Country Roads of Southern Italy & Sicily - Classic Group, 2021 Classic Group

14 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
97%
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Small Group Tour
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. At the Vatican Museums, get a behind-the-scenes look at the Bramante Staircase, a winding masterpiece normally closed to the public. In Sorrento, settle into a luxurious resort and take ...

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Choose between two carefully selected activities
    • Capri: Discover the luxuriant Gardens of Augustus with a Local Expert and admire views of the Faraglioni rocks.
    • Capri: Enjoy a tasting of limoncello, Capri's traditional lemonliqueur.
    • : Our Well-Being Directors take a proactive approach to your welfare ensuring all well-being regulations are met (available on tours with 20 or more guests).
    • : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
    • : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhancedwell-being and hygiene protocols.
    • : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
    • : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
    • : "At the Colosseum with our guests, I love watching their awe upon stepping back almost 2000 years into the world of the ancient Romans and imagining the sights and sounds of the arena."
    • : "A type of food I really love introducing my guests to is the street food because it tells a lot about the habits of the locals, it can be a slice of pizza folded up or a sfogliatella in Naples, an arancini, a gelato in Sicily, or a cannolo. "

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. At the Vatican Museums, get a behind-the-scenes look at the Bramante Staircase, a winding masterpiece normally closed to the public. In Sorrento, settle into a luxurious resort and take in the views of Mount Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii in a sea of lava in 79 A.D. A restaurant’s founder will share why he uses only organic ingredients that he grows himself — 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.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportRound trip airfare and all internal transport included
Start CityItaly
End CityPalermo

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Italy

Attractions

  • Matera
  • Rome
  • Sorrento

Trip includes

    • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
    • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
    • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
    • Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
    • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
    • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
    • If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to the Eternal City of Rome

Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your hotel at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30. Relax and settle in before joinin...

Day 2: Rome with the Locals

Rome is about art, antiquity, piazzas and pizza, and our guided walk with a Local Expert has it in abundance. Toss a coin into the spectacular Trevi Fountain, see the Pantheon, the best-preserved monument from the Roman period, and enjoy free time to do as the Romans do. Perhaps join a tour to discover the incredibly characteristic Roman quarter of Trastevere?

Day 3: VIP Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and on to Sorrento

Meet your Local Expert for a guided visit through the Vatican Museums, culminating beneath Michelangelo's famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Your priority visit includes fast-tracked entry and a behind-the-scenes look at the Bramante Staircase, a part of the Vatica...

Day 4: Capri, The Isle of Dreams

Cruise by hydrofoil through the impossibly blue sea to the sun-drenched island of Capri. On arrival, enjoy an escorted ride in an open-top taxi to Capri Town and meet your Local Expert for an orientation walk through narrow alleyways. Explore Capri with Insight Choice...

Day 5: Pompeii and Alberobello

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.

Day 6: The Trulli of Alberobello Relaxed Start

Admire another of Italy's record number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with a Local Expert. The Trulli of Alberobello are circular structures with conical roofs that are domed within. They are built from local limestone and stacked without using mortar. In the evening...

Day 7: Alberobello at Leisure Relaxed Start

The day is free for you to enjoy this fascinating town. Perhaps visit Ostuni - reminiscent of a North African Arab Medina - with its stark, whitewashed buildings, narrow cobbled streets and arched stairways? Later, relax and indulge in the amenities of your remarkable hotel.

Day 8: Journey South to Matera Relaxed Start

Journey along the country roads to the ancient town of Matera, specially selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2019. Meet with a Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of the extraordinary Sassi, a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside, th...

Day 9: To Sicily and the Taormina Riviera

In the morning, travel along the Purple 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 whir...

Day 10: Free Time on the Taormina Riviera Relaxed Start

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.

Day 11: A New Dawn in Sicily Relaxed Start

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.In the evening, venture to a local restaurant for a tasty meal accompanied by wine.

Day 12: Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples and on to Palermo

Drive to Agrigento and walk along the fortified ridge of 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.

Day 13: Palermo and the Golden Age of the Normans

Join a historian on a guided walk to see the hidden gems of the old city. Palermo Cathedral has been altered over the years and a venture inside will help you to appreciate the blend of architectural styles. Continue to the amazing Palatine Chapel in the Palace of the...

Day 14: Depart Palermo

Your journey draws to an end. Departure transfers arrive at Palermo Falcone–Borsellino Airport at 06:00 and 08:00.

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,225
Price per day$302
Last Updated: 2/23/2024

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Insight Vacations.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Insight Vacations Reviews & Ratings

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Apr 2024

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Benelux 2024

The bus is so comfortable, the food is great, not all hotels in the it...

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Apr 2024

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A must see for avid travellers

Abul Simbel is a must see add on

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Tour Operator

Insight Vacations

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As the global leader in premium tours, Insight Vacations delivers all the sights and insights of destinations up close and personal. Each tour is crafted in true comfort and style with premium 5 and 4 star hotels, small groups and customized coaches with extra leg room. The brand’s category leading dining options including the unique dine-around and dine-at-home experiences means that guests enjoy a culinary journey through the places they visit. An extensive Vegetarian option across all tour series further compliments the elevated dining offering. With a Make Travel Matter Experience®, that creates a positive impact for both the visitor and visited, plus also supports the United Nations sustainable Development Goals, included on each and every trip, Insight Vacations leads the way in immersive responsible travel.

Insight Vacations is part of the family-owned and run The Travel Corporation (TTC), driven by service for over one hundred years.

Why we love this operator
They really care about everyone's individual needs on each tour and they have an incredible attention to detail.
What they’re known for
Premium worldwide tours for curious travelers who want to get closer to the destination in comfort and style.

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Trip ID
insightvacations-E725N16

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