Overview
A 3 Michelin‑Starred Culinary Journey aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express from Rome to Venice in one day.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
Morning - Departure from Rome
The day begins at La Dolce Vita Lounge, a quiet haven tucked inside Rome’s Ostiense station. Here, guests are welcomed with warmth and grace—a glass in hand, time to settle in, and an atmosphere that already whispers of what’s to come. This is not a hurried departure, but a moment to exhale.
When the time comes to board, the anticipation builds with a welcome Aperitivo. Stepping into the train is like crossing a threshold—from everyday life into a world of beauty in motion. Take your seat in the elegant lounge car as the train eases out of the station.
Midday - Lunch on Board
As the landscapes begin to open, so does the true heart of the experience: a three-Michelin-starred lunch designed exclusively for this route by Chef Heinz Beck. The menu unfolds like a carefully composed symphony—each dish a harmony of textures, colours, and aromas that pay tribute to Italian tradition while surprising the palate with unexpected details.
VENICE
With lunch complete, the rhythm of the day softens.
Linger in the Bar Car, where the afternoon unfolds at its own pace. Sip a classic cocktail or herbal tea, challenge a fellow traveller to a game of chess or backgammon, or simply enjoy the quiet pleasure of conversation and the passing landscape.The views from the window shift from rolling countryside to lagoon, and before long, the unmistakable silhouette of Venice begins to appear—a shimmering city rising from the water, golden in the late-day light.As the train glides into the station, a sense of reverie lingers.
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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.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
This is a single-day journey of roughly nine hours aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express, running from Rome to Venice. There is no overnight stay on the train: you board in the morning at Rome Ostiense, spend the day travelling north through the Italian countryside, and arrive in Venice in the late afternoon. It is the shortest way to experience this train.
It is a day journey. The Gourmet Escape to Venice is booked by the seat in the elegant lounge car rather than by cabin, and there is no overnight accommodation on the train. If you would like a night on board, the other La Dolce Vita Orient Express itineraries we offer include overnight cabin journeys - ask us and we will send the options.
The day begins at the La Dolce Vita Lounge inside Rome Ostiense, where guests are welcomed before boarding and a welcome reception marks the departure. As the landscapes open up, a three-Michelin-starred lunch designed for this route is served. Afterwards you can linger in the Bar Car, play chess or backgammon, or simply watch the countryside give way to the lagoon.
The lunch is designed exclusively for this Rome to Venice route by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, who also curates the wider La Dolce Vita Orient Express dining programme. The menu unfolds course by course, paying tribute to Italian tradition while adding unexpected details of texture, colour and aroma. It is the centrepiece of the day.
Your seat on board, the full dining programme for the day including the Michelin-starred lunch, selected beverages on board, the welcome in the La Dolce Vita Lounge at Rome Ostiense and on-board service are all included. Everything described in the itinerary is covered, so nothing further is charged during the journey itself.
Travel to Rome and onward from Venice is not included, nor are hotels at either end, personal expenses, gratuities, travel insurance or anything not expressly listed in the itinerary. Items ordered outside the standard beverage list are settled on board. We are happy to quote separately for hotels in Rome or Venice and for private transfers.
Selected beverages on board are included, from the welcome served before departure through to those accompanying lunch. In the afternoon the Bar Car offers classic drinks and herbal teas at your own pace. Anything outside the standard list is charged as a personal expense and settled before you disembark.
The fare starts from EUR 1,200 per person for the day journey. Because this is a seat rather than a cabin, the price is the same whether you travel alone or with a companion. The exact fare for each departure date is shown in the booking list on this page and confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
No. The Gourmet Escape to Venice is sold by the seat, so a solo traveller pays the same per person fare as someone travelling as a pair. This makes it one of the most accessible ways to experience La Dolce Vita Orient Express. Let us know your preferred date and we will check availability.
Departures currently on sale run from 8 May 2027 to 14 September 2027, with three dates open at the time of writing. Each date and its fare appear in the departure list on this page. Seats on this day journey are limited and released in small numbers, so early enquiry is sensible if your dates are fixed.
Boarding is in the morning at Rome Ostiense, after time in the La Dolce Vita Lounge, and the journey runs for about nine hours, arriving in Venice in the late afternoon. Exact boarding and arrival times are confirmed for your specific date in the travel documents we send before departure, so please do not book tight connections at either end.
The journey begins at Rome Ostiense, where La Dolce Vita Orient Express has its own dedicated lounge inside the station. Guests are welcomed there before boarding rather than waiting on a platform, which sets the tone for the day. We can arrange a private transfer from your Rome hotel or the airport on request.
Yes. Hotel nights are not part of this fare, but we regularly arrange accommodation at either end and can quote for hotels in Rome the night before and in Venice afterwards, along with transfers. Since the journey is one way, many guests build a few nights in Venice into the trip. Tell us your dates and we will put a proposal together.
This is a one-way journey, so onward travel from Venice is arranged by you and is not part of the fare. Venice is well connected by air and by Italian high-speed rail back to Rome, and many guests simply continue their holiday from there. We are happy to advise on options and can quote for a return rail seat or transfers.
Child fares are based on age on the day of travel, with bands of 0 to under 5 years and 5 to under 12 years; anyone aged 12 or over pays the adult fare. The day is centred on a long, formal lunch and a quiet afternoon on board, so tell us the ages in your party when you enquire and we will advise honestly on whether it suits.
A deposit of 30 percent of the booking value secures your seats and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before the date of travel, and bookings made within 125 days are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation sets out the exact amounts and dates.
The day journey works well for an anniversary, a birthday or a small celebration, and the arrival into Venice makes a memorable finish. Tell us the occasion and the number of guests when you enquire and we will check what can be arranged on your chosen date. Larger group requests are quoted individually.
Guests generally dress smartly for a day built around a Michelin-starred lunch in a lounge car, so comfortable but elegant daywear is a good guide, along with comfortable shoes for the walk through the station and in Venice. Current guidance for your date is included in the documents we send before you travel.
Travel insurance is not included and we strongly recommend comprehensive cover, including cancellation protection, from the moment you pay your deposit. Italy is part of the Schengen area, so entry requirements depend on your nationality and should be checked with the Italian consulate or embassy covering where you live before you travel.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610 - you will reach a travel specialist or our AI assistant. The departure dates shown on this page can be booked directly, and we confirm availability, the exact fare and the payment schedule in writing before anything is charged.
Extend your journey
You can add days in Rome before the train and in Venice 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: Venice
- Day 1: Take a private water taxi from the station to your hotel. Spend the evening in St Mark's Square.
- Day 2: Tour the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica with a private guide, then take a gondola ride through the canals.
- Day 3 (5- and 6-day options): Take a boat to the islands of Murano and Burano.
- 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: Gourmet Escape to Venice
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Gourmet Escape to Venice
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Gourmet Escape to Venice
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Gourmet Escape to Venice
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From $1,346 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
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