Country Roads of Southern Italy and Sicily (Summer, Small Groups)

Highlights

• Rome: Sightsee the local way, with a leisurely passeggiata through the backstreets, where a friend in Rome will explain how modern life takes place, around ancient treasures like the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
• Sorrento: Perched upon the cliffs, lookout to see the mighty Mount Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples.
• Capri: Cruise by jetfoil to this famous isle through beautiful blue Mediterranean waters.
• Pompeii: Walk with a Local Expert through the cobbled streets of this ill-fated town, frozen in time since the first century.
• Alberobello: Led by a Local Expert, explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing the Trulli of Alberobello. Circular structures with conical roofs that are domed within, built from local limestone and stacked without using mortar.
• Matera: With your Local Expert, visit the famous Sassi or cave dwellings, which were home to approximately 20,000 people until 1950s and are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Agrigento: Admire magnificent Hellenistic remains in the Valley of the Temples, such as the massive Temple of Concord and clifftop Temple of Juno.
• Palermo: Discover the Sicilian capital with your Local Expert. See Pretoria Square and the 16th century fountain. View the composite architectural styles of the Palermo Cathedral and visit the Palatine Chapel.
• Rome: Enjoy exclusive access to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes during an after-hours visit. This 9th-century basilica’s simple facade guards the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics. The history of the church springs to life as you admire the interior’s treasured collection, including Bernini's first sculpture and the renowned mosaics, illuminated for your visit. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is a rare and unforgettable insight into Rome and its religious history.
• Rome: Follow in the footsteps of gladiators for a deeper insight into life in ancient Rome when you enter the Colosseum.
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What's this trip about?

Indulge in Italy’s finest food and views during this 2-week guided tour. When in Rome, you will toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain during a walking tour with a Local Expert. In Sorrento, settle into a luxurious resort and take in the views of Mount Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii in a pyroclastic cloud of ash and lava stones in 79 A.D. A restaurant’s founder will share why the family uses only organic ingredients that they grow themselves — and you will indulge in those freshly picked vegetables during a Farm-to-Table dinner featuring fresh orecchiette pasta. In Palermo, a historian will take you through the old city, showing you its cathedral and the Palatine Chapel in the Palace of the Normans, where glittering 12th century mosaics will surely take your breath away.

Accommodation