This traditional grand vacation of 21 days is perfect for those who wish to see all of Italy, including Sicily. In the cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, highlight visits are included to St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Michelangelo’s David, St. Mark’s Basilica, and the Doges’ Palace with the Bridge of Sighs. Admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa and St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi. After visiting Pompeii, board the overnight ferry to Sicily for four nights where visits to Palermo’s Palatine Chapel and the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, the spectacular Valley of Temples and the 4th-century Roman Villa of Casale await you. A ferry brings you across the Strait of Messina to Calabria. Your extended stay in Sorrento includes a visit to the Isle of Capri with a visit to Villa San Michele in Anacapri.

ROME
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum
FLORENCE
Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square
PISA
Picture stop at the Leaning Tower
VENICE
Private boat ride; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration
RAVENNA
Orientation, visit St. Apollinaris in Classe
ASSISI
Orientation, visit St. Francis’ Basilica
POMPEII
Guided visit of the excavations including headsets
NAPLES-SICILY
Overnight cruise in two-berth cabins with private facilities
PALERMO
Guided sightseeing, visit the cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, and Mondello
MARSALA
Visit a salt mill
AGRIGENTO
Guided walking tour of the Valley of Temples
PIAZZA ARMERINA
Visit Roman Villa of Casale
STRAIT OF MESSINA
Ferry crossing
SORRENTO-CAPRI
By jet/hydrofoil
CAPRI
Guided sightseeing, visit Villa San Michele in Anacapri

-MEALS:  14 buffet breakfasts (BB); 7 three-course dinners (D), including a special welcome dinner with wine in Rome
-AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements with Globus
-INSIDE VISITS are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges when applicable
-Hotel Accommodations Twin-bedded rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, service charges, and tips for baggage handling
ROME Abitart (F), FLORENCE Hilton Garden Inn (F), VENICE Ambasciatori (F) at Mestre, ASSISI Giotto (F), PALERMO Jolly Foro Italico (F), AGRIGENTO Jolly Della Valle (F), TAORMINA AREA Caesar Palace (F) at Giardini Naxos, SORRENTO La Residenza (F), ZLE: Hilton Sorrento Palace (SF), ROME Cicerone (SF) or Jolly Midas (F)
-Professional Tour Director while touring, cruise director on River cruises, host services on Independent Vacations, and 50 hosts in London alone to assist you at airports and hotels
-Private deluxe motorcoach with air-conditioning, extra leg room, and emergency washroom while touring
-Globus travel bag and travel documents

Day 1  (Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2  Arrival in Rome, Italy. (Sun.) Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

Day 3  Rome. (Mon.) Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (BB)

Day 4  Rome-Florence. (Tue.) A smooth drive past the Chianti hills takes you to Florence, capital of Tuscany and home of the Renaissance. Follow your Local Guide to the the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Time afterwards to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (BB,D

Day 5  Florence-Pisa-Venice. (Wed.) The morning is dedicated to Pisa, where you can take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, before you head across the wooded Apennine Mountains to the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea. Tonight is your chance to sample Venetian fare. (BB)

Day 6  Venice. (Thu.) Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the BYZANTINE BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE, and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D)

Day 7  Venice-Ravenna-Assisi. (Fri.) Along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea to Ravenna. Here see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century BASILICA OF ST. APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE. In the afternoon arrive in Assisi and visit the massive 13th-century lower BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS built above the Saint’s grave. Time afterwards to enjoy the peaceful town at your own pace. (BB,D)

Day 8  Assisi-Pompeii-Overnight Cruise to Palermo. (Sat.) Meet your Local Guide and enter POMPEII, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. See patrician houses, public baths, and commercial districts strikingly recalling day-to-day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. Tonight board your FERRY in Naples for the overnight cruise to Sicily. (BB)

Day 9  Palermo. (Sun.) After disembarkation start your sightseeing with a Local Guide. Visit the ornate Piazza Bellini, the CATHEDRAL, and the Arab-Norman PALATINE CHAPEL in the Royal Palace. After lunch drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d’Oro and a visit to the 12th-century NORMAN CATHEDRAL (on Sundays inside guided visit not permitted), famous for its 50,000 square feet of precious Byzantine mosaics. Your first day in Sicily ends with a visit to the typical and picturesque village of Mondello, before returning to Palermo. (BB,D)

Day 10  Palermo-Agrigento. (Mon.) Along the western coast of Sicily all the way down to the saltbeds, famous since Roman times, to Marsala, known for its wine. Then continue to Agrigento, where your Local Guide will take you for a spectacular walk through the VALLEY OF TEMPLES. Even travelers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures which miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history. (BB,D)

Day 11  Agrigento-Taormina Area. (Tue.) This morning focus on the 4th-century ROMAN VILLA OF CASALE near Piazza Armerina. Its colorful and perfectly preserved mosaics depict mythological themes and hunting scenes. Enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island’s heart on your way to the Taormina area. (BB)

Day 12  At Leisure in Taormina Area. (Wed.) In the morning you may wish to join the half-day optional excursion to Mount Etna. Afternoon is at leisure to relax or for individual activities. (BB,D)

Day 13  Taormina Area-Sorrento. (Thu.) Today board a FERRY and cross the Straits 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. (BB)

Day 14  Sorrento. Excursion to Capri. (Fri.) Speed across the Bay of Naples to the Isle of Capri, an ancient retreat for Roman emperors and renowned ever since that time for its beauty. Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes a visit to VILLA SAN MICHELE in Anacapri. Time to stroll around before returning across the bay to Sorrento. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (BB)

Day 15 - 19  In Sorrento. (Sat. to Wed.) Few resorts in the world match the very special charm of Sorrento. A favorite with the international jet set, the resort on the Bay of Naples boasts an exquisite climate, beautiful beaches, trendy shops and boutiques, museums and galleries, and a vibrant night life. It’s all yours for five happy days. (BB daily)

Day 20  Sorrento-Rome. (Thu.) Today you will be transferred back to Rome. (BB)

Day 21  (Fri.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)