Fantasia Mediterranea

Day 1 Rome
Benvenuti a Roma! After you touch down at the airport, make your own way  to your hotel. Check in and enjoy your first night in Italy.  

Day 2 Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento
After breakfast at your hotel, a coach bus will depart at 7:00am, taking the  highway “of the sun”through the regions of Lazio and Campania, where you  will see a picturesque view of the abbey of Montecassino. Upon arriving in  Naples, you will go on a short panoramic walking tour, seeing sites such as  the Mergellina neighborhood, Castel dell’Ovo, Plebiscito square, the Royal  palace, Maschio Angioino, and the port. Have lunch in a restaurant en route  to  Pompeii  and  then  visit  the  excavations  of  the  famous  roman  city,  destroyed by the eruption of mount Vesuvius in 79 a.D. Leaving Pompeii, you  will drive along the Sorrentine coast, arriving in Sorrento for dinner and an  overnight in your new hotel.

Day 3 Sorrento, Capri, Sorrento  
Board a boat for the island of Capri after breakfast. Depending on weather  and sea conditions, you will enter the infamous blue grotta in a small  rowboat. After, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then roam the island at  your own pace. Return to the mainland for dinner and your last overnight in  Sorrento.    

Day 4 Sorrento, Palermo (Overnight On Ferry Boat)
Spend a leisurely morning eating breakfast at your hotel and then exploring  Sorrento. That afternoon, depart for Naples harbor, where you will board  the Tirrenia/Snav ferry to Palermo. Let the waves rock you to sleep.   Please note, dinner and breakfast are not included on the boat.    

Day 5 Palermo  
Arrive in Palermo and make your own way to your hotel. That night, have  dinner in the hotel and rest up for the adventure that lies ahead.    

Day 6 Palermo  
Relax over breakfast, and then head out on a morning excursion to Monreale  an ancient royal town famous for its almonds, olive oil and citrus fruits, as  well  as  its  fine  Norman  architecture.  Visit  the  elaborate  Cathedral  of  Monreale or perhaps shop for local produce to take home. Back to Palermo  and continue with a walking tour of the city. Wander the streets of the Old  Town,  hearing  tales  of  Palermo’s  3,000‐year  history  and  discovering  attractions like Palermo Cathedral. Walk inside the impressive looking place  of worship and marvel at its arches, cupolas and mosaics – amassed from  each of the city’s successive rulers. Enjoy free time in the late afternoon and  return to your hotel for dinner. Overnight.    

Day 7 Palermo, Erice, Marsala, Agrigento
Rise early for breakfast and departure to Erice, a medieval village stacked  into the side of Monte San Giuliano. Many say that little has changed in the  village since the sixth century, and its labyrinth‐like twist of lanes make for a  pleasant morning amble. Continue to Marsala, a pretty coastal town on the  westernmost point of Sicily. Explore at leisure, perhaps shopping for a bottle  of local Marsala dessert wine to take home. Return to your coach and travel 
south, passing Mazara del Vallo – the closest Sicilian city to Africa – before  stopping in the town of Agrigento, your final destination of the day. Visit  Ancient Greek monuments and ruins at the Valley of Temples(admission  included), a UNESCO World Heritage site, and learn about archeological  relics like the Classical Temple of Concord the Temple of Hercules, and the  Temple of Jupiter, one of the largest Doric‐style buildings. Check in to your  hotel in the evening. Dinner and overnight.    

Day 8 Agrigento, Noto, Siracusa, Taormina (Giardini Naxos)  
Breakfast at the hotel and travel to Noto, a picturesque fishing town that’s  popular for its stately Baroque architecture. Visit Cathedral of San Nicolò, a  recently renovated structure, and then stretch your legs on a walk around  the  center.  Continue  along  the  south  coast  to Syracuse,  on  Sicily’s  southeastern tip. Visit Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Syracuse’s famous  archeological zone that’s home to a vast collection of Greek and Roman ruins  from all over Sicily. Head inside to see impressive excavations such as the  Greek theater, Roman amphitheater and the Ear of Dionysius – an artificial  limestone cave. After the visit, cross one of the city’s bridges for a visit to the  island of Ortygia, home to a wealth of Baroque churches and medieval  palaces. In the late afternoon arrive in Taormina, check in to your hotel and  enjoy dinner.    

Day 9 Taormina (Giardini Naxos)
Breakfast at your hotel and then head off to Mount Etna, the largest active  volcano in Europe and the highest mountain in Italy. Learn about volcanic  activity  and  marvel  at  the  old  lava  fields  and  black  magma  rock  that  comprises Etna’s landscape. If weather permits, you have a chance to climb  to  the  summit  (1800  m).  After,  return  to  Taormina,  the  beautiful  and  romantic town located on Mount Tauro. Relax over dinner and then get  some well‐deserved rest. Return to Taormina in the afternoon and spend the  rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight.  

Day 10 Taormina (Giardini Naxos), Savoca and Forza D’Agrò, Catania
After breakfast travel to Savoca and Forza D’Agrò a pretty hillside villages  where  Francis  Ford  Coppola  filmed  some  of  the  immortal  scenes  of  Godfather’s trilogy. A visit for lovers of this movie but also even if you aren’t  a fan, this stop is a fascinating way to visit these unspoiled and typical Sicilian  hill towns a real insight into the island and the heart of its people. A stop for  a lemon granita at Bar Vitelli is a must for any visitor in town. It is still run by  the family who owned it at the time of filming and exhibits a collection of  photos taken when Francis Ford Coppola shot some scenes of The Godfather  II.  We  also  leave  you  time  to  explore  further  and  really  soak  up  the  atmosphere of this hidden, not‐for‐tourists Sicilian hilltown. Everything here  is just like in the movie. After the visit depart to Catania. Afternoon free time  to  explore  Catania’s  UNESCO‐listed  historical  center  with  his  Baroque  palaces and Roman ruins. See Piazza Dante and the Fountain of the Elephant,  carved from volcanic rock. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.    

Day 11 Catania
Enjoy one final breakfast before the tour comes to an end