Some clients want to unpack once, settle in and get to know a region. Others want to cover as much ground as possible, taking in different cities, countries and landscapes along the way.
Cosmos caters for both, and five itineraries in its 2027 Europe program illustrate just how different an escorted tour can be.
For agents, the broader Cosmos proposition is straightforward: transportation, accommodation, a professional Tour Director and sightseeing with Local Guides are organised, while itineraries also incorporate free time and longer stays in key cities. Optional activities allow clients to personalise their holiday further.
Here are five tours worth knowing when matching clients with Europe in 2027.
1. NEW Gourmet Rome: Unpack Once In The Eternal City
The newest addition to Cosmos’ Gourmet collection is an eight-day small-group tour based entirely in Rome.
That means no changing hotels and no repeatedly packing and unpacking. Instead, clients use Rome as their base, exploring both the city and surrounding countryside through included experiences and day trips.
The itinerary begins with guided sightseeing in Rome and includes lunch at Alfredo Restaurant. Guests also head beyond the city on a full-day excursion to the medieval towns of Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto.
Back in Rome, there is a walking tour through the historic Jewish Ghetto, accompanied by a tasting of kosher pastries and a visit to Tiber Island. A half-day trip to the Castelli Romani takes guests into the vineyard and hill-town country outside Rome, with a farewell lunch at a local winery.
Importantly, there is also time left free for clients to explore Rome independently.
For agents, Gourmet Rome offers an alternative for clients attracted to escorted touring but less enthusiastic about changing hotels every couple of nights. They get the organisation and included experiences of a tour, but with the chance to settle into one of Europe’s great cities.
2. Gourmet Tuscany: One Hotel, Plenty Of Tuscany
The same unpack-once concept sits at the heart of Gourmet Tuscany, an eight-day small-group itinerary based in Montecatini.
From there, guests head out to experience Tuscany’s food, wine, landscapes and history, with visits extending from Vinci and the Montalbano hills to the Chianti Valley and Etruscan Coast.
Food and wine are central to the itinerary. Guests take an Italian cooking lesson in a Tuscan farmhouse, learn the art of dessert making at their hotel and taste Chianti and Super Tuscan wines where they are produced.
There’s also a visit to Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace and opportunities to explore local wine shops, historic estates and museums.
It gives agents a strong option for clients who have perhaps already visited Italy’s headline cities and now want to concentrate on one region, particularly those whose idea of a good holiday involves as much interest in what’s on the plate and in the glass as what’s on the sightseeing itinerary.
3. Gourmet Puglia: Taste Italy’s South
Cosmos takes the Gourmet concept south with Gourmet Puglia, another eight-day small-group itinerary.
The journey begins in Bari before guests settle into Martina Franca for six nights. Its position in the Valle d’Itria makes it a practical base for exploring a region known for olive oil, distinctive trulli houses and a strong culinary identity.
The itinerary includes Alberobello and the old towns of Bari and Lecce, but food again plays a starring role. Guests can expect local specialities including olive oil, orecchiette pasta, cheese, Primitivo wine and capocollo cured meat, along with an included cooking class.
For repeat visitors to Italy, it provides agents with an easy way to suggest something different from the familiar Rome-Florence-Venice combination, while retaining the convenience of having the logistics taken care of.
4. The British Isles In Depth: For Clients Who Want To See It All
At the opposite end of the touring spectrum is The British Isles In Depth, a 23-day journey from London to London.
This is one for clients who don’t want to choose between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The itinerary covers England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, combining major cities with some of the region’s best-known landscapes.
Highlights include the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, Giant’s Causeway, the Scottish Highlands and Brecon Beacons National Park.
It is also the sort of itinerary that demonstrates one of the practical advantages of escorted touring. Cosmos arranges the hotels and transportation, along with the Tour Director and included sightseeing, removing the need for clients to coordinate a complex multi-stop journey themselves.
Cosmos tours don’t, however, schedule every minute. Free time is deliberately built into its holidays, while optional excursions give travellers another way to tailor the experience to their interests.
5. Irish Discovery: Ireland In Nine Days
For clients who want to concentrate on Ireland but still cover plenty of ground, Irish Discovery is a nine-day round-trip from Dublin that also crosses into Northern Ireland.
The itinerary combines Dublin, Belfast and Galway with Killarney, Waterford, Kilkenny and Derry, alongside some of the island’s best-known landscapes.
Guests see the Cliffs of Moher, travel the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula and visit Giant’s Causeway. There’s also a guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal, plus stops in medieval Adare, Kilkenny and Downpatrick.
For Australian clients who want to see more than Dublin without hiring a car, the appeal is obvious. They can cover a considerable amount of Ireland and Northern Ireland in nine days without having to navigate unfamiliar roads, book multiple hotels or work out the transport between each stop.
The Cosmos Difference
While these five tours vary considerably in pace and style, they share some of the elements that can make Cosmos an easy sell for value-conscious clients.
Transport and hotels are arranged, professional Tour Directors accompany the tours and knowledgeable Local Guides provide sightseeing in key destinations. Selected meals are included on most itineraries, but Cosmos deliberately leaves others free so travellers can choose where and what they want to eat.
The same philosophy applies to sightseeing. Key experiences are included, but travellers also have free time to pursue their own interests or choose optional excursions.
Getting between destinations is part of the package too, whether that means motorcoach, train, ferry or other transport. In Europe, Cosmos motorcoaches generally offer free Wi-Fi, while the average Cosmos motorcoach group is around 36 guests.
For agents, that combination provides a useful middle ground: enough organisation to remove much of the work from a European holiday, without clients feeling that every hour of every day has been decided for them.
An Extra Reason To Book Now
There is also a timely sales hook.
Cosmos is offering $500 savings per couple on all 2027 Europe and UK tours for bookings made by 30 October 2026. The offer applies across the 2027 Europe and UK portfolio, giving agents an incentive to start the conversation with clients now.
Clients looking to travel sooner can also save $400 per couple on all 2026 Cosmos tours, with that offer also ending on 30 October 2026.
Whether the client wants to unpack once in Italy or spend three weeks seeing as much of Britain and Ireland as possible, Cosmos’ 2027 program gives agents considerably more than one way to sell Europe.
For sales and marketing tools, visit the Cosmos Travel Agent Portal. Offers end 30 October 2026. T&Cs apply.
