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Expert-led small-group tours

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

Exploring Italy on a cultural tour

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

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

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Cultural tours in Sicily

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

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Cultural tours in Venice

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

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Cultural tours in Florence

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

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Cultural tours in Rome

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

Browse Italy tours by theme

Why travel with us?

Leading expertise

Since 1988 we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel, offering an unequalled range of tours and events. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.

Privileged access

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

First-rate speakers

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

Holiday protection

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

Personal service

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

Award-winning

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

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

Value for money

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

What do others say about Martin Randall Travel?

Showing 1187 reviews
A thoroughly stimulating trip around Sicily
World class lecturers, well thought out content, carefully selected hotels and restaurants, attracting interesting people: a must for the thoughtful traveller.
*****
Bruce
12 Mar 2025
Unique experience on "Cambodia by River" tour
Although the tour is not cheap, it is of good value.. The tour itinerary is well designed and well thought out to give maximum cultural interest. MR Tour has always been generous in terms of food and drinks, quality lecturer and tour manager, hotel accommodations , quality of local guides and transp...
*****
ShahKim
01 Apr 2024
Wonderful music and a very luxurious holiday.
Everything was extremely well organized and ran smoothly. Everything had been thought of. The staff were all very professional and friendly. This was my first holiday with any tour operator so I don't have any point of comparison, but I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.
*****
Finbar
26 Sep 2023
Another wonderful Martin Randall tour
Martin Randall tours.
*****
George
22 Sep 2023
Ancient Greece tour
Martin Randall specializes in small group, high quality tours.
*****
Berkeley
20 Sep 2023
Classical pleasure
Wonderful sweep through Ancient Greece with a few more modern delights
*****
Lizzie
20 Sep 2023
Excellent experience sampling the Frances route to Santiago de Compostela
Martin Randall tours excel at providing cultural tours. This was my fourth tour with this company. All have been expertly curated with excellent lecturers, personable and efficient guides, accommodation at the best hotels possible, along with museum visits and background information to enhance the e...
*****
Martin Randall fan
17 Sep 2023
Superlative: imaginative planning and programming, meticulous attention to detail
The tour operator clearly had a commitment to providing a superb holiday experience. Planning and execution were clearly carried out with attention to every detail. I would especially commend the imagination and sheer hard work that powered the whole project. Even the cancellation of our return flig...
*****
Imogen Starr
17 Sep 2023
A well organised and highly enjoyable cultural experience
Very well organised. Not a cheap holiday, but very good value nonetheless.
*****
HRD
16 Sep 2023
A week of intellectual stimulus, friendly encounters with all kinds of people from all over the world and above all, sublime music in dream venues.
Attention had been paid to every imaginable detail so that participants would be well prepared and confident from beginning to end. A team of expert young people guided us discreetly, tactfully and efficiently through every part of the journey, coming into their own at the end when a BA cancelation ...
*****
Hermione
15 Sep 2023
An exhilerating well-planned journey through history and pilgrimage
Martin Randall are true pros. They get the details right and the tone and standards of their planning sets them apart.
*****
CMD
15 Sep 2023
Superb tour of the Châteaux of the Loire
Martin Randell is an extremely good tour operator which has (again) provided an excellent holiday. The lecturer was first class and the accommodation was also excellent.
*****
Voyager
15 Sep 2023

Joining a Martin Randall Cultural Tour

Between 10–22 participants can usually join our small group tours, though the upper limit can be lower dependent on the tour.

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