ULTIMATE ITALY (CLASSIC)

Rome:

• Welcome to Rome! Once known as the ‘capital of the world’ this richly historic, passionate and elegant city will steal our hearts as soon as we arrive. We’ll meet and greet our Contiki crew at 4pm, before taking to the streets for an included Italian feast. After dinner we’ll head on an orientation tour of the city ticking off all the sights in Rome.

Hotel Archimede (or similar)

Included Meals: Dinner

Included Experience:

• Tour Rome on Foot
• Dinner at La Trattoria de Gli Amici MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® Experience

Rome:

• Rise and shine, we’re headed to another historical heavyweight today…

Via Siena:

• But not before stopping off at Siena for lunch. This place has medieval masterpieces and the historic city centre has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. We’ll soak up all of that historic beauty and grab a bite before heading onto Florence.

Florence:

• Florence is one of the foodie capitals of Italy, so we won’t waste any time trying the local delicacies with an included feast. Then we’ll turn in for the night, dreaming of the Florentine adventures that await us tomorrow.

BB Centro (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included Experience:

• Get to know Siena

Florence:

• Florence is often referred to as a ‘walking museum’, and today we’ll find out why. With a locally guided walking tour, we’ll discover Renaissance Florence on foot, swooning at Giotto’s Bell Tower, Basilica Santa Croce, and Piazza della Signoria. We’ll also see the Duomo, one of the world’s most remarkable architectural feats. Later, we’ll get together for a Tuscan Risotto Evening indulging in Chianti wine from the nearby vineyards. Learn how to make risotto whilst our hosts have cooked up a feast of antipasto and Italian specialties. Save some room for ‘dolce’ i.e a mystery homemade dessert!

BB Centro (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Florence Walking Tour

Additional Experience:

• Tuscan Risotto Evening

Florence:

• Farewell, Florence. We’ll never forget you. But we’ve got more dreamy Italian hot spots to hit up.

Via Pisa:

• We can’t be this way of the world without a sneaky visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Depriving you of the chance to perfect the holding-up-the-tower shot would be criminal.

Via Lucca:

• Another stopover will let us check out lovely Lucca, with its charming piazzas, Renaissance architecture and historic cafes. Opt for wines at the local vineyards outside of Lucca. Or it’s a perfect spot to grab a bite before we hit the road again.

Cinque Terre:

• Welcome to the Italian Riviera! You’re going to fall head over heels with this region over the coming days…

Hotel Le Grazie (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Visit Pisa (for that Epic Selfie)
• Explore Lucca

Additional Cost Applies:

• Lucca Wine Tasting

Cinque Terre:

• Some people think Cinque Terre is just one place, but it actually translates to the ‘five lands’ and is made up of 5 stunning towns with their own unique identity and traditions. Included in your trip is an unlimited Cinque Terre hike and train ticket, and whichever way you choose to get around will be sure to make you fall in love with the dramatic cliff-faces and pastel coloured buildings.

Hotel Le Grazie (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Explore Cinque Terre by Train

Cinque Terre:

• We’re hitting the road today to one of the most elegant cities in Europe.

Via Como:

• But not before experiencing the glitz and glamour of Lake Como, with its attractive villages and gorgeous gardens. The showstopper is the lake itself, of course, and we’ll have the option to get out on the water and take a cruise to beautiful Bellagio.

Milan:

• Welcome to Milan, the sophisticated cityscape that rewards the curious traveller. We have a free night to check out the local nightlife, and eat some of the local delicacies. As always, your Trip Manager will have the top tips on where to go and where to avoid…

BB Sesto San Giovanni (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Additional Cost Applies:

• Lake Como Cruise

Milan:

• The dreamy destinations just don’t stop coming…

Via Verona:

• Welcome to Verona, the heart of Renaissance romance (and the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet). Beautiful architecture, rich history and plenty of jaw-dropping art makes this place a very worthy stopover. We’ll check out Juliet’s balcony, part of a gorgeous 13th century house then it’s onto another very romantic city…

Venice:

• Welcome to Treviso! Nothing like a free evening to spend the Italian way… Tonight you’ll have the option to walk around this idyllic version of Venice (before taking on the real thing tomorrow!). Grab some local food on the way. And maybe even treat yourself to some tiramisu (because this little town is where it was born!). Seriously, it doesn’t get more authentic than this.

Villa Pace Park Hotel Bolognese (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• See Juliet’s Balcony

Additional Cost Applies:

• Traditional Tastes of Treviso

Venice:

• Wake-up sleeping beauties! Hop onto our coach because we’ve got this entire day to explore Venice. We’ll be jumping aboard our own private boat and crossing the canal en route to the historical heart of the city. A gondola ride will be up for grabs, or you can always choose to get lost on your own and see where the maze takes you. Later, maybe opt to cruise to the UNESCO-listed island of Burano and enjoy a sumptuous seafood meal.

Villa Pace Park Hotel Bolognese (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Cruise on a Motoscafo to Venice

Additional Cost Applies:

• Gondolas
• Burano Island Cruise & Dinner

Venice:

• See ya, Venice. You’ll always have a piece of our hearts. Today we’re headed back to Rome to explore the city in more depth.

Via Bologna:

• But not before making a quick stop in Bologna. Home of prosciutto, mortadella, bolognese sauce and many more tasty Italian delights, Bologna is known far and wide as La Grassa (the Fat One). Come hungry, but make sure you’re not too full to explore the Unesco-listed porticoes either.

Rome:

• We’ll have a free night for dinner and a chance to discover the finest food Rome has to offer. Washed down with some fine Italian wine? If you say so.

Hotel Archimede (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Rome:

• Rome wasn’t built in a day – so get up and get going early to make the most of this ancient city. This is also the day to do a bit of your own exploring, an included dinner tonight will refuel us after a day of sightseeing.

  Take a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel. Religious or not, the Vatican’s Italian Renaissance church will send shivers down your spine.

Hotel Archimede (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included Experience:

• Tour the Vatican City

Rome:

• Today we’re headed to another richly historical and cultural city, known for its naturally beautiful sights and excellent cuisine.

Via Pompeii:

• Here in the ancient city of Pompeii you will have the option to partake in a guided walking tour of the fascinating Roman town that was destroyed by Vesuvius and then perfectly preserved in volcanic ash.

Naples:

• Welcome to Naples, the rough and ready but oh so charming city which encapsulates everything we love about Italy. The home of pizza, a hub of culture, and a bundle of passionate Italian energy. Today we have the option to take a tour, learning about the city, its history and its food culture.

Hotel Vergilius Billia (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• See Mount Vesuvius

Additional Cost Applies:

• Guided Tour of Ancient Pompeii
• Naples Street Food Tour

Naples:

• We’re headed to the coast today to check out some of the most glamorous seascapes in Europe.

Via Capri:

• Next up is Capri, with its gorgeous cragged coastline and opulent cafes. Its easy to see why this is such a playground for the rich and famous. An optional Capri cruise will let us check out plenty of swim stops to beat the heat.

Amalfi Coast:

• We’ll settle on the Amalfi Coast after a day of postcard pretty sun bleached buildings and sparkling sea.

Grand Hotel Salerno (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included Experience:

• Day Trip to Capri

Additional Cost Applies:

• Capri Island Cruise

Amalfi Coast:

• We’ve got a free day on the Amalfi coast! Lucky us. There are plenty of optionals today to keep us entertained, including a visit to a lemon farm, run by a local family whose ancestors introduced the crop and have been care takers of an age old tradition ever since. Here we learn how these huge, sunshine coloured fruits are harvested and turned into limoncello.

Via Positano:

• We’ll visit one of Amalfi’s spectacular jewels today. Dramatic cliffs and idyllic buildings await us in picturesque Positano.

Amalfi Coast:

• You’ve got the entire evening for yourself. Roam the streets, taste some wine, live the Italian life we’ve all dreamed of.

Grand Hotel Salerno (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Sail along the Amalfi Coast
• Visit Dramatic Positano

Additional Cost Applies:

• Coastal Lemon Tour MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Amalfi Coast:

• We’re headed back to Rome today. Time for the Colosseum?

Rome:

• Back in Rome, we better put on your centurion helmets because we’re going on a guided tour around all the Roman ruins, and even the mighty Colosseum. Afterwards, you’ll have the chance to head out to a local restaurant and make (and eat) your very own pasta.

Hotel Archimede (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Additional Cost Applies:

• Emperors & Gladiators inc Colosseum
• Rome Pasta Cooking Class & Dinner
• Ancient Rome of the Emperors

Rome:

• Today we’re hopping on a speedy flight to the incomparable isle of Sicily.

Catania:

• This colourful cacophony of baroque piazzas and ancient ruins is the perfect place to get acquainted with Sicily. We’ll have a chance to check out Catania’s UNESCO listed historic core before an included dinner in a local restaurant. Can you taste the difference in Sicilian cuisine? It has to be up there…

Hotel Villa Del Bosco (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included Experience:

• Get to know Catania
• Flight to Catania

Catania:

• We’ve got more spectacular Sicilian towns to explore today, as we head from Catania to Taormina.

Taormina:

• Uniquely perched on the side of a mountain, this elegant resort town is the perfect place to live the good life in Italy. We’ll waste no time admiring the gorgeous panoramas, as we take the cable car that connects the town’s historic centre with its awesome beaches. After sunning ourselves for a bit, why not opt for a cooking class with some local masterchefs, learning how to whip up local delicacies like Arancini & Cannoli? It’s the perfect way to impress everyone when you get back home.

Main Palace Hotel (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Explore Taormina

Additional Cost Applies:

• Arancini & Cannoli Making Class

Taormina:

• Today we’ve got an unmissable optional for you. Sicily’s stupendous stratovolcano Mt Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. And what better way to experience this majestic monster than on an adrenaline filled ride, as you pass vineyards and orchards spread across the fertile slopes? You won’t find views quite like this anywhere in Europe. Whether or not you opt for the tour, you’ll have a free afternoon to explore Taormina – lazing on the beach, checking out the Roman theatre or sitting and drinking a spritz as life lazily moves by. It’s a hard life.

Main Palace Hotel (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Additional Cost Applies:

• Mt. Etna Tour

Taormina:

• See ya, Taormina – it’s time to visit some historical hotspots. Next stop, Syracuse.

Via Syracuse:

• We’ll have some free time to check out the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Syracuse. Famed for its rich Roman and Greek history, with ancient amphitheatres and architecture everywhere you look, this place was even mentioned in the Bible (how’s that for history creds?).

Via Noto:

• Our next outing is to Noto, home to some of Sicily’s most impressive historic architecture. We’ll check out the Corso Vittoria Emanuele and other legendary landmarks, and then it’s off to an organic farm for a Tastes of Sicily experience – the freshest Sicilian ingredients, brought to us direct from farm to table. Just what the doctor ordered!

Syracuse:

• And after a long day, it’s time to hit the hay. ’Til tomorrow, friends.

Hotel Panorama (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experience:

• Visit Noto

Additional Cost Applies:

• Tastes of Sicily MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Syracuse:

• Heading from Syracuse we’ll arrive in the Valley of the Temples, the perfect base to explore another ancient wonder…

Via Valley of the Temples:

• We won’t be leaving Italy without a tour of the Valley of the Temples. This mystical valley is a treasure trove of historical and archaeological heritage. We’ll discover ancient temples, sanctuaries and a necropolis. It’s a spectacular testament to Sicily’s ancient history (and natural beauty).

Cefalu:

• Arriving in Cefalù we’ll enjoy another included dinner of Sicilian delicacies. What a day – and we’re not done yet.

Hotel La Giara (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included Experience:

• See the Valley of the Temples

Cefalu:

• Cefalù is a real gem, home to Sicily’s best beaches and most impressive Arabic architecture. This truly is the island that keeps on giving. Today’s all about coastal vibes, soaking up that sun, sea and sand – with plenty of water sports to get involved with. If you’re feeling a little more zen, why not opt for the coastal cruise and soak up some scenery instead? Later on we’ll stroll the winding cobbled streets and watch fishermen taking stock of the day’s bounties, before exploring the town’s foodie and nightlife scene. Ah, Sicily – sigh.

Hotel La Giara (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Additional Cost Applies:

• Coastal Cruise

Cefalu:

• It’s time to end on a high, as we make our way towards Sicily’s sizzling capital.

Palermo:

• Palermo is vivacious, colourful and boasts a thriving culinary scene, but it’s also been plagued by organised crime for decades. Today on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® experience, you can join a walking tour through the historic centre, learning about the history of the Mafia in Palermo and how the civil antiMafia movement was formed. We’ll round things off with a farewell dinner at Al Fresco, AKA the ‘bistro of second chances’.

Hotel Federico II Central Palace (or similar)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Additional Cost Applies:

• Anti-Mafia Walking Tour of Palermo MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience
• Sicilian Farewell Dinner MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Palermo:

• Time to head home after one final breakfast together. Hug it out, swap social details – and don’t be sad, we’ll see each other on the road again soon.

Included Meals: Breakfast