Starting at $2399
12 days • 17 mealsOur flagship brand represents a refined take on the art of guided travel. We seamlessly handle the details - you experience the world.
Itinerary
Southern Italy & Sicily
Viewing itinerary for:
April 04, 2014, $2549
featuring Taormina, Alberobello and the Amalfi Coast
12 days • 17 meals
This date
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| Before your Tour Options: | Add an additional night to your stay |
- Hotel: Centrale Palace Hotel
On Tour Options
to see a complete list of options that will be available on your tour.
Day 1: Overnight Flight
Join us in exploring the hidden treasures of southern Italy and Sicily. Enjoy breathtaking scenery, historic cities, centuries old hilltop villages and wonderful cuisine.
Day 2: Palermo, Sicily - Tour Begins
Your tour begins in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner featuring traditional Sicilian cuisine.
View Accommodation Today dinner will be included.Day 3: Palermo - Monreale - Palermo
A Palermo cultural tour features the lovely squares of Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria and Piazza Bellini. Note the exotic mixture of Moorish, Norman and Spanish Baroque styles that make this city special. Also see the Palace of the Normans, La Martorana Church, and the Cathedral, which houses the Imperial Crown of Constance of Aragon. In the nearby town of Monreale, visit the 12th-century cathedral with its dazzling interior of multicolored marbles, paintings, mosaics and cloisters. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure to visit some of the city’s great museums and shops.
View Accommodation Today breakfast will be included.Day 4: Palermo - Agrigento
Ease your way into the local culture as your tour manager teaches you a few key phrases of the native language before traveling through the beautiful countryside with rolling hills and working farms towards the town of Agrigento. Upon arrival, visit the stunning Valley of the Temples, one of the most important archeological sites in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. From ancient times to the present day, the Valley of the Temples’ ruins, landscape and colors have inspired poets, writers and painters. Here you get an up-close view of the temples of Juno, Concordia, Hercules and Jupiter.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 5: Agrigento - Catania - Mt. Etna - Giardini Naxos
Depart Agrigento and travel across Sicily, with its spectacular landscapes and picturesque towns. Arrive in vibrant Catania where a local guide will share its history. Visit the cathedral and view the main sites of this historic and Baroque city. Witness the daily spectacle of bartering for fresh fish and produce when you visit the local market. Later, visit Mt. Etna Volcano National Park to see the spectacular landscapes sculpted by nature. Arrive in Giardini Naxos, the “garden of Sicily,” for your two-night stay.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 6: Giardini Naxos - Taormina - Giardini Naxos
This morning you visit beautiful Taormina, known for its charming atmosphere, significant monuments and flowering gardens. Enjoy viewing the Greek Amphitheater, Corso Umberto and the bountiful Public Gardens. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to further explore this delightful town.
View Accommodation Today breakfast will be included.Day 7: Giardini Naxos - Matera
Travel to Messina where you will take a short ferry ride to Villa San Giovanni on Italy’s mainland. Travel through the beautiful and unspoiled region of Calabria and into the Basilicata region. This afternoon you’ll visit one of the area’s local wineries for a wine tasting and informative visit through the cellars and vineyards. Linger over a delicious regional dinner in the winery’s own “agriturismo” restaurant.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 8: Matera - Altamura - Matera
Today, explore the “Sassi di Matera,” an ancient town known for its cave dwellings, both modern and ancient. A local guide will help you learn the history of this site and why it has recently caught the eye of many film producers. After some leisure time in Matera, venture to the nearby town of Altamura to visit a local cheese producer and learn the secrets of making mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Marvel at this town’s medieval architecture and small town charm. Return to Matera for a special Italian evening! Tonight’s dinner will include a pasta-making demonstration, an extensive dinner with all the local favorites and an entertaining performance of traditional music.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 9: Matera - Alberobello - Sorrento Peninsula
Travel to the mystical town of Alberobello where you will see some of the most unusually built homes, known as “trulli,” with cone-shaped roofs and no mortar to hold the stones together. Next, travel towards Campania and the Bay of Naples, one of the most breathtaking areas of Italy. This evening, arrive at the Sorrento Peninsula in the late afternoon and take in the views of this magical place.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 10: Sorrento - Amalfi Coast Drive - Sorrento Peninsula
Begin your day exploring the popular seaside resort town of Sorrento. Visit local artisans and watch them demonstrate the art of inlaid wood making. This afternoon take time to explore this lovely town on your own. Then, begin your adventure exploring the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. Make a special stop in the charming town of Amalfi where you will have time to explore. Then it’s off to Minori where you will have the opportunity to sample some of the local specialties at a family-owned limoncello factory. You’ll also enjoy a typical Italian afternoon break at a local café and pastry shop. Your evening is at leisure to enjoy Sorrento’s chic restaurants or outdoor cafes.
View Accommodation Today breakfast will be included.Day 11: Sorrento Peninsula - Pompeii - Rome
Travel along the Bay of Naples and experience the excavated ruins of Pompeii at the foothills of Mount Vesuvius. Soak in the history of the preserved original buildings of a typical Roman town 2,000 years ago. A local guide will provide an in-depth view of this remarkable archeological site. Later, travel to Rome where you will spend your last evening. Celebrate the end of your journey with a farewell dinner at a popular local restaurant.
View Accommodation Today breakfast and dinner will be included.Day 12: Rome - Tour Ends
Your tour ends today, leaving you with many pleasant memories of a wonderful vacation.
Today breakfast will be included.| Available After Tour Extensions: | Extend your vacation |
- Hotel: Hotel Cardinal St. Peter's
- PLEASE NOTE: To complete your vacation, we include roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers when purchasing Collette airfare with your tour. If you have arranged for your own air, we are pleased to provide you the option of purchasing these transfers. Please note that all transfers will leave at pre-scheduled times.
- Included breakfasts are buffet breakfasts.
- Single accommodations are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.
- Please note that most shops and businesses in Italy are closed on Sundays and on national/religious holidays.
