever in Venice, you can also learn how to row a gondola yourself. I did that the last time I was in Venice and it was fabulous.

13. Island of Murano Tour

Murano is a colorful island located in the Venice lagoon. It’s a wonderful day trip from Venice proper. Murano is renowned for its exquisite glass products and glass blowing techniques.

Google Arts & Culture has a page devoted to Murano. You can learn about the ancient art of glass blowing  here . You can also visit the Museo del Vetro online . The museum is devoted entirely to glass, from Roman to contemporary times.

You can even purchase authentic Murano glass souvenirs online from your couch or computer.

14. Thirsting In Place: the Aperol Spritz

A more unique and fun virtual tour is to make an Aperol Spritz, or Spritz Veneziano, online with Venice local Valerio. Venice lays claim to have invented the spicy European cocktail, which is a mixture of prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. The cocktail became wildly popular in the US starting in 2018.

If you want to learn how to make the aperitif and see lovely views of Murano at the same time, you can book an online course with Valerio here .

15. Films Set in Venice

Venice is an incredibly cinematic place, with its ancient crumbling palazzos and winding gondola-studded canals. Cue up these films for an armchair glimpse of Venice:

Death in Venice (thriller based on Thomas Mann’s famous book)

Dangerous Beauty (period piece about courtesans in Renaissance Venice)

The Italian Job (thieves team together to steal gold)

The Tourist (Johnny Depp in a romantic thriller)

Moonraker (James Bond film with a gondola chase scene)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (third installment of the series)

You may enjoy these other Italy travel guides and resources:

• 3 day itinerary for Rome

• 3 day itinerary for Florence

• 1 day itinerary for Milan

• 10 day itinerary for Tuscany

• 10 day itinerary for Italy’s classic cites

• 10 day itinerary from Milan to Rome

• 1 week itinerary from Venice to Milan

• 30 beautiful towns in Italy

• Historic landmarks in Italy

If you’d like to visit Venice virtually from home, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on November 20, 2021 by Aamir Faiz

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“Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a world class museum with an incredible renaissance art collection. Enjoy a guided tour with a Local Specialist to make the experience more memorable, especially when in front of Botticelli’s stunning ‘Birth of Venus’ painting”

Pino, Travel Director

See Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel

One of the most important structures of the Catholic faith, the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel is a must-see on a tour of Italy. Though the chapel walls have witnessed centuries of worship, it’s the renaissance ceiling paintings of Michelangelo that will leave you in awe.

Visit the glamorous Isle of Capri

Enjoy the classic Italian summer in Italy’s picture-perfect Gulf of Naples. Famed for its crystal grottos, dramatic coastlines and endless glamour, our trips to Italy are complete with a day of freedom spent under a striped umbrella, watching sailboats pass by.

Cruise your way through Venice

The charm found in the canals of Venice is nothing short of irresistible. Admire gothic palaces and postcard bridges whilst adrift in a gondola, gaining an understanding of life in a city that floats. Exploring a city by foot will never be the same after a trip to Venice.

Journey to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii

An unfathomable history lesson is found in the archaeological ruins of Pompeii. Buried and preserved by the ash of a volcano eruption in the year 79, in this Italian town you will discover the progressive life of early Roman times as you walk within the parameters of an open-air time capsule of life on Earth.

Go shopping in Italy's fashion capital Milan

Armani, Gucci, Prada and Versace. These are some of the prestigious fashion brands that call the Italian city of Milan home. In between yearning through boutiques and department stores, stop to sample the city’s delicacies like breaded veal cutlet and ossobuco.

Our top 5 things to do in Italy

It's the moments of quiet stillness that take your breath away on a Trafalgar tour through Italy. Sitting in the calm halls of the Vatican. Floating on the canals of Venice. Standing beside the ruins of Pompeii.

Uffizi Gallery

The Tuscan capital is home to Uffizi Gallery, where the brushworks of art’s true masters are found. Names like Raffaello, Leonardo, and Michelangelo dress Uffizi’s grand pink walls, whilst internal courtyards leading to the Arno River will show you the building’s architectural brilliance.

Vatican Museums

A collection of Christian artwork that spans centuries and stirs the soul is found in Rome’s Vatican Museums. From the intricate ceiling by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel to the detailed Pope portraits from the 16th century to today, you will be lost for words once inside this blessed museum complex.

Doge's Palace

Home to the leader of Venice from its opening in 1340, Doge’s Palace summarizes the sparkle of this city. An opulent example of Venetian Gothic architecture and home to numerous historical works, this museum is a must when you visit Venice.

Best museums in Italy

The epicenter of the Catholic faith and the birthplace of art’s most renowned masters. Our guided tours of Italy will take you to the many museums found here, whether in the Sistine Chapel, by the canals of Venice or in the grand galleries of Tuscany.

The authentic carbonara experience will take place in Rome, covered in salty Pecorino Romano cheese. A simple dish inspiring heart-warming meal times, this pasta will connect you with Italy’s rich culinary customs - an impressive evolution from its supposed heritage as a coal-miner’s meal.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

Literally translating to ‘hunter’ in Italian, cacciatore offers an appreciation for Italy’s meals of days gone by. Typically a preparation of rabbit or chicken, it’s the simmering tomato stew that makes this dish so mouthwatering. Satisfy a genuine hunger and consume with hand-ripped bread.

Italy tours are best served with an oversized slice of tiramisu. Cementing this country's obsession with espresso, this cake of layered biscuits soaked in coffee is the perfect after hours pick-me-up before an evening stroll through the charming streets.

Best food in Italy

A date with Italian food will likely start and end with a slice of pizza. But it’s the menu items that we share with you in between that will take your appreciation to new heights; think cacciatore and Carbonara with a slice of tiramisu in between.

What to pack for Italy

A classic linen outfit

The Italians are famous for their equal parts glamorous and effortless dress sense. Look the part with a few ensembles featuring classic linens in navy and white.

A blank journal

With the wealth of inspiration tucked into every corner of Italy, you might find yourself compelled to write down notes or memories. At the very least to remember the traditional Italian recipes you learn.

With such a large expanse of space to explore, on some days, long journeys are unavoidable. The scenery will provide plenty of visual entertainment, while headphones can be used to listen to some local music or enjoy podcasts about Italian history, culture and politics when you're not enjoying the storytelling from your Travel Director.

A small blanket

When exploring the soul-stirring setting of Tuscany, a picnic may call. Come prepared with a small blanket to cover in wine and cheese.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

A classic memoir that brought the romance of Tuscany to the world, there’s no better time to read this book than when venturing through the country yourself.

Pack for sustainable travel

Consider your environmental impact when you next take a trip and go single-use-plastic-free by packing a reusable water bottle, a steel straw, your own shopping bags and reusable toiletry bottles.

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A virtual tour of Italy | Travel from your couch

Travel A virtual tour of Italy | Travel from your couch

The world has been thrown a curveball, a terrible one we all hope to recover from real soon. However, there’s always a silver lining. Stick with us for the next 10 minutes and we’ll guide you there.

We understand that your long awaited vacation has been cancelled and you’re quarantined within the confines of your walls. How does experiencing the glory of Italy from the comfort of your couch sound? Hear us out.

Walk the cobbled streets of Rome, play a quick round of trivia, read some travelogues and novels set in Italy and maybe even learn to whip up a few authentic Italian delicacies. Traveling from your couch has never been more exciting.

PS: Do you still have pending cancellations with Headout? We’re working round the clock to help travelers around the globe, so chat with us and we’ll resolve your queries.

Where would you like to travel?

The ancient seat of the progenitors of Western Civilisation, Rome is a classic European city that is a mix of historic ruins, stunning works of art & architecture, great food and a vibrant city life making it one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world.

Experience Virtually

Thank god for videos and VR, you can (virtually) walk the cobbled streets of Rome from your couch! Walk through the Colosseum’s Arena, stroll the many halls of the Vatican Museum and appreciate art at the Borghese Gallery . We know you’re stuck at home, but these videos will sure make you feel like you’re in Rome.

Eternal City

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Top Sights in Rome

You’ll be walking these streets soon. This is just a trailer.

Panoramas Of The Colosseum

Walking Tour of Colosseum

Guided Tour of Colosseum

Secrets of the Colosseum

Panoramas Of The Vatican Museum

Guided Tour in The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

St. Peter's Basilica Walking Tour

Rome and Vatican

Vatican Museum Highlights

Panoramas Of The Borghese Gallery

Villa Borghese Gallery Gardens

Borghese Gallery: 20 Must see artworks

A Walk Through Rome

Discover the beat and vibe of Rome

What to do in Rome by night

Rome walking tour

Story of Ancient Rome

Food tour in Rome

Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, Florence is often referred to as the 'Athens of the Middle Ages'. The city is credited as the birthplace of the Renaissance and is home to countless masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture.

Thank god for videos and VR, you can (virtually) wander the artistic lanes of Florence. Unveil the treasure trove of renaissance from the comfort of your house with virtual tours of world-class museums in Florence. Beware, you might just experience the stendhal syndrome from your couch

The Renaissance Era

Top sights in florence, duomo florence.

Google Street View

About Duomo

Walking tour

Other Attractions in Florence

Touring The Uffizi Gallery

Florence and Uffizi

Accademia Gallery Tour

Michelangelo's David in Florence

A Walk Through Florence

A city so full of life and culture

Top things to do in Florence

Florence walking tour

Food Crawl in Florence

A doorway to Spain’s past, Seville is a city that slowly charms and wins you over. The land where Columbus departed from for his world exploration has evolved to a rousing mix of Mudéjar palaces, gothic churches, flamenco clubs and winding medieval lanes.

Thank god for videos and VR, you can (virtually) glide on a gondola from your couch!. Wander the gold clad Doge’s Palace, marvel at the byzantine marble at St. Mark’s Basilica and walk through the bustle of Rialto market. We know you’re stuck at home, but these videos will sure make you feel like you’re in Venice.

City Of Canals

Top sights in venice.

Saint Mark's Basilica - Google Street View

Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice

Doge's Palace Tour

Gondola Ride

A Walk Through Venice

We wish we could bottle the aromas of the orange-scented courtyards for you

Venice walking tour

Venice in a glimpse

All of Venice

Dotted with remarkable gothic architecture and gifted with a legacy of art and history, Milan is a city waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re someone who is an art enthusiast, or someone who appreciates fashion or food — there is something for everyone.

Top Sights In Milan

Stroll the Sempione Park

Duomo Milan

Last Supper

Milan walking tour

Milan City Guide

Food in Milan

From novels like A farewell to arms and The city of fallen angels - travel the farthest corners of Italy through the power of words and your imagination. We promise, you’ll be a more learned traveler the next time you head to Italy. Choose your pick and get reading!

Stories in Italy, set to steal your heart and soul.

A Farewell to Arms

The City of Fallen Angels

The Talented Mr. Ripley

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

Angels and Demons

Under the Tuscan Sun

Romeo And Juliet

There’s no better time to fulfill your couch potato fantasies. Binge watch and expand your Netflix horizons! We have a few recommendations that will keep you occupied for a few 20 hours, and then some more.

It’s Time For Some Italian Binge

We hope you pick up some Italian. It’ll surely come handy!

The Borgias

My brilliant friend

The Young Pope

Killing Eve

A room with view

La Dolce Vita

Life is beautiful

Eat Pray and Love

Call me by your name

The Great Beauty

PS: Use Netflix Party to watch our recommendations with your friends online. You can synchronize video playback and add group chat as well!

How about grooving to the beats of Umberto Tozzi and Jimmy Fontana to keep you company at your WFH set up? Our carefully curated “Social Distancing - Italy Edition” playlist is just what you need to keep you going through these drab long days where your laptop, pet and spouse are your only company.

Top artists in Italy

If you haven’t heard of them, today’s the day.

Umberto Tozzi

View Artist

Andrea Bocelli

Jimmy Fontana

Social Distancing Playlist - Italy Edition

Maximum volume is recommended so your neighbors can dance with you!

The kitchen is your playground and the possibilities are endless. Learn to whip up some bowls of Carbonara and end your meal with some home-made Tiramisu! How fun would it be to perfect the recipe before tasting the real deal in Italy!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Try your hands at Italian plates - beyond pasta and pizza!

Napolean Pizza

Carbonara Spaghetti

Traditional Pesto Chicken

Italian Bruschetta

Hot Choclate - The Italian Way!

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Lakshmi Menon

Born to parents bit by the wander bug, Lakshmi calls her love for travel "hereditary and habitual". Perpetually ensconced with a book in her hand and a mug of coffee in the other, she has been to over 15 countries in her 23 years of existence and is currently saving miles and money for her solo trip to Iceland. Always hustling towards the least trodden path, she has encountered some wonderful people during her escapades and if you ever meet her, she won't stop gushing about them.

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Vatican Museums

Vatican City, Borgo & Prati

Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and enlarged by successive pontiffs, the Vatican Museums boast one of the world's greatest art…

St Peter's Basilica

In the city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter's, Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica. Built atop a 4th…

Roman Forum

Ancient Rome

An impressive – if rather confusing – sprawl of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples...

Sandwiched between the Roman Forum and the Circo Massimo, the Palatino (Palatine Hill) is one of Rome's most spectacular sights. It's a beautiful,…

Everyone wants to see the Colosseum, and it doesn’t disappoint, especially if accompanied by tales of armored gladiators and hungry lions. More than any…

Capitoline Museums

Dating from 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museums, with a fine collection of classical sculpture.

Centro Storico

With its revolutionary design, this awe-inspiring temple has served as an architectural blueprint for millennia.

Piazza Navona

With its showy fountains, baroque palazzi and colorful cast of street artists, hawkers and tourists, Piazza Navona is central Rome’s elegant showcase…

Top picks from our travel experts

12 amazing ways to experience italy.

Teatro Greco

The highlight of the Neapolis archaeological area is the Teatro Greco, a masterpiece of classical architecture that could accommodate up to 16,000 people…

This enchanting albergo diffuso, with 28 distinctive rooms and suites scattered throughout the village, was what helped rescue Santo Stefano from oblivion…

Ponte dei Sospiri

One of Venice's most photographed sights, the Bridge of Sighs connects Palazzo Ducale to the 16th-century Priggione Nove (New Prisons). Its improbable…

Trevi Fountain

Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

Don't miss a visit to Rome's iconic Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain.

Galleria degli Uffizi

Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

Home to the world's greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art, Florence's premier gallery occupies the vast U-shaped Palazzo degli Uffizi (1560–80),…

Basilica di San Marco

With a profusion of domes and more than 8000 sq metres of luminous mosaics, Venice's cathedral is unforgettable. It was founded in the 9th century to…

When you need a break from Naples' hyperactive tendencies, take a deep breath on its pedestrianised seafront strip. Stretching 2.5km along Via Partenope…

Catacombe di San Gennaro

Naples' oldest and most sacred catacombs became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro's body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully…

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Best Things to Do

Italy has so many delights for visitors, it’s hard to know where to start. Lucky for you, we’ve made this list of the best experiences all over the country.

Things to Know

With so many attractions, it's hard to know where to begin with a trip to Italy. Here's some local insight into the essential things to know before you go.

Transportation

Your guide to traveling independently across Italy, from the Alps to the islands.

Visa Requirements

Italy is one of the most visited countries in Europe and its many attractions are hard to resist. Find out if you need a visa before you go.

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These top budget tips can help you save money while exploring Italy.

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Experience the best of Italy as a family with this guide to the top things to do there with kids.

Best Road Trips

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Italy and beyond

Virtual Tours in Venice

Arrange your private live tours in Venice via zoom with a local, registered tourist guide

Explore Venice live through my eyes… at a distance!

An involving and creative way to experience Venice live: every corner in Venice has a story to tell, I will be happy to share it with you!  

Do you prefer to take a walking tour outdoors? Or would you like to visit a museum inside? More interested in arts and crafts excellence?

I will be there, walking outdoors or be at the museum for you!

Film by Stefano Mazzola

All tours are live, I will be using my iPhone and a stabiliser for greater comfort and higher video quality. It is not a slide show, but a live video broadcast via the Zoom platform, just for you. You will be connected from your computer and while sitting comfortably at your place, you will listen to my personal commentary, watch the video and chat with me. No jet lag nor mask on, so why not grab a glass of prosecco (or a strong Italian  caffé ) and join me!

Pick up your favourite and write me an email: we will decide when to arrange your tour, I will send you a personal zoom link with all details.

 Click HERE for an updated list of the tours available

Alternatively…

In-depth Webinars on Venice led from home

More in-depth narrations about some key subjects about Venice, alternating video-clips, photos and music sound-track.

The presentations will be held from my studio, live for your party.

Click HERE to download the list of my indoors-led webinars

Virtual Venice: your questions!

Which date can I book my virtual tour or webinar? You will choose the date and we will decide together the best time according to your time zone.

How long is the tour or the webinar? The duration of a virtual tour is usually 1,15 hour long while a webinar is around 1,5 hours total including a Q&A session

How much does it cost?  Please find all details in the .pdf files here: Live virtual tours Live webinars from home

How can I pay?  Payments can be made either with PayPal or with credit card (Mastercard/Visa) or via a bank transfer.

Venice and its art: a wonder of colours at the Accademia Galleries

Date of the webinar: April 25th at 7pm CET time

About this webinar The Accademia Galleries is an extraordinary painting collection in Venice featuring art works from the early Gothic age till the late Renaissance, including masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Giorgione, Jacopo Robusti called the Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese and Titian. While sitting comfortably on your couch, follow an online meeting with Venice based local tourist guide, Luisella Romeo. She will select for you a few art works and explore in an entertaining way the reasons why Venice is a city of colours and how artists were influenced by the city’s lights and reflections.

Duration The duration of the whole event is around 1,5 hours total including a Q&A session

Cost Cost per webinar is 35euro per user — you can be as many as you want in front of your tablet or PC or smartphone; we will use Zoom

Jewish Venice: the Places and the People

About this webinar The presence of the Jewish community is Venice has been documented since the end of the 1300s. In a city that used to draw its wealth from the presence of foreign communities, learn how Jews contributed to its growing power while segregated in the Ghetto and what happened after the gates were removed. Follow the story of Venice from a Jewish perspective while at home, learn about the places and some of the protagonists from the words and photographs by Luisella Romeo, licensed tourist guide in Venice.

Venice and its art: a wonder of colours The Accademia Galleries

– date of the webinars: April 25th at 7pm CET time

– About this talk The Accademia Galleries is an extraordinary painting collection in Venice featuring art works from the early Gothic age till the late Renaissance, including masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Giorgione, Jacopo Robusti called the Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese and Titian. While sitting comfortably on your couch, follow an online meeting with Venice based local tourist guide, Luisella Romeo. She will select for you a few art works and explore in an entertaining way the reasons why Venice is a city of colours and how artists were influenced by the city’s lights and reflections. This interactive talk is for a few participants in order to be able to ask questions and be in contact with the guide.

– Duration The duration of the whole event is around 1,5 hours total including a Q&A session

For more information on the itineraries and to book with me, please contact me at [email protected]

• Luisella Romeo, blogseevenice on Touring the Jewish museum and the synagogues in Venice
• Jill Kerby on Touring the Jewish museum and the synagogues in Venice
• Luisella Romeo, blogseevenice on Marco Polo and the 700th anniversary of his death
• Jill Kerby on Marco Polo and the 700th anniversary of his death
• Luisella Romeo, blogseevenice on The Library of San Francesco della Vigna in Venice

Luisella Romeo SeeVenice / Venezia Cell. +39 349 0848 303 e-mail [email protected] P. IVA 03220940278

Virtual online tour

Virtual tour online.

Let yourself be carried virtually and comfortably seated on your sofa through places of art and history of infinite beauty. The global health emergency keeps us at home but culture and beauty have no barriers: the concept of the Virtual Tour Online is born. Naples Grand Tour is the first in Italy to offer a unique and original format. It is not a live streaming nor an aseptic online history lesson, but it is an intelligent and interactive way of communicating through new technologies history, art and culture.

Our guides will accompany you through virtual archaeological walks to discover Pompeii, Naples, Museums, the places of Caravaggio and much more!

Both we and you will remain seated in our homes but with our creativity, believe us, you will be able to travel without limits.

Take a look at our Virtual Tours and contact us to know the price and agree on a timetable. No particular program is required but the connection will take place through an open source link that can be used from a PC, smartphone or tablet.

Pompeii Virtual Tour

Naples Online Virtual Tour

Let’s Make Spiced Wines from the Past

Capua Archaeological Area Online Virtual Tour

Pompeii For Kids: Online Virtual Tour

Sanità District: Online Virtual Tour

Caravaggio&Naples: Virtual Online Tour

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Best of Italy

About this tour.

Be whisked away into the beauty and history of Italy when you journey to Venice, Florence, and Rome. Journey to the wine-producing Romagna countryside for a relaxing 3-night stay in a wine resort, and visit the Republic of San Marino, an enclave state of Italy. See how gondola oars are crafted before cruising the canals of Venice on one yourself. Witness a performance of Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons in the city he lived in. Explore the ancient underground tunnels of Chiusi’s Labyrinth of Porsenna. Try your hand at making Italian culinary classics before sitting down to dinner. Come along with us and embrace the history, culture, art and romance of this incredible country.

Your Tour Includes

• 4 Handpicked Accommodations
• 2 Choice on Tour Options

Included Highlights

• Gondola Ride
• Classical Music Concert
• Po River Delta Wetlands Sailing

Your Tour at a Glance

10 Breakfasts

Travel Style

Explorations

Best Time for travel

Customize your tour.

Optional Excursions

Starting at $99.00

Activity Level

• Level This Tour

For specific details about this tour's activity level and other info to know before you book your trip, click here.

Extension Style

Best time for travel best of italy.

While just about any month is great to visit Italy, there are a few prime times of the year for the Best of Italy tour. Here are some recommendations from our destination experts.

Throughout Italy, the most popular times to visit are April, May, June, September, and October. Along the coast, July and August are busy with locals and Europeans on summer holiday, while cities are usually less crowded.

Winter: To experience Venice without the crowds, December, January, and February are best. Take a walk beside the canals on a quiet evening, where you can hear your footsteps echoing off the water.

Spring: Enjoy Italy in the spring season, with fewer tourists and comfortable temperatures. March is the sweet spot, when the weather is warm, but not too hot. This quieter time of year is ideal for comfortably exploring the cities and towns.

Fall: With fewer crowds, cooler days, and a bit of foliage to enjoy, November is a fantastic time to travel in the Romagna and Tuscany regions.

Travel Styles

Highlights and inclusions.

Must-See Inclusions:

Glide under bridges and along canals during a gondola ride in Venice.

• Embark on a walking tour featuring Florence's artistic and architectural gems.

Discover the long-lost Etruscan civilization during a visit to Chiusi’s Labyrinth of Porsenna.

Cultural Experiences:

Let classical music transport you back in time during a concert of Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons.

Explore the Po River Delta during a pontoon boat sailing of this UNESCO wetland region.

• Discover the craftsmanship behind the Venetian gondolas during a visit to a local Remèr oar-making workshop.

Culinary Inclusions:

Participate in a hands-on cooking class dedicated to Romagna’s garganelli and strozzapreti pastas.

Taste traditionally made Parmigiano cheese and Balsamic vinegar at a Culinary Arts vocational school.

Experience the flavors of Trastevere – Rome’s medieval district – during a food tour dinner.

• Choice on Tour
• Republic of San Marino
• Impact Moment: Culinary Arts & Agriculture Vocational School Visit
• Chiusi Etruscan Museum
• Labyrinth of Porsenna
• Trastevere Food Tour Dinner

Book with Confidence

* With Insurance Purchased

• *No Hassle Refunds
• Traveling Well Safety
• No booking fee, *no change fees
• Top Rated Travel Protection

Share This Tour

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Getting Prepared

Know before you go, travel tips, enhance your tour.

• Choice On Tour

Pre and Post Night Stay

Unique Experience

Cultural Experiences

Enhance Your Trip

• Tour Extensions

During you stay in the Romagna countryside, you have a choice between two activities. Your first choice is to enjoy a relaxing day, basking in the bucolic landscape of your wine resort and pamper yourself with an organic wine-infused mud treatment. Your second choice is to spend the day in Ravenna (UNESCO). During the darkness that enveloped the last days of the Roman Empire, Ravenna emerged as a center of power thanks to its strategic position. The city’s rulers – the Byzantines, the Goths – adorned its churches with dazzling mosaics. During a guided walking tour, discover the city’s most illustrious monuments including the mosaics that inspired Cole Porter’s Night and Day.

Hotel-Maison Venezia UNA Esperienze

On a compelling tour of its most famous antiquities, discover why Rome has been known through the ages as the “Eternal City.” The city’s ancient remnants serve as an undisputed testimony to its former glory as the seat of an empire. Hear the distant echoes of 45,000 cheering spectators when you visit the Colosseum, the site of legendary gladiator contests. Walk up the steps like millions have before you, marveling at the ingenuity and scale of this world-famous structure. Your tour continues with a guided visit to the Campidoglio – Rome’s Capitol Hill. Once a temple dedicated to Jupiter, the area was redesigned by Michelangelo during the Renaissance. From the Campidoglio, admire expansive views of the Roman Forum, the social space that once was the beating heart of the Empire.

The Vatican Museums are not only home to one of the world’s greatest collections of art, but also to the world-famous Sistine Chapel. Priceless artifacts from ancient Egypt, Etruscan Italy and cultures around the world are preserved in the Vatican’s palaces, galleries, halls and rooms. Follow a local expert guide on a three hour, in-depth visit through this vast collection. Highlights include the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries and, of course, a visit to the Sistine Chapel. The chapel’s famous ceiling frescoes took Michelangelo four years to complete. His brilliant Last Judgment, which rests on the altar wall, was a topic of controversy for centuries. Other walls feature paintings by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli and Domenico Ghirlandaio. Your final stop will be at St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most important churches in Christendom, and until recently, the largest in the world.

Embark on a walking tour featuring Florence's artistic and architectural gems.

Discover the craftsmanship behind the Venetian gondolas during a visit to a local Remèr oar-making workshop.

Accommodations

Arrive earlier.

Pre Night: Maison Venezia UNA Esperienze From $175 per night

Maison Venezia UNA Esperienze

Borgo conde wine resort, grand hotel cavour florence, ponte sisto hotel.

Nights 8-10

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Call us toll free at 800.340.5158

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Where to watch Giro d'Italia live streams for free: 2024 schedule and more

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The 2024 Giro d'Italia is well underway, with the first two weekends of the competition officially complete. If you're hoping to tune in, look no further. We've gathered everything to know about where to watch Giro d'Italia, including a free live stream. This option will also work for the Tour de France later this summer, so worldwide cycling fans are in luck.

The Giro d'Italia kicks off the Grand Tour, the three iconic global cycling races that define the sport. Giro d'Italia runs from May 4 to 26, while the Tour de France picks up in July and the Vuelta a España closes out the season in August. The race spans Italy and is broken up into 21 long, grueling stages, with a particularly harsh stretch through the Alps. Primož Roglič won the competition last year, but he has opted to sit out in 2024 in order to train for the Tour de France, paving the way for a new victor.

With the exception of most Mondays, the race is held every single day, so there's almost always some action you can catch. For US viewers, this will mean waking up a little early, since most of the races start at around 6:30 a.m. ET. Fortunately, the American streaming option we've outlined also keeps the races on demand, so viewers can catch up on a delay if they want. Below, you can find everything you need to know about live streaming the 2024 Giro d'Italia. Keep reading to learn how to access a free stream from anywhere.

• See also: How to watch NHL Playoffs | How to watch NBA Playoffs | Where to watch Formula 1

Where to watch Giro d'Italia in the US

Max is the US streaming home of Giro d'Italia races in 2024. Subscriptions start at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Live sporting events come as a part of the new B/R Sports Add-on. This will eventually cost an additional $9.99 a month, but it currently comes free with every Max subscription.

Formerly HBO Max, now just Max, this streaming service is the US home of premium content from HBO and Warner Bros. Since the rebranding, it's now also the home of Discovery content for reality, food, true crime, and more. Prices start at $10 a month for ad-supported, $16 for ad-free, and $20 if you want to view in 4K.

Where to watch Giro d'Italia in the UK

Discovery+ will show the 2024 Giro d'Italia races in the UK. Subscriptions start at £6.99 a month. You'll find most of the major cycling events here throughout the year. But the Tour de France will be shown for free on ITVX.

Where to watch Giro d'Italia in Italy

Rai Sport will carry live streams for every stage of this year's Giro d'Italia for fans in Italy. Better yet, it's completely free. You'll need a VPN if you want to enjoy the authentic Italian commentary experience from outside Italy, though. 

Where to watch Giro d'Italia in Australia

Giro d'Italia will stream on SBS in Australia. This is a free option live streaming option. Users just need to create an account using their name and date of birth.

How to watch Giro d'Italia from anywhere

If you'll be outside of Australia during any of the races and want to keep up, you can always access the streams with a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs virtually alter your device's location so that you can use apps and websites from anywhere. They're strong choices for people looking to boost their online privacy and keep up with their subscriptions while traveling.

Interested in learning more? We recommend ExpressVPN , an easy-to-use VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our ExpressVPN review for more information and check out how to use a VPN below.

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

How to watch Giro d'Italia with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
• Install it on the device you're planning to watch on.
• Turn it on and set it to an Australian location. 
• Create an account on SBS On Demand .
• Navigate to the live races and enjoy.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

• Main content

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder's close friendship - same divorce lawyer, cheeky nickname and sex jibe

Friends Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder will embark on a Grand Tour of Italy in their new joint show. We take a look at how their friendship began and how close the pals are now

• 20:00, 11 May 2024

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder have always got on like a house on fire at glitzy showbiz events - but embarking on a grand tour of Italy has made them firm friends for life.

The pals have followed in the footsteps of the English poet Lord Byron in their first joint show together, Rob & Rylan's Grand Tour, by travelling around Venice, Florence and Rome. "Rob and I have known each other for years but we've never really been 'out out' properly," Rylan told Closer magazine . "We've been mates but we haven't been friends. And then the show was offered to us, and it seemed like a natural fit."

The presenter says the men first got to know one another in typical showbiz fashion. "One of the first times I messaged Rob was when I was filming a show up in Manchester and I broke onto the Judge Rinder set and sent him a picture of me in his chair," he laughed. "And then we bumped into each other loads over the years - a classic showbiz friendship!"

The Grand Tour was the original version of a gap year, which was a rite of passage for the young noblemen in the 18th century, who would travel around Europe to discover its culture, architecture and themselves. Lord Byron was one of the most famous Grand Tourists and just like Rylan and Rob, he was in the public eye when he divorced.

Rylan, 35, split from husband Dan Neal, a former Big Brother contestant, in 2012 after six years together. The star had confessed to being unfaithful, leading to a painful divorce. TV barrister Rob went through his own break up from husband Seth Cumming in 2018 after being married for five years. The couple were together for 11 and a half years in total and Rob's university pal, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, had officiated at their union.

"Rob and I have been through a lot of things the same way," said Rylan. "I mean, we have the same f**king lawyer! She earned a fortune out of us during our divorces."

The radio DJ would marry his pal Rob tomorrow, platonically speaking. "We do, we love each other," he told the Sunday Times . "Like a married couple: we row all the time and don't have sex."

"You don't get a genuine connection with many people in your life," added Rylan. "I could call Rob at 3am and we could talk for hours. We can have each other in hysterics, just talking bullsh**t or helping each other through difficult times. I knew that I'd get on with Rob, because everyone who has worked with Rob has always said he's lovely. We’re so different – it's like two pieces of the jigsaw, and then we finally meet and that jigsaw is complete. I feel like we could literally take on the world ."

Rob, 45, is equally fond of his presenter pal, saying they were 'industry mates' before their travel show bonded them for life. "Rylan is just so piercingly intelligent," he said. "And that quality is one of the things I really cherish in people."

The lawyer even gained a cheeky new nickname from Rylan during filming. "Rob earned the nickname 'Nonna' [the Italian word for grandma] because he was so slow," laughed Rylan. "He'd stop and talk to absolutely everyone, even when we were in a rush. Plus, he walks about with a pharmacy in his bag!"

Both stars are from different backgrounds, with performer Rylan growing up in east London, starting modelling at 16 and going onto enter several talent contests before finding fame on The X Factor .

Academic Rob grew up in north London, went to grammar school and studied politics and modern history at Manchester University, graduating with first class honours and going onto specialise in financial crime as a barrister. Their differences makes for a fun friendship - and they worked perfectly when it came to absorbing culture on their televised trip, which included visiting a Florentine palazzo.

"I walk in and I'm amazed by this fresco on the ceiling," Rob told the Sunday Times. "There's an American art restorer there. I'm desperate, thirsty, for this woman to like me. I've had half an hour with this academic and she couldn't have cared less.

"Rylan walks in, looks at these frescoes and goes: 'F***ing hell! It's like Graceland in here, innit?' She looks up at him, instantly melts and goes: 'That is exactly what this place is!'"

Rob & Rylan's Grand Tour starts tonight at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer

MORE ON Rylan Clark Robert Rinder BBC Two Divorce Italy

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