The gulf of Amalfi from Ravello

Magnificent Italy & The Amalfi Coast

Travel to Italy and experience this famed island city of enchanting palaces. On this Escorted Tour travelers experience the magic of Italy’s great triad…Venice, Florence, Rome plus the Sorrentine Peninsula. Relax in the comfort of one of our modern, air-conditioned, smoke-free motor-coaches and stay at lovely first class hotels. Enjoy Rome’s welcome cocktail and many lunch and dinners at colorful restaurants offering savory regional specialties with the extra perks of free wines, mineral waters, coffee or cappuccino. Join interesting vinegar tasting in Modena and a wine tasting in a castle. Some of the memorable touring features include the charm of Venice and Piazza San Marco, the Renaissance city of Florence. Here you see Palazzo Pitti and Michelangelo’s statue of the David. A side trip is made for Pisa’s Leaning Tower. On your way to Rome stop at Assisi, the town intimately linked to St. Francis life. In Rome visit the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica and Square and, at the Sistine Chapel, see Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling and walls frescoes painted by many celebrated artists. Visit the Roman Forum, stop at the Colosseum, and enjoy Rome’s “Dolce Vita”. Travel to Sorrento via Naples and tour Pompeii’s famed remains. From the resort of Sorrento there will be special excursions to other iconic jet-set resorts such as Positano, Ravello Amalfi and its enchanting coastline, and the romantic isle of Capri. All this and much more is what our Escorted vacation tours and “Magnificent Italy & the Amalfi Coast” is all about.

Typical Itinerary

DAY 1

Morning arrival into Venice’s Marco Polo Airport. Here you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Venice. The balance of the day is at leisure. This evening enjoy welcome dinner at a popular restaurant. (D)

DAY 2

Your morning tour of Venice is on foot and will highlight the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and Piombi Prison. Afternoon is at leisure with enough time for more sightseeing, shopping or relaxation. (B)

DAY 3

This morning depart Venice and stop in Padua to visit the Basilica of St. Anthony and its art, including the large bronze works of Donatello. Continue your scenic drive to Modena where you’ll be treated to a special balsamic vinegar tasting session plus lunch, featuring local specialties and Lambrusco wine. After lunch continue to Florence, the home of Michelangelo. (B, L)

DAY 4

Your morning tour takes you to Michelangelo Square for a panoramic view of the city, the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s original ”David” statue, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery with its ”Gates of Paradise” doors, Signoria Square and Santa Croce Church. Afternoon is free. Tonight enjoy a festive dinner with wine and music at a charming villa located on a beautiful Tuscan hillside outside Florence. (B, D)

DAY 5

Today you will be taken on a full day excursion to Cinque Terre (Five Lands), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best preserved natural and semi-natural parts of the Mediterranean. Hillside olive groves and vineyards perched along the coast are typical of this dramatic region where for over a thousand years people have lived cultivating the steep hillsides and fishing the blue waters. Your guided tour will explore the mustsees of the Cinque Terre from both land and sea, with a combination of easy walks, village visits, train rides and short boat trips between the villages. (B)

Day 6

Morning departure for Rome. Drive through the serene Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, passing by the shores of Lake Trasimeno with a stop at the Magione Castle, presently the private residence of the Prince and Grand Master of Sovereign Military Order of Knights of Malta. Here a wine expert will lecture on the vinification process that takes place at the castle, followed by a delicious tasting of the varieties of wines produced at the castle and light lunch. Continue to Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enjoy your guided tour of St. Francis Basilica. Arrive in Rome in the late afternoon. (B, L)

Day 7

Rome is filled with monuments, fountains, antiquities and other sites worth exploring. Use this free day to discover, on your own, all the Eternal City has to offer. Take an optional tour or discover why Roman trattorias are famous for their fine cuisine. (B)

Day 8

This morning experience a very special privately guided tour of the priceless collection of art and treasures in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. Then proceed to the Piazza Venezia and Roman Forum, with a stop at the Colosseum – a testament to the greatness of Rome’s past. Continue your full day tour by viewing the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Great Synagogue, Isola Tiberina and Castel Sant’Angelo. Tonight bid arrivederci to Rome at a special dinner with wine in a lovely Roman restaurant. (B, D)

Day 9

This morning drive south to Naples for an orientation tour of the city. Before heading to Sorrento, stop in Pompeii, the ancient city covered by volcanic lava 2,000 years ago, for 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 and lemon groves. Dinner at your hotel restaurant is included. (B, D)

Day 10

Leave Sorrento in the morning for Positano. Brief stop at the Belvedere to enjoy a unique view of Moorish architecture blended with pastel colored houses. Weather permitting, board a motorlaunch and cruise along the coast to Amalfi for a walking tour of the old town. Continue to Ravello. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant with spectacular views of the Amalfi coast and the Bay of Salerno. Free time for a stroll around the center of town before returning to Sorrento. (B, L)

Day 11

A morning jetfoil whisks you across the blue Bay of Naples to the fabled Isle of Capri, where you will ascend to the Piazzetta, visit the Floral Gardens of Caesar Augustus, and still have free time for lunch and some shopping before returning to Sorrento. Tonight dinner is at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 12

Morning transfer to Naples’ Capodichino Airport for your return flight home or continue for your next destination