Globus > THE BEST OF ITALY and SICILY

THE BEST OF ITALY and SICILY
16 Days starting from $2,799

Countries Visited:
Italy

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Length: 16 Days
Type: First Class Tour
Category: REGIONAL TOUR ITALY
Operator: Globus
Tour Code: ZL-2008
   
 
About This Tour


This traditional grand vacation of 16 days is perfect for those who wish to see all of Italy, including Sicily. In the cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, highlight visits are included to St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Michelangelo’s David, St. Mark’s Basilica, and the Doges’ Palace with the Bridge of Sighs. Admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa and St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi. After visiting Pompeii, board the overnight ferry to Sicily for four nights where visits to Palermo’s Palatine Chapel and the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, the spectacular Valley of Temples and the 4th-century Roman Villa of Casale await you. A ferry brings you across the Strait of Messina to Calabria. Two nights in Sorrento include a visit to the Isle of Capri with a visit to Villa San Michele in Anacapri. On the way back to Rome, stop at the medieval Abbey of Montecassino.

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing Highlights
  • SPECIALS

City Highlights
ROME
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum

FLORENCE
Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square

PISA
Picture stop at the Leaning Tower

VENICE
Private boat ride; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration

RAVENNA
Orientation, visit St. Apollinaris in Classe

ASSISI
Orientation, visit St. Francis’ Basilica

POMPEII
Guided visit of the excavations including headsets

NAPLES-SICILY
Overnight cruise in two-berth cabins with private facilities

PALERMO
Guided sightseeing, visit the cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, and Mondello

MARSALA
Visit a salt mill

AGRIGENTO
Guided walking tour of the Valley of Temples

PIAZZA ARMERINA
Visit Roman Villa of Casale

STRAIT OF MESSINA
Ferry crossing

SORRENTO-CAPRI
By jet/hydrofoil

CAPRI
Guided sightseeing, visit Villa San Michele in Anacapri

MONTECASSINO
Visit the abbey

Meals
14 buffet breakfasts (BB); 7 three-course dinners (D), including a special welcome dinner with wine in Rome

Hotels:
ROME Abitart (F), FLORENCE Hilton Garden Inn (F), VENICE Ambasciatori (F) at Mestre, ASSISI Giotto (F), PALERMO Jolly Foro Italico (F), AGRIGENTO Jolly Della Valle (F), TAORMINA AREA Caesar Palace (F) at Giardini Naxos, SORRENTO La Residenza (F), ROME Cicerone (SF) or Jolly Midas (F)
Day 1:
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Rome, Italy. Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

Day 3:
Rome. Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, 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 and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (BB)

Day 4:
Rome–Florence. A smooth drive past the Chianti hills takes you to Florence, capital of Tuscany and home of the Renaissance. Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Time afterwards to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (BB,D)

Day 5:
Florence–Pisa–Venice. The morning is dedicated to Pisa, where you can take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower before you head across the wooded Apennine Mountains to the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea. Tonight is your chance to sample Venetian fare. (BB)

Day 6:
Venice. Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D)

Day 7:
Venice–Ravenna–Assisi. Along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea to Ravenna. Here see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century BASILICA OF ST. APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE. In the afternoon arrive in Assisi and visit the massive 13th-century lower BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS built above the Saint’s grave. Time afterwards to enjoy the peaceful town at your own pace. (BB,D)

Day 8:
Assisi–Pompeii–Overnight Cruise to Palermo. Meet your Local Guide and enter POMPEII, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. See patrician houses, public baths, and commercial districts strikingly recalling day-to-day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. Tonight board your FERRY in Naples for the overnight cruise to Sicily. (BB)

Day 9:
Palermo. After disembarkation start your sightseeing with a Local Guide. Visit the ornate Piazza Bellini, the CATHEDRAL, and the Arab-Norman PALATINE CHAPEL in the Royal Palace. After lunch drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d’Oro and a visit to the 12th-century NORMAN CATHEDRAL (on Sundays inside guided visit not permitted), famous for its 50,000 square feet of precious Byzantine mosaics. Your first day in Sicily ends with a visit to the typical and picturesque village of Mondello before returning to Palermo. (BB,D)

Day 10:
Palermo–Agrigento. Along the western coast of Sicily all the way down to the saltbeds, famous since Roman times. Near Marsala, stop to visit a SALT MILL. Then continue to Agrigento, where your Local Guide will take you for a spectacular walk through the VALLEY OF TEMPLES. Even travelers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures which miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history. (BB,D)

Day 11:
Agrigento–Taormina Area. This morning focus on the 4th-century ROMAN VILLA OF CASALE near Piazza Armerina. Its colorful and perfectly preserved mosaics depict mythological themes and hunting scenes. Enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island’s heart on your way to the Taormina area. (BB)

Day 12:
At Leisure in Taormina Area. In the morning you may wish to join the half-day optional excursion to Mount Etna. Afternoon is at leisure to relax or for individual activities. (BB,D)

Day 13:
Taormina Area–Sorrento. Today board a FERRY and cross the Strait of Messina to land at the toe of the Italian boot in Calabria. Tonight you are in the charming resort of Sorrento, delightfully situated on the Bay of Naples. (BB)

Day 14:
Sorrento. Excursion to Capri. Speed across the Bay of Naples to the Isle of Capri, an ancient retreat for Roman emperors and renowned ever since that time for its beauty. Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes a visit to VILLA SAN MICHELE in Anacapri. Time to stroll around before returning across the bay to Sorrento. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (BB)

Day 15:
Sorrento–Montecassino–Rome. Interrupt the journey back to Rome to visit the ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO, rebuilt to medieval plans after near total destruction by Allied bombers. An optional festive dinner at one of Rome’s fine restaurants may be just the way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (BB)

Day 16:
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)


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Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
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7/5/2008 - 7/20/2008
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ROME
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum

FLORENCE
Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square

PISA
Picture stop at the Leaning Tower

VENICE
Private boat ride; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration

RAVENNA
Orientation, visit St. Apollinaris in Classe

ASSISI
Orientation, visit St. Francis’ Basilica

POMPEII
Guided visit of the excavations including headsets

NAPLES-SICILY
Overnight cruise in two-berth cabins with private facilities

PALERMO
Guided sightseeing, visit the cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, and Mondello

MARSALA
Visit a salt mill

AGRIGENTO
Guided walking tour of the Valley of Temples

PIAZZA ARMERINA
Visit Roman Villa of Casale

STRAIT OF MESSINA
Ferry crossing

SORRENTO-CAPRI
By jet/hydrofoil

CAPRI
Guided sightseeing, visit Villa San Michele in Anacapri

MONTECASSINO
Visit the abbey

CURRENT SPECIALS:

Book now and take $200 off per couple on any air-inclusive European Low Season Vacations.*

* Book a 2008/2009 Globus Europe Winter air-inclusive vacation on select carriers to receive the $100 per person discount. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between June 4 and August 31, 2008 for travel commencing between October 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. To secure the air booking, an additional deposit of $250 is required, which is refundable until the time that the flight information is confirmed. Offers not valid with one another or any offer and applies to new 2009 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


Save up to $600 per stateroom on 2009 Globus River and Small Ship Cruises

Discover an entirely new way to uncover the wonders of the world with river and small ship cruises. From a wine tasting adventure through the vineyards of France to island hopping in the Galapagos Islands, you’re sure to find a Globus river or small ship cruise that speaks to your heart. There’s simply no more peaceful way to sample the charming cities and awe-inspiring sights of Europe, China, Egypt and the Galápagos Islands.

*Book a 2009 Globus River Cruise air-inclusive vacation to receive the $300 off per person offer. Cruise-only bookings are eligible for the $125 off per person offer. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between May 14 and August 31, 2008 for travel through December 31, 2009. To secure the air booking, an additional deposit of $250 is required, which is refundable until the time that the flight information is confirmed. Offers not valid with one-another or any other offer and applies to new 2009 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


Standard Offers and Specials provided by Globus

Discount for young travelers

Share the pleasure of a Globus vacation with your children and grandchildren and take advantage of a 10-percent discount on the land-only price. For eligibility, children must be under 18 years of age on the departure date and must be accompanied by an adult. On escorted vacations we don’t accept children under eight years old because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Pay less for your second vacation

We charge you vacation price for your first vacation in 2008, but for every additional Globus vacation you take in the same year, you pay US$35 under list. Our vacations are designed and scheduled so you can combine them almost any way you want. It’s fun to play the add-a-vacation game yourself or talk to your travel agent.

Triple room reduction

On most Globus vacations you receive a reduction when three people travel together and share the same accommodations. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed on the itinerary pages. A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway put in a twin-bedded room.

Avoid the single room supplement

We do not take reservations on a “share” basis because we have found that strangers rarely enjoy sharing a room for the duration of their vacation. Avoid the single room supplement by traveling with a friend. It’s less expensive and much more fun!


Do you have a large party of friends or family that wants to travel?

Right now when you book between 5 and 7 people before December 31, 2008, each passenger will save $75.* For example, book 5 passengers and receive a $375 discount, 6 passengers equals a $450 discount and 7 passengers will receive a $525 discount. With an offer like this, the world’s greatest destinations are now closer than ever!

*Book a 2009 Globus vacation for five, six or seven travelers to receive the $75 off per person offer. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between Jun 4 and Dec 31, 2008 for travel through December 31, 2009. Individuals must be traveling together from the same origination point to receive the discount. Not valid with any other offer and applies to new 2009 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


   
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