Grand Tour of Italy and Sicily - 16 Days

A comprehensive exploration from north to south. Contrast Sicily’s Greek heritage with the beauty of Capri and Venice’s very own captivating character.

Included Premium Highlights

    * Explore the wonders of ancient Rome as you visit the Colosseum & overlook the Forum
    * Visit the superb Vatican Museums & admire Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel
    * Join a local expert for a walking tour of the ill-fated town of Pompeii
    * Visit the hill top fortress town of Enna, in the heart of Sicily
    * Cruise to the island of Capri & ascend to Capri town by funicular railway
    * Drift through the romantic canals of Venice by traditional gondola
    * Visit Florence's Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo's original 'Statue of David'

Included Personal Insights

    * Join us in the pleasant Italian social ritual of 'La Passeggiata'
    * Enjoy a short tutorial about the world famous Chianti wines of Tuscany

Included Other Excursions & Sights

    * Tour St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City seeing the Popes' Altar by Bernini
    * Visit the peaceful Commonwealth War Cemetery at Cassino
    * Visit a typical Sicilian market, Palermo Cathedral & witness the mosaics in the Palatine Chapel
    * Guided tour of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento to see the Temple of Concord
    * See Taormina's Palazzo Corvaja, visit the Greek Theatre & take in the fine views of Mt Etna
    * Visit the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi
    * See the Neptune Fountain & the Old Town in Bologna
    * Cruise by private launch to St Mark's Square in Venice
    * See the Doges' Palace, Bridge of Sighs & St Mark's Basilica in Venice
    * See the church of Santa Croce in Florence, where Michelangelo is buried
    * See the Duomo, 'Gates of Paradise' & Signoria Square in Florence
    * See the 'Fountain of Joy' in Siena's Campo Square, scene of the Palio horse race
    * Demonstrations of traditional Venetian glass-blowing, 'Intarsio' inlay woodwork in Sorrento & traditional Florentine leather work
    * Scenic drives through the Apennines, Cyclops Riviera & Sorrento cliff top drive

Included First Class Services

    * Escorted by a professional Tour Director
    * Headsets for all guided visits & walking tours
    * Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended leg room & on-board restroom
    * Insight Hotels include all service charges, taxes & porterage
    * Overnight ferry from Palermo to Naples
    * Insight Traveller document wallet, map book journal & information pack
    * Airport arrival & departure transfers at scheduled times on Day 1 & Day 15
    * Should your flights not coincide with these arrival & departure transfers, please make your own way to/from the airport

Included Quality Dining

    * Choose from a selection of restaurants in Sorrento on your Dine-Around evening (DA)
    * Highlight Dinner of local cuisine with entertainment in Rome (HD)
    * 14 Buffet Breakfasts (BB), 5 three-course table d'hôte Dinners, or Buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)
 

Day 1 - ROME AT LEISURE

Welcome to Rome - not only the fascinating modern capital of Italy but also a spectacular encyclopedia of living history! On arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport, your airport transfer leaves for the tour hotel at 09:30, 12:30 & 15:30. Perhaps take a stroll in the Piazza Navona before joining your Tour Director in the early evening for a Welcome reception including a drink and light meal.

Hotel: Mediterraneo

Meals: Welcome Reception

Day 2 - ROME SIGHTSEEING

Enjoy a tour of the priceless art of the Vatican Museums, followed by a visit to the Sistine Chapel. Using your audio headset, a local guide explains the significance of Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling. Then visit St Peter’s Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world. Cross the Tiber to enter the Colosseum and see the Roman Forum. You are at leisure this afternoon.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 3 - ROME – PISA – SANTA MARGHERITA

Drive northwards today through the Tuscan hills. En route, there is a wine tasting and informative talk about the Chianti wines that make this region so famous. Then cross the Arno river to Pisa. Celebrated for its incredible leaning tower, Pisa also boasts a beautiful cathedral and baptistry. Continue along the coast, through tunnels and mountains that plunge dramatically into the sparkling sea. Your destination is the charming seaside resort of Santa Margherita.

Hotel: Best Western Hotel Regina Elena

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Day 4 - SANTA MARGHERITA - PORTOFINO - ITALIAN LAKES

Enjoy a short cruise (weather permitting) along the Ligurian coast to the exclusive and elegant village of Portofino, epitome of La Dolce Vita. Admire the gaily-coloured houses, browse the boutiques, stay a while in the café bars on the piazzetta and watch the yachts moored in the harbour. Later, head north to beautiful Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lake District. Why not join in the traditional ritual of la passeggiata tonight.

Hotel: Simplon

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Day 5 - ITALIAN LAKES - VERONA - VENICE

Follow the southern fringes of the Alps to romantic Verona, setting for one of history’s saddest love stories. See Juliet’s balcony and the Roman Arena before enjoying an authentic two course highlight lunch, typical of the region, including a glass of the region’s finest. Then it’s off to romantic Venice, ‘Queen of the Adriatic’.

Hotel: Molino Stucky Hilton

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Lunch

Day 6 - VENICE SIGHTSEEING

Cruise by private launch along canals lined with ornate palaces. Alight at St Mark’s Square where St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and its adjoining Bridge of Sighs await. After a Venetian glass blowing demonstration step aboard your gondola serenade. Relax and enjoy the atmosphere, music and songs as you drift along the romantic canals. The afternoon is entirely at leisure.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 7 - VENICE - FLORENCE

Head for the Apennines and the Tuscan capital of Florence. Join your local guide to visit the Statue of David in the Academy Gallery. Walk to the Cathedral to see Giotto’s bell tower and ‘Gates of Paradise’ before continuing to Signoria Square. Your walking tour finishes at the Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo lies buried. Finally, watch a leather work demonstration before enjoying time at leisure.

Hotel: NH Firenze

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Day 8 - FLORENCE AT LEISURE

A whole day is set aside to explore this glorious city, the treasure house of the Italian Renaissance. Check out the art galleries or take an optional drive into the beautiful Tuscan countryside?

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 9 - FLORENCE - SORRENTO

Take the smooth motorway southwards through the province of Umbria . Continue through the rich volcanic hills of Frascati to Cassino where you visit the Commonwealth Cemetery, overlooked by the austere monastery of Montecassino. Now follow the cliff top road to the resort of Sorrento.

Hotel: Grand Hotel La Pace

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 10 - ISLE OF CAPRI EXCURSION

See the local art of ‘intarsio’, before cruising to the beautiful Isle of Capri. An open top taxi takes you up to Capri town to spend time among the shops and admiring the sea views. Descend to the port by funicular and return to Sorrento. For your dining pleasure tonight, choose from a selection of local restaurants.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dine Around

Day 11 - SORRENTO - GIARDINI NAXOS

Head south this morning, following the smooth Autostrada along the very edge of the mountainous Calabria region, so often compared to Switzerland. Continuing down to the very toe of Italy to Reggio Calabria, make the short ferry crossing to Sicily and continue to your seaside resort.

Hotel: Sant Alphio Garden

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Day 12 - TAORMINA SIGHTSEEING

Drive up to Taormina, clinging to the side of Mount Tauro. Walk with your guide to the tiny courtyard of the Palazzo Corvaja. Visit the Greek Theatre, graced with the most spectacular of backdrops. Now stroll along elegant Corso Umberto to Piazza IX Aprile for more panoramic views. The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy at your own pace.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 13 - GIARDINI NAXOS - AGRIGENTO

Travel to the hilltop town of Enna, the Belvedere of Sicily. Explore the quaint streets, see the cathedral or enjoy the views from the medieval castle. Move on to Agrigento on the southern coast of Sicily where the Valley of the Temples once formed part of the Greek colony of Akragas. Walk with your guide along the fortified ridge to witness the main temples.

Hotel: Della Valle

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Day 14 - AGRIGENTO - PALERMO - OVERNIGHT BOAT

Cross the island to Palermo where a local guide shows you the highlights of the capital. Pass the huge Teatro Massimo to the baroque Quattro Canti Square and glimpse the ‘fountain of shame’. Visit Palermo Cathedral and admire the golden mosaics in the Palatine Chapel of the Palace of the Normans. Enjoy free time to explore until it’s time to board your overnight ferry.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Day 15 - NAPLES - POMPEII - ROME

Arrive in Naples in time for breakfast and an orientation tour of the city. Afterwards, continue to Pompeii, buried in 79 AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Walk through the cobbled streets with your guide and inspect some of the villas before returning to Rome. Tonight, join us for a farewell Celebration Dinner complete with pasta and music.

Hotel: Sheraton Rome

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Celebration Dinner with wine

Day 16 - ROME

Arrivederci Roma! Departure transfers arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 & 09:30.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast
 

Your Insight tour already includes a host of bonus highlights and comprehensive sightseeing. However, there is an exciting array of optional excursions which will turn an already amazing experience into the trip of a lifetime! These are entirely optional and can be booked through your Tour Director/Local Representative at the commencement of your tour. All prices are quoted in local currency. Payment can be made in cash or by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. To help your pre-tour budgeting we suggest you allow approximately EURO 45 per person per day for optional excursions.

ROM16 - PIAZZA & FOUNTAINS
This walking tour takes you to the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona with its pavement cafes, 17th century fountains and architecture. Perhaps have your portrait painted by one of the street artists! This tour is conducted by a local guide and you will utilise personal headsets. EURO 32

ROM06 - TIVOLI GARDENS
A guided tour of the Villa d'Este with its famous gardens and fountains built by Cardinal d'Este to entice his wealthy friends out from Rome. You will visit its grottos and pavilions, the Avenue of a Hundred Fountainsand the Dragon Fountain of the Organ. EURO 40

ROM18 - ILLUMINATIONS DRIVE & PIZZA DINNER
Tonight we have a pizza dinner in a typical Roman restaurant before enjoying an illuminations drive which shows us Piazza Venezia, the Forum, the Colosseum and the Campidoglio. EURO 46

TAO06 - MT ETNA, SAVOCA & THE GODFATHER
Enter the rustic village life of Sicily with our local guide as we visit Savoca, the town also chosen by Frances F Coppola for his movie 'The Godfather'. Enjoy the stunning views and visit Vitelli's bar, used in one of the scenes of the film, famous for its tasty, ice cold, 'granite di limone'. Then up Mt. Etna, the famous active volcano - the highest in Europe. You will have time to photograph the spectacular scenery before our return to Taormina. EURO 54

TAO02 - DINNER IN SICILY
On an island renowned for its delicious cuisine enjoy a fantastic 'Sicilian' evening with a dinner of Southern Italian specialities!. EURO 48

SRR08 - AMALFI COAST DRIVE & POSITANO VISIT
First we drive along the famous Amalfi Coast with its clear blue waters and picturesque resorts. We stop to transfer to minibuses in order to visit the exclusive artist's paradise of Positano, magnificently positionedon the Mediterranean coast. EURO 36

SRR02A - ISLE OF CAPRI, ANACAPRI & LUNCH
The Isle of Capri is best seen on a minibus tour. We drive to Anacapri with its magnificent views over the Mediterranean. We then have a guided tour of the famous Villa San Michele, followed by free time to window shop before continuing to Capri town. Light lunch is included. (On certain days the Villa may be substituted with the chairlift to Mt Solaro. It can also be offered without lunch at Euro 37). EURO 52

SRR03 - SORRENTO EVENING
A chance to enjoy a delicious dinner of local specialities. We arrive at one of the area's top local restaurants for an incredible dining experience featuring some of the famous dishes of this region! EURO 57

VCE06 - MAGICAL VENICE
This evening we board our private boats for a cruise down the famous "Grand Canal", past illuminated palazzi and twinkling chandeliers, to the romantic St Mark's Square. We have reservations in a famous cafè where we sit under the stars listening to the orchestra play some of Italy's best loved music (One drink is included). EURO 45

VCE02 - BURANO EXCURSION & LUNCH
Explore the Venetian lagoon on our cruise around the islands including the colourful island of Burano - a photographer's paradise and famous for its lace. Then enjoy a superb lunch sampling the local specialities. An excursion not to be missed! Lunch may be replaced with a dinner. EURO 65

VCE09 - HIDDEN VENICE
An historical walk, with a local guide, through some of the lesser known quarters of Venice. Discover some of the secrets of other quarters of the Venetian labyrinth. Your experience will be enhanced by the use of individual headsets. EURO 26

FLO09 - SAN GIMIGNANO EXCURSION
A delightful excursion to Tuscany's most famous hilltop town. San Gimignano is considered the medieval Manhattan of Italy due to its towers which dominate the skyline. There is time to enjoy the atmosphere of this unchanged ancient jewel which has remained intact since the 14th century, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage town. EURO 31

FLO03A - DINNER IN TUSCANY
A fabulous dinner of Tuscan specialties awaits you. We drive into the hills surrounding Florence for a fabulous meal and Chianti wine! A great evening of food, wine and fun! (On certain occasions a visit to the Monastery will be included before the dinner Euro 62). EURO 57

FLO11 - PISA & LUCCA
First to Pisa, where we view the Square of Miracles and see the world famous Leaning Tower, with our local guide. Next to Lucca, a delightful town which is completely surrounded by its medieval walls which are perfectly intact. Our orientation tour shows us the squares and piazzas of this stunning city. EURO 40