Unexplored Northern Italy Tour: A Different Side of Italy

Miramare Castle in Trieste, Italy

What to expect on this itinerary

Far from the bustling crowds of Rome and Florence, this 7-day tour of Northeast Italy will provide travelers with a refreshing introduction with the rural beauty and cultural brilliance that attracted visitors to Italy for centuries. From the elegant stateliness of Udine to the brisk boardwalks of coastal Trieste, you will have a chance to see a side of Italy missed by many, while enjoying all the comforts of modern resorts and accommodations.

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Udine, Spilimbergo, San Daniele del Friuli, Grado, Trieste

Suggested Duration

8 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Udine – A Walking Tour Through Time

Situated in the Northeast corner of Italy, the town of Udine enjoys a unique position between mountains and sea and within an hours drive of both Austria and Slovenia. As you will notice on your first day in Udine, it is here that cultures collide and the mystery of the past is woven into the modern community you see today. Upon arrival, a charming guide will take you on a customizable walking tour of the main attractions as well as the secret cafes where you can sample the best of the local cuisine.

What's Included:

Tour
Accommodation
Transfer
Day 2

Udine – Exploring the Friuli Plateau

Day 3

Grado – Perched Atop the Adriatic

Day 4

Grado – Uncover the Alluring Ruins at Alquileia

Day 5

Trieste – The Edge of Italy

Day 6

Trieste – Step Into the Past on a Private Walking Tour

Day 7

Trieste – Day Trip to the Italian Outback

Day 8

Trieste –Turning the Page on Your Italian Adventure

Trip Highlights

  • Survey a side of Italy missed by most on a walking tour of the multicultural Udine and see why many consider this similar to Venice but without the crowds
  • Plunge into the unique culture and history of the Friuli region on a day trip to nearby Spilimbergo and San Daniele del Friuli
  • Take in the sea air at the resort town of Grado where you can kick back and relax in a thermal spa or ponder the architectural richness of the city center
  • Allow history to come alive on a visit to the nearby ruins of Aquileia where the columns stand as stoic examples of their Roman authors
  • Wind down your journey at the edge of Italy on a visit to Trieste where natural beauty blends effortlessly with historic magnificence
  • Trek through the Carso Plateau and enjoy the scenic pathways, natural surroundings, and vast panoramas of Istria at your feet

Starting Price

$7,800 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

What’s Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.8

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 44 reviews

Italy Travel Review: Rome, Siena, Florence, Venice, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Wine Tasting, Uffizi, Doge's Palace, 16 Days

When we decided to plan a family trip to Italy, I did some research and found Zicasso. They were very highly rated, and we reached out to them. Zicasso’s travel agent responded very quickly. She was friendly, professional, and asked us questions to ensure she knew what we were looking for in our trip. The travel agent planned an exceptional family vacation for us with a customized itinerary that included traveling to Rome, Siena, Florence, and ending in Venice. She tailored our trip to include private transfers from the airport to the hotels, as well as traveling city to city.

Each hotel had an excellent location that allowed us to easily walk and explore. The hotels were beautiful, clean, and comfortable, each with impeccable service.

They set us up with private tour guides, who not only allowed us to skip the lines to major attractions, but also personalized the tour so we were able to spend time viewing the things that were important to us. The guides were friendly, informative and engaging.

Every aspect was meticulously curated and the travel company checked in with me via a messaging app daily to share the next day’s itinerary. They were always available if we had any questions or if any issue arose, which never did because of how well they planned everything. I reached out to them asking if they could please make a dinner reservation for me and they were quick to secure that for us.

I would highly recommend this travel company and will definitely use them again in the future.

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Italy Travel Review: Rome, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii, Capri, Mount Vesuvius, Cooking Class, Local Cuisine, 20 Days

My husband and I were thrilled with our recent trip to Italy that Zicasso’s travel designer put together. We began by attending a family friend’s wedding, held in Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast. Due to my husband’s mobility issues, we were met by a driver and headed to the Amalfi Coast. The driver was first class and the trip was very comfortable.

After the wedding festivities, we were able to have the most wonderful experiences visiting the towns of Amalfi and Positano, and our base for one week was in beautiful Sorrento. We attended a cooking class and enjoyed eating what we prepared. We had in-depth learning opportunities in Naples and Sorrento. Every guide we had spoke excellent English and was so knowledgeable. We especially enjoyed Pompeii! A super-fun day was had on the small group tour of Capri. The crew was fantastic and very accommodating in consideration of my husband’s mobility issues.

From beginning to end everything went well. The use of a messaging app was great for making sure everyone was on the same page.

The only thing that was a disappointment was the pizza in Naples. It wasn’t the best.

The hotel in Sorrento was phenomenal - it couldn’t have been better. The view of Mt. Vesuvius from our balcony helped create memories we will have forever. The hotel in Rome was also very nice. It was right in the middle of the main attractions.

We are very happy with our experience with this travel company and would not hesitate to recommend it!

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England, France, Italy Mother-Daughter Travel Review: London, Paris, 3 Weeks

If you're considering booking a trip with Zicasso’s travel specialist, do it—you won't regret it.

She planned what was truly the best mother-daughter trip we could have ever imagined through London, Paris, and Italy. Every detail was perfectly planned and flawlessly executed, which allowed us to simply enjoy our time together and make memories without the stress of coordinating logistics.

The hotels she selected were all wonderful, each in great locations and perfectly suited to our trip. Every transfer was seamless, the excursions were incredible, and everything ran exactly as planned from beginning to end.

Our absolute favorite part of the trip was the private one-on-one tours with local guides in each city. Exploring London, Paris, and Italy while learning the history, culture, and hidden stories from such knowledgeable guides made the experience unforgettable. Those tours brought each destination to life in a way we never could have experienced on our own.

Our travel specialist gave us a trip we will cherish for the rest of our lives. It was truly the vacation of a lifetime and exceeded every expectation we had. We are so grateful for all of her hard work and expertise, and we cannot wait to work with her again on our next adventure.

Thank you for creating memories we'll treasure forever.

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Italy Trip Review: Lake Como, Cooking Class, Venice, 10 Nights

My family and I had a great trip to Italy. We really appreciated our Zicasso agent's recommendations of destinations and the order of where to go.

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Italy Luxury Vacation Review: Milan, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia, 2-Week Trip
"Our agent put together a great itinerary and was extremely helpful in answering questions and providing information and guidance as we built the itinerary."

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Italy Luxury Vacation Review: 10-Day Trip
"Our cooking class in Amalfi was very nice."

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

31,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews