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 a Welcome 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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

We cruise to the Isle of Capri where we’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 we visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ruins of Pompeii where a Local Specialist will take you on a walking tour. For centuries this city was lost to the world, but its rediscovery in the 18th century revealed a time capsule of well-preserved ruins, providing insights into the day-to-day life of a Roman city centuries ago. Later, admire the dramatic coastline as we drive north from Pompeii to the 'Eternal City' of Rome. This evening, Roman flavors and ancient ruins take center stage as you dine at Ristorante Pancrazio, built over the ruins of the first-century-BC Theater of Pompey. Indulge in a selection of signature Roman dishes handed down over four generations since 1922.

Rome was once the capital of the world and is a city with an irrepressible spirit. Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour to admire the city's iconic and unexpected highlights. Head to the Vatican and see Michelangelo’s magnificent Pietà inside St. Peter’s Basilica, then continue on to Ancient Rome, where you’ll see Circus Maximus and experience an in depth walking experience around the walls of the Colosseum. Spend the rest of the day exploring the city your way.

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. Tonight, we'll stay at one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories - a fully renovated old Franciscan monastery.

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.

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.

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'.

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 master craftsmen 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 travelers for a Farewell 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.