Country Roads of Southern Italy and Sicily

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 travelers over Roman-specialties dinner at a local restaurant.

• Rome Dinner

Rome is about art, antiquity, piazzas and palaces, and our guided walk with a Local Specialist has it in abundance. 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.

• Rome City Tour
• Visit Colosseum

The journey south brings you to Pompeii Archaeological Park, where your Local Specialist reveals a Roman city preserved beneath the ash of Mount Vesuvius since A.D. 79. Walk streets once lined with homes, shops and public buildings, gaining a vivid picture of everyday life almost 2,000 years ago. Continue to the Bay of Naples and cross to Capri, approaching the island by sea as its limestone cliffs rise from the water. From here, make your way to Anacapri, set high above the coastline, where you’ll settle in for the evening and enjoy dinner.

• See Mount Vesuvius
• Cruise by Jetfoil to the Isle of Capri
• Pompeii Archaeological Park

Begin the day discovering Capri Town with your Local Specialist before exploring further with your choice experience. Visit the Gardens of Augustus, where terraces overlook the Faraglioni, Capri’s three limestone sea stacks, and see Via Krupp, the remarkable switchback path carved into the cliffs in the early 20th century. Alternatively, enjoy a limoncello tasting in the Piazzetta and learn why the island’s intensely fragrant lemons are so prized. Later, you may choose to join an Optional Experience cruising the Amalfi Coast and visiting Positano.

• Visit the Gardens of Augustus in Capri
• Limoncello Tasting in Capri

Capri gives way to the landscapes of southern Italy as you travel towards Puglia, where olive groves, whitewashed towns and dry-stone walls define the countryside. Your destination is Alberobello, known for its extraordinary trulli: traditional limestone houses with conical roofs unique to this part of the region. Wander through the town’s narrow streets to see these distinctive homes up close and learn why Alberobello has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Join a Local Specialist 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 Specialist 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.

• Trulli of Alberobello Visit
• Farm-to-Table Dinner in Alberobello

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 Specialist, enjoying Adriatic views and a stroll through the historic hometown of Volare singer Domenico Modugno.

Visit Matera with a Local Specialist 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 recognize 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 the advocate behind a local initiative dedicated to revitalising the traditional ways of living in the area. 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.

• Visit Sassi di Matera
• Participate in the Wonder Grottole Project

In the morning, travel 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.

Join a Local Specialist for a visit to the Greek Theater of Taormina, graced with the most spectacular of backdrops. Don't miss the chance of an optional drive through the national park to Mount Etna.

• Taormina Greek Amphitheater Visit

Early risers may experience what D.H. Lawrence christened the ‘dawn coast of Europe'. The day is free to explore 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 Specialist. See the massive Temple of Concord and clifftop Temple of Juno, overlooking the sea. In the afternoon, continue to the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

• Agrigento Valley of the Temples

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.

• Palermo Dinner

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