Tour Italian Escape And Sicily (2023, 13 Days)

Guide

A highly trained Trip Manager who brings your adventure to life. An expert driver who knows foreign roads better than Google Maps. Local Guides who make tourist traps a thing of the past. This is your team. Smart, friendly, fun, and integral to everything we do.

Accommodation

13 nights in Hotel

Others

Transport

Coach

Hygieneprotocol

All guests travelling with Contiki through December 31, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may include a booster shot to keep the vaccination status current and valid, depending on the travel destination. Children not eligible for vaccination and/or booster at the time of travel must provide a verifiable and negative Covid-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to the start of the tour (taking time zones into consideration) for all tours departing until December 31, 2022. For guests travelling with Contiki from 1 January 2023, Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters are highly recommended, but no longer required. Please note that regardless of time of travel guests will need to comply with specific vaccine and/or booster requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues, which may be more restrictive than above. It is guests’ responsibility to ensure that they comply at all times with these requirements. No refunds will be given if guests are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to their failure to comply with these requirements.

Meals

Welcome dinner at Altrove Restaurant in Rome (MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience)

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

Flights are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Start Rome
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Start Rome

Welcome to Rome! Once known as the ’capital of the world’ this richly historic, passionate and elegant city will steal our hearts as soon as we arrive. We’ll meet and greet our Contiki crew at 4pm, before heading on an orientation tour of the city. Yep, that means the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona, the Colosseum & the Roman Forum. With our eyes wide and camera roll full, we’ll enjoy an included dinner this evening. La perfezione!
Day 2 Day 2: Rome To Naples
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Rome To Naples

Today we’re headed to another richly historical and cultural city, known for it’s naturally beautiful sights and excellent cuisine. Welcome to Naples, the rough and ready but oh so charming city which encapsulates everything we love about Italy. The home of pizza, a hub of culture, and a bundle of passionate Italian energy, this is also the site of Mt Vesuvius, the infamous active volcano. Today we have the option to check out the ruins of Pompeii, the fascinating Roman town that was destroyed by Vesuvius and then perfectly preserved in volcanic ash. Another option today is to take a tour, learning about the city, it’s history and it’s food culture.
Day 3 Day 3: Naples To Amalfi Coast
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Naples To Amalfi Coast

We’re headed to the coast today to check out some of the most glamorous seascapes in Europe. We’ll visit two spectacular Amalfi jewels today. Positano will take our breath away, with its postcard pretty sun-bleached buildings tumbling down into the sparkling sea. Capri is no different, with its gorgeous cragged coastline and opulent cafes, it’s easy to see why this is such a playground for the rich and famous. An optional Capri cruise will let us check out the iconic blue grotto, as well as stop for plenty of swim stops to beat the heat.
Day 4 Day 4: Amalfi Coast
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Amalfi Coast

We’ve got a free day on the Amalfi coast today. Lucky us. We’ve got plenty of optionals, including two MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences. First up, we’ll visit a lemon farm to learn how these huge, sunshine-coloured fruits are harvested and turned into limoncello. Next, we’re off for a Tastes of Amalfi dinner on an eco-sustainable farm, washed down with... you guessed it... lemon liqueur.
Day 5 Day 5: Amalfi Coast To Rome
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Amalfi Coast To Rome

We’re headed back to Rome today. Time for the Colosseum? Back in Rome we recommend taking our optional Emperors & Gladiators tour, where you’ll skip the queues and enter the jaw-dropping Colosseum through the exclusive Emperor’s gate. This is the perfect way to learn about this fascinating, blood-stained arena, in which Romans used to flock to watch epic battles between elephants, tigers, and gladiators. Then, we have a free night to check out the nightlife and toast what has been an unforgettable Italian adventure.
Day 6 Day 6: Rome To Catania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Rome To Catania

Today we’re hopping on a speedy flight to the incomparable isle of Sicily. This colourful cacophony of baroque piazzas and ancient ruins is the perfect place to get acquainted with Sicily. We’ll have a chance to check out Catania’s UNESCO listed historic core before an included dinner in a local restaurant. Is Sicilian cuisine the best in the world? It has to be up there...
Day 7 Day 7: Catania To Taormina
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Catania To Taormina

We’ve got more spectacular Sicilian towns to explore today, as we head from Catania to Taormina. Uniquely perched on the side of a mountain, this elegant resort town is the perfect place to live the good life in Italy. We’ll waste no time admiring the gorgeous panoramas, as we take the cable car that connects the town’s historic centre with its awesome beaches. After sunning ourselves for a bit, why not opt for a cooking class with some local masterchefs, learning how to whip up local delicacies like Arancini & Cannoli? It’s the perfect way to impress everyone when you get back home.
Day 8 Day 8: Taormina
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Taormina

Today we’ve got an unmissable optional for you. Sicily’s stupendous stratovolcano Mt Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. And what better way to experience this majestic monster than on an adrenaline filled 4x4 ride, as you pass vineyards and orchards spread across the fertile slopes? You won’t find views quite like this anywhere in Europe. Whether or not you opt for the 4x4 tour, you’ll have a free afternoon to explore Taormina - lazing on the beach, checking out the Roman theatre or sitting and drinking a spritz as life lazily moves by. It’s a hard life.
Day 9 Day 9: Taormina To Noto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Taormina To Noto

See ya, Taormina - it’s time to visit some historical hotspots. On the way to Noto we’ll stop off at Syracuse, notable for its rich Roman and Greek ancient history, with ancient amphitheatres and architecture everywhere you look. It was even mentioned in the Bible - how’s that for history creds? Today it’s a world UNESCO heritage site, and we’ll have time to admire all that crumbling beauty before heading onto Noto. This architectural utopia has one of the most stunning historic centres in Sicily - and that’s saying something. The gorgeous Corso Vittoria Emanuele is adorned with gorgeous old churches and red-gold buildings that glimmer in the sunlight. An optional we recommend this evening is heading to an organic farm with us, where we’ll meet some locals and get served a delicious farm-to-table feast that’ll be some of the freshest Italian food you’ve ever tasted.
Day 10 Day 10: Noto To Cefalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Noto To Cefalu

Heading from Noto we’ll arrive in Agrigento, the perfect base to explore another ancient wonder... From Agrigento we have an included tour of the Valley of the Temples, This mystical valley is a treasure trove of historical and archaeological heritage. As you wander the valley, in the shadow of blooming almond trees, we’ll discover ancient temples, sanctuaries and a necropolis. It’s a spectacular testament to Sicily’s ancient history (and natural beauty). Arriving in Cefalu we’ll enjoy another included dinner of Sicilian delicacies. What a day - and we’re not done yet.
Day 11 Day 11: Cefalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Cefalu

Cefalu is a real gem, home to Sicily’s best beaches and most impressive Arabic architecture. This truly is the island that keeps on giving. Today’s all about coastal vibes, soaking up that sun, sea and sand - with plenty of water sports to get involved with. If you’re feeling a little more zen, why not opt for the coastal cruise and soak up some scenery instead? Later on we’ll stroll the winding cobbled streets and watch fishermen taking stock of the day’s bounties, before exploring the town’s foodie and nightlife scene. Ah, Sicily - sigh.
Day 12 Day 12: Cefalu To Palermo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Cefalu To Palermo

It’s time to end on a high, as we make our way towards Sicily’s sizzling capital. Palermo is vivacious, colourful and boasts a thriving culinary scene, but it’s also been plagued by organised crime for decades. Today on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® experience, you can join a walking tour through the historic centre, learning about the history of the Mafia in Palermo and how the civil antiMafia movement was formed. We’ll round things off with a farewell dinner at Al Fresco, AKA the ’bistro of second chances’.
Day 13 Day 13: End Palermo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: End Palermo

We’re headed back to the airport after one final breakfast together. Hug it out, swap social details - and don’t be sad, we’ll see each other on the road again soon.

+10

13 days tour

Italian Escape And Sicily (2023, 13 Days)

This tour includes:

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Italian Escape And Sicily (2023, 13 Days)

Day 1: Start Rome

Day 2: Rome To Naples

Day 3: Naples To Amalfi Coast

Day 4: Amalfi Coast

Day 5: Amalfi Coast To Rome

Day 6: Rome To Catania

Day 7: Catania To Taormina

Day 8: Taormina

Day 9: Taormina To Noto

Day 10: Noto To Cefalu

Day 11: Cefalu

Day 12: Cefalu To Palermo

Day 13: End Palermo

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