This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Incredible sightseeing including Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Palermo, Mount Etna, Taormina and more
✓ 9 nights in premium 4-star accommodation
✓ 1 overnight ferry ride from Sorrento to Palermo
✓ 9 Breakfasts, 2 lunches and 7 dinners
✓ Fully escorted by a professional English-speaking tour guide
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
✈ Needing international airfares to accompany your Inspiring Vacation? You will be able to access our flight portal after securing your package to add international airfares to your booking.
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Benvenuti a Roma! After your arrival at the airport, make your own way to your hotel and enjoy your first day at your own leisure.
This evening meet your local expert guide for a walk to discover the wonders of the Eternal City. You will visit the Jewish Ghetto, one of Rome’s most beautiful neighbourhoods, full with history and with a real Roman atmosphere. We then walk to the Pantheon, the former temple of Marcus Agrippa later converted into a church, then have an opportunity to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Continue to visit the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), one of the city’s most popular squares where you can walk up these famous steps to enjoy a lovely view from the top. To finish, relax as you enjoy a creamy and tasty Gelato, it’s on us! The tour ends in the Spanish Steps area. Enjoy on your own the rest of the night. Return to the hotel on your own and overnight stay.
Check in: Passengers will be arriving at various times throughout the day. If arriving prior to standard check-in time, which is generally 3pm local time, you are welcome to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available, as there are generally no scheduled activities on Day 1 of the itinerary. The hotel may grant early check-in, however this is strictly subject to availability and at the hotel’s discretion.
You will be picked up after breakfast heading south crossing the regions of Lazio and Campania. On arrival in Naples enjoy a panoramic tour including Vomero Hill with unsurpassed views over the Gulf of Naples. Next travel towards Mount Vesuvius and look forward to lunch with a real Neapolitan pizza after you reach the town of Pompeii! It is here that you enter one of the most important archeological sites in the world - the ruins of Pompeii including Skip the Line access and a guided tour. Travel back in time to the tragic days when Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, leaving this prosperous city in ruins. Learn how people lived at that time, visit authentic housing and marvel at frescoes and mosaics.
Continue to Sorrento for dinner.
Today you will get to explore the island of Capri, one of the most exclusive summer destinations of the Mediterranean. Admire the dreamy Blue Grotto on a rowboat, weather permitting. Spend the afternoon exploring the island at your own pace. Return to the hotel for dinner and enjoy your last night in Sorrento.
Please note: 2023 departures will have lunch included in Capri.
Enjoy free time in Sorrento before boarding a comfortable overnight ferry to Palermo.
Transfer to your hotel for dinner, and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Explore beautiful Monreale, an ancient royal town that recently joined the UNESCO World Heritage list and impresses with some of the best almonds, olive oil and citrus fruits in the region. It is also known for stunning Norman architecture, which you get to experience first-hand with a visit to the elaborate Cathedral of Monreale, followed by a shopping opportunity. Return to Palermo and enjoy a walking tour, taking you across the streets of the Old Town and Palermo Cathedral with its impressive arches, cupolas and mosaics. You will have some free time before returning to the hotel for dinner.
This morning you depart for Erice, a medieval village located on the side of Monte San Giuliano and known for its labyrinth-like twist of lanes. Next is a visit to Saline, a special lagoon inviting you to try unique experiences based on history, nature and archeology. From here, we continue to Marsala to participate in an extraordinary lunch experience including regional wine tasting. Board your coach and proceed to Agrigento for your chance to visit ancient Greek monuments and ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage certified Valley of Temples. Check in to your hotel, enjoy a hearty dinner and overnight.
Travel to Ragusa and visit the enchanting historical center “Ibla” renowned for its baroque palaces and churches, rightfully earning it a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Round off your day with a visit to several historically important sites, including the elegant Cathedral of San Giorgio and magnificent Cosentini Palace, before arriving into Ragusa. Check intto your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Please note: 2023 departures will also visit Piazza Armerina prior to arriving into Ragusa.
Drive to Noto, a picturesque fishing town popular for its stately Baroque architecture and enjoy a walk in the town’s centre. From here, we cross a bridge to visit the island of Ortigia, home to a wealth of Baroque churches and medieval palaces.
Look forward to a hearty meal after checking into your Taormina hotel for the next two nights.
Please note: 2023 departures will also visit the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis and will be statying at the Olimpo le Terrazze (or similar).
The incredible Mount Etna is on the program this morning. Learn about volcanic activity and marvel at the old lava fields of Europe’s largest active volcano, doubling as Italy’s highest mountain. Weather permitting, do not miss your opportunity to climb to the summit at 1,800m above sea level before returning to Taormina.
Spend the rest of your day at leisure and enjoy your last night in this romantic town.
Please note: 2023 departures will have dinner included this evening.
Today marks the end of your magnificent and unforgettable tour through Italy and Sicily. We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your inspiring trip. At the appropriate time please make your way to the airport for your onward journey.
Secure your trip with a $99.00 deposit per person.
Once we receive your deposit, we will send you an invoice with your remaining balance and payment options.
Instalment Schedule:
This is a land only package.
This package does not include international airfares. If you would like to add airfares to your booking our flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub. The flight portal will allow you to search for all available airfares to your destination. The function works like most general flight search engines allowing you to select your preferred airline, book different cabin classes (eg. Business class) and view flight durations and transit times to your destination.
The flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub once the following criteria has been met:
Visit our Flight Hub for more information on terms and conditions, amending your flights and information on luggage allowances.
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Fitness Requirement
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, but we can’t guarantee your request will be available at all properties.
Single travellers
When booking this tour, solo travellers will be presented with two options:
1 - Single Supplement
By paying an additional $1,088.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price, you guarantee the privacy of your own room throughout the entire trip.
2- Shared Room with a known friend
If travelling together with a friend, you can opt to share your room with him/her and avoid paying a single supplement.
You and your friend can create a unique booking each. Creating a unique booking, gives each of you the flexibility of making different travel arrangements (such adding extra accommodation, flights, etc), make separate payments and have individual access to our Traveller’s Hub
During the purchase path, you will need to provide your friend’s booking ID (if known) or at a minimum, your friend’s full name
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Group Size
Minimum 2, maximum 50.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
All participants must be in good physical condition to fully engage in this journey. For the safety and welfare of yourself and fellow travellers, if you are feeling unwell prior to departure, we advise staying home and contacting us to arrange alternate plans.
Prior to selecting your trip, carefully review the itinerary to assess your ability to comfortably manage our travel style. Please be aware that if, based on evaluation by our leader or local representative, a participant is deemed unable to safely complete the itinerary, we retain the right to exclude them from all or part of the trip without reimbursement.
It is advisable to consult your physician for current medical travel advisories and any required vaccinations before embarking. We recommend carrying a first aid kit and any necessary medications in their original packaging, as they may not be readily available during travel. For those carrying medication, it's essential to check your government's foreign travel guidelines for local restrictions or regulations.
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