Grand Italy & Sicily

Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classical antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. Settle in before joining your Travel Director and get to know your fellow travelers over Roman specialties during dinner at a local restaurant.

Rome is a city of art, antiquity, piazzas and palaces. Join your Local Expert for an in-depth exploration that brings its layered history to life. Begin at the Vatican Museums, where you’ll see an extraordinary collection of priceless artworks curated by the Popes. Marvel at Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and admire the iconic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Then cross the Tiber into ancient Rome to visit the Circus Maximus and the Arch of Constantine. Enjoy a guided visit of the Colosseum and uncover the legends, construction and daily life of this monumental arena. Later, you may choose to continue your exploration, from the grandeur of the Pantheon to the fountains and piazzas that define Rome’s vibrant street life.

Enjoy a delightful drive to Pisa through rolling countryside dotted with cypress trees, passing vineyards and olive groves. With a Local Expert, view the incredible Leaning Tower in the Square of Miracles from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. See the splendid cathedral and baptistery, decorated with mosaics and designs in solid marble. Your journey continues to the pretty seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure.

Head to the famous Cinque Terre, which translates to Five Lands. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on a gorgeously wild yet hospitable part of the coastline. With a Local Expert, approach one of the fishing villages by boat (weather permitting). In Monterosso, spend some time exploring the medieval quarter or the popular sandy beach before continuing to the village of Portofino, famed for its colorful houses. Browse the boutiques and stay a while in the cafe bars on the piazzetta, watching the yachts moored in the harbor. Then cruise along the rugged Ligurian coast to your hotel in the resort of Santa Margherita.