Highlights of the Italian Riviera

Your Italian holiday begins today at London St Pancras International. As you arrive, meet the Tour Manager and the rest of the travel group, and together, board the Eurostar service to Paris. In the French capital, we change trains and continue to Turin, located in the scenic Piedmont region of northern Italy. Enjoy views of the Italian Alps before we arrive in this elegant city, notable for its skyline of Art Deco and Art Nouveau buildings.

A coach transfer takes us to our hotel, where we check in for a one-night stay. After getting settled in for the evening, we sit down to our first dinner together in the hotel's restaurant.

• Dinner

After breakfast, your morning is free to explore the attractions of Turin. The city is one of Italy's leading centres of business, finance and technology, but remains a showcase of fantastic architecture spanning many periods. Fringed by the Italian Alps, Turin's wide boulevards and grand public squares are lined with enticing cafés and bars.

In the early afternoon, we are transferred to the station to continue our day by rail. From Genoa, the route clings to the dramatic coast, disappearing through tunnels and reappearing with serene marine views and crossing viaducts over colourful towns, all along the beautiful coastline. On arrival in Chiavari, we check into our hotel in the historic centre of this picturesque town.

Ideally situated on the Italian Riviera, Chiavari's palm-lined promenade offers views of the Ligurian Sea, while the inland hills are dotted with olive groves. We are welcomed to this idyllic destination with a drink before dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

You can familiarise yourself with your new surroundings today as you have a full day at leisure. You could visit Chiavari's Cathedral of Our Lady dell'Orto. Built between 1613 and 1633, this cathedral houses many exquisite paintings, frescoes and valuable artworks dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The beautiful harbour, framed by townhouses and filled with fishing boats, brims with cafés offering excellent Italian cuisine. Another option is to relax on the beach or stroll through the historic centre's sheltered medieval streets.

If you would like to head further afield, Chiavari is located on the rail line that links the towns of the Italian Riviera. Camogli's pastel-coloured buildings overlook a bay and a harbour on either side of a 12th-century church. A warren of narrow alleyways and broad, tunnelled arcades connects the harbourside to the beach. Alternatively, the nearby town of Rapallo features a cable car climbing to the Sanctuary of Montallegro for spectacular views across the town and sea.

With an independent dinner, you could sip local wine or sample Ligurian food, including the famous 'buridda' seafood stew originating from this region.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of the tour as we explore three of the Cinque Terre villages. Riomaggiore, the southernmost, is our first destination. Tall, multi-coloured buildings sweep down a steep hill to a small harbour overlooking the bay. High above the village are stepped terraces of olive groves and vines. There is time to explore the car-free streets and piazzas before heading to the ferry to cruise to the next location.

We sail on to Vernazza, passing Manarola and clifftop Corniglia on the way. In Vernazza, the cobbled streets are lined with quaint cafes where you can grab a spot of lunch. With free time here, wandering the narrow side streets (which the Genoese call 'caruggi') is the best way to experience this traditional fishing village.

Our final port of call is Monterosso, where a spacious piazza leads to bustling streets alive with restaurants and bars. There is time at leisure to look around this town known for its lemon trees and sandy beach, before returning to Chiavari by rail. Dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

 We travel by rail to Portofino today, regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the Mediterranean. This old fishing village is set in a secluded natural harbour of small fishing boats and impressive yachts. Among the buildings painted terracotta, peach and yellow are restaurants, bars and gelaterias. There is time over lunch to explore this graceful town, overlooked by Castello Brown and two churches, including the striped façade of the Romanesque Chiesa del Divo Martino.

Afterwards, we sail around the headland to San Fruttuoso*. This cove is only accessible by foot or boat and is dominated by a 10th-century Benedictine abbey that sits on the small pebble beach. Submerged in the bay is the statue of 'Christ in the Abyss', believed to protect local sailors in the surrounding waters. There's time to look around before cruising to Rapallo, where we take the train to Chiavari in time for dinner at the hotel.

Please Note: if weather conditions mean the boat can't land at San Fruttuoso, we land at Santa Margherita instead, a tranquil village with old-fashioned Italian charm.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A free day allows you to explore the beautiful Italian Riviera independently. You may wish to catch the train back to the Cinque Terre towns of Manarola and Corniglia. Facing each other across a bay, these villages have very different characters. Manarola is famed for its sweet wine, Sciacchetrà, while its colourful buildings drape over the cliff and through a winding valley. Corniglia is the only one of the five villages to not have access from the sea and sits high on a rocky outcrop. From the station, it can be reached via nearly 400 steps, although a small bus does run occasionally.

You could also visit Sestri Levante, a laid-back coastal town between two bays. The Bay of Fairytales is the liveliest part of town, with its port, beaches and shops. On the other side of the old town is the Bay of Silence, also known as Portobello, which has one of the best sandy beaches in Italy.

For dinner tonight, you could opt for one of the town's restaurants to sample the simple anchovy dish of 'bagnun', which reportedly hails from Sestri Levante.

• Breakfast

Our day begins with a coach trip to Liguria's capital, Genoa. An enjoyable journey along the Riviera coast with the sea never far from view takes us straight to the heart of this ancient port, one of Italy's great cities.

We join a knowledgeable guide for a walking tour of the old town that includes the Doge's Palace, an impressive Renaissance building built in 1298, and explains why Genoa has earned the nickname 'La Superba'. As the former home of explorer Christopher Columbus, Genoa has always looked towards the sea for its wealth and influence, and the city now contains a treasure trove of history, art and grand palaces.

After the tour, there is free time to enjoy lunch independently or admire the city's museums and galleries, the magnificent cathedral, ancient churches, and impressive harbour. We return to Chiavari by coach in the afternoon where there's time to relax before a final dinner on the Italian Riviera.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Chiavari and the Italian Riviera behind this morning, we transfer to the railway station and begin our journey back towards France. The route takes us around the arch of the Ligurian Sea to Ventimiglia. The railway is rarely far from the sea and reveals pretty seaside towns, filling the trip with scenic panoramas from beginning to end.

From Ventimiglia, we continue by coach into nearby France, travelling to the Côte d'Azur resort of St-Raphaël. This resort town is beloved for its pristine sandy beaches, bustling harbour and charming Old Town, and as we arrive early this evening, we check in to a hotel overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Take some time to get settled and admire the views before we gather for a three-course dinner in the hotel's restaurant.

Please Note - For departures 16th & 18th April, 1st & 11th June and 17th October we will travel via Chambery, staying at the Mercure Chambery.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our journey comes to a close as we transfer to the station in St-Raphaël this morning to board a train that weaves through France to Paris. In the French capital, we board the Eurostar and take our seats for the final leg of our route to London. Far behind us are the colourful villages and seaside towns of the Italian Riviera, the glistening sea and the laid-back atmosphere of a serene and picturesque region.

Arriving back at London St Pancras International in the evening, you are free to continue your travels homewards.

• Breakfast