Trip Type: Exclusive Explorations
AAUM Representative(s): Larry Cressman
Physical Activity Level: Moderately Active
Highlights:
- Explore Pompeii, the town literally frozen in time
- Discover Leece with its Greek decorated buildings
- Tour the former God of Fire, Mt. Etna, one of the world’s largest active volcanoes
- Travel through cozy Capri and relax by the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Taormina (Catania), Sicily
Day 2: Arrive Taormina
We arrive today in Catania on Italy’s autonomous island of Sicily then transfer by motorcoach to Taormina and our boutique hotel overlooking the Ionian Sea. Tonight we gather for a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations: Villa Angela
Meals: Dinner
Day 3: Taormina
Highlights of our morning walking tour of this delightful medieval town include the spectacular ancient Greek theater dating to the 3rd century BCE, the popular 13th-century cathedral, and grand Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. This afternoon is at leisure; perhaps to relax by the hotel pool; visit a lovely Taormina beach; or stroll along Corso Umberto, lined with shops and restaurants. With lunch and dinner on our own today, perhaps a culinary adventure is in order, and thanks to Sicily’s strategic Mediterranean location that lured many invaders, Sicilian food incorporates Italian, Arabic, and African influences into a singular, and delicious, cuisine.
Accommodations: Villa Angela
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Taormina/Agrigento
On today’s excursion we visit the “Valley of the Temples,” the architectural zone of Agrigento, whose Doric temples and sanctuaries date to Greek rule in the 5th century BCE. Known in its heyday as the “most beautiful city of mortals,” Agrigento’s highlight is the stunning, well-preserved Temple of Concordia (c. 430 BCE). A visit to the museum here lends context to our explorations. Late this afternoon we return to our hotel, where we dine tonight.
Accommodations: Villa Angela
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Taormina/Mount Etna
This morning’s tour ventures to the world’s largest active volcano. The ancients believed Mt. Etna to be the forge of Vulcan, god of fire; today, modern-day Sicilians have a very personal relationship with the volcano, which frequently erupts but is seldom destructive. Centuries of lava flows have resulted in a rich, fertile landscape where citrus groves and vineyards thrive. Mid-day we enjoy a small group highlight: lunch at a family run working farm amidst acres of lemon and kiwi. After returning to our hotel mid-afternoon, the remainder of the day is at leisure.
Accommodations: Villa Angela
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: Taormina/Matera
We leave Sicily today for the mainland region of Basilicata, a day-long transfer that includes a ferry ride from Sicily to Calabria. Late this afternoon we reach Matera, whose historic troglodyte churches and dwellings (Sassi) have been designated a UNESCO site and where our hotel is a renovated cave dwelling in the city’s historic district.
Accommodations: Locanda di San Martino
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7: Matera
Today we explore this city of art and folklore, with its unique ancient urban structure still intact. Home to more than 100 rock churches, Matera resembles ancient Jerusalem and has been used by international film directors as a stand-in for the holy city. Following a guided walking tour, the remainder of the day is at leisure to explore independently before dinner tonight at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: Locanda di San Martino
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Matera/Alberobello/Ostuni/Lecce
Departing Matera this morning, we stop in Alberobello, whose 400 or so trulli – whitewashed conical houses with grey-stone roofs – rank as a UNESCO WorldHeritage site. We take a walking tour along the pristine cobblestone alleys, stepping inside an artisan’s workshop or trulli tipici, a recreation of an inhabited home. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue on to Ostuni, the “white town” known as an architectural gem for its tightly packed whitewashed homes high on a hill above theMediterranean. We reach Lecce, capital of Apulia’s southern Lecci province, in time for dinner together at our hotel.
Accommodations: Patria Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Lecce
We discover the “Florence of the South” on this morning’s tour, so named for the unique decorative style for which Lecce is known: barocco leccese, the ornate and intricate sandstone carvings of cherubs and monsters, fruits and flowers that adorn local buildings from top to bottom. We see Palazzo Vescovile (c. 1632), the exuberantly decorated church of Santa Croce, and the duomo with its lovely piazza. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Accommodations: Patria Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Lecce/Otranto/Gallipoli
Today’s excursion takes us to the beautiful walled town of Otranto, overlooking the Adriatic. On a walking tour here we see the imposing 15th-century Aragonese castle with its traditional moat, and the Romanesque cathedral whose impressive wall-to-wall mosaic floor was created in 1166. We continue on to the fishing port of Gallipoli, the “Ionian Pearl” perched on a rocky island in the Gulf of Taranto. Tonight we dine in the gardens of Lecce’s Palazzo Tamborino.
Accommodations: Patria Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Lecce/Bari/Sorrento
This morning we depart by coach for Bari, capital of the Apulia region, where we enjoy a walking tour of the historic Adriatic port. After lunch at a local restaurant, we travel on to Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples.
Accommodations: Hotel Antiche Mura
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 12: Sorrento/Pompeii
Today we visit the evocative UNESCO site of Pompeii for a guided tour of the city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD (the city was accidentally rediscovered in 1749).
Late this afternoon we gather for a hands-on Neopolitan cuisine cooking lesson, followed by dinner to savor the fruits of our labors.
Accommodations: Hotel Antiche Mura
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13: Sorrento/Capri
Today we travel by hydrofoil to the storied Isle of Capri, a popular resort since Roman times. We explore cozy Capri town; visit the terraced Gardens of Augustus with stunning views of the Azure sea; then enjoy free time for lunch and to explore on our own before we return to Sorrento early afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Accommodations: Hotel Antiche Mura
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14: Sorrento/Amalfi Coast
We embark this morning on a breathtaking drive along the winding, cliff-top Amalfi Coast between Sorrento and Amalfi; above the glistening Tyrrhenian Sea – with stops for photos along the way. This afternoon is at leisure. Tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and our fellow travelers at a farewell dinner.
Accommodations: Hotel Antiche Mura
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 15: Depart for U.S.
This morning, transfer to Naples airport and connect with your return flight to the U.S.
Meals: Breakfast
