Southern Italy and Sicily

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DAY 1: FLIGHT TO PALERMO, SICILY

Board your overnight flight to Palermo, Sicily (Italy)

DAY 2: WELCOME TO PALERMO

Benvenuto to the Falcone e Borsellino airport in Palermo. Transfer to your hotel, settle in, and have time to relax before a welcoming Sicilian dinner.

DAY 3: PALERMO

After breakfast, enjoy an orientation drive to the Arab/Norman Cathedral, the Teatro Massimo and some local piazzas. Stop in the charming village of Monreale, home to the Palatine Chapel in the Palace of the Normans, an impressive Cathedral decorated with over 1.5 tons of gold mosaics. Have a special lunch with Sicilian food and wine this afternoon in the seaside resort town of Cefalu and enjoy some free time before heading back to Palermo. Visit the city of Palermo and its fresh markets with a local guide.

DAY 4: AGRIGENTO, CATANIA, TAORMINA

Today, travel to the Taormina area and make a few adventurous stops along the way. First, visit the ancient city of Akragas (Agrigento), a significant site of the Punic Wars. Nearby, a local expert will provide a guided tour of the Valley of Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, overlooking the sea. Walk along its fortified ridge and admire one of the most well-preserved temples, Concordia. One more stop in Catania, destroyed by volcanic lava seven times, the last being in 1666. Visit the birthplace of music composer Vincenzo Bellini and the Elephant Fountain. Continuing on, arrive in Taormina, famous for its beautiful open-air Greek theater. Enjoy a delicious Sicilian dinner this evening!

DAY 5: MT. ETNA, SYRACUSE, TAORMINA

After breakfast, drive through the vineyards to Mount Etna, Europe’s largest volcano, around 6000 feet high. Choose to take a cable car to a high point on the volcano and taste honey made locally. Depart Mt. Etna and drive to Syracuse, an ancient Greek settlement founded by Corinthians in 734 BC and the most important city in Magna Graecia. According to Cicero, it was the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all. Here, with a local guide, we will visit the many extremely well-preserved Greek and Roman remains including Greek and Roman Amphitheatres. Later, have dinner by the sea.

DAY 6: SAVOCA, TAORMINA

This morning, make your way to the small village of Savoca, the town where “The Godfather” was filmed and some hidden treasures in small villages in the area. Make your way back to Taormina for a guided tour of the city and the famous open-air Greek Theatre of Taormina. Enjoy many panoramic views! 

DAY 7: REGGIO CALABRIA, ROCELLA IONICA

After breakfast, leave Sicily and enjoy a day in Calabria region. The first stop is to Reggio Calabria for a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, boasting displays of the two most important sculptures in the world. This evening enjoy your beautiful hotel in the magnificent Roccella Ionica of the Calabria Region.

DAY 8: CONSENZA, MATERA, PUGLIA REGION

After breakfast, make your way to the Puglia region. Meet your local guide in the fascinating, old city of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Highlights of this tour include visits to the places where The Passion of Christ and Ben Hur were both filmed. Following this amazing visit, arrive at your hotel in the Puglia region. 

DAY 9: ALBEROBELLO, OSTUNI

After breakfast, set out to discover the fairy tale town of Alberobello. Prepare to see the Trulli, some of the most unique houses in the world. After lunch, head to Ostuni to view the spectacular white-washed houses and stroll the cobblestone streets. Have dinner at a local fattoria to enjoy local wine and specialties of the region.

DAY 10: PUGLIA REGION TO SORRENTO

After a relaxing breakfast, drive westbound to the Campania region. Enjoy some free time in Sorrento and perhaps enjoy a local experience visiting a local farm for lunch to see how mozzarella is made. Afterwards, have free time to relax. 

DAY 11: AMALFI COAST

This morning after breakfast, you will travel along Italy’s finest coastline: the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy views of the terraced houses of Positano before visiting the heart of the town. Take time to have a drink on the beach and shop in the countless boutiques. Continue on the Amalfi Coast where you will also visit the town of Amalfi. Weather dependent, experience a boat cruise to admire the beautiful coastline of the peninsula of Sorrento. Dinner this evening will be at a local restaurant where you will learn to make pasta and limoncello. Experience Sorrento at leisure this evening.

DAY 12: NAPLES

After breakfast, make your way toward the lively city of Naples, founded by the Greeks and the oldest city in Italy. Meet your local guide to visit the Castel Sant'Elmo for spectacular views along its walls. Stroll down the narrow alleys of the old city and wander through Spaccanapoli, a very long, narrow street that leads to many of the most important sights in Naples. See hand-painted tambourines and handmade nativities before visiting the old markets of the Pignasecca, a typical Neapolitan open-air market to taste fresh seafood fresh off the boat. Stop for an espresso and taste a traditional Neapolitan pasty. Now that you've whet your palate, make your way back toward Mergellina to have a pizza with a view of the Mediterranean and the Castel dell'Ovo. After lunch, return to Sorrento for dinner and music!

DAY 13: CAPRI

Today, bring your bathing suits! Head to the port of Sorrento to catch the Hydrofoil to Capri (note that this is weather dependent and we may have to change days due to rough seas). In Capri, take the minibus to Anacapri where you will have the chance to take a chairlift to the highest point of the Isle of Capri. Here, enjoy the views, the fresh air, and a drink at the café. From Anacapri, go to Capri Town to have a quick stroll and visit the shops. Head to the port and board a private boat for a tour around the island, a swim along its coast, and a picnic lunch with regional wine. Don’t forget to make a toast as you pass through the famed Faraglioni Rocks ... or kiss your loved one for a future of lasting, eternal love! Return by Hydrofoil to Sorrento. Enjoy the bar, the views, and the swimming pool at your hotel, or shop and dine in Sorrento.

DAY 14: ROME—THE ETERNAL CITY

This morning, you will head to Pompeii, a city destroyed by the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, in 79 AD, for a guided tour through the ancient streets. After your tour of Pompeii, you will travel north to the eternal city of Rome. This evening, dine in one of the most unique and famous squares in the city: Piazza Navona. This evening, take an evening stroll with a local guide to visit the highlights of the historic center and grab a gelato.

DAY 15: ROME

In the morning, you will start off in the Vatican State, the richest community in the world. Here you will enter the Sistine Chapel and admire Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling. Next door in St. Peter’s Basilica, see one of Michelangelo’s early works, the Pieta, and the dome completed after his death. Next, visit the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater ever built and considered one of the greatest works of engineering and architecture. Finally, look out over the site of the Roman Forum, for centuries the center of Roman public life. In the afternoon, enjoy a food and wine tour of Rome.

DAY 16: DEPARTURE

Sadly, you must bid farewell to La Bella Italia (until next time!). Transfer available to Rome Fiumicino Airport.

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