La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome & Tuscany

Your journey begins in style with included UK airport lounge access before your flight to Rome. On arrival, you’ll be met for a private transfer to your luxury hotel, set within a beautifully renovated 17th-century former convent. It’s just a short stroll away from some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. After settling into your accommodation, enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. 

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your hotel this morning before taking the opportunity to immerse yourself in Rome’s extraordinary wealth of historic attractions. Perhaps pay a visit to the Colosseum, step back in time at the Roman Forum, marvel at St. Peter’s Basilica and the fresco-clad Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City, or visit a couple of the city’s marvellous art museums, such as the Galleria Borghese or the Capitoline Museums. You will, of course, also want to delve into the city’s fabulous culinary scene, which ranges from rustic, family-run trattorias serving delicious pizzas and pasta dishes to ultra high-end fine dining establishments. 

Your day begins with breakfast at your hotel before an included transfer to Rome's Ostiense Station, where you'll have time to relax at the elegant La Dolce Vita departure lounge before boarding the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, whose sophisticated design draws inspiration from Italian designers of the 1960s and ‘70s, featuring the likes of walnut and lacquered wood, rich velvets, smoked glass and polished brass accents. Your steward will show you to your stylish en-suite cabin or suite, where you’ll be able to sit back and relax as the scenery shifts from urban city outskirts to the rolling greenery of the Italian countryside.

As you journey north towards Tuscany, you’ll be treated to a sumptuous, multi-course gourmet lunch by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck. Then, in the early afternoon, the train will arrive in the picturesque medieval village of Bolgheri, set among rolling vineyards and olive groves near the Etruscan Coast. Disembark to explore this charming village at your own pace, or choose from a range of carefully curated experiences. Back on board, you’ll be treated to a sumptuous dinner in the Restaurant Car, followed by cocktails and live music in the Bar Car as the train glides smoothly through the night. 

Stay: La Dolce Vita Orient Express

Awake this morning to the gentle rhythm of the rails as you enjoy a leisurely breakfast, served either in the privacy of your cabin or in the Restaurant Car. Soon, the train will arrive at Venice’s Santa Lucia station, from which a private water transfer will bring you to the heart of the city to explore its maze of canals, grand palazzos and ornate piazzas. Spend the afternoon soaking up the sights of Venice at leisure, or choose from a range of curated experiences. Later on, rejoin La Dolce Vita Orient Express for another exquisite dinner, followed by more live music and drinks in the glamorous surroundings of the Bar Car. 

Stay: La Dolce Vita Orient Express

Enjoy breakfast onboard as the Tuscan countryside rolls by outside your window. Your next stop is Florence, a city steeped in magnificent Renaissance architecture and rich artistic heritage. Take in its litany of famous landmarks and cultural treasures, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo and the Uffizi Gallery, either independently or in the company of an expert local guide. In the afternoon, you’ll return to the train for the final stretch of your journey, traversing the Tuscan countryside once more, this time heading south, back to where you began. On arrival in Rome, a private transfer will bring you to the Palazzo Ripetta for the final night of your Italian odyssey. 

After breakfast at the hotel, a private transfer will bring you to the airport in time for your flight back to the UK.