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Expert-led small-group tours

This video was filmed on our Footpaths of Umbria tour in June 2023 and gives a flavour of what to expect on one of our holidays.

Exploring Italy on a cultural tour

We also offer fresh perspectives on old friends, using art historians, not musicologists, on our opera tours of Verona and seeing Florence, Padua and Bologna through the prism of science and medicine as well as art. We bring you Puccini at the maestro’s lakeside villa, the mosaics of Ravenna and the frozen worlds of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

We dine finely in Piedmont, throw light on the Dark Ages in the northern Adriatic and stand at the crossroads of European civilisations in Sicily. We gaze up at Michelangelo’s David and down at Etruscan tombs. We give you Italy, packaged in a gilt-edged portfolio.

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Cultural tours in Sicily

Whether it’s on a private tour of Palermo’s Palatine Chapel or a guided walk on Etna with an expert vulcanologist, you will be fully immersed in dazzling cultural inheritance.

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Cultural tours in Venice

With special, out-of-hours access to the Basilica di San Marco - as well as on-the-spot insights by our expert lecturers - we give you an unrivalled view of La Serenissima.

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Cultural tours in Florence

Special access is a feature of our Florence tours: visit the vast baroque Palazzo Corsini al Parione, dine at the Palazzo Corsini al Prato, and gaze across the city and Appenines beyond from Palazzo Gondi.

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Cultural tours in Rome

From the underground chambers of the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes viewed in tranquil solitude, we uncover both Rome's cultural triumphs and lesser-known masterpieces.

Browse Italy tours by theme

Why travel with us?

Leading expertise

For 36 years we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel, offering an unequalled range of tours and events. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.

Privileged access

Special arrangements are a feature of our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.

First-rate speakers

Expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours. Academics, curators, writers, broadcasters and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience. Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform.

Holiday protection

We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL); and for those that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held by ABTOT – The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited.

Personal service

We aim for faultless administration from your first encounter with us to the end of the holiday, and beyond. We want you to come back again and again – as most of our clients do. We can provide options without international travel if you prefer to make your own arrangements.

Award-winning

Five consecutive years as Best Special Interest Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards (2015–19) reflects our commitment to excellence. With a remarkable 99% satisfaction rating from more than 1,100 independent reviews, our attention to detail and client care is unmatched.

Most of our tours run with between 10 and 20 participants. Our travellers are self-selected by common interests and an endorsement of our ethos. You are highly likely to find yourself among like-minded companions, whether travelling solo (as 50% of our clients do) or with a travel partner.

Value for money

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals, and airport taxes. The price published is the price you pay. You can secure your booking today with a 15% deposit.

What do others say about Martin Randall Travel?

Showing 2184 reviews
An educational and cultural feast
We spent 10 days in Germany, visiting Berlin, Dresden & Leipzig. We attended the 4 opera's comprising Wagenr's Ring & learnt about his life. The historical and the operas' context was presented by 2 very erudite lecturers, maintaining the quality we have come to expect from Ma...
*****
BizzyLizzy
10 Apr 2017
Outstanding
Outstanding care and support from start to finish
*****
Perudoc
23 Sep 2018
Fascinating Petersburg
Provided a great itinerary and excellent background information + Incredible attention to detail.
*****
11
07 Oct 2018
Bacchus & Orpheus - wine & music - what could be better?
A week cruising on the Rhone in the brand new MV Amadeus Provence with daily concerts, lectures and wine tastings in beautiful weather. An excellent holiday worth every (considerable) penny.
*****
GGR
14 Jul 2017
Food for the mind and the body
Fabulous food, wine and culture brilliantly presented and organised
*****
Gourmand
03 Jun 2017
Tour of Palladian Villas
The attention to detail with support and background materials provided beforehand was extraordinary.
*****
Tiki
13 Oct 2017
POETS ON THE SOMME - MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL
THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT TOUR. WE LEARNT A LOT ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME AND THE POETRY READINGS WERE EXCELLENT, ALBEIT VERY EMOTIONAL. MARTIN RANDALL TRAVELL IS A FAVOURITE WITH US BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY. INTERESTING TOURS, WITH EXPERIENCES THAT ARE SIMPLY NOT REPLICATED ANYWHERE ...
*****
Hammy'
04 Oct 2016
The Tallis Trail healed my broken heart
Martin Randall organises 'high end' tours which would appeal to people who love good music, presented by famous ensembles and artists, in extraordinary venues all over the world. Whatever your interest, they are sure to provide a tour to match it - art, music, food&wine, architecture, ...
*****
Tallis Junkie2
05 Nov 2019
A wonderful music weekend
Every detail is thought of and catered for. Have used them in the past and will travel with them in the future
*****
Petal
10 Mar 2022
Music in New York at Christmas
An enjoyable trip with very good accommodation and excellent entertainment at The Met Opera House and concert with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at David Geffen Hall.
*****
Yana
03 Jan 2018
The Hanseatic League.
Very well organised. Very helpful.
*****
frequent traveller
06 Aug 2023
Excellent experience
A cruise on the Rhone. Excellent concerts in varied and historical venues on a theme with a good music lecturer. Wine tastings on board with a specialist lecturer snd visits to vineyards. A very comfortable ship with a caring crew. A perfect way to spend a week.
*****
Magnuis
24 Jul 2017

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