The Best Trips for Exploring Europe

The coastline, countryside and major cities of Northern Italy are your playground on this nine-day immersive experience. Start with a whistle-stop tour of Rome’s most famous sites, before travelling up to Florence, Siena the culinary capital, Bologna. Further gastronomic adventures await in rural Emilia-Romagna, before we head to Milan and go on a day to trip to Lake Como. Unforgettable highlights include an outdoor Tuscan lunch at a local farm and winery, a stunning gourmet food tour in Bologna and sipping an aperitivo as you cruise across Como.

The South Caucasian country of Georgia is steeped in a rich history of viticulture that dates back to 6000BCE, laced with pretty walking trails and pinned with picturesque villages. In the historic streets of Tbilisi, you’ll explore bathhouses and bread culture on Culture Trip’s nine-day small-group journey, which takes in the country’s highlights – from visiting the ancient Unesco-listed city of Mtskheta to hiking through Lagodekhi National Park.

Is there a more romantic image of Europe than that of the white-washed walls and blue-domed churches of Santorini, bathed in late evening sunlight? We think not, which is why we decided to end this trip sipping cocktails in that exact scenario. It’s a great way to reflect on eight days of classic Greece, starting with an exploration of the old and the new in Athens, before embarking on an island-hopping extravaganza in the Cyclades. Picture quaint cobblestone harbour towns, pristine beaches stretching out to crystal Mediterranean waves and lots of utterly gorgeous Greek food.