OCTOBER 10 - LEAVE WINNIPEG VIA AIR – ARRIVE ROME, ITALY NEXT DAY

Day 1 ARRIVE IN ROME, ITALY

Transfer from the Rome Airport and check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring this great city.Tonight, meet your up with your Escort Host, Tour Director and fellow travelers. Prepare for your next 2 days in this capital city.

Day 2-3 ROME(B)

Two days to get acquainted with Rome. After breakfast, on Day 2 (Saturday) in the morning, we have a tour around the VATICAN MUSEUMS to admire the beautiful tapestry gallery and the SISTINE CHAPEL with masterpieces by Botticelli and Signorelli.See the “Genesis and Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement”. In the afternoon, included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts with St. Peter’s SQUARE and BASILICA. Other highlights are the iconic COLOSSEUM, the largest amphitheater ever built and CIRCUS MAXIMUS. Day 3 (Sunday) enjoy a day all to yourself to experience more sights and sounds of Rome, cafes, restaurants, and anything else you may want to do before leaving.

Day 4 ROME–MONTECASSINO–POMPEII–NAPLES–CAPRI (B, D)

Today visit the ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO and the WWII MEMORIALS. Then, to POMPEII,

where time stopped in 79 AD when the Vesuvius eruption totally buried the city. On the included

guided visit sees the remains of the luxurious villas, temples, theater, and forum. Embark on the

FERRY to Capri to spend two nights on this charming island.

Day 5 CAPRI (B, D)

This legendary island is surrounded by a rocky coastline—and the crashing sea has formed

remarkable caves. The town, with its pretty piazzetta, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques,

and cozy restaurants, is a mecca for the jet set. An optional island tour is available.

After breakfast, enjoy at leisure, the amazing resort town of Sorrento with its cafes, shops, beaches and colourful alleys.Next, included is a visit and tour of the charming village of Positano, which a famous author once said, “It is a dream place that is not quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”

Day 6 CAPRI–SORRENTO AREA. EXCURSION TO AMALFITAN COAST (B, D)

Take the FERRY to Sorrento. Few places in the world match the very special charm of Sorrento.

This picturesque resort overlooking the Bay of Naples boasts a marvelous climate, beautiful

views, trendy shops and boutiques, interesting museums, and a vibrant nightlife. Don’t miss out

on the included excursion along the breathtakingly beautiful AMALFITAN COAST.

Days 7-8 SORRENTO AREA (Day 7- B / Day 8 – B,D)

Two full days to enjoy the waters of the Bay of Naples and with truly spectacular views as far as

towering Vesuvius. Sorrento’s terraces, adorned with flowers, jut from winding streets and alleys

above a small harbor. Streets are filled with shops, cheerful bars, and cafés.

Day 7 enjoy a relaxing cruise to two of the gems of the Neapolitan Riviera: Positano and Amalfi.That evening you may choose to enjoy an Optional Excursion including a delicious dinner on the picturesque bay of Naples or talk to your Tour Director about a local delight to try.

Day 8, free day to wander and shop, relax and prepare for the next day.

Day 9 NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA–VILLA SAN GIOVANNI–FERRY CROSSING–TAORMINA AREA(B,D)

Today, travel through the rustic mountainous scenery of Italy’s southernmost region, Calabria, before boarding the FERRY for a 45-minute crossing to Sicily. Continue to the Taormina area for a 2-night stay.

Day 10 TAORMINA AREA. EXCURSION TO MOUNT ETNA(B,D)

Enjoy a visit to the heights of MOUNT ETNA with the option of a jeep or cable-car ride for a better view of Europe’s largest active volcano (subject to weather conditions). Later, visit the charming town of Taormina.Magnificently situated on a 700-foot plateau overlooking the Ionian Sea, the heart of Taormina is Piazza Nove Aprile, a paved square with unrivaled views of the sea and Mount Etna. Tonight, enjoy a delicious Sicilian style dinner including folk music and entertainment.

Day 11 TAORMINA AREA–PIAZZA ARMERINA–AGRIGENTO(B,D)

Today, drive westward to Piazza Armerina, a maze of steep streets positively overflowing with the colorful atmosphere of Sicilian life. At nearby Casale, visit the ROMAN VILLA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its mosaics, including the whimsical “Bikini Girls.” On to Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, one of Italy’s archaeological jewels. Visit the DORIC TEMPLE OF CONCORD, one of the finest examples of Greek civilization existing today, and the hilltop TEMPLE OF JUNO LACINIA. Spend the night in Agrigento.

Day 12 AGRIGENTO–SELINUNTE–MARSALA(B, D)

Leave for Selinunte, one of the most striking and interesting sites in Sicily. At the apex of its power before 409 BC, the city exceeded 30,000 people, excluding slaves. Here, you will see the remains of the ACROPOLIS with its temples and fortifications. On the western coast of Sicily, stop in Marsala, known for its celebrated Marsala wine. Here, you will visit a local SALT MILL and learn how this local product is extracted and refined.

Day 13 MARSALA-TRAPANI-ERICE-PALERMO(B,D)

Two Sicilian treats are on the agenda today. First, visit enchanting Trapani with a Local Guide, set on a harbor that was once at the heart of a powerful trading network stretching from Carthage to Venice. The city center

stretches along the port and was built in primarily baroque style. Next is the medieval hilltop town of Erice, reached by CABLE CAR. Situated about 2,500 feet above sea level, it immediately impresses with its defensive walls and castle, affording breathtaking views over the Trapani Gulf and Egadi Island and on clear days, all the way to the African coast. Continue to Palermo.Here, you will enjoy an orientation coach tour of this fascinating city which takes in some of the most important sights, then dinner in a lovely restaurant on the coast.

Day 14 PALERMO (EMBARKATION)–OVERNIGHT FERRY CROSSING TO NAPLES(B)

A full day to enjoy this busy and colorful city full of interesting squares and marketplaces, churches, and palazzos in every style—from Moorish to baroque. Join the included sightseeing tour to learn more and visit the magnificent CAPPELLA PALATINA. This evening embark for an overnight FERRY crossing from Palermo to Naples, in the comfort of your sleeper cabins. Purchase breakfast on the ferry before disembarking the next morning in Naples.

Day 15 NAPLES (DISEMBARKATION)–ROME(D)

Get to know Naples with a Local Guide. You'll discover a multifaced city, elegant and decadent at the same time, lively, fascinating, and colorful. Later, return to Rome, the “Eternal City.” Soak up “la dolce vita” of this romantic but pulsing capital to the sound of clinking glasses as you “saluti” your way through the evening enjoying Farewell Dinner in a typical restaurant and say goodbye to new found traveler friends. A tour of the city’s fountains and majestic squares is included.

Day 16 ROME(B)

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. You will be transferred from your hotel to the airport to catch your return flight home. Say “Arrivederci” to Italy … for now. If you’d like to extend your visit, talk to me about several options to consider.