La Dolce Vita Orient Express: The Grand Tour

It is a 5-day, 4-night round trip from Rome, the longest Italian itinerary in the collection, taking in Venice, Matera, Taormina and Palermo before returning to Rome. All four nights are spent on board in your cabin. It is the journey that covers the greatest sweep of Italy, from the lagoon to Sicily.

A private transfer brings you to the La Dolce Vita Orient Express lounge at Rome Ostiense, a quiet place to unwind before boarding. The train leaves in the morning and lunch is served in the Restaurant Car by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck as the landscape shifts. By early evening you reach Venice, where a private water taxi carries you into the heart of the city.

You wake to the Adriatic coast and breakfast in your cabin or the Restaurant Car, and the train arrives at Bari in the morning. From there a private transfer takes you inland to Matera, a city of winding stone paths, sunlit courtyards and dwellings carved directly into the hillside. You explore at your own pace or choose a curated a la carte experience, returning to the train in the late afternoon.

Yes, and on this itinerary you do it twice. By late afternoon on the third day the carriages are carefully dismantled and carried aboard a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina, with sweeping Mediterranean views from the deck. On the fourth day the train crosses back at sunset, giving you the same passage in golden light. Very few luxury trains in the world make this crossing at all.

The third day brings coastal cliffs, olive groves and glimpses of turquoise sea before the ferry crossing, after which the train continues to Taormina on Sicily's eastern coast. The town is celebrated for its ancient theatre, its streets and its views toward Mount Etna. You have time there before rejoining the train for dinner on board.

On the fourth morning the train approaches Sicily's capital and you are escorted into the heart of the city, where Arab-Norman architecture stands beside lively markets and centuries-old churches. The day is yours to explore at a leisurely pace or to take a curated a la carte experience that opens up Palermo's culture and history. By mid-afternoon you return to the train for the run north.

The train returns to Rome on the fifth day after the final night on board, closing the circle where the journey began. Ending in Rome means one airport for arrival and departure and no repositioning at the end. We can arrange extra nights in the city before or after if you want more time.

One of the a la carte options explores the Venice of Casanova, walking the calli and campielli of a city once famous for masquerade balls and noble intrigue. Led by expert historians, it includes the hidden passages of the Doge's Palace, moving through concealed doors into the private side of the Serenissima. It is selected and paid for separately from the journey fare.

You can book a Deluxe Cabin or a Cabin Suite. The train is composed of 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and the signature La Dolce Vita Suite, with interiors inspired by Italian design of the 1960s. Availability by category for each departure is shown on this page.

Fares start from EUR 14,000 per person based on two people sharing a cabin, reflecting four nights on board and stops in four very different parts of Italy. The exact fare for each departure and cabin category is shown on this page. All meals, selected beverages and the described off-train experiences are included.

Yes. A cabin can be booked for sole use at a single-occupancy rate, which is higher than the per-person sharing fare because an entire cabin is withdrawn from sale. The applicable rate is shown for each departure on this page. Get in touch and we will confirm the fare and check availability on your preferred date.

Included are four nights in your chosen cabin, all meals on board with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, selected beverages, the off-train excursions and transfers described in the itinerary, live entertainment in the Bar Car and a dedicated cabin steward. The private water taxi in Venice and the transfer from Bari to Matera are part of that programme.

Travel to and from Rome is not included, nor are personal expenses, gratuities or travel insurance. Optional a la carte experiences chosen in Venice, Matera, Taormina or Palermo are paid for separately. Anything not expressly listed in the itinerary falls outside the fare.

Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board are included throughout, with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck built on seasonal ingredients from the regions you pass through. Breakfast can be served in your cabin or in the Restaurant Car. Dietary requirements can usually be arranged if you tell us in advance.

Dinner in the Restaurant Car is followed by the Bar Car, where live music rolls through the night and selected beverages are included. Over four nights the train develops a real rhythm, and the Bar Car is where most of the conversation happens. Your cabin steward is on hand throughout if you prefer a quiet evening.

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. Reduced rates apply to children under 5 and to children aged 5 up to 12, based on their age at departure, and they share the cabin with their accompanying adults. The ferry crossing and the cave city of Matera tend to be highlights for older children. Send us the ages and we will price the whole party.

Departures run from 8 May 2027 to 14 September 2027, with six dates on sale, so it is a late spring and summer journey. All of them are listed on this page with their fares and cabin availability. With four nights on board and only six departures, this itinerary sells early.

Every stop is explored on foot. Venice means bridges and steps, Matera is built on a steep limestone slope with stepped alleys, Taormina is a cliffside town and Palermo involves busy city streets. None of it is strenuous if you set your own pace, and private transfers handle the distances, but comfortable shoes and reasonable mobility help. Tell us about any limitations 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. Every departure listed on this page can be booked directly. We can also hold a cabin briefly while you confirm your flights.