Only in Italy...

The cathedral bell tower of Pisa would draw crowds even if it didn't have such horrible posture. Its long cylinder of white marble threaded with the lithe arches of stacked colonnades make it one of the prettiest towers you'll ever see—albeit one titling crazily out of plumb. The climb up is odd and thrilling...

Even if you can't afford your own farmhouse in Tuscany—or Umbria, or Piemonte, or Sicily, or Apulia, or wherever your Italian dream countryside resides—staying on a working farm, or agriturismo, gets you up close with the rural heart of Italy—as cheap as €35, and avergaring €55-€150 for a double room. From vineyards to dairy farms, barns amid olive groves to frescoed villas next to horse stables to a simple B&B converted from a farmhouse. Many agriturismi also serve wonderfully huge, cheap, and hearty home-cooked dinners (the standard: about €30–€45, including wine, for four or five courses). The breakfasts are usually included in the rates—and usually excellent...

Experience the full glory of Rome's Colosseum on a unique, small-group tour with skip-the-line entry! Accompanied by an expert guide who is passionate about Roman history, you'll gain rare access to areas of the Colosseum that are newly opened, normally off-limits, or opened to only a limited number of daily tickets you have to get in advance—including the subterranean maze of passages, chambers, and cells where Roman gladiators prepared for battle, and where the fearsome, wild animals they fought were caged. Enjoy private viewings of the Colosseum's underground chambers, arena and upper level, and then head to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for unforgettable views of Ancient Rome...

Rather than just taking home from your next trip tales of that fantastic tagliatelle alla bolognese, why not return with the skills to recreate all those great Italian meals in your own kitchen? Cooking schools and cooking lessons are a phenomenal way to while an afternoon—or even for a full week. You get the kind of genuine cultural insight no number of museums and monuments could ever give, you can engage locals on a subject about which they are truly passionate, and you will gain a new skill (or at least new recipes to add to your repertoire). And, of course, you get to eat all your mistakes (mmmm...mistakes)..

Hands down, my favorite thing to do at the Florence cathedral is to climb the 348-foot-high dome (la cupola del Duomo), both for the great panorama across the city you get from the top and to see, from the inside, Brunelleschi's architectural marvel. You actually clamber up between the dome's two onion-like layers—and in the process get some great up-close views not only of the engineering genius of Brunelleschi, the also of those crazy Zuccari frescoes covering the inside of the cupola...

The Cinque Terre is a necklace of five tiny fishing villages strung along the southern end of the Italian Riviera. Hike from one town to the next along ancient goat-herd paths clinging to the cliffs above the deep blue waters as you wind through terraced vineyards and macchia scrubland. When you're done your amble, just pick a village, sit back, and let la dolce vita wash over you. Splash in the waters of the Mediterranean. Sunbathe on a pebble beach. Sip a glass of wine at a cafe table overlooking a tiny harbor bobbing with colorful fishing boats. Savor a four-hour dinner surrounded by the stone walls of a family-run trattoria...

Drive a vintage Fiat 500 to a gorgeous 15th-century Renaissance villa nestled in the picturesque Tuscan hills just outside of Florence. Traveling in a convoy behind an expert guide, you’ll drive along quiet private roads and then enjoy 2.5 hours at leisure. Swim in the villa’s pool, indulge in a picnic lunch with wine tasting, or upgrade to include a winemaking session in which, yes, they will let you stomp the grapes. (No one actually makes wine this way anymore, but c'mon: Who doesn't want to try it? Lucille Ball impressions are optional.)...

Every Wednesday morning that the Pope is in residence in Rome, he addresses and blesses his many international visitors: in Piazza San Pietro on warmer days and inside the Sala Nervi during the winter. Join other pilgrims to see and hear the leader of the Catholic Church. Catholic or not, you'll find a Papal Audience a very special and memorable experience...

This fresco workshop provides a hands-on experience in the studio of an accomplished fresco artist, who will guide you through the steps of preparing a surface, drawing and transferring a drawing, and finally applying the paint. At end, you get to take home your own fresco...

Learn to row gondola-style in an exclusive very small group (maximum 4) with a great English-speaking guide. Glide through Venice's prettiest canals and out into the Venetian lagoon as you learn how to be a Gondolier!..

Master the basics of hand-to-hand combat at a genuine gladiator school on the ancient Appian Way. You'll get hands-on with ancient Roman history as your gladiator instructor teaches you how to fight with authentic weapons used by the gladiators of ancient Rome....

This once-in-a-lifetime private Sistine Chapel viewing also gives you unprecedented VIP access to the Vatican Museum's magnificent secret rooms usually off-limits to the public—like the Niccoline Chapel and the Room of Gold—as well as classic sights like the Raphael Rooms. It ends with an after-hours private viewing of the Sistine Chapel, empty except for your small group (average 10 people)...

Break out your haggling skills, the streets around San Lorenzo church are packed with stalls peddling knock-off Gucci scarves, souvenir T-shirts, marbleized paper products, jewelry, wallets, and especially leather—great place to shop for a leather jacket for yourself, and stock up on belts, purses, and wallets as gifts...

Feel the wind in your hair. Weave in and out of traffic. Get around far faster than walking but far more cheaply than with a car. Go all day on a cupful of gas. Make daytripping to outlying or nearby sights easy. Feel just a smidge like Audrey Hepburn or Gregory Peck from that classic scene in Roman Holiday. Yes, there are many reasons to mount a motorino in Italy or take a Vespa tour—just be smart about it...

Arguably the greatest (and certainly the most famous) opera house in the world, Milan's premier opera house—full name: Teatro alla Scala—is where Toscanini twirled his baton, Giuseppe Verdi was once the in-house composer, and Maria Callas trilled her way to fame and fortune. La Scala has been perhaps the most important opera house in the world since 1778. This is where Verdi, Bellini, Rossini, and Donizetti premiered their works—among them Norma, Nabucco, Madama Butterfly, and Aïda....

Among wine cellars and famous vineyards of Langhe and Roero, come and taste the most famous Piedmontese wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Roero, Barbera, Dolcetto and Arneis. Specially selected wine producers will enable you to taste flavors and specialties of the Piedmontese tradition. Choose between a half day or a full day tour...

Take a day trip from Florence and spend the day horse riding in Italy's famous Chianti region. It's a unique opportunity to explore the beautiful Tuscan countryside, which is renowned worldwide for its vineyards and unparalleled beauty. Led by your friendly and knowledgeable English speaking guide you will be taken on horseback into the Chianti region where most of the region's famous wines are produced. You will ride for 1.5 hours through vineyards, olive groves and Middle Age villages seeing the Tuscan landscapes at their best....