Best of Italy and 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 travelers for dinner and orientation of the city’s attractions, so why not head straight out to explore its fascinating streets on your own?

Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour, which includes the Teatro Massimo and the old La Cala harbor. 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. This evening, you could choose to join an Optional Experience 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.

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

Spend the day relaxing at your chic Sicilian resort. Dive into the warm Mediterranean waters, shop for exquisite hand-painted ceramics 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, join a Be My Guest experience hosted at a beautiful family-owned Sicilian lemon farm overlooking Mount Etna.

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

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 cafes.

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 flavors of Rome as you savor a selection of signature Roman dishes, each offering a taste of the city's culinary heritage.

Rome was once the capital of the world and is a city with an irrepressible spirit. Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour, admire the grand exterior of Saint Peter's Basilica. From the Vatican City cross the Tiber river and in Ancient Rome see the Circus Maximus and enjoy a visit to the mighty Colosseum. View 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.

Today, 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. Later, 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'. 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.

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. Explore at your own pace this afternoon, enjoy a shopping spree or a cappuccino in a local cafe, or discover the legacy of Florence's rulers on an Optional Experience to Palazzo Vecchio. This evening, consider a delicious dinner in the famed Tuscan countryside.

Begin your day with an Optional Experience to the Accademia, where you’ll see Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and delve deeper into the art of the Renaissance. Later, journey north through Emilia-Romagna to Venice, the 'Queen of the Adriatic'. Settle into the Italian way of life in your free time with a passeggiata (stroll), a cocktail, or an Optional Experience to the island of Burano with dinner included.

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 Venetian tradition of glassblowing. You’ll be amazed as you watch masters of the craft transform molten glass with remarkable precision and skill. 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 travelers for dinner and toast to shared memories that will linger long after the evening ends.

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