SPECIAL INCLUDED FEATURES:
- 23 included meals - INCLUDED!
- All Entrance Fees - INCLUDED!
- Sightseeing as indicated - INCLUDED!
- All transfers and baggage handling INCLUDED!
ADDITIONAL INCLUDED FEATURES:
- Air transportation from NYC or NEWARK (other gate ways available upon request)
- First Class hotels for 11 nights
- 23 included meals consisting of: ? 11 buffet breakfasts ? 4 dinners at hotel PLUS ? Dining plan: 5 dinners and 1 lunches at popular restaurants ? Lunch and Dinner on the Ferry
- Wine, mineral water & coffee served with lunch & dinner meals at hotels and restaurants
- Touring by private, air conditioned motorcoach
- Professional Central Holidays Tour Director
- Sightseeing as indicated including local guide and entrance fees
- Ferry Salerno/Messina
- All transfers and baggage handling(Land Only rates do not include airport transfers at arrival and departure city)
- Travel bag, one per person
- Luggage tags and document holder
- HEAR CLEAR ? Personalized audio system to hear every word your guide says even at a distance
- Hotel taxes and service charges
Dining Plan
Five dinners and one lunch at popular restaurants, featuring regional cuisine,
INCLUDING wine, mineral water and coffee
- 2 dinners in Rome
- 1 dinner in Sorrento
- 1 dinner Taormina
- Lunch in Trapani
- Farewell dinner in Palermo
Bonus Sightseeing
- Visit St. Peter?s Basilica in Rome
- Guided tour of ancient Pompeii
- Excursion to Capri by jetfoil
- Visit Anacapri
- Scenic drive along the Amalfi coast
- Visit the ancient city of Syracuse
- Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
- Wine-tasting excursion to Marsala
- Tour of Palermo
- Tour of Monreale Cathedral
- Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel
TOUR DESCRIPTION
Travelers enjoy 13 days in Rome, Sorrento and Sicily, a winning
combination! During this unforgettable itinerary, guests will
explore the narrow, ancient streets of Rome, relax surrounded
by the deep blue Amalfi Coast, and indulge in classic Sicilian
cuisine on the famed island. This escorted itinerary fulfills
the senses with stays in the ancient cities of Taormina and
Agrigento, where travelers explore the majestic ruins and view
the largest active volcano in Europe, Mt. Etna.
ITINERARY & MAP
Evening departure. Meals and refreshments served on board.
Day 2/Sat Rome
Morning arrival into Da Vinci Airport. Here you?ll be met and transferred
by private motorcoach to your hotel in Rome. The balance of the day is at
leisure. Tonight, enjoy the exciting nightlife that Rome has to offer and
experience ?la dolce vita.?
Day 3/Sun Rome
Rome is filled with monuments, fountains, antiquities and other sites worth
exploring. Use this free day to discover the ancient and modern aspects of
cosmopolitan Rome for yourself. Or you might choose an excursion, optional
tour to Ostia Antica, a Papal Blessing, the Catacombs or the Castelli Romani.
But don?t forget that Rome is Italy?s shopping mecca with excellent prices
on everything from silk neckwear to Gucci leathers. Tonight enjoy a dinner
with wine in a lovely Roman restaurant.
Day 4/Mon Rome
This morning experience a very special, privately guided tour of the priceless
collection of art and treasures found in the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum.
You will be amazed by the beautiful wall frescoes created by Michelangelo,
Perugino and Botticelli. The unique ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is surely
one of Michelangelo?s greatest achievements. Continue to St. Peter?s Basilica,
the largest church in the Christian world, built over the tomb of St. Peter.
Then proceed to the Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum, with a stop at the Colosseum ?
a testament to the greatness of Rome?s past. Continue your full day tour
viewing the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Synagogue, Isola Tiberina
and Castel Sant? Angelo. Then back to your hotel to get ready to dine out at a
popular Roman restaurant tonight.
Day 5/Tue Rome/Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento
This morning drive south along the Highway of the Sun to Naples, where you
will have an orientation drive highlighting Via Caracciolo (the seafront promenade),
the San Carlo Opera House, Santa Lucia, and the Angevin Castle. Before heading to
Sorrento, stop in Pompeii (the ancient city covered by volcanic lava 2,000 years ago),
with a guided tour of the remarkably preserved ruins of temples, houses, gardens and
public buildings. Then drive along the spectacular coast road of the Bay of Naples to
Sorrento, the famous resort town of orange & lemon groves. Dinner at your hotel
restaurant included.
Day 6/Wed Sorrento (Capri Excursion)
A morning jetfoil whisks you across the blue Bay of Naples to the fabled Isle of
Capri. After a scenic funicular ride to the center of town, visit the Floral
Gardens of Augustus, and still have time for shopping! Take a minibus to
Anacapri, where you can gaze at the spectacular views from awe-inspiring
heights before catching the jetfoil back to Sorrento. Tonight, the specialty
is Neapolitan cuisine for a delicious dinner with wine in a spectacularly
situated restaurant overlooking the Bay of Naples.
Day 7/Thu Sorrento/Positano/Salerno/ Messina/Taormina
Journey south along the spectacular Amalfi Coast to the Belvedere of Positano.
Stop to admire the view of this fisherman?s village built on a mountainside
facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Resume driving to Salerno, the landing site of the
Allied 5th Army in WW II. In Salerno board Autostrade d?Amare?s ferry for a
relaxing cruise on the Tyrrhenian Sea. You will enjoy a pleasant lunch and dinner
on board as you sail southbound, seeing from a distance the Aeolian Islands and
the volcano Stromboli. Journey across the Strait of Messina, where the Tyrrhenian and
Ionian Seas meet. Around 9:00pm you will dock in Messina, a modern town called
the ?Gateway to Sicily?. After disembarkation proceed by motorcoach to Taormina.
Day 8/Fri Taormina
Today the only scheduled activity is a visit to the Greek Amphitheater with its
spectacular view of the largest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna.
The balance of the day is yours for relaxation or independent exploration. This
evening, dinner is at your hotel.
Day 9/Sat Taormina (Excursion to Syracuse)
Taormina is one of the most attractive resorts in the Mediterranean. Almond and orange
trees blossom, adding a marvelous scent to a scene ranging from the snow-capped Mount
Etna in one direction, to the metallic blue sea in another. Experience an included
excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this venerable city highlights the
Archaeological Park, Greek Theater, Latomia del Paradiso and Cave of Dionysius? Ear.
This evening, savor a special Sicilian dinner with wine in a restaurant characteristic
of this region.
Day 10/Sun Taormina/Caltanissetta/Agrigento
Morning departure for Agrigento, a town built on a hillside facing the sea, famous
for its magnificent Valley of the Temples. En route pass Enna, a town located in
the geographical center of Sicily, boasting great panoramic vistas. Continue past
Caltanissetta, the capital of its province until you reach Agrigento. After checking
in at your hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the Valley including the Temples of Castor
and Pollux, Zeus, Concord and Hercules, plus the Tomb of Theron and The Porta Aurea.
Dinner is at your hotel.
Day 11/Mon Agrigento/Marsala/Trapani/Palermo
Journey northwest along the Sicilian coast to Palermo, passing the sea towns of Sciacca
(famous for its anchovies) and Mazara del Vallo, where thousands of tuna yield an abundant
catch for this thriving industry. Continue to Marsala, situated at the western-most point
of the island. Rediscovered in the eighteenth century by English merchant, John Woodhouse,
today Marsala is mainly known for its sweet wines. You will visit a wine cellar where
his special wine is aged, and have a chance to sample some Marsala during a wine-tasting
session. Later, drive to Trapani for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant by the
sea. Continue to Palermo and spend the afternoon unpacking, relaxing or exploring on your
own. Tonight, dinner is at your hotel.
Day 12/Tue Palermo
A morning tour of this marvelous city features the Quattro Canti, a splendid example
of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine
Chapel, the Cathedral, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Here you will
admire a 12th century Cathedral, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete
cycle of the old and new testaments, and the Cloisters. Proceed to Monte Pellegrino,
a promontory that overlooks Palermo?s bay. Here you may visit Santa Rosalia?s
sanctuary, the city?s patron saint. End your morning tour in Mondello, Palermo?s
beach resort, where you may browse, shop or bathe. Balance of the day is free. In
the evening bid ?arrivederci? to your travel companions during a festive Farewell
dinner with delectable cuisine and sparkling wine in a fashionable restaurant.
Day 13/Wed Palermo to USA (or extend your stay)
Morning transfer to Palermo airport for your return flight home. Meals and refreshments
served on board. Same day arrival into USA.
