DAYS
6
TOUR CODE
AQU1-27
COST
£2295
DAYS
6
TOUR CODE
AQU1-27
COST
£2295
Aquileia has long been revered for its plethora of cultural and spiritual resources. On our tour, we will take in the delightful harbour, tranquil forum and magnificent basilica, prime examples of the city's development and history.
Overview
Aquileia, an important Roman city situated on the Adriatic coast, may be relatively unknown today, but Emperor Justinian once described it as “the greatest of all towns in the West”. Its strategic location in the 1st century CE made it a vital hub within the Roman Empire, facilitating extensive trade between Rome and the East.
“Jamie was very thorough and his explanations were excellent"
– ACE customer on the 2025 Aquileia: City of Antiquity tour led by Jamie Sewell
Throughout its history, from its establishment as a Roman colony amid the local Gallic people in 182 BCE to the arrival of the Huns, Goths and Lombards in the later imperial and early medieval periods, Aquileia has been revered not only for its military and economic assets but also its plethora of cultural and spiritual resources.
Our tour will take in the delightful harbour and tranquil cypress-lined forum, both prime examples of the city’s role as a commercial and social hub, followed by a visit to the magnificent basilica, home to a remarkable sequence of 4th century mosaics and some of the oldest and most illustrious Paleo-Christian memoirs in Western Europe.
Nearby lies the beautifully situated town of Grado, a maze of cobbled streets and courtyards with splendid mosaics from the 6th century located in two of its historical churches. Cividale is located high above the Natisone River, and although little remains of this important Roman town (its original name of Forum Iulii gives the modern region of Friuli its name), we will explore the fine medieval duomo, whose foundations date back to the 8th century, and the lovely Lombard Temple from the same period.
Our final excursion is to the enchanting seaport of Trieste. A cultural meeting-point throughout its history, today the city is the site of interesting Austro-Hungarian architecture alongside superb Byzantine mosaics, a Roman theatre and the medieval Castello di San Giusto.
Tour Director
Jamie Sewell
Jamie has many years’ experience supervising excavations across Europe. His ongoing research is focused on how and why larger settlements in Italy transformed as a result of the Roman conquest of the peninsula.
This tour will be led by expert in ancient history, Jamie Sewell, PhD. Jamie has many years’ experience supervising excavations across Europe, including in Italy, and he has authored a book and numerous articles on the archaeology of towns in Hellenistic Italy and the broader Mediterranean. Jamie has lectured at Durham University and Humboldt University in Berlin, and has more than a decade’s experience working as a historical guide.
– ACE customer on the 2025 Aquileia: City of Antiquity tour led by Jamie Sewell
Our Accommodation
The tour will be based at the four-star Astoria Hotel Italia in the city of Udine, where there is an impressive duomo and two fascinating art galleries, including a pictorial cycle by the Venetian artist Tiepolo.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London Heathrow 1005 on British Airways, arriving Venice 1320. Transfer to Udine (in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region) for five nights at the Astoria Hotel Italia.
Day 2
Whole day excursion exploring the ancient city of Aquileia including the Paleo-Christian Museum, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta (mosaics depicting scenes of the prophet Jonah, gospels, apostles and portraits of patrons, 11th and 12th century Byzantine frescoes), Archaeological Museum and Roman Forum.
Day 3
Morning in Cividale: Duomo (originally an 8th century structure, rebuilt 15th century), Christian Museum, Lombard Temple and Archaeological Museum. Afternoon in Udine: Diocesan Museum (housed in the Patriarchal Palace), Duomo and Baptistery (subject to confirmation).
Day 4
Morning lecture followed by excursion to Palmanova (late 16th century defences) and Grado (Basilica of Sant’Eufemia, Santa Maria delle Grazie and old town). Return to Udine for late afternoon visit to Piazza Libertà (15th century town hall and clock tower) and optional visit to Udine’s Civic Museums of History and Art (housed in a 16th century castle). Free evening.
Day 5
Whole day excursion via Miramare (castle) to Trieste: walking tour of seafront and downtown Trieste (important Austro-Hungarian architecture, Roman theatre).
Day 6
Depart Venice 1805, arriving Heathrow 1925.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
This tour is not expected to be particularly strenuous, but does involve a moderate amount of walking and standing, including over uneven, cobbled and potentially slippery ground, and up steps (which can be steep, and sometimes without handrails). Some roads can be busy with narrow pavements, so care must be taken, and at times the group will walk back to the hotel from local restaurants in areas of darkness or lower light levels. Participants should fulfil our usual fitness requirements as described in our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £190.
Cost Details
Aquileia: City of Antiquity
March 8 - 13, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, single room supplement £150, double room for single use supplement £210.
Upcoming Departures
Aquileia: City of Antiquity (Second Departure)
7th September–12th September 2026
with Jamie Sewell
Discover Aquileia's remarkable basilica with its sequence of 4th century mosaics alongside the cobbled streets and courtyards of Grado and the medieval Duomo.
More like this
Ancient Sicily (Second Departure)
6th October–16th October 2026
with Jamie Sewell
Explore a wealth of Sicily's archaeological treasures at Syracuse, Agrigento, and Palermo, and explore the island's seafaring past with visits to the beautiful Phoenician island of Mozia
Roman & Byzantine Ravenna (Second Departure)
21st September–25th September 2026
with Nick Jackson
Journey to the 'city of mosaics' in the company of Nick Jackson and discover some of the most impressive early Christian monuments in the world.
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