COUNTRY ROADS OF SOUTHERN ITALY AND SICILY (CLASSIC GROUP)

• Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches.
• Settle in before meeting your Travel Director.
• Later today, get to know your fellow travellers over Roman-specialities dinner at a local restaurant.

Arrival Transfer Depart Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 09:30, 12:30, 15:30

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 17:30

• Sightsee the local way, with a leisurely passeggiata through the backstreets, where a friend in Rome will explain how modern life takes place.
• Cross the Tiber river to enjoy ancient Rome.
• Enter the Colosseum and imagine the roar of the spectators as you hear stories of how ancient Romans liked to be entertained.

• As you leave the bustling streets of Rome behind, you enter the peaceful charm of the Italian countryside.
• The roads wind through sun-dappled hills, where fields of golden wheat and rows of olive trees stretch endlessly under a brilliant blue sky.
• Small villages dot the landscape, their stone houses nestled against rolling hills, offering a glimpse into authentic Italian life and the air carries the scent of wildflowers and citrus groves.
• The journey southward reveals itself like a beautiful postcard, with views of the sparkling Mediterranean beginning to emerge in the distance.
• As you approach Sorrento, the dramatic cliffs and coastal views unfold, the town’s pastel-coloured buildings perched above the shimmering sea, welcoming you to this idyllic coastal paradise.

• The impossibly blue sea welcomes you to the sun-drenched island of Capri as you cruise by jetfoil.
• On arrival, meet your Local Expert for an orientation walk through the narrow alleyways.
• Explore Capri with Insight Choice.
• Choose to visit the immaculate Gardens of Augustus with a Local Expert and admire the views over the Faraglioni Rocks.
• Alternatively, enjoy a tasting of limoncello, Capri’s famous lemon liqueur.

• Start your day in Pompeii, buried in A.D. 79 by the historic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• Walk with your Local Expert through the cobbled streets to see a city frozen in time.
• Venture on to Alberobello.

• Join a Local Expert to explore one of Italy’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the unique trulli of Alberobello, circular limestone dwellings with domed interiors and distinctive conical roofs, ingeniously built without mortar.
• You may also opt to join our Local Expert for an exploration of Ostuni, a whitewashed town that echoes the charm of a North African Arab Medina.
• Stroll through its winding cobbled streets and admire its striking architecture.
• In the evening, enjoy a Farm-to-Table dinner, showcasing traditional Apulian dishes made with seasonal produce.

• Today is yours to enjoy at leisure or unwind and make the most of the exceptional amenities at your remarkable hotel.
• You can also choose to discover cliffside Polignano a Mare with a Local Expert, enjoying Adriatic views and a stroll through the historic hometown of Volare singer Domenico Modugno.

• Visit Matera with a Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sassi – a labyrinth of cave dwellings, churches, staircases and arches, hewn out of the solid rock. You may recognise Matera as the biblical backdrop for the film ‘The Passion of the Christ.’
• Continue to the small village of Grottole.
• Once a thriving community, it has lost most of its activity and population.
• Meet Andrea, a local striving to bring back the area’s traditional way of living.
• On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience explore the historic old town to learn about the fascinating history of the village and enjoy an aperitif with local snacks helping to preserve the culture.

• In the morning, travel along the Violet Coast to the very toe of Italy and board your ferry bound for Sicily, across the Strait of Messina.
• According to Grecian legend, this was home to the mythical sea monsters Scylla, a six-headed rock monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool, based on either side of the strait.
• Together, they posed an inescapable threat to passing seafarers as avoiding one meant passing too close to the other.
• You will soon arrive at your hotel where you will spend three glorious nights on the Taormina Riviera.
• Join a Local Expert for a visit to the Greek Theater of Taormina, graced with the most spectacular of backdrops.
• Stroll along the elegant Corso Umberto to the Piazza IX Aprile and admire the panoramic views and hews of blue from the sky to the azure sea.
• Later, take your pick of specially selected restaurants for your Dine-Around evening.

• The day is at leisure to relax at your resort’s private beach, or perhaps explore the medieval quarter?
• Don’t miss the chance of an optional drive through the national park to Mount Etna, Europe’s largest volcano.

• Early risers may experience what D.H. Lawrence christened the ‘dawn coast of Europe.’
• The day is free to explore Taormina at your leisure, or to embark on an Optional Experience to Syracuse.

• Drive to Agrigento and explore the Valley of the Temples with a Local Expert.
• See the massive Temple of Concord and clifftop Temple of Juno, overlooking the sea.
• In the afternoon, continue to the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

• Join a historian on a guided walk to see the gems of the old city.
• Visit the amazing Palatine Chapel in the Palace of the Normans.
• Outside, there are few clues to its astonishing interior, completely covered in glittering 12th century mosaics.
• Continue to the Palermo Cathedral which has been altered over the years and observe its unique blend of architectural styles.
•  In the afternoon, there is free time to explore or shop in Palermo or continue sightseeing.
• In the evening, join your fellow guests and Travel Director at a local restaurant for a dinner of delicious local cuisine and wine.

• Your journey draws to an end.
• Departure transfers arrive at Palermo Falcone–Borsellino Airport.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 06:00, 08:00