8 Days Italian Winter Delight Tour Package

Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Priced From: $1,369 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Nov, Dec, Jan - Apr

Enjoy a leisurely week in southern Italy and explore all its highlights. Start with two nights in Rome, and visit the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum with a Local Guide. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the excavations in Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Stay three nights in the bayside resort of Sorrento, and visit the Isle of Capri, the Amalfi Coast, and Positano. On the way back to Rome, visit the Abbey of Montecassino.

Day 2 Arrive in Rome

Saint Peter's Square in Rome, Italy Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 pm, 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

Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS  Story aboutVatican Museums
"In the early 1500s, Rome was full of neglected ruins from the days of the ancient Empire, which still contained artworks buried amongst the rubble. The Renaissance had seen a sudden growth of interest in all things classical, and the popes – cultivated men who were in touch with the intellectual currents of the day – were the richest art collectors in Italy. They began offering substantial cash rewards for any sculptures, until Rome was scoured by freelance treasure hunters on the hunt for pagan masterpieces. The most dramatic discovery occurred in 1506, when a Roman father-and-son team of excavators reported a promising find near the ruined Baths of Titus. The artist Michelangelo himself excitedly hurried over to help with the work, followed by the pope’s official agent, Guiliano da Sangallo. When the excavators brushed away the dirt of 1,000 years, they found an enormous marble sculpture, perfectly intact, of a muscular Trojan hero being attacked by giant snakes. Guilano cried out in amazement, “This is the very Laocoön described by (the ancient Roman author) Pliny!” The sculpture was carted off to the Vatican Museum."
and SISTINE CHAPEL

The Sistine Chapel is world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings

, 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  Story aboutThe Colosseum
"Thanks to Hollywood recreations such as Gladiator, nothing symbolizes the cruelty of Imperial Rome as much as the Colosseum. In truth, the games held there were even more extreme and theatrical than modern film directors dare to suggest. A day at the Empire’s most famous arena was a total entertainment package, mixing bouts of savage violence with solemn religious pageantry, sexual titillation, slapstick comedy and kitschy stage shows."
and the ROMAN FORUM  Story aboutThe Roman Forum
"Visitors can be a little confused by the Roman Forum; at first glance, it is a rather lifeless array of marble fragments. But we must remember that in ancient times, this space was far more than the temples and monuments whose ruins we can explore today. It was filled with bustling, noisy life as the popular crossroads of the city – the predecessor, in fact, of the modern Italian piazza. Every morning at dawn, average Romans would escape their cramped, dark apartment blocks (called insulae, or “islands”) and spent their days outdoors. "
, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (B)

Day 4 Rome–Pompeii  Story aboutPompeii

"While wandering the superbly-preserved streets of Pompeii keep an eye out for the cauponae or early fast-food restaurants beloved by the ancient Romans. Located on several corners and looking like open-air bars, these one-room establishments were where busy citizens could grab a quick meal and glass of wine on the run. They were identified by colorful signs over their doors (one place excavated in Pompeii had a Phoenix, another, an elephant and pygmy). And like modern coffee bars in Italy today, customers stood at an L-shaped brick counter to order. There were jars full of hot and cold food, as well as amphorae of wine, which they could consume on the spot or take out to a few wooden seats provided on the street or, in some cases, a small back garden."
–Sorrento
(Wed.) Leave Rome and arrive in POMPEII, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Follow your Local Guide for a walking tour of the excavations and see a patrician home, public baths, and shops that give a striking picture of what day-to-day life was like in Rome at its apex of power. Afterwards, arrive in the charming, bayside resort of Sorrento, where you will stay for the next three nights. (B)

Day 5 Sorrento. Excursion to Capri

Speed by JETFOIL across the bay to the beautiful Isle of Capri  Story aboutCapri
"Rising like a whale from the ocean, the spectacular island of Capri has held a particular attraction for celebrities trying to “get away from it all” over the centuries. In former times, it lured the writers Goethe, Oscar Wilde and Graham Greene; these days, it attracts American stars like Leonardo di Caprio, Harrison Ford and Mariah Carey. But Capri first became famous in 26 AD, when the Roman Emperor Tiberius “dropped out” here to escape the political in-fighting in Rome. For 16 years, he ruled the Empire from his luxurious cliff-side palace – flashing his orders to the mainland via a lighthouse. Protected by 500 foot cliffs, Capri had only one landing point, and his villa, located on a remote headland offered sweeping 300 degree views of the ocean. B"
, an ancient retreat for Roman emperors and renowned for its beauty ever since. Ride the FUNICULAR to Capri village for a guided visit of this pretty town. Enjoy free time to explore the little shops on the Piazzetta. Afterwards, return via Sorrento to your hotel. (B)

Day 6 Sorrento. Excursion to the Amalfi Coast & Positano

Enjoy a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast and visit one of the most famous resorts, Positano. Time to walk around and explore this pretty town on your own before returning to Sorrento. (B,D)

Day 7Sorrento–Montecassino–Rome

On your way to Rome, stop to visit the ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO. Tonight, an optional festive dinner at one of Rome’s fine restaurants may be just the way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (B)

Day 8

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)