Overview
from rome, set off to discover the splendors of matera and its unesco world heritage sites.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
ROME
Your journey begins with a private transfer from your hotel or airport to the exclusive La Dolce Vita Lounge at Roma Ostiense, where a serene and elegant welcome sets the stage for the adventure ahead.Departing Rome in the afternoon aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express, settle into your cabin as the gentle rhythm of the train begins to unwind the world outside.
As night falls, the Restaurant Car invites you to a refined dinner crafted by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, celebrating Italian culinary artistry with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
MATERA
Awaken to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a leisurely Italian breakfast, served in your cabin or in the Restaurant Car.
As the train glides south, you arrive in Matera, the “Eternal City of Stones,” a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its ancient cave dwellings and labyrinthine streets carved from limestone.Local assistants accompany you as you choose how to experience this timeless city: stroll freely through its evocative alleys, or immerse yourself in curated à la carte experiences such as a guided exploration of the Sassi, a private visit to a historic cave dwelling, or lunch in a unique cave restaurant where history and flavor intertwine.
PESCOCOSTANZO
The final morning begins as the train arrives in Sulmona Station, where local guides await for a unique and fascinating experience.
Travel back in time aboard the historic Centoporte train of the Transiberiana d’Abruzzo, winding through breathtaking mountain landscapes before arriving in Pescocostanzo, an authentic village nestled among the peaks. Here, you will enjoy free time to discover its cobbled streets, baroque architecture, and centuries of history at your own pace.In the afternoon, reboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express for the return journey to Rome Ostiense.
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This departure is currently sold out. Leave your details and we will contact you the moment a cabin becomes available.
Terms & Conditions
Booking & Payment
- Deposit: 30% of the total tour cost is due at the time of booking. The deposit is non-refundable.
- Final payment: the balance is due no later than 125 days before departure.
- Bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking.
- Fares are per person. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and due dates.
Cancellation
- 125 days or more before departure: 30% of the total tour cost (the deposit)
- Less than 125 days before departure: 100% of the total tour cost
Changes
- Date change: free of charge, subject to availability, when requested 125 days or more before departure; after that, a fee of 15% of the total tour cost applies.
- Cabin upgrade: only the fare difference between cabin categories applies.
- Cabin downgrade or passenger name correction: free of charge up to 35 days before departure; within 35 days, EUR 500 per change.
Changes or cancellation by the train operator
If the train operator cancels or materially changes a departure, you will be offered a new date or an amended booking, a credit toward a future journey, or a refund of the amounts paid.
All cancellation, change, or update requests must be submitted in writing by email to travel@palacetours.com. A request takes effect only once we have received and processed it, and we will confirm the outcome to you in writing. Timeframes are calculated by reference to local time and business days at the destination; a request received outside business hours is treated as received on the next business day.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance, including cancellation cover, from the moment you pay your deposit. For information on available plans, please visit www.palacetours.com/insurance.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Accommodation on board in your selected cabin category
- All meals on board - breakfast, lunch and dinner with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck
- Selected beverages on board, including wines paired with meals
- Off-train excursions and experiences as described in the itinerary
- Live entertainment in the Bar Car
- Dedicated cabin steward service
Not included
- Travel to the departure city and from the arrival city
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Anything not expressly listed in the itinerary
Accommodations
On board La Dolce Vita Orient Express
The train was designed by the Milan studio Dimorestudio, with interiors that celebrate 20th-century Italian design and draw on Gio Ponti, Nanda Vigo, Gae Aulenti and Osvaldo Borsani. It has 12 Deluxe Cabins, 18 Suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite, a restaurant curated by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, and a Bar Car with live music.
Cabins
Deluxe Cabin
- 7 m² (75 sq ft), for two guests
- A sofa by day that unfolds into a 140 x 190 cm double bed at night
- Private en-suite bathroom
- Cool colours, mirrored back walls and a wooden-slat ceiling; the ottomans double as coffee tables and stools
Suite
- 11 m² (118 sq ft), for two guests
- A 140 x 190 cm bed, with a separate sofa and a table with two armchairs for entertaining
- Private en-suite bathroom
La Dolce Vita Suite
The train has one La Dolce Vita Suite, its largest. Ask us about availability.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
It is a 3-day, 2-night round trip from Rome, running south to Matera on the second day and returning via Sulmona and the mountain village of Pescocostanzo on the third. Both nights are spent on board in your cabin. Because it begins and ends at Rome Ostiense, flights and hotels stay simple.
A private transfer brings you from your hotel or the airport to the La Dolce Vita Lounge at Roma Ostiense for a calm welcome before boarding. Departure is in the afternoon, so the first day is spent settling in as the train moves south. Dinner follows in the Restaurant Car, then live music in the Bar Car.
Matera is known as the Eternal City of Stones, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for cave dwellings and labyrinthine streets carved from limestone. It is among the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world and unlike anywhere else in Italy. The train arrives on the second day with local assistants on hand to help you explore.
You can simply stroll the evocative alleyways at your own pace, or choose from curated a la carte experiences: a guided exploration of the Sassi districts, a private visit to a historic cave dwelling, or lunch in a cave restaurant where the setting is as memorable as the food. Local assistants accompany you and help you decide. The a la carte options are booked and paid for separately from the fare.
On the third morning the train reaches Sulmona station, where local guides meet you for something unusual: a ride aboard the historic Centoporte carriages of the Transiberiana d'Abruzzo, winding through mountain landscapes. It brings you to Pescocostanzo, an authentic village high among the peaks. It is a rare chance to travel on a genuine piece of Italian rail heritage as part of a luxury journey.
Pescocostanzo is a small mountain village in Abruzzo with cobbled streets, baroque architecture and centuries of history behind its stone facades. You have free time to discover it at your own pace after the heritage train ride. In the afternoon you reboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express for the run back to Rome Ostiense.
The journey is sold in two categories, the Deluxe Cabin and the Cabin Suite. The train is made up of 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and the signature La Dolce Vita Suite, with interiors inspired by Italian design of the 1960s. What is still open is shown on this page.
Fares start from EUR 8,320 per person based on two people sharing a cabin, reflecting the guided programme and the heritage rail element. The exact fare by cabin category is shown on this page. Meals, selected beverages and the off-train experiences described in the itinerary are all included.
Yes, a cabin can be taken for sole use at a single-occupancy fare, which sits above the per-person sharing rate because the whole cabin comes out of inventory. The rate is shown on this page. Contact us and we will confirm the single fare and whether a cabin remains available.
Included are accommodation on board in your chosen cabin, all meals with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, selected beverages, the off-train excursions described in the itinerary, live entertainment in the Bar Car and a dedicated cabin steward. The Transiberiana d'Abruzzo heritage ride on the final day is part of the described programme.
Travel to and from Rome is not included, and neither are personal expenses, gratuities or travel insurance. Optional a la carte experiences in Matera, such as the guided Sassi walk or the cave restaurant lunch, are paid for separately. Anything not expressly listed in the itinerary lies outside the fare.
All meals on board are included - breakfast, lunch and dinner - with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Breakfast can be served in your cabin or in the Restaurant Car. Dietary requirements can usually be handled if you tell us before departure.
Dinner in the Restaurant Car is followed by the Bar Car, where live music and understated entertainment create a warm, intimate atmosphere and selected beverages are included. It suits a journey whose daytime is spent among ancient stone and mountain villages. A dedicated cabin steward looks after you throughout.
A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.
Yes. Children under 5 and children aged 5 up to 12 have their own reduced rates, with the age taken at the departure date, and they share the cabin with their accompanying adults. Matera's cave city and the heritage train tend to appeal to older children in particular. Send us the ages and we will quote the family total exactly.
The departure currently loaded for this itinerary is 17 October 2026, an autumn date when southern Italy is warm but no longer hot. It is listed on this page with fares by cabin category. If the date does not suit, we can suggest other La Dolce Vita routings running through 2027.
Flights are not included. Rome Fiumicino is the usual gateway and the train departs from Rome Ostiense, returning there at the end. Since departure is in the afternoon of day one, arriving in Rome the previous day is the safest plan and gives you time in the city before boarding.
Both elements are present. Local assistants meet the train in Matera and local guides accompany the heritage rail excursion on the final day, but much of the time in Matera and Pescocostanzo is yours to use as you wish. Curated a la carte experiences are available for travellers who want deeper access, booked separately.
Matera is the most demanding stop: its Sassi districts are built on a steep limestone slope, with stepped alleys and uneven stone underfoot. Pescocostanzo is a small mountain village with cobbled streets. Neither is strenuous if you take it slowly, but sturdy, comfortable shoes matter here more than on most itineraries; tell us about any mobility needs when you book.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610 or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will reply. The departure listed on this page can be booked directly. We can also hold a cabin briefly while you arrange your flights.
Extend your journey
You can add days in Rome before the train and in Florence and Tuscany after it. Here are three suggested lengths:
- 4 days: 2 days before the train and 2 days after
- 5 days: 2 days before and 3 days after
- 6 days: 3 days before and 3 days after
Before the train: Rome
- Day 1: Arrive in Rome and transfer privately to your hotel. In the evening, walk to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
- Day 2: Visit the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica with a private guide, then spend the afternoon at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
- Day 3 (6-day option): See the Borghese Gallery in the morning, then spend the afternoon and evening in Trastevere.
- The next morning, transfer to the station to board La Dolce Vita Orient Express.
After the train: Florence and Tuscany
- Day 1: Take the fast train from Rome to Florence, about an hour and a half. In the afternoon, visit the Duomo and the Baptistery.
- Day 2: See the Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo's David at the Accademia with a private guide.
- Day 3 (5- and 6-day options): Spend a day in the Chianti hills, visiting wine estates and stopping for lunch in a village. Afterwards, leave from Florence or take the train back to Rome.
- The next day, transfer to the airport or your onward train.
We arrange the hotels, private transfers and guides around your train dates, and we can change any day to suit you. Prices are on request, and we have special offers on add-ons for this journey.
To request an extension, send us the enquiry form on this page and tell us which option you would like, or call 800-724-5120 (toll-free in the US) or +1 786-408-0610 from outside the US. You can also message us on WhatsApp at +1 786-408-0610.
Media Gallery
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eternal Stones of Matera
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eternal Stones of Matera
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eternal Stones of Matera
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eternal Stones of Matera
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From $9,328 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
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