Day 1
Rome Airport > Rome
Private vehicle and Italian speaking driver disposal: transfer-in only
Welcome to Rome! Upon arrival at Fiumicino Airport (FCO | Your Arrival by TBA ) please proceed through Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area. Then meet your driver and transfer to Rome. The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 2
Half Day Rome Tour
Our Staff Disposal: half day
Today enjoy a 3 hours Rome walking tour. Your visit will include a guided walking tour around the squares of Rome city center highlighting also the monuments: Navona Square, one of the best examples of Baroque art in Rome, where you will admire Bernini’s fountain of the Four Rivers. The church of San Luigi dei Francesi and the Pantheon that with its magnificence has impressed travellers for centuries. Experience the magnitude of the emperors visiting Colonna Square with the sublime column of Marco Aurelio and throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Your tour will finish at the Spanish Steps, then independent transfer to your hotel.
The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 3
Rome > Naples and Pompeii > Sorrento
Our Staff Disposal: full day
Today early departure to Naples, where you will have a guided walking tour of the historical centre, walking along the allies and discovering the beauty of the local Street food
Then continue to the ruined Roman city of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvio in 79 b.c. and buried under 4 to 6 meters of ash and stones. Before visiting the excavations, enjoy a short visit to a coral and cameo factory.
Later proceed to Sorrento, a charming town of the Sorrentine Peninsula famous for the cultivation of Oranges, Lemons and Olives trees.
Day 4
Full Day Amalfi Coast
Private vehicle and English speaking driver disposal for full day
English local guide included for full day
Our private tour of the Amalfi Coast is hands down one of the very best tours you can take during your trip to Italy. The route offers wonderful views of steep cliffs, natural bays and picturesque towns. The tour includes various locations along the coast and will give you the opportunity to visit the cosy centre of Positano, its typical alleys full of exclusive boutiques, walking around or soaking a coffee together with international jet set persons, the history of Amalfi, the ancient Maritime Republic, and Ravello, the city of Music where Wagner composed the last part of its "Parsifal" and here found in Villa Rufolo the "lost garden". Back to your hotel and evening at leisure.
Day 5
Sorrento > Capri island > Sorrento
Our Staff Disposal: full day
Today take the ferry and reach the wonderful island of Capri, docking at Marina Grande. Once on the island, you will visit the Blue Grotto (weather permitting), the Augustus Gardens and the famous “Piazzetta” that is the center of Capri and the focal point of island life. Then a minibus will take you up to the picturesque and quiet Anacapri, where you will stop for lunch. Then return to Marina Grande and transfer back to Sorrento by ferry.
Day 6
Sorrento > Naples Airport > Independent Flight to Palermo airport > Town
Private vehicle and Italian speaking driver disposal: transfer-in only
Today transfer to Capodichino Napoli Airport (NAP | Your Departure by TBA) on time for your departure flight to Sicily>Palermo.
Upon arrival meet the driver and transfer in town. The balance of the time is at leisure.
Day 7
Monreale and Palermo Street Food
English Speaking Guide Included for half day from h 9am
Taxi Fee to/from Monreale: included (round service)
Today meet the guide and reach Monreale by taxi in order to visit the Dome (admission fee included), a wonderful example of the Arab-Norman art and architecture. Founded in 1174 by William II, the Dome represents scenes from the Old and New Testaments all in golden mosaics.
We then back to Palermo by taxi to start our Street Food Walking Tour!
A recent ranking, compiled by the American network Virtual Tourist, placed Palermo in 5th place among the best producers of “street food” in the world. To survive your street food experience in Palermo you need: very-very light breakfasts, no-diet-no-calories restrictions today, comfy shoes, a couple of sentences or gestures in Sicilian language and a veteran belly.
We start the tour admiring the Massimo Theatre-Palermo Opera House (external view), then we explore a suggestive and lively open-air market, a place with strong Arab influences, resembling a souk, with picturesque stands of fresh fish, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. During the tour Palermo Street Food Tour Mattutino - Streatywe will have the opportunity to observe local people in their daily activities and to savor foods that a real Sicilian people love to eat! Tasting of typical street food is included. The walking tour through the ancient center of Palermo is around 3-4 hours, and we will visit several monuments including Piazza Pretoria, the Four Corners and a short visit to the Cathedral.
The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 8
Marsala Winery, Lunch and Erice
Private Vehicle and English Speaking Driver Disposal: full day from h 8.30am
Today meet the driver at hotel. Then we travel to Marsala region along the Salt Way Road. While travelling we will be fascinated by this unusual landscape: panels of mirror-like water, held by thin strips of earth and white windmills. In Summer now as then in some areas between Trapani and Marsala it is possible to admire piles of salt just harvested.
We then visit a local marsala Wine producers
Lunch in a local Olive Oil Farmhouse based on local products and wine.
This afternoon departure for Erice, a wonderfully preserved Mediaeval town offering the most breathtaking views and a palpable sense of history. Wander through its ancient streets and visit some of the famous homemade pastry shops world-famous for marzipan candies and other delicacies like almond and pistachio pastries.
Almond marzipan probably came to Sicily from Spain, where the Arabs may have introduced it during the Middle Ages. Whether they also brought it to Sicily, which was home to several emirates before 1071, is a matter of debate. However, there is no doubt that it was the Arabs who introduced sugar cane in both Sicily and Spain, and without this key ingredient marzipan could not exist.
Then we drive back to Palermo.
Day 9
Palermo > Valley of the Temples and Roman Villa > Syracusa
Private Vehicle and English Speaking Driver Disposal: full day from h 8am
Today we discover Agrigento's celebrated Valley of the Temples, the largest and best preserved temple ruins outside of mainland Greece. Guided tour this magnificent archaeological park, built between 430 and 510 B.C. and majestically positioned on rocky crests south of modern day Agrigento.
This afternoon, travel to Piazza Armerina to view the intricate examples of Roman mosaics at the famous Roman Villa del Casale, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These extraordinarily vivid mosaics deal with numerous subjects, ranging from Homeric escapades and mythological scenes to portrayals of daily life. The villa itself was rediscovered in the 19th century after being almost completely covered by a landslide.
After an independent visit of the Villa departure to Siracusa.
Day 10
Syracusa Half Day
Today is dedicated to Syracusa. Our first stop today is the visit to the Archaeological area of the Neapolis and get a glimpse of Siracusa as it was in ancient times with its Greek theater, the remains of Roman Amphitheater, and the "Ear of Dionysius," an awe-inspiring artificial limestone cave renowned for its outstanding acoustics. Then onto the "Old City-Città Vecchia”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located on the island of Ortigia. The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 11
Modica Aztec Chocolate, Ragusa Ibla and Stuffed Ravioli > Taormina
Private Vehicle and English Speaking Driver Disposal: full day from h 8.30am
This morning, indulge in the Baroque atmosphere of Ragusa-Ibla, with its breathtaking sights of houses, churches, and palaces that seem layered on top of one another. The view from the upper town over Ragusa Ibla on its own separate hilltop is quite breathtaking. One of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily, Ragusa is also one of the principal filming locations for the Sicilian Detective Saga Il Commissario Montalbano (Montalbano Inspector), a series which has done wonders for publicising the beauty of this area.
Today our lunch indulge you to taste the local traditional dishes of this area.
After lunch, travel to Modica, known all over the world for its chocolate production. Modica is custodian of a 400 year tradition of Sicilian chocolate-making. Being part of the Spanish kingdom for so many years meant that Sicily was often one of the first recipients of the new foodstuffs being brought back from South America. Cacao was one of these and today Modica still specialises in making granulous chocolate, often flavoured with chilli pepper, cinnamon or vanilla, that is based on Aztec methods and recipes. Chocolate shops abound and, for the real chocoholic, it is sometimes possible to watch the “chocolatiers” at work. Tasting of Modica chocolate is a must.
We then continue onto Taormina
Day 12
Etna Volcano and lunch in a winery
Private Vehicle and English Speaking Driver Disposal: full day from h 8.30am
Begin the day with a visit to the lava-crusted slopes of Mt. Etna, which dominates the scenery and is the most active volcano in Europe! Ascend via cable car and jeep to reach the altitude of 9,000 feet; step carefully on the varied layers of lava which have solidified over the centuries. Learn about Etna's impact on the surrounding area and its unique geology.
Lunch in a winery with wine tastings before driving back to Taormina
Day 13
Relax in Taormina
Time is at leisure: take a walk on the main Corso Umberto, followed by free time to enjoy the city. Visit the massive Greek Roman Theater, from where you can admire the remarkable panoramas of the city and countryside
Day 14
Departure from Catania airport
Today meet the driver and transfer to Catania airport.
Arrivederci Italia!
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