Rome and Sicily

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to Rome

Day 2:

Welcome to Italy!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  
• Explore Rome on foot with your Tour Director, walking from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon, tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and climbing the Spanish Steps with views over the Eternal City

Day 3:

Explore Rome

• Guided by a local expert, explore Vatican City, the world’s smallest country and a sanctuary of Renaissance genius.
• Visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s ceiling continues to awe.
  
• Step into St. Peter’s Basilica to see masterpieces like the Pietà and Bernini’s towering Baldachin.
  
• Guided by a local expert, explore Ancient Rome, exploring the epicenter of a vast empire where emperors ruled, gladiators fought, and temples anchored everyday life
• Visit the Colosseum, stepping into the arena where thousands once gathered to witness gladiator battles and Roman spectacle on a monumental scale
  
• Visit the Roman Forum, walking pathways once traveled by Julius Caesar and Cicero, surrounded by the remains of temples, basilicas, and the heart of public life in ancient Rome
  

Day 4:

Rome - Sorrento

• Travel via Capri to Sorrento
  
• Take an excursion to Capri and the Blue Grotto, ferrying across turquoise waters to explore this glamorous island and - weather permitting - enter the glowing sea cave that’s inspired poets and emperors alike
  

Day 5:

Sorrento - Palermo

• Guided by a local expert, visit the ruins of Pompeii. Walk the stone streets of this once-thriving Roman city, frozen in time by volcanic ash, and glimpse the lives of those who lived, worked, and worshipped here
  
• Guided by a local expert, take in the color and character of Naples. Visit Castel dell’Ovo, stroll across Piazza del Plebiscito, and explore the grit and grandeur of the city’s Old Town
• Visit the Naples Archaeological Museum to see mosaics, sculptures, and artifacts unearthed from Pompeii and Herculaneum
  
• Board an overnight ferry to Palermo, crossing the Tyrrhenian Sea to Sicily
  

Day 6:

Palermo - Agrigento

• Guided by a local expert, explore Palermo’s layered history and bold architecture. See the Norman arches of the Palazzo dei Normanni, the grandeur of Teatro Massimo, and visit the richly adorned Palermo Cathedral
• Visit the Monreale Cathedral, a hilltop treasure lined with golden mosaics that tell biblical stories in dazzling Byzantine detail
  
• Travel to Agrigento
  

Day 7:

Agrigento - Taormina

• Guided by a local expert, get a feel for Agrigento’s modern rhythms and ancient roots. Explore lively streets, coastal views, and the layered history of a city perched between eras
• Walk olive-lined paths to visit the Valley of the Temples, where ancient Greek ruins rise dramatically along a ridge of southern Sicily
  
• Travel to Taormina
  

Day 8:

Explore Taormina

• Guided by a local expert, explore the charm of Taormina’s hilltop streets. Take in the medieval façade of Palazzo Corvaja, the stone arches of the cathedral, and views that stretch toward the Ionian Sea
• Visit the ancient theater of Taormina, dramatically carved into a hillside with sweeping views of Mount Etna and the sea, where performances echo a Roman past
  

Day 9:

Taormina

• Free time or Optional Excursion to Mount Etna
• Opt to visit Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. Journey up the slopes to see craters, lava fields, and panoramic views stretching from summit to sea
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 10:

Depart for home