Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Matera — No Time to Die
Morning Arrivée à Bari & route vers Matera
Land at Bari-Karol Wojtyła airport and drive to Matera (about 1h). Matera, the 'City of Sassi', is one of the world's oldest human settlements — its cave quarters have been inhabited for over 9,000 years. This spectacular city is where the opening sequence of No Time to Die (2021) was filmed: the motorcycle and Aston Martin DB5 chase through the narrow Sassi alleys is one of the saga's most memorable action sequences.
Afternoon Les Sassi — Sur les traces de la poursuite de Bond
Explore the Sassi di Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the alleys where Bond revs his Aston Martin DB5: Via Madonna delle Virtù, Piazza San Pietro Caveoso (where Bond pulls a spectacular U-turn), and Via Bruno Buozzi. Visit the rock churches (chiese rupestri) carved into the stone, adorned with medieval frescoes — Santa Maria de Idris and San Pietro Barisano are the most impressive. Sasso Barisano (north quarter) and Sasso Caveoso (south quarter) offer very different atmospheres.
Evening Belvédère de la Murgia & dîner dans les Sassi
Cross the Gravina ravine to reach the Murgia Timone viewpoint on the opposite bank. This vantage point offers the most spectacular panoramic view of the Sassi — it's the wide shot used in No Time to Die to showcase Matera in all its splendor. The golden sunset light on the Sassi is breathtaking. Return to the Sassi for dinner in a cave restaurant — cime di rapa pasta (broccoli rabe), orecchiette and Puglia's burrata are must-tries.
Day 2 Matera → Rome — Towards the Spectre Sets
Morning Dernière exploration de Matera & départ vers Rome
Enjoy a final morning in the Sassi exploring what you missed yesterday. Visit Casa Grotta, a reconstructed cave dwelling showing how families lived in the Sassi until the 1950s — the period-furnished interior is fascinating. Then drive to Rome (about 4h30 via the A14 then A1 motorways). The journey crosses Puglia and Basilicata before heading up to Lazio — landscapes of olive groves and vineyards.
Afternoon Arrivée à Rome & Ponte Sisto — La poursuite en DB10
Arrive in Rome and check into your hotel, ideally in the historic center (Trastevere, Campo de' Fiori or the Piazza Navona area). Begin your Bond exploration at Ponte Sisto and the Tiber embankments (Lungotevere). In Spectre (2015), Bond drives a prototype Aston Martin DB10 in a nighttime chase along the Tiber, passing Ponte Sisto, Lungotevere dei Tebaldi and Lungotevere dei Vallati. Walk along the embankments imagining Bond at the wheel — the nighttime view of Rome's illuminated bridges is spectacular.
Evening Trastevere — Dîner à la romaine
Dine in Trastevere, Rome's most authentic and lively neighborhood, located just across Ponte Sisto. Its cobbled alleys, ochre ivy-covered facades and old-fashioned trattorie are the soul of working-class Rome. It's also the neighborhood where Bond crosses the Tiber during the Spectre chase. Try Roman classics: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, supplì (fried rice balls) and artisanal tiramisu. Trastevere's nighttime atmosphere is irresistible.
Day 3 Rome — Spectre: Funeral, Crypt & Car Chase
Morning Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana — Le QG de la SPECTRE
Visit the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (also called the 'Square Colosseum') in the EUR district, south of Rome. This 1940s rationalist building with its 216 arches served as the SPECTRE criminal organization's HQ in Spectre. The imposing, symmetrical architecture is immediately recognizable — it perfectly embodies the cold, menacing aesthetic of villain Blofeld. The entire EUR district, with its monumental white marble buildings, has an almost surreal atmosphere, perfect for a Bond set.
Afternoon Chiesa dei Santi & Museo di Roma — Funérailles & Réunion secrète
Head to the Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli (near Piazza Venezia) whose interiors inspired the Spectre funeral scene where Bond infiltrates the ceremony to track an enemy agent. Continue to the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi (Piazza Navona), whose monumental staircase and ornate salons served as the set for SPECTRE's secret meeting where Bond listens to Blofeld chairing the criminal assembly. The contrast between the baroque grandeur of these venues and the danger lurking within is a Bond classic.
Evening Itinéraire nocturne de la poursuite DB10 vs Jaguar C-X75
Retrace the Spectre car chase route at night, on foot or by taxi. The circuit passes Via dei Fori Imperiali (with views of the illuminated Colosseum), the Lungotevere (Tiber embankments), Ponte Sisto, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) and ends at Castel Sant'Angelo where Bond and his passenger eject from the car into the Tiber. This nighttime walk through Rome's illuminated monuments is one of the city's most beautiful experiences. End with a cocktail at Bar del Fico or Salotto42.
Day 4 Rome → Siena — Quantum of Solace & The Palio
Morning Rome — Dernières visites & départ vers la Toscane
Allow yourself a final Roman morning to visit the iconic sites Bond only drove past: the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon. While not direct filming locations, they're visible in the background during the Spectre chase and embody Rome's eternal grandeur. Then drive to Siena (about 3h via the A1 motorway). Tuscany's cypress-lined hills and vineyards welcome you for the Quantum of Solace chapter of your journey.
Afternoon Sienne — Piazza del Campo & le Palio de Bond
Arrive in Siena and discover Piazza del Campo, one of the world's most beautiful squares and the heart of Quantum of Solace (2008). The film's opening scene takes place on this shell-shaped square: Bond chases an enemy through the Palio crowd (the famous horse race held twice yearly in the square). Siena's red tile rooftops, medieval alleys and Gothic cathedral create a spectacular backdrop. Climb the Torre del Mangia (102m) for a 360° view of the city and Tuscan countryside.
Evening Cathédrale de Sienne & Dîner toscan
Visit the Duomo di Siena, one of Italy's most beautiful Gothic cathedrals, with its white and green marble facade and its unique marble inlay pavement (fully uncovered only a few weeks per year). In Quantum of Solace, Siena's rooftops and alleys serve as the backdrop for rooftop chase scenes. Dine at a Sienese trattoria — pici (thick handmade pasta) with wild boar ragù, ribollita (Tuscan soup) and pecorino di Pienza paired with Brunello di Montalcino make an unforgettable feast.
Day 5 Siena → Lake Como — Casino Royale: The Convalescence
Morning Campagne toscane & route vers le Lac de Côme
Leave Siena and drive through the Tuscan countryside heading north. Stop in the Val d'Orcia (UNESCO), with its rolling hills, lone cypresses and hilltop villages — Pienza, Montalcino or San Quirico d'Orcia deserve a coffee stop. Then take the motorway to Lake Como via Florence and Bologna (about 5h total with stops). Lake Como, nestled in the Lombard Alps, is one of Casino Royale's (2006) most elegant settings — the film that relaunched the saga with Daniel Craig.
Afternoon Villa del Balbianello — La clinique de convalescence de Bond
Visit Villa del Balbianello, on the tip of the Lavedo peninsula in Lenno. This 18th-century villa, perched on a rocky promontory with 180° lake views, is Casino Royale's most iconic Italian filming location. This is where Bond recovers from his poisoning, in the romantic scene with Vesper Lynd on the terrace overlooking the lake. The terraced gardens, loggias and views of snow-capped mountains are stunningly beautiful. The villa belongs to FAI (Italy's National Trust equivalent).
Evening Bellagio & Croisière sur le Lac de Côme
Take the ferry to Bellagio, the 'jewel of Lake Como', located at the junction of the lake's three arms. This picturesque village with steep alleys, lush gardens and sumptuous villas embodies Italian elegance. Stroll through Villa Melzi's gardens, dine facing the lake and watch the sunset over the Alps. Lake Como is the playground of stars and billionaires (George Clooney has his villa here) — the glamorous atmosphere is worthy of Bond himself.
Day 6 Lake Como → Venice — Casino Royale: The Finale
Morning Villa La Gaeta — La villa de Mr. White
Before leaving Lake Como, admire Villa La Gaeta from the lake (by ferry or private boat). This spectacular villa perched on the lake's western shore at San Siro is Mr. White's residence in Casino Royale — this is where Bond shoots the villain at the film's end, delivering the famous 'The name's Bond... James Bond.' The villa is private and cannot be visited, but it's beautifully visible from the lake. Follow with a final stroll in Varenna, the lake's most romantic village with its flower-lined alleys and Villa Monastero.
Afternoon Route vers Venise & Arrivée sur la lagune
Drive to Venice (about 3h via the A4 Milan-Venice motorway). Park at Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma (Venice's only car-accessible parking) and enter the city by vaporetto (water bus). Venice is Casino Royale's final setting: Bond meets Vesper Lynd there for a dramatic ending in a Venetian palazzo collapsing into the Grand Canal. Arriving in Venice by vaporetto on the Grand Canal is one of Italy's most magical experiences.
Evening Piazza San Marco & Cicchetti vénitiens
Explore Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square), Venice's heart and a recurring Bond universe location (seen in Casino Royale and Moonraker). St. Mark's Basilica with its golden Byzantine mosaics, the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) and the Campanile form a unique architectural ensemble. At sunset, the historic café orchestras (Florian and Quadri) play on their terraces — an atmosphere worthy of 007's elegance. Then dine Venetian-style: cicchetti (Italian tapas) in the bacari (wine bars) of the San Polo quarter.
Day 7 Venice — Casino Royale: The Palazzo & Departure
Morning Grand Canal & les palais de Casino Royale
Ride the Grand Canal by vaporetto to admire the Venetian palazzi that inspired Casino Royale's final scenes. While the collapsing palazzo in the film is a special effect, exteriors were shot along the Grand Canal and in the San Marco and Dorsoduro quarters. Visit the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), whose halls adorned with Tintoretto and Veronese embody Venetian grandeur. The Bridge of Sighs, connecting the palace to the prison, is one of the world's most photographed monuments.
Afternoon Dorsoduro, Murano & dernières heures vénitiennes
Explore Dorsoduro, Venice's most artistic quarter. Visit the Gallerie dell'Accademia (Venetian painting masterpieces) or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (modern art in a Grand Canal palazzo). Then take the vaporetto to Murano island, famous for its blown glass since the 13th century. Watch a glass-blowing demonstration in a workshop — a fascinating ancestral art. Murano glassworks produce extraordinarily beautiful pieces, from jewelry to monumental chandeliers.
Evening Gondole au coucher du soleil & Dîner d'adieu
Treat yourself to a sunset gondola ride through Venice's small canals — the most romantic and most 'Bond' experience of the entire trip. Gondoliers take you through secret canals, under medieval bridges and along sleeping palazzi. End your Italian journey with a farewell dinner at a Venetian restaurant — risotto al nero di seppia (squid ink risotto), sarde in saor (marinated sardines) and a Valdobbiadene Prosecco are the perfect finale for this 007 road trip. Pick up your car and head to Marco Polo airport.