10 days
Venice region, Padua, Bologna, Florence
Program designed to: Facilitate a journey to Italy’s breathtaking Reggio Emilia region for a deeper understanding of how its school system’s innovative approach to education has inspired countless teachers around the world. Immerse yourself in local culture as you visit two of the world’s oldest universities, engage with Italian educators and students, and gain insight to Reggio Emilio’s evolving and influential educational methodology.

Highlight: Aperitivo raises the after-work drink with friends to an artform. Though what you sip and snack on varies by region, the tradition is quintessentially Italian—a taste of la dolce vita.

🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy

  • Day 2: Venice region • Padua

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner in Padua

  • Day 3: Padua • Venice

    Take a tour of Padua, a college town

    With your expert local guide you will see: 

    • Basilica di San Antonio, one of the eight international shrines
    • Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe

    Visit the University of Padua, whose notable alumni and faculty include Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei

    Take a train to Venice

    Take a walking tour of Venice with your Field Director

    🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Venice on your own

  • Day 4: Padua • Bologna

    Travel to Bologna, well-known for its famous dish, spaghetti Bolognese 

    Take a tour of Bologna

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Piazza del Nettuno, which features a once-controversial statue of Neptune and the seductive sirens
    • Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna's beloved church which was the site of Charles V coronation 
    • Palazzo Comunale, Bologna’s 14th-century town hall

    Visit the University of Bologna, the oldest existing university in Europe founded in 1088

    Enjoy dinner in Bologna

  • Day 5: Bologna

    Industry Engagement: Attend a lecture to learn how the Italian educational system has changed over the years, and see how it has influenced our own

    Visit a local school in Bologna to learn how the city’s culture impacts its educational practices—and vice versa

  • Day 6: Bologna

    🔹 Guided learning: Visit the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a famous meeting place known for its dedication to improving education through creativity, innovation, and experimentation

  • Day 7: Bologna • Florence

    Enjoy a cultural food activity to learn Bologna’s culinary practices first-hand 

    Travel to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance

  • Day 8: Florence

    🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Florence

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Piazza della Signoria, which is lined with classic statues
    • Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans still keep shop 
    • Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried 
    • Gates of Paradise, bronzed doors that depict scenes from the Old Testament and are considered an icon of the Renaissance 
    Add this in-depth excursion:
    🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner

    Try your hand at local cooking practices in a Tuscan cooking class, followed by dinner.

  • Day 9: Florence

    Industry Engagement: Learn more about classroom lesson plans and activities as you meet with a local teacher and discuss what a career in education looks like in Italy

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local school in Florence and learn how its culture and history impacts its educational practices

    🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Florence on your own

    Enjoy dinner in Florence

  • Day 10: Depart for home

  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy

  • Day 2: Venice region • Padua

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner in Padua

  • Day 3: Padua • Venice

    Take a tour of Padua, a college town

    With your expert local guide you will see: 

    • Basilica di San Antonio, one of the eight international shrines
    • Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe

    Visit the University of Padua, whose notable alumni and faculty include Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei

    Take a train to Venice

    Take a walking tour of Venice with your Field Director

    🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Venice on your own

  • Day 4: Padua • Bologna

    Travel to Bologna, well-known for its famous dish, spaghetti Bolognese 

    Take a tour of Bologna

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Piazza del Nettuno, which features a once-controversial statue of Neptune and the seductive sirens
    • Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna's beloved church which was the site of Charles V coronation 
    • Palazzo Comunale, Bologna’s 14th-century town hall

    Visit the University of Bologna, the oldest existing university in Europe founded in 1088

    Enjoy dinner in Bologna

  • Day 5: Bologna

    Industry Engagement: Attend a lecture to learn how the Italian educational system has changed over the years, and see how it has influenced our own

    Visit a local school in Bologna to learn how the city’s culture impacts its educational practices—and vice versa

  • Day 6: Bologna

    🔹 Guided learning: Visit the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a famous meeting place known for its dedication to improving education through creativity, innovation, and experimentation

  • Day 7: Bologna • Florence

    Enjoy a cultural food activity to learn Bologna’s culinary practices first-hand 

    Travel to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance

  • Day 8: Florence

    🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Florence

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Piazza della Signoria, which is lined with classic statues
    • Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans still keep shop 
    • Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried 
    • Gates of Paradise, bronzed doors that depict scenes from the Old Testament and are considered an icon of the Renaissance 
    Add this in-depth excursion:
    🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner

    Try your hand at local cooking practices in a Tuscan cooking class, followed by dinner.

  • Day 9: Florence

    Industry Engagement: Learn more about classroom lesson plans and activities as you meet with a local teacher and discuss what a career in education looks like in Italy

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local school in Florence and learn how its culture and history impacts its educational practices

    🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Florence on your own

    Enjoy dinner in Florence

  • Day 10: Depart for home


Learning outcomes on this program

Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness


EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources

With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development
See the resources you get
EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources


With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development

See the resources you get


Your experience includes

  • Round-trip airfare and transportation

    Round-trip airfare and transportation while abroad—covered. We take care of getting you around so you can enjoy the ride.

  • Accommodations

    Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.

  • Regional-style meals

    Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.

  • End-to-end Support

    Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.

  • EF Global Learning Toolkit

    To capitalize on moments for building empathy, awareness, and adaptability in a global environment, we offer a number of different tools designed to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.

  • Full-time Field Director

    Your expert Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.

  • Expert Local Guides

    Your expert local guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.

  • Guided sightseeing

    Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour

  • Worldwide support, safety and security

    EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $15 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.

  • Flexible Payment Options

    Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.


Programs in real life

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Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

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