Pre-historic Italy

Northern Italy preserves some of Europe’s richest evidence for prehistoric life, from Ice Age hunters to Bronze Age lake‑dwellers. This new tour explores the extraordinary rock‑art landscapes of Val Camonica, where thousands of carved figures record evolving beliefs, rituals and daily activities over millennia. Travelling through mountain valleys and along ancient lakeshores, we examine how early communities adapted to their environments, leaving behind monuments, settlements and symbolic art of remarkable preservation and complexity. With expert interpretation and privileged access to key sites and collections, the tour offers a rare opportunity to encounter Italy’s deep past in the landscapes where it unfolded.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival
Fly from the London Gatwick to Verona, then drive into northern Italy’s Alpine foothills (around 1.5 hours) to reach our hotel. This evening we gather for a welcome drink, followed by an introductory talk from David, ‘Prehistoric Italy from the Ice Age Onwards’. Dinner follows.

Day 2: Val Camonica – Europe’s Greatest Rock Art Landscape
Today is devoted to the Val Camonica, one of Europe’s most remarkable prehistoric landscapes and home to an unparalleled concentration of rock engravings. We begin at the Naquane National Park of Rock Engravings, where carved figures spread across rock faces record thousands of years of human activity: hunters, weapons, animals and ritual scenes, pecked and reworked over generations. A short drive brings us to the Massi di Cemmo, two monumental engraved boulders dating to the Copper Age. Their scale and positioning suggest a place of ceremony and communal significance within the prehistoric valley. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Prehistory of the Valle Camonica (MUPRE), whose displays skilfully draw together archaeology, landscape and symbolism, helping us interpret what we have seen in the field. Our day concludes with a private visit to the Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici, an internationally respected research centre. With special access, we are able to view parts of its collections and archives, gaining first‑hand insight into how prehistoric art is studied, recorded and understood.

Day 3: Rock Art and Settlement – Seradina and Nadro
This morning we explore the Seradina‑Bedolini Archaeological Park, set high above the valley floor. Here, complex engraved panels depict hunting, conflict and daily life, revealing how prehistoric societies saw themselves and their world. We continue to Foppe di Nadro, where rock engravings stand alongside reconstructions of prehistoric houses. Together they offer a rare sense of place, allowing us to visualise how Bronze Age communities lived among the carved rocks they created. This evening, David gives a further illustrated talk, ‘Britain’s Own Pile Dwelling – Must Farm’, comparing the lake‑dwelling traditions of northern Italy with one of Europe’s most important prehistoric discoveries closer to home.

Day 4: Lake Ledro – Life on the Lakes
Leaving Val Camonica, we drive south towards Lake Ledro (approximately 2 hours 20 minutes), travelling through mountain passes that have linked communities for millennia. Late morning finds us at the Roman Villa and Antiquarium of Desenzano, where archaeological remains chart the continued importance of the Lake Garda region from prehistory into the Roman era. After free time for lunch in Desenzano del Garda, we visit one of Europe’s most emblematic prehistoric sites: the Pile Dwelling Museum at Lake Ledro. Built beside the excavated remains of Bronze Age wooden houses set on stilts, the museum vividly explores early technologies, trade, water management and domestic life. Our visit also includes the Prehistoric Botanical Garden at Molina di Ledro, where reconstructed plant species illustrate what prehistoric people grew, gathered and depended upon. Overnight in Riva del Garda.

Day 5: Riva del Garda and the Wider Landscape
This morning we visit the La Rocca Museum (MAG Riva del Garda), whose collections document human presence around Lake Garda from prehistory onwards. The afternoon brings a change of pace with a boat trip on Lake Garda, providing time to absorb the scale of the landscape and to appreciate why its shores have attracted human settlement for thousands of years. This evening we enjoy a farewell dinner with wine.

Day 6: Departure
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to London Gatwick.

NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager’s discretion.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 20 travellers.

Tour Grading: This tour has been graded as demanding due to the amount of time spent walking and standing for viewing at attractions. Most sites will be very uneven underfoot, with no handrails, and limited places to sit. Any paths may be cobbled, grassed, or gravel. 
Please note that hiking shoes, trekking poles, appropriate clothing, water bottle, hat and sunscreen are needed in order to visit all prehistoric sites. The rock art is located on hillsides and mid-mountain elevations in some places and sites are reached via walking trails. For further information, please visit the mobility page on our website, or call our team if you have any questions prior to booking. 

INCLUDED

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Verona
• One nights’ accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at Hotel Sorriso, Boarie Terme, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Four nights’ accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at Hotel Antico Borgo, Riva del Garda, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Welcome drink 
• 3 dinners
• 2 lunches
• All tours and entrance fees as detailed
• Airport transfers and full coach touring itinerary
• Accompanied by an expert tour lecturer throughout
• Tour manager throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Double for sole use supplement - £295
• Meals other than those stated
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
• Porterage and gratuities

HOTEL

Hotel Sorriso, Boario Terme (1 night)
This charming, family‑run hotel enjoys a central position in Boario Terme, just a short walk from the renowned thermal spa and close to the heart of the Camonica Valley. The hotel facilities include a restaurant, bar, lounge, garden, and sun terrace. The comfortable bedrooms offer air‑conditioning, TV, WIFI, safe, desk, and hairdryer.
Hotel Website

Hotel Antico Borgo, Riva del Garda (4 nights)
This stylish four‑star hotel enjoys a prime position in the heart of Riva del Garda’s historic centre, set along a charming cobbled street just a short stroll from the lakefront, harbour, and cafés, offering guests an ideal base for exploring Lake Garda and its surrounding mountains. The hotel facilities include an elegant restaurant serving Italian and regional cuisine, a welcoming bar, and a panoramic rooftop terrace, where guests can relax and enjoy views over the town and Lake Garda. The modern, well‑appointed bedrooms are tastefully furnished and offer air‑conditioning, TV, WIFI, minibar, safe, telephone, hairdryer, and private bathroom facilities.
Hotel Website