Day 1 : Welcome to the Eternal City of Rome
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your hotel. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and getting to know your fellow travelers over a delicious Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Accommodation : Kolbe Hotel Rome.
Day 2 : Rome with the Locals
Rome is about art, antiquity, piazzas and pizza, and our guided walk with a Local Expert has it in abundance. Sightsee the local way, with a leisurely passeggiata through the backstreets, where a friend in Rome will explain how modern life takes place. Toss a coin into the spectacular Trevi Fountain, see the Pantheon, the best-preserved monument from the Roman period, and enjoy free time to do as the Romans do. Perhaps join a tour to discover the incredibly characteristic Roman quarter of Trastevere. Get off the beaten track and explore Rome’s most untouched and unique districts and most consistently unchanged medieval neighborhoods, Trastevere is dotted with ancient and dimly lit churches, crumbling buildings and streets barely wide enough for a Fiat. With your Local Expert, explore the medieval labyrinth of alleyways and pause from time to time to take in this very atmospheric area. A maze of food shops, art galleries, cafes, apartment buildings and pretty squares, this district was once rather run-down and working-class, but has now become one of the city's liveliest and most popular neighborhoods.
Accommodation : Kolbe Hotel Rome.
Day 3 : Vatican and Alberobello
With your Local Expert, visit the Vatican Museums. Insight provides Fast Track entry and behind-the-scenes access to the Bramante Staircase, normally off-limits to the public. Inside the Sistine Chapel, admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling before visiting St. Peter’s Basilica. Next, journey to Alberobello.
Accommodation : Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello.
Day 4 : The Trulli of Alberobello Relaxed Start
Admire another of Italy's record number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with a Local Expert. The Trulli of Alberobello are circular structures with conical roofs that are domed within. They are built from local limestone and stacked without using mortar. In the evening, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Trattoria Terra Madre. Alessandro, the owner, shares his philosophy of using home-grown organic and seasonal produce. See Nonna making orechiette pasta during a demonstration, before a delicious four-course, Farm-to-Table Highlight Dinner.
Accommodation : Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello.
Day 5 : Free Time in Alberobello Relaxed Start
The day is free for you to enjoy this extraordinary town as you wish. Why not join an Optional Experience to the stunning city of Ostuni? With its dazzling white houses and fascinating history, it is a true delight. Your Local Expert experience reveals this town reminiscent of a North African Arab Medina. Admire the stark white-washed buildings, narrow cobbled streets and arched stairways. Set against three hills and perched high above the beautiful sea; 'The White Town' is a photographer's delight. Afterwards, visit a Mill to taste the renowned olive oil produced in this area that incorporates olives from the ancient groves of Puglia. Or, join an optional Masseria Dinner in Puglia, a food lovers' paradise. You’re off to the countryside to a local 'Masseria', a typical ancient fortified 'Farmhouse'. Enjoy an authentic dinner in a 'country roads' experience all served up with great wines form the region.
Accommodation : Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello.
Day 6 : Journey South to Matera Relaxed Start
Visit Matera with a Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sassi — a labyrinth of cave dwellings, churches, staircases and arches, hewn out of the solid rock. You may recognise Matera as the biblical backdrop for the film ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ Continue to the small village of Grottole. Once a thriving community, it has lost most of its activity and population. Meet Andrea, a local striving to bring back the area's traditional way of living. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience explore the historic old town to learn about the fascinating history of the village.
Accommodation : MH Matera Hotel.
Day 7 : Pompeii and Sorrento
Start your day in Pompeii, buried in A.D. 79 by the historic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Walk with your Local Expert through the cobbled streets to see a city frozen in time. Venture on to the picturesque resort of Sorrento, perched upon the southern cliffs of the Bay of Naples and looking over to Mount Vesuvius.
Accommodation : Hotel Isabella, Sorrento.
Day 8 : Capri, the Isle of Dreams
Cruise by jetfoil across the impossibly blue sea to the sun-drenched island of Capri. On arrival, enjoy an escorted ride in an iconic, open-top taxi to Capri Town and meet your Local Expert for an orientation walk through narrow alleyways. Explore Capri with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the immaculate Gardens of Augustus with a Local Expert and admire the views over Faraglioni Rocks. Alternatively, enjoy a tasting of limoncello, Capri’s famous lemon liqueur. Descend to the port by funicular before returning to Sorrento.
Accommodation : Hotel Isabella, Sorrento.
Day 9 : Depart Sorrento
This morning, bid farewell to your fellow travelers as you depart Sorrento on a coach transfer to Rome.