Pasta, pinot and pottery: top new short-haul tours
Italy, France and Morocco are stars that keep giving when it comes to cities and short breaks – here are three new experiences to suit different clients
For seekers of iconic sights
Just Go! Holidays has added a new Jewels of Italy tour for 2023, taking in some of the country’s most popular cities.
The eight-day tour starts with two nights in Rome to see the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, after which the picturesque Tuscan hilltop town of San Gimignano is explored en route to Montecatini – a two-night base for a full day excursion by train to Florence to marvel at the Ponte Vecchio, the city’s lovely old bridge.
A visit to riverside Verona to wander its pockets of pretty streets and see Juliet’s Balcony takes place, before the tour winds up in Venice to check off St Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs and perhaps even a romantic gondola ride.
Book it: From £979pp based on 20 September departure from Stansted. Other UK departure airports are available. Price includes flights, accommodation with breakfast, three dinners and guided walking tours; justgoholidays.com/agents
For wine aficionados
New specialist tour operator Spirited Stories has created Taste Burgundy: a France Wine Journey, which should appeal to fans of the region’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The four-day tour features private cellar visits, vineyard e-biking along the Route des Grands Crus and a wine-paired cooking class with a local chef. Other highlights include visiting the 15th-century Hospices de Beaune (home to the annual grand wine auction) and enjoying the locally sourced menu at Caves Madeleine, a spiritual home for the region’s winemakers.
Spirited Stories has launched 10 global itineraries for 2023 in partnership with some of the world’s biggest wine and spirit brands, such as Jameson Whiskey in Ireland. Groups are capped at 12.
Book it: From £2,179pp including hotel accommodation, most meals, activities and ground transport, for departures between April and October. Travel agents earn 20% commission; spiritedstories.travel
For adventurers
Seven new Morocco trips are included in G Adventures’ new On the Doorstep collection, with the company seeing a renewed appetite for high-value, closer-to-home options that provide an adventure fix without sacrificing too much holiday time.
These include a Moroccan Coast Explorer, a five-day trip running through the autumn, which takes in five coastal towns and villages. Travellers will hike to waterfalls and berber villages in Sidi Kaouki, visit Morocco’s largest pottery market in Safi and unwind with sunset barbecues on the beach at Oulidia.
Another option is a four-day Marrakech city break, showcasing the sights and flavours of the city. Travellers will visit markets to collect ingredients used in a traditional tanjia cooking class. The tasty stew is cooked overnight in a neighbourhood furan or communal oven, to be enjoyed the next day.
Book it: Moroccan Coast Explorer, from £479pp. Four Days in Marrakech, from £399pp; gadventures.com
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