Southern Italy: Sicily, Puglia and the Amalfi Coast

Arrive in Palermo, Sicily’s lively capital, and transfer to your hotel located in the city’s historic center. Sicily has a long history of stubborn independence from the political forces of mainland Italy, and today remains an autonomous region with its own distinct history and culture. Join your Resident Tour Director tonight for a welcome dinner.

Join a local guide for a walk through a ninth-century Norman Royal Palace with its glittering, mosaic-laden chapel. Still in use today as the headquarters of Sicily’s Parliament, the palace is the oldest royal residence in all of Europe. Then, journey to the hillside town of Monreale and enter its extravagant cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its mosaic-lined walls are breathtaking to behold. Return to Palermo with time free to explore more of this unique port city. Later, on an A&K-exclusive experience, visit beautiful Palazzo Francavilla for a private tour and an apéritif with the owner.

Journey across Sicily’s rugged, mountainous countryside to the southern coast. Stop in the small village of Corleone, birthplace of several Mafia bosses (including fictional characters in The Godfather). The Mafia — or, as its members call it, Cosa Nostra (literally, “our thing”) — has been part of Sicilian life for well over a century, as you learn from a local expert. Proceeding to coastal Agrigento, discover the Temple of Concord, a superb example of classical sacred architecture.

In the town of Piazza Armerina, visit the UNESCO-listed Villa Romana del Casale to view its breathtaking mosaics. Continue to the east coast of Sicily and up to the 6,000-footplus heights of smoldering Mount Etna, taking in panoramic views of the landscape and coast. Later, arrive at your lush resort above the sparkling coast.

Drive to Taormina for a private, chef-led cooking class in a villa above the sea, and eat what you’ve created. Then explore the town’s Greek amphitheater with a guide.

In Messina, cross the strait between Sicily and the Italian mainland by ferry. Disembark in Villa San Giovanni in Calabria, and drive into Basilicata and to Matera, the UNESCO-listed Città Sotterranea (Underground City), a site carved into the mountains.

Explore Matera, walking its narrow, jagged lanes with a guide, and then visiting a bakery that carries on local bread-making traditions.

Journey into Puglia to nearby Locorotondo, one of Italy’s most beautiful towns, for a walking tour. Meet an olive oil producer for a private tasting, followed by a lunch made from local products. Later, visit Alberobello and its rows of conical trulli houses, dwellings unique to this province of Bari.

Depart for the sparkling Amalfi Coast area, famed for its postcard-perfect villages of pastel-painted houses perched on steep cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. Stop en route in Paestum, an ancient Greek city known for its well-preserved temples, which you view before stopping for lunch at a nearby mozzarella-making farm. In Naples, settle into your hotel. Tonight, eat an iconic Neapolitan specialty at a traditional pizzeria.

Journey to Sorrento to visit a lemon nursery and learn about this icon of the Amalfi Coast. Take in a demonstration of Neapolitan cooking, followed by lunch. Then, drive the Amalfi Coast to Positano to take in the stunning views and continue via Amalfi to Ravello for an engaging photo stop. Return to Naples.

Begin your last full day of exploring Southern Italy with your choice of one of these Design Your Day activities:Join a Guide to Tour Herculaneum, destroyed by the lava flows of nearby Vesuvius in AD 79.Explore the Flavors of “Hidden Naples” on a foodie’s walking tour of this vibrant city noted for its cuisine.Cruise to the Isle of Capri, where you roam this sun-kissed paradise from the Villa San Michele to the Gardens of Augustus.Tonight, celebrate your journey with a special farewell dinner.

After breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.