Italy activity holidays: holiday planner 2011

Andante Travels (01722 713800; www.andantetravels.co.uk) Archaeological tours that bring the ancient world to life. Opt for fully escorted tours (Bronze Age Sardinia, northern Campania, Apulia) or cheaper, more independent "Bare Bones" departures where you still get similar expert guidance at sites. New "Intro Tours" to Pompeii and Rome (including private visit to Sistine Chapel) for those who have little knowledge of the ancient world; six days £1,650.

Kudu Travel (01722 716167; www.kudutravel.com) Choice of seven carefully researched escorted cultural walking tours (such as Riviera Gardens, Puglia, Lake Orta and Barolo) aimed at well-heeled professionals, with gourmet dining, four-star hotels, private concerts, garden visits and wine-tasting. Group size around 12.

Martin Randall Travel (0208 742 3355; www.martinrandall.com) A choice of 43 expert-led tours, with the emphasis on art, architecture, gardens and gastronomy. New itineraries include Sardinia, gastronomic Sicily, and Music in Florence. Often arranges entry to private palaces and out-of-hours access to museums. Expect to pay about £2,000 all-in for a week in fairly high-brow company.

Other companies offering themed holidays for small groups led by expert guides include: Cox & Kings (0207 873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk) – tours for Friends of the Royal Academy of Arts; Fine Art Travel (0207 437 8553; www.finearttravel.co.uk) – lots of private access through its owner, Charles FitzRoy; JMB Travel (01452 715370; www.jmb-travel.co.uk) – specialising in opera; Kirker (0207 593 1899; www.kirkerholidays.com) – for escorted tours in and around Rome and art and wines of Tuscany; Specialtours (0207 386 4690; www.specialtours.co.uk) – for Canaletto's Venice and Friuli Venezia Giulia; and The Traveller (0207 436 9343; www.the-traveller.co.uk), which uses British Museum curators. Voyages Jules Verne (0845 166 7035, www.vjv.com) has more affordable tours using local guides, including a cruise around the Venice lagoon.

Gardens tours

Boxwood (01341 241717; www.boxwoodtours.co.uk) For gardens of Florence and Lucca.

Brightwater (01334 657155; www.brightwaterholidays.com) For gardens on the Cinque Terre and around Rome.

Coach touring holidays

Archers Direct (0800 668 1892; www.archersdirect.co.uk) has the largest Italian programme, with 20 options. Tours are now graded one to five in terms of pace, and new ''stay and explore'' options save customers having to change hotels every night. New "Select by Globus" tours feature deluxe coaches (leather seats, more legroom, a maximum of 36 passengers), centrally located hotels and private home-to-coach transfers.

For upmarket sightseeing, staying at top-end hotels with experienced guides, try Thomas Cook Tours (0844 871 0667; www.thomascook tours.com), which offers three fully escorted tours.

For singles, Just You (0844 567 8844; www.justyou.co.uk) has "Discovery" air tours.

Other touring companies include Collette (0800 804 8705; www.colletteworldwide.com); Consort Travel (0844 844 0470; www.consorttravel.com); Leger (0844 504 6251; www.leger.co.uk); Page & Moy (0844 567 6633; www.pageandmoy.com); Shearings Holidays (0844 824 6350; www.shearings.com); Titan HiTours (0800 988 5823; www.titanhitours.co.uk); and Travelsphere (0844 567 9966; www.travelsphere.co.uk).

Rail touring holidays

Great Rail Journeys (01904 521980; www.greatrail.com) Choice of 15 escorted tours with first-class rail travel from St Pancras to Italy. There's a new 10-day Riva del Garda and the Dolomites journey that takes in the Brenner Pass. A sister company, Treyn Holidays (01904 734940; www.railholidays.com), offers more affordable tours to Lake Garda, Lake Como, Venice and Tuscany using three-star hotels.

Planetrail (01347 811810; www.planetrail.co.uk) Bespoke rail tours with private taxi transfers to hotels and a concierge service to book excursions and restaurants.

Explore (0844 499 0901; www.explore.co.uk) Has an 11-day Best of Italy tour by rail aimed at the 30-55 age group.

Cruising

European Waterways (01784 482439; www.gobarging.com) Six-night river cruises from Venice to Mantua on the 20-passenger La Bella Vita; from £2,190 per person fully inclusive with open bar.

Louis Cruises (0800 018 3883; www.louiscruises.com) Operates budget cruises around Italy out of Genoa and Civitavecchia (Rome) that stop at Venice, Sicily, Corfu and the Croatian coast.

Peter Sommer (01600 888220; www.petersommer.com) Two new escorted cultural cruises along the Amalfi coast and eastern Sicily on six-cabin, Turkish-style gulets.

UNDER CANVAS

Most campsites are clustered around Lake Garda, along the Venetian Riviera and in southern Tuscany. The Camping and Caravanning Club (0845 130 7632; www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk) offers online booking for sites throughout Italy. British companies that can arrange tent and mobile home rentals on a big choice of sites include Canvas Holidays (0845 268 0827; www.canvasholidays.co.uk), Eurocamp (0844 406 0402; www.eurocamp.co.uk), Siblu (0871 911 2288; www.siblu.com), Keycamp (0844 406 0200; www.keycamp.co.uk), Vacansoleil (0333 700 5050; www.vacansoleil.co.uk) and Venue Holidays (01233 629950; www.venueholidays.co.uk), which has new safari tents erected on decking as an "off-the-ground" option.

WALKING, CYCLING, RIDING

There are dozens of itineraries to choose from. You can join a guided group or travel independently using walking notes, with baggage transfers by taxi. The cheapest holidays focus on day walks from a base hotel.

Our selection

ATG-Oxford (01865 315678; www.atg-oxford.co.uk) Top-end escorted "Journeys" are expensive, but the company's many fans rate the meticulous planning highly (two staff, backup minibus and best available hotels and restaurants). New escorted Aeolian Islands tour. Also themed weeks staying at ATG-owned medieval canonry near Siena. More affordable are the "Footloose" and "Freewheeling" options for independent travellers.

Authentic Adventures (01453 823328; www.authenticadventures.co.uk) Guided walking in Tuscany, Sicily, Lazio and Abruzzo, including wildflower specials. An interesting new walk for the reasonably fit through Alpine Gran Paradiso, north-west of Turin.

Headwater (01606 720199; www.headwater.com) Rural adventures by bicycle or on foot (guided and self-guided) in 10 Italian regions. Characterful three- and four-star hotels with pools and good food. Well-researched routes include lesser known trails in the Venetian hills, Barolo wine country and the Egadi islands off Sicily.

Inntravel (01653 617000; www.inntravel.co.uk) Collection of 21 self-guided walking and cycling holidays through some of Italy's finest rural landscapes. Accommodation in characterful smaller hotels and inns with hands-on owners. New Grand Tour of Italy, an independent journey that combines walking and cultural visits.

Ramblers Holidays (01707 331133; www.ramblersholidays.co.uk) Some of the best-value walking holidays in Italy, most from half-board hotels. A choice of 28 itineraries on the mainland and islands. Two-leader walks aimed at couples with differing walking abilities are proving very popular. A new Renaissance Tuscany tour, including a visit to the Uffizi gallery in Florence, combines walking with city sightseeing: £669 half board for a week in May.

Other options

Activities Abroad (01670 789991; www.activitiesabroad.com) Family multi-activity weeks in the Veneto and Tuscany.

The Adventure Company (0845 287 6527; www.adventurecompany.co.uk) Good group family options to Mt Etna in Sicily and farm-based activity in the Bay of Naples, plus gentle walking/sightseeing in Tuscany and Sicily for adults.

Adventureline Walking (01209 820847; www.adventureline.co.uk) May walk in the Maremma with Martin Hunt and Goffredo Filibeck, Professor of Botany at Viterbo University; there is also a Dolomites walk in June.

Bella Italia (0845 157 8320; www.bellawalkitalia.com) Guided and independent walks from Lake Como.

Collett's Mountain Holidays (01799 513331; www.colletts.co.uk) Guided Dolomites walks, including wildflower and via ferrata specials.

Chain Gang Cycle Tours (01392 662262; www.thechaingang.co.uk) Escorted cycling with good food and wine in Tuscany and Umbria.

Discovery Travel (01094 632226; www.discoverytravel.co.uk) Self-guided walks and cycle rides, including rarely featured Elba.

Exodus (0845 527 7043; www.exodus.co.uk) More than 30 guided walks and rides, from leisurely strolls to challenging climbs aimed at 30-55s. Three new rides: Sardinia, Sicily and the Amalfi coast.

Explore (0844 499 0901; www.explore.co.uk) Small-group walking holidays in Tuscany, Sicily and the Amalfi coast.

Freewheel Holidays (0116 255 8417; www.freewheelholidays.com) Cleverly designed itineraries, so more downhill than uphill, including a boat-and-bike trip from Venice to Mantua.

HF Holidays (0845 470 7558; www.hfholidays.co.uk) Guided and independent walks and rides, also painting and gourmet cooking holidays. Two new Sicily walks and an Amalfi gardens tour.

Hooked on Cycling (01501 740985; www.hookedoncycling.co.uk) Guided and independent rides countrywide.

In the Saddle (01299 272997; www.inthesaddle.co.uk) Centre-based horse riding in central Italy and a trail ride through Chianti.

KE Adventure (01768 773966; www.keadventure.com) High-level trekking in the Dolomites and mountain biking in Tuscany. New family adventure holiday on the Aeolian islands.

Neilson Adventure (01273 668982; www.neilsonadventures.co.uk) Small-group family multi-activity trips, walking and cycling.

On Foot Holidays (01722 322652; www.onfootholidays.co.uk) Carefully researched self-guided walks along the Amalfi coast, southern Tuscany and the Sabine Hills north of Rome.

Peregrine Adventures (0844 7360170; www.peregrineadventures.com) Good choice of guided walks.

Ride Worldwide (01837 82544; www.rideworldwide.com) Horse-riding in Chianti.

Saddle Skedaddle (0191 265 1110; www.skedaddle.co.uk) Guided and self-guided road cycling and mountain biking holidays.

Sherpa (0208 577 2717; www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk) Escorted and independent inn-to‑inn walks and cycle tours countrywide.

Solo's (0844 815 0005; www.solosholidays.co.uk) Guided walking, multi-activity and sightseeing for singles.

Upland Escapes (01367 851111; www.uplandescapes.com) Part-guided walking from village base in beautiful Abruzzo valley.

Walks Worldwide (0845 301 4737; www.walksworldwide.com) Four self-guided walks.

The Wayfarers (01242 620871; www.thewayfarers.com) Upmarket, escorted walks.

FOOD AND WINE

For wine-tasting holidays mixed with gastronomy, the leading operator is Arblaster & Clarke (01730 263111; www.winetours.co.uk), which arranges expert-led tours to seven wine-growing regions of Italy.

Many tour operators under the "Hotels" section feature cookery classes and the Italian Connection (01424 728900; www.italian- connection.co.uk) lists a choice of 30 cookery holidays.

Among the companies focusing on cooking are: Tasting Places (0208 964 5333; www.tastingplaces.com) – hands-on courses and holidays for gastronomes in seven Italian regions including Piedmont and Sicily; Cooking in Umbria (01580 767554; www.cookinginumbria.com) based in a historic villa north of Perugia; and Flavours (0131 343 2500; www.flavoursholidays.co.uk) – weeks in Puglia, Sicily and Tuscany and short breaks in Bologna.

OTHER PURSUITS

Language courses

CESA Languages Abroad (01209 211800; www.cesalanguages.com) Choice of seven cities and different lengths of time, including GAP-year courses and holiday fortnights, aimed at people over 50 and with sociable excursions.

Natural world

Naturetrek (01962 733051; www.naturetrek.co.uk) Offers 10 itineraries focusing on birds, butterflies and wildflowers. Limosa (01692 580623; www.limosaholidays.co.uk) has an April birdwatching trip to Sicily.

Collett's Mountain Holidays, Ramblers Holidays, Kudu Travel and ATG-Oxford (see cultural/walking company entries above) also have special wildflower and birdwatching weeks.

Painting

Tutored weeks with Authentic Adventures (01453 823328; www.authenticadventures.co.uk) in Tuscany, Umbria, Sicily and Venice including Venice by moonlight photography weeks. Bettina Schroeder (0207 609 0843; www.art-holidays.com) tutors in Tuscany and Sicily.

Tennis holidays

Tuscan Tennis Holidays (0141 576 7205; www.tuscantennis.com) Coaching in small groups and fully hosted weeks at private tennis clubs in Florence, Lucca and Sardinia.

Golf holidays

Momentum Travel (0207 371 9111; www.golfitalia.co.uk) Hotels with golf nearby and golfing hotels countrywide.

Spa holidays

Spa treatments are offered by many top hotels featured by British tour operators but for detailed advice try the following specialists: Essential Escapes (0207 284 3344; www.essentialescapes.com), La Joie de Vivre (01483 272379; www.lajoiedevivre.co.uk), and Spa Expressions Holidays (01752 878015; www.expressionsholidays.co.uk)