BEST OF ITALY & SICILY

• The multicultural capital of Palermo is the launchpad for your journey across Sicily and Italy.
• You’ll have some free time before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner and orientation of the city’s attractions, so why not head straight out to explore its fascinating streets on your own?

Arrival Transfer: Depart the airport at 12:00, 15:00

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 17:30

Included Experience: Palermo Orientation

• Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour, which includes the Teatro Massimo and old ‘La Cala’ harbour.
• Later, travel to Monreale on the slopes of Monte Caputo overlooking the almond, olive and orange groves of La Conca d’Oro.
• Here you’ll visit the 12th-century Norman Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Included Experience: Palermo City Tour

Optional Experience: A Visit to Cefalù / Sferracavallo with Dinner

• Take it easy this morning or explore further on the Optional Experience taking in different views of the city.
• Later, journey onwards to Agrigento to tour the impressive Greek Valley of the Temples, dating back to the 6th century BC, with a Local Specialist.
• This evening, dinner is served at your hotel.

Included Experience: Agrigento Valley of the Temples

Optional Experience: Hidden Palermo and Local Colorful Market

• Travel through the vineyards of the southern hills towards the seaside resort of Taormina, your home for the next two nights.
• Enjoy spectacular vistas and a taste of la dolce vita in this hillside town, with some free time on arrival.

Optional Experience: Dinner in Castelmola / Sicilian Dinner and Entertainment

• Spend the day relaxing at your chic Sicilian resort. Dive into the warm Mediterranean waters, shop for exquisite hand-painted ceramics on Corso Umberto or indulge in a mulberry granita.
• Consider joining an Optional Experience to Savoca, the village made famous by ‘The Godfather’, and Europe’s most active volcano – Mount Etna.
• This evening, Connect With Locals during a Be My Guest experience hosted at a beautiful family owned Sicilian lemon farm overlooking Mount Etna.

Included Experience: Dine on a Family Owned Lemon Farm Overlooking Mount Etna

Optional Experience: Mt Etna, Savoca and The Godfather

• Today we cross the Strait of Messina to mainland Italy by ferry, driving north through rustic Calabria and past Salerno to our hotel in Sorrento where we’ll spend the next two nights.
•  Tonight perhaps consider an Optional Experience to explore the famous culinary culture of Southern Italy.

Optional Experience: Sorrento Countryside and Farmhouse Meal / Dinner Neapolitan Style

• Cruise to the Isle of Capri where you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of Capri town with a Local Specialist.
• Window-shop along Via Camerelle and watch the beautiful people in the Piazzetta before returning to Sorrento.
• This afternoon perhaps consider a drive along the famed Amalfi Coast to Positano, a true Mediterranean gem.
• You will have the evening at leisure to indulge in a little limoncello in one of Sorrento’s many cafés.

• This morning, explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ruins of Pompeii, where a Local Specialist will guide you on an immersive walking tour.
• Once lost to the world, the city’s rediscovery in the 18th century uncovered a time capsule of remarkably well-preserved ruins, offering a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a Roman city centuries ago.
• Afterward, journey north along the stunning coastline, heading toward the iconic ‘Eternal City’ of Rome.
• In the evening, indulge in the rich flavours of Rome as you savour a selection of signature Roman dishes, each offering a taste of the city’s culinary heritage.

Included Experience: Visit Pompeii

•  Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour.
• Cross the Tiber river and in Ancient Rome see the Circus Maximus and enjoy a visit to the mighty Colosseum.
• Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain on an optional experience discovering piazzas and fountains of Rome with a Local Specialist this afternoon.
• Spend the rest of the day exploring the city your way.

Included Experience: Rome City Tour, Ancient Rome

Optional Experience: Piazzas and Fountains / Roman Evening with Dinner

• Today we drive north to the mystical medieval hilltop town of Assisi, most famous for being the birthplace of St. Francis.
•  Join a Local Specialist  for a tour of the Basilica of St. Francis to view its magnificent frescoes and carvings.

Included Experience: Visit the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Optional Experience: Umbrian Countryside and Spello

• We venture to Pisa to visit the Square of Miracles and view the Leaning Tower that bears this city’s name.
• A short drive north takes us to La Spezia, known as the ‘Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea’.
• Tonight is free to explore as you wish.

Included Experience: See Pisa’s Landmarks

Optional Experience: Wine Tasting and Sarzana Visit / Sarzana Dinner and Drive / Portofino Cruise and Aperitivo

• Join a Local Specialist to visit Cinque Terre, a series of centuries-old seaside villages clinging impossibly to rugged cliffs that plunge into the Ligurian Sea.
• Continue later to Florence, once a vibrant republic under the rule of the dynamic Medici family, whose love for art and antiquities created one of the world’s most cultural cities.
• Tonight perhaps consider dinner in the famed Tuscan Hills.

Included Experience: Cinque Terre Visit

Optional Experience: Dinner in the Tuscan Hills / Tuscan Dinner at Villa Machiavelli

• The magnificent marble Duomo, Santa Croce Basilica, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria feature on your walking tour with a Local Specialist through Florence’s historic streets.
•  Later, journey north to Venice, the ‘Queen of the Adriatic’.

Included Experience: Florence City Tour

Optional Experience: Lagoon Cruise to Burano with Food and Drinks / Visit to San Gimignano

• Embark on an orientation cruise by private launch to the gateway of Venice, St. Mark’s Square, which Napoleon once called the ‘drawing room of Europe’.
• See the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners would have one last look at their beloved city before facing imprisonment.
• Next, witness the centuries-old craft of glassblowing.
• Your unforgettable MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps keep alive this delicate tradition for which Venice is justifiably famous, and you’ll watch in awe as masters of their craft shape molten glass into the exquisite pieces that adorn homes all over the world.
• The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore more of the sights or consider an Optional Experience, navigating the city’s elegant canals aboard a traditional gondola.
• Tonight, join your fellow travellers for dinner and toast to shared memories that will linger long after the evening ends.

Included Experience: Learn about the History and Ancient Skills of Venetian Glassblowing

Optional Experience: Venice’s Secrets / Gondolas & the Grand Canal

• For now, it’s a fond ciao Venezia as you say goodbye to new friends and prepare to depart for your journey home.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 08:00, 09:30