August 25 - September 09, 2018
16 Days
Tour Status - Available
Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country and the tour will visit many, including a number in southern Italy off the beaten tourist trail. With an optional Mediterranean Cruise this tour takes in many of the Med’s rich cultural heritage and best loved sights. This tour is a “must”!
This tour is operated by one of our Travel Partners. Contact Us to book airfare separately. [QUAD]
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Tour Highlights
- Guided tours of Rome, Naples, Florence and the romantic city of Venice
- Visit olive groves and vineyards plus sheep, buffalo and donkey milk operations to see how cheese is made.
- Enjoy delicious regional foods and local wines
- Visit UNESCO World Heritage sites including Pompeii and the Trulli of Alberobello
- Soak up the sunshine on the beautiful Amalfi Coast
- Travel through picturesque countryside to the sunny rural south of Italy
Day 01: Aug 25, 2018 - Depart North America
Your tour begins with an overnight flight to Rome. [IFM]
Day 02: Aug 26, 2018 - Arrive Rome, Italy
Welcome to Italy! Arrive Rome and meet your English-speaking Tour Guide who will be with you for the remainder of the tour. Transfer to your centrally located hotel with a stop at the imposing Colosseum en route. The remainder of the day is free to relax after the flight or explore the local area before meeting fellow travelers for this evening’s Welcome Dinner. [D]
Day 03: Aug 27, 2018 - Rome
Depart after breakfast for the first of the farm visits to see a dairy farm in the vicinity of Rome. After lunch, continue on to visit a buffalo farm with dairy, for an overview of the processes involved in transforming buffalo milk into the much-loved Italian mozzarella. Return to Rome where the evening is free. [B/L]
Day 04: Aug 28, 2018 - Rome - Vatican City
After breakfast depart for a guided morning visit to the Vatican City, the official residence of the pope, St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. In the afternoon there’s time to explore the centre of Rome where the River Tiber gently curves through the city with Ancient Rome situated on the left bank and the Vatican City and the colourful Trastevere area on the right. [B/L]
Day 05: Aug 29, 2018 - Rome - Naples
Depart Rome after breakfast and travel south to Naples. En route visit Instituto Sperimentale Tormancia, an agricultural research station and possibly a beef cattle enterprise. Beef cattle farms in Italy are generally small scale in contrast to Australia and are often fully integrated ‘paddock to plate’ operations. After free time for lunch, enjoy a half day guided city tour taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city of Naples, with its UNESCO World Heritage city centre and 18th century seaside promenade offering views to Mount Vesuvius. [B/D]
Day 06: Aug 30, 2018 - Naples, Pompeii & Amalfi Coast
Southern Italy is known for its sunshine, lemons and scenic coastline. Depart after breakfast and travel along the Amalfi Coast, the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Soak up the sunshine and visit Stinca vineyard to sample the local wine. Afterwards visit a nearby operation producing the delicious Limoncello; a famous Italian liqueur made from lemons. After lunch visit the ancient remains of the city of Pompeii; buried under ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. [B/L]
Day 07: Aug 31, 2018 - Naples - Bari
Leave Naples and travel across the calf of Italy’s boot to the southern port city of Bari, capital of the Puglia region, known for its sunny weather. Puglia is a rich archaeological region of largely flat farming country with a long coastline bordering the Adriatic Sea. On the way to Bari visit Italian enterprise, Agricoper, a major producer of Abulia and Luisa, two varieties of seedless table grapes. The ancient family tradition of Agricoper began in 1938 in Apulia, the heel of Italy's boot, where the first vineyards were planted, just a few kilometres from the sea. The company is now being managed by the third-generation of the Liturri family. Their core values are innovation, quality excellence and research by following tradition. [B/L]
Day 08: Sep 01, 2018 - Bari - Alberobello - Altamura
After breakfast this morning visit the Grotte di Castellana, a remarkable karst cave system formed over 90 million years ago and now one of the most important natural attractions in Puglia. Afterwards visit the Trulli of Alberobello - a UNESCO site of cone shaped limestone dwellings made using a prehistoric building technique. After lunch visit a museum and later sample the local wines of the region in the quaint town of Alberobello. [B/L]
Day 09: Sep 2, 2018 - Altamura & Matera
Today’s visits include a buffalo farm and also a dairy farm nearby and then, after lunch, visit the fascinating town of Matera, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for being "the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region”. Later return to Altamura. [B/L]
Day 10: Sep 3, 2018 - Altamura - Cerignola - Pescara
Depart after breakfast for Pescara, a popular beachside resort and gateway to the rugged and rural Abruzzo region. Along the way you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the cultivation and harvesting of olives in Cerignola, at a farm growing olives for table use. Free time for lunch then travel on to Pescara, home of the Italian poet Gabriel D’Annunzio, where there’s some leisure time to explore the town or enjoy the beach. [B/D]
Day 11: Sep 4, 2018 - Pescara - Perugia
Depart Pescara and travel on to the picturesque medieval hill town of Perugia with lunch at a ‘paddock to plate’ farming enterprise with 70 head of Chianina beef cattle. Chianina was originally a breed used for labouring the land but are now bred for their tasty meat. In the afternoon visit Lungarotti Vineyard en route to Perugia, an ancient Umbrian hill town well worth a wander on foot to appreciate its charm. [B/L]
Day 12: Sep 5, 2018 - Perugia - Siena - Florence
After breakfast travel through a gentle landscape of rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards to Florence, visiting the delightful medieval city of Siena en route. Siena is famous for the “Palio di Siena” a horse race held twice a year around the main square, Piazza del Campo. After lunch in Siena, travel on to “Castello Vicchiomaggio” in Greve in Chianti, where you’ll have a chance to try the local wine and olive oil. Continue to Florence for overnight. [B/L]
Day 13: Sep 6, 2018 - Florence
This morning there’s a guided tour of the elegant city of Florence, including the famous Duomo Cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore and Piazza San Giovanni. Later there’s time to stroll over the famous Ponte Vecchio; the bridge over the Arno River, famous for its goldsmith shops. Florence is a great place to buy leather goods - so be sure to check this out for bargains. Remainder of the day at leisure. [B]
Day 14: Sep 7, 2018 - Florence - Pisa - Lucca - Florence
Leave Florence for the day to visit Pisa, home of the spectacular Leaning Tower of Pisa, then travel on to the charming Renaissance town of Lucca with its cobbled streets, handsome piazzas and shady promenades. Time to explore the town on foot before returning to Florence. [B/D]
Day 15: Sep 8, 2018 - Florence - San Giminiano - Rome
This morning depart Florence and travel to Rome stopping at the delightful town of San Giminiano for lunch and a walking city tour on the way. Farewell dinner this evening. [B/L/D]
Day 16: Sep 9, 2018 - End of Tour
Check out after breakfast and depart for the airport for the return flight back to North America or transfer to Civitavecchia connect with the optional Mediterranean Cruise. [B/IFM]
Per Person, Double - $11,880.00 CAD including air
Airfare included from major Canadian gateways.
Plus Air/Government Taxes of $692.00
Single Add: $1,740.00
Initial Deposit - $2,500.00 Per Person at time of booking
Final Payment - per person is due before May 25, 2018
