The Best of Italy & Sicily

ARRIVE IN MILAN, ITALY

Welcome to Milan! At 5 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel.

MILAN–VENICE ISLAND.

Follow your Local Guide on a walking tour. Visit the SFORZESCO CASTLE GROUNDS and MUSEUM. Then, visit PIAZZA DUOMO with its magnificent gothic cathedral, the glass-domed GALLERIA, and admire the famous La Scala Opera House. Leave Milan and drive through the flat Po area to Venice, a favorite destination for romantics and art lovers from all over the globe.
Today’s Distance: 186 mi / 300 km

VENICE ISLAND

. Take a PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide and walk to ST. MARK’S SQUARE. Visit the Byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE, and the world-famous BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Watch a skilled GLASSBLOWER fashion delicate objects in an age-old tradition. Time to explore Venice at your own pace or join an optional lagoon cruise to the island of Burano.

VENICE ISLAND–FLORENCE

A scenic drive across the flat Apennines brings you to Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” With your Local Guide visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David. Continue your walking tour through the historic center and stand in awe in front of the magnificent cathedral. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gates of Paradise,” and the sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afterward, you may wish to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry, sold by the ounce. Later, LF dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
Today’s Distance: 193 mi / 310 km

FLORENCE–MONTERIGGIONI–ROME.

Highlight of the day is a WALK ON THE RAMPARTS of the medieval town of Monteriggioni with beautiful views of the surrounding Chianti region before continuing to Rome.
Today’s Distance: 199 mi / 320 km

ROME

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Guided sightseeing of the “Eternal City” starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment, followed by a visit to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA to admire Michelangelo’s Pietà. Then, enjoy views of other major sites as you drive to the Roman Forum to visit the ancient COLOSSEUM, where gladiators once fought. Afterward, spend time at leisure or choose from optional excursions.

ROME–CASTEL GANDOLFO–NAPLES

Look forward to a unique experience: LF a guided visit of the impressive PAPAL PALACE in Castel Gandolfo, former summer residence of the popes and, since 2016, a museum that is open to the public. Also visit the magnificent BARBERINI GARDENS, where ruins of the residence of Roman Emperor Domitian are still visible. Enjoy lunch at Villa Barberini, before continuing south on the Highway of the Sun to the busy port city of Naples.
Today’s Distance: 155 mi / 250 km

NAPLES. EXCURSION TO POMPEII

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In nearby POMPEII, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, join your Local Guide for a visit to the excavations. See a patrician home, public baths, and shops that give a striking picture of what day-to-day life was like in Rome at the apex of its power. Return to Naples, where guided sightseeing features the main sights, and visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM, where many of the treasures that were recuperated from Pompeii are on display.
Today’s Distance: 31 mi / 50 km

NAPLES–CAPRI

Speed across the bay by JETFOIL to the Isle of Capri for your overnight stay. Ride the FUNICULAR to Capri village, where guided sightseeing includes a visit to the AUGUSTUS GARDENS offering spectacular panoramic views. Spend the rest of the day to further explore this wonderful island at your own pace.

CAPRI–SORRENTO–PIZZO CALABRO

.Return to the mainland and spend time in the charming seaside resort of Sorrento. Drive south to Calabria for your overnight stay.
Today’s Distance: 249 mi / 400 km

PIZZO CALABRO–CEFALÙ–PALERMO

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Board your FERRY and cross the Strait of Messina to Sicily. Follow the northern coastline and arrive in spectacular Cefalù, where you LF taste a traditional granita. Time to explore the old town with its medieval lanes and seafront promenade. Next is Palermo, the capital of Sicily.
Today’s Distance: 211 mi / 340 km

PALERMO

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Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the ornate Piazza Bellini, Capo Market, the baroque Church of Immacolata, and a visit to the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d’Oro and a visit to the 12th-century NORMAN CATHEDRAL, famous for its 50,000 square feet of precious Byzantine mosaics.

PALERMO–MARSALA–AGRIGENTO

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After a visit to a traditional SALT MILL in Marsala, look forward to a LF WINE TASTING at the famous Florio wine cellar to sample and learn about Marsala wines. In Agrigento, a Local Guide takes you for a spectacular walk through the magnificent VALLEY OF TEMPLES. Even travelers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures that miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history.
Today’s Distance: 186 mi / 300 km

AGRIGENTO–PIAZZA ARMERINA–TAORMINA RIVIERA

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Enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island’s heart on your way to Piazza Armerina, where a guided visit features the impressive VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE with its mosaics. In Taormina, follow your Tour Director for a pleasant walk along Corso Umberto I before arriving at your hotel.
Today’s Distance: 155 mi / 250 km

TAORMINA RIVIERA

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A full day at leisure gives you a chance to join the exciting optional excursion to Mount Etna. Spend the afternoon relaxing or for individual activities. This evening, a farewell dinner at a local restaurant awaits.