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Compare The Best of Italy & Sicily by Great Value Vacations vs Classical Sicily by Explore!

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Duration 15 days 8 days
Price From $ 4,874 $ 2,230
Price Per Day $ 325 $ 279
Highlights
  • This multi-city vacation will guide you through the main attractions throughout Italy and Sicily.
  • Enjoy guided sightseeing tours through cities such as Rome, Pisa, Venice, Naples, Pompeii, and more!
  • Go for a private boat ride in Venice and a boat cruise in Capri.
  • Enjoy an included glassblower’s demonstration in Venice!
  • Enjoy the services of a Professional Travel Director as you listen to the details through your private headsets.
  • Visit the best preserved Greco-Roman sites in the Mediterranean
  • Discover spectacular scenery, from its picturesque coastline to Mount Etna
  • Absorb Sicily's distinct culture and sample delicious food and wine
Trip Style Group tour Small group tour
Lodging Level Premium Premium
Physical Level
  • 2- Easy
  • 4- Strenuous
Travel Themes
  • Cultural
  • Religious
  • Cultural
  • Hiking & Walking
Countries Visited
Cities and Attractions
  • Assisi
  • Colosseum
  • Isle of Capri
  • Rome
  • Sicily
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Tuscany
  • Vatican City
  • Agrigento
  • Bar
  • Catania
  • Cefalu
  • Mount Etna
  • Sicily
  • Taormina
Flights & Transport Airfare included Airfare included
Activities
  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Ruins & Archaeology
  • Hiking
Meals Included

15 Breakfasts and 5 Dinners

  • Breakfast : 7
Description

This 14-night guided vacation is perfect for those who wish to see all of Italy, including the Isle of Capri and Sicily. Guided sightseeing and highlight visits are included to St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum in Rome; the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s David in Florence. In Venice you'll enjoy a private water-taxi ride and guided visits to St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Stop in Ravenna to admire the famous mosaics in the Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe; stay overnight in Assisi and admire St. Francis’ Basilica.

Postcard-perfect scenery, fascinating history, and divine local dishes, explore Sicily on our all-encompassing tour. Delve into the island's rich past, ticking off ancient Greek and Byzantine greats, take on Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, and get lost amongst the streets of Taormina, the Pearl of the Ionian Sea. With gelato and arancini joints at every turn, and surrounded by the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily comes close to paradise.

Agrigento - Visit Sicily's most famous Classical remains in the Valley of the Temples, with its remarkable Doric architecture.

Erice - Discover the walled medieval hilltop town with its maze of narrow winding cobbled streets and quaint shops.

Villa Romana del Casale - See some of the best-preserved and most extensive mosaics left in Europe at this Roman villa.

Why not extend your trip? - This trip can be combined with our Malta and Gozo Discovery trip (code: MLAS) to make a two-week island adventure.
Itinerary: The Best of Italy & Sicily

Day 1: Welcome to Rome!

Accommodation: Una Hotel Roma

At 5pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome's lively restaurants. (Dinner)

Day 2: Rome

Enjoy guided sightseeing, including inside visits to all of the highlights of religious and ancient Rome: the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment, monumental St. Peter's Square and Basilica to admire Michelangelo's Pieta, the amazing Colosseum, and the Roman Forum, where Roman legions marched in triumph. To make the most of your stay, join our optional walking tour, and see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and other sites and squares of medieval Rome made famous in the movie Angels & Demons. (Breakfast)

Day 3: Rome - Pisa -Florence

Enter Tuscany and arrive in Pisa to marvel at the legendary Leaning Tower. Take your pictures pushing back the tower before continuing to Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. Time to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce, for which the city is famous. (Breakfast)

Day 4: Florence - Venice Island

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mgallery Lagare at Murano Hotel

This morning, focus on Florence. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the magnificent cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze Gate of Paradise, and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. A highlight is a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts to admire Michelangelo's David. Cross the wooded Apennine Mountains and arrive in Venice. Enter in style by Private Boat and attend a Glassblower's Demonstration on the island of Murano. This evening, enjoy a ride by Private Water-taxi to St. Mark's Square to discover Venice by night.

Day 5: Venice Island

Meals: Breakfast

Board your Private Boat to St. Mark's Square and meet your Local Guide for a walking tour including visits to the byzantine St. Mark's Basilica, lavish Doges' Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride and an exciting optional lagoon cruise to the colorful island of Burano.

Day 6: Venice Island - Ravenna - Assisi

Follow the Adriatic coastline to Ravenna. Here, see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe. In the afternoon, arrive in peaceful Assisi and visit the massive 13th century lower Basilica of St. Francis built above the Saint's grave. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7: Assisi - Pompeii - Naples. Overnight Cruise to Palermo

Accommodation: Hotel San Francesco Assisi

Arrive in Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. A guided walking tour through the excavations features patrician houses, public baths, and commercial districts that strikingly recall day-to-day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. In nearby Naples, a cappuccino and sfogliatella await you at the famous Grand Cafe Gambrinus before boarding your Ferry in Naples for the overnight cruise to Sicily. (Breakfast)

Day 8: Palermo

Meals: Breakfast

After disembarkation, start your sightseeing with a Local Guide. Visit the ornate Piazza Bellini, Capo Market, the baroque Church of Immacolata, and the 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.

Day 9: Palermo - Marsala - Agrigento

Accommodation: Excelsior Hilton Palermo

In Marsala, visit a Salt Mill, then a true highlight: a local favorite Wine Tasting at the famous Florio wine cellar to try out and learn about Marsala wines. Next, drive along the western coast to Agrigento. Here, your Local Guide will take you for a spectacular walk through the magnificent Valley of Temples. Even travellers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures that miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 10: Agrigento - Taormina Riviera

This morning, enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island's heart on your way to Taormina, where you will visit the 3rd-century Greek Amphitheatre, the second-largest of its kind in Sicily. Situated above the city, it affords spectacular views of the bay and Mount Etna. (Breakfast)

Day 11: Taormina Riviera

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Della Valle, Agrigento

Today is your chance to join the exciting half-day optional excursion to Mount Etna. Afternoon is at leisure to relax or for individual activities.

Day 12: Taormina Riviera – Sorrento

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Atahotel Naxos Beach Resort

Board your Ferry and cross the Strait of Messina to land at the toe of the Italian boot in Calabria. Tonight, you are in the charming resort of Sorrento, delightfully situated on the Bay of Naples.

Day 13: Sorrento. Excursion to Capri

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto

Speed across the Bay of Naples by Jetfoil to the Isle of Capri, an ancient retreat for Roman emperors and renowned ever since that time for its beauty. Ride the Funicular to Capri village for a guided visit of this pretty town. Free time to explore the little shops on the charming piazzetta. Then, enjoy an exciting Boat Cruise (weather permitting) around the island. Return to Sorrento.

Day 14: Sorrento – Rome

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: NH Midas Hotel

Return to Rome. This evening, back in the Eternal City, a special farewell dinner with wine and opera entertainment awaits you at La Carovana restaurant as a proper way to say, Arrivederci, Roma!

Day 15: Depart Italy

Meals: Breakfast

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Itinerary: Classical Sicily

Day 1 Join trip in Syracusa

Our tour of Sicily starts today in Syracusa. During the Greek Classical period, this east coast city was the largest in the ancient world - even bigger than Athens. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's also notable as being the birthplace of antiquity's greatest mathematician, Archimedes. For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is about a one-hour drive away. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to walk into the historic centre of Ortygia Island, which is about 20-30 minutes from our hotel. Artemis Fountain and the Baroque cathedral are lit up beautifully at night. Tonight will be your first opportunity to sample Sicilian cuisine and wine. According to Greek legend, the god Dionysus brought wine to Sicily, however, it's more likely that wine has been produced here since ancient times due to the island being blessed with plenty of sunshine and reliably moderate rainfall, along with fertile volcanic soils. Nowadays there's a huge variety of delicious red and white wines to choose from. You might also like to try a typically Sicilian dish such as pasta with sardines and wild fennel, aubergine stew or boiled pork in salsa verde and saffron.

Meals Provided : None

Day 2 Discover Syracusa's historic Neapolis and Ortygia Island

We'll start today by driving the short distance to the city's Neapolis Archaeological Park, where a local guide will show us its famous Greek theatre, hewn out of the hillside, and the fine Roman amphitheatre where gladiators once fought. We'll then drive over to Ortygia Island, where we'll have free time to have lunch and explore. This small island is the historical centre of the city and home to many landmarks such as the Fonte of Aretusa, Temple of Apollo ruins, Maniace Castle, and the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter with its old baths found under the Residenza Alla Giudecca Hotel. Alternatively, you could take a short boat trip along the rocky cave-strewn coastline. Thanks to its limestone buildings and pretty harbour, Ortygia Island is also a great place to sit and watch the world go by in a local café or restaurant. You could try cannolo, a traditional Sicilian dessert, a crisp shell filled with sweet ricotta and chocolate chips topped with candied fruits. If you\ d prefer a savoury snack then arancini is just the thing - a rice ball stuffed with a range of fillings such as beef ragu and gooey cheese, it's simply delicious. Leaving Syracusa this afternoon, we'll drive for a couple of hours inland to our base for tonight, Piazza Amerina, a charming market town set amid rolling countryside. This town is off the tourist trail and tonight you'll have the opportunity to dine in one of the delightful family-run restaurants. As you stroll along through the peaceful streets and picturesque squares you can see the local men gathering to discuss the events of the day and put the world to rights - just as their families have been doing for generations.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 3 See the mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale and the Valley of the Temples

Today we'll visit two of Sicily's most important historic sites. We'll start at the Villa Romana del Casale, which is just a short hop from our hotel. We'll aim to arrive before the crowds. A local guide will show us the ruins of this magnificent country mansion that contains some incredibly well-preserved and beautiful Roman mosaics, such as the famed bikini girls, fishing cupids and hunting scenes featuring exotic wildlife like tigers, rhinos and elephants. The mosaics are UNESCO-listed and spread over a remarkable 3,500 square metres. We'll drive on to Agrigento, which was once one of the most prosperous cities in Sicily. The ancient acropolis, now the modern city, overlooks a southern ridge, misleadingly named the Valley of the Temples. Visiting these temples with a local guide, we'll walk around the ruins of the largest Doric temple ever constructed - the Temple of Zeus. Standing next to this monumental structure, you feel tiny staring up at the gigantic pillars above you. We'll also explore the perfectly proportioned Doric columns of the Temple of Concord, as well as the oldest temple in the complex, honouring Hercules. Later this afternoon, we'll drive north along the coastline for two hours to tonight's hotel in Marsala. Our hotel this evening is a 25-minute walk from the centre of town. We'll head into the centre to the Porta Garibaldi from where our local guide will take us on a short walk through the old town. After time for dinner, we'll return to our hotel.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 4 Explore Erice and the Greek ruins of Segesta en route to Palermo

This morning, we'll drive up the twisty mountain roads to one of Sicily's best-kept secrets, the delightful medieval hilltop walled town of Erice. Here, we'll have the morning free to soak up the atmosphere and get lost among the maze of cobbled narrow streets. At 750 metres above sea level, on a clear day, you can see right across the valley to the sea below from here. The town is home to a number of churches that you can visit, you could also drop into the courtyard of the Norman fortress, Castello di Venere or the nearby Garden of Balio. It's also well worth noting that Erice is home to Sicily's most famous cake shop - Maria Grammatic. Early afternoon will see us travelling on to Segesta - one of the best-preserved ancient sites. Once home to the Elymians, who it's believed descended from the Trojans. The two most famous monuments found here are the Doric temple and the amphitheatre that sit on the slopes of Mount Barbaro in a stunning natural setting - no modern-day structures mar your appreciation of the site. Along the old entrance roads to the city are the Sanctuary of Contrada Mango and the Agora - the central meeting place of the city. Near to the amphitheatre, you can see the more recent remains dating from around 1442 of a castle, mosque, and church. If you visit in springtime, you can spot colourful wildflowers and giant fennel as you walk around the site. The site is large and hilly but there's a complimentary bus service that operates in the archaeological site. On leaving magnificent Segesta, we'll drive for around one hour along the north coast to our hotel in Sicily's capital, Palermo where we'll have the evening free.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 5 Visit the Palatine Chapel and Monreale Cathedral, free time in Palermo

This morning, we'll get to experience some of Sicily's Norman history. In Palermo, we'll visit the Palatine Chapel with a local guide. This is the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily and is packed with spectacular Byzantine mosaics. Driving into the hills just a short distance out of the capital, we'll go with our guide to visit the majestic Norman Cathedral of Monreale. Founded in 1174 by William the Good, the cathedral is also famous for its extensive mosaics, as well as its cloisters showing both Romanesque and Islamic influences. Returning to Sicily's capital, the afternoon is free to enjoy Palermo. The city stands at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, with the fertile valley of Concha d'Oro behind. It was one of the richest cities in Europe from the 9th to the 12th centuries AD when Islamic culture, Byzantine magnificence and medieval Europe were merging into a fascinating civilisation. Today, the city maintains a sense of cultural diversity and is famous for its art, music and food. You might like to visit Palermo's cathedral with its ornate facade, the grand Teatro Massimo opera house, the natural beauty of the Botanical Gardens or the extensive catacombs under the city, to name just a few of the attractions on offer. If you fancy a snack whilst exploring then you could try panelle, which is a popular street food. It's a fritter made from chickpeas eaten in a roll like a hot sandwich. If you fancy something sweet then cassata is Sicily's most famous cake, which is normally covered in marzipan and green icing over a moist fruity sponge layered with ricotta.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 6 Drive along the coast with a stop in Cefalu en route to Giardini Naxos

Leaving Palermo this morning, we'll drive along the spectacular northern coastline to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalu. Here, we'll stop to explore the town and have the opportunity to go for a swim. You might like to visit the Norman Cathedral, with its stupendous mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. Alternatively, if you're feeling active then you can walk up the steps passed the Temple of Diana ruins to the Castle on the Rock (the ascent is 278 metres) - the incredible seaviews make the climb worthwhile. From Cefalu, we'll continue our drive along the coast to the small coastal town of Giardini Naxos, which will be our base for the next two nights. This sweet little fishing town sits in the shadow of Mount Etna and is the spot of the oldest Greek settlement in Sicily back in 735 BC. It's a great place for relaxing beside the sea and tucking into fresh fish and gelato. When in Sicily you have to sample the gelato… the region has some of the creamiest in all of Italy.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 7 Travel to Mount Etna, afternoon in Taormina

This morning, we'll travel to the base camp of Mount Etna to explore the lunar landscape, craters and lava fields of one of the most active volcanoes in Europe. We'll head directly to the cable car base at Rifugio Sapienza, which is on the south side of Etna and 1,900 metres above sea level. Here there are several cafes and gift shops, and you can also see the old Silvestri Craters. There's the option to board the cable car up to 2,500 metres where there's another cafe and gift shop and you can have a walk around on the mountainside, please note this is an additional expense, see the optional activities section for more details. From here, you have the option of boarding a four-wheel drive coach up to 2,900 metres to take a short walk (around 45 minutes) with a mountain guide to view the craters formed in the 2002/3 eruptions and the fumaroles at around 3,000 metres, which is as close to the summit as we're currently permitted to go. You then return down the mountain the same way. This afternoon, we'll meet back up at base camp (1,900) meters and travel the short distance to Taormina, Sicily's most famous resort. Once a haven for the likes of D. H Lawrence and Oscar Wilde, Taormina is still a popular tourist destination today. A short walk around the chic town, with its pretty medieval churches and charming streets, will show you just why it's so loved. We'll join a local guide to visit the Greek Theatre. The snow-capped Mount Etna acts as a spectacular backdrop to the remarkably preserved columned stage - it's easy to see why this is possibly the most famous view in all of Sicily. We'll also visit the Roman Odeon before having the rest of the afternoon free to explore. In the early evening, we'll return to Giardini Naxos. You might choose to visit the Villa Comunale Gardens which offer a peaceful escape from Taormina's bustling main street. Here you can walk amidst magnolia, hibiscus, and bougainvillaea trees. If you'd like to enjoy a drink and a snack, then we'd recommend taking a stroll down one of Taormina's side streets where you'll find plenty of authentic bars and restaurants (which are less crowded than in the centre of town).

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 8 Trip ends in Giardini Naxos

Our trip ends after breakfast this morning at our hotel in Giardini Naxos. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Giardini Naxos at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is about a one-hour drive away.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

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