Southern Italy & Sicily

15 days
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Small Group Tour
Delight in a special exploration of Italy’s southern climes, from striking Sicily and the breath taking Amalfi Coast to unheralded Apulia, the alluring “boot heel” where a vivid history, unique architecture, and bountiful plains join the sun and sea in creating a prized (and crowd-free) region. Add Italian hospitality, outstanding cuisine, and notable lodging...
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Sicily’s intriguing cultural and historic heritage
    • “Valley of the Temples,” Agrigento
    • Mt. Etna excursion
    • Lunch at a working Sicilian farmhouse
    • Two Apulia UNESCO sites: Cave dwellings of Matera and Alberobello’s medieval white-washed buildings
    • Neapolitan cooking demonstration and dinner
    • Lecce, the “Florence of the South”
    • Fascinating, uncrowded Apulia region
    • Stunning Amalfi Coast
    • Tour of ancient ruins at Pompeii (UNESCO site)

What's this trip about?

    Delight in a special exploration of Italy’s southern climes, from striking Sicily and the breath taking Amalfi Coast to unheralded Apulia, the alluring “boot heel” where a vivid history, unique architecture, and bountiful plains join the sun and sea in creating a prized (and crowd-free) region. Add Italian hospitality, outstanding cuisine, and notable lodgings for la dolce vita, small-group style.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 24 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal transport included (including local flights)
Start CityCatania
End CityNaples

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • National Parks

Destinations

Activities

  • Cooking
  • Culture
  • Historic Sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • Photography
  • Ruins & Archaeology

Min Group Size

  • Min Group Size: 12

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 24

Trip includes

    • Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
    • 13 nights’ accommodations in Superior First Class and First Class hotels
    • 26 meals: 13 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 8 dinners
    • Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
    • Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
    • Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
    • Luggage handling for one bag per person
    • Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
    • $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1

Depart U.S. for Taormina (Catania), Sicily

Day 2

Meals: Dinner

Arrive Taormina We arrive today in Catania on Italy’s autonomous island of Sicily then transfer by motor coach to Taormina and our boutique hotel overlooking the Ionian Sea. Tonight we gather for a welcome dinner at the hotel.

Day 3

Meals: Breakfast

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...

Day 4

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Taormina/Agrigento On today’s excursion we visit the “Valley of the Temples,” the archaeological zone of Agrigento, whose Doric temples and sanctuaries date to Greek rule in the 5th century BCE. Known in its heyday as the “mos...

Day 5

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Taormina/Mount Etna This morning’s tour ventures to Europe’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...

Day 6

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

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.

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

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...

Day 8

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Matera/Alberobello/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 World Heritage site. We take a walking tour along the...

Day 9

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

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...

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Lecce/Otranto 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 cathedr...

Day 11

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Lecce/Sorrento This morning we depart by coach for Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples. En route we stop for a traditional trattoria lunch in the small town of Polignano a Mare. Dinner tonight is on our own in lively seaside Sorrento.

Day 12

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Sorrento/Pompeii Today we visit the excavated ruins at the evocative UNESCO site of Pompeii for a guided tour of the city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE (the city was accidentally rediscovered in 1749). Late this afternoon we gather for a hands-on Neapolitan cuisine cooking lesson, followed by dinner to savor the fruits of our labors.

Day 13

Meals: Breakfast

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 lunc...

Day 14

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Sorrento/Amalfi Coast We embark this morning on a breathtaking drive along the winding, cliff-top Amalfi Coast road 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.

Day 15

Meals: Breakfast

Depart for U.S. This morning we transfer to the Naples airport, where we connect with our return flight to the U.S.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,387
Price per day$292
Single supplement (single occupancy)$995
Last Updated: 1/21/2022

  • $3,695 air & land inclusive plus $692 airline taxes and fees
  • Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $692, which are subject to change until final payment is made.
  • Single travelers please add $995 Nov, $1,295 all other dates. Your $375 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days prior to departure. All 2017 tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.
  • Airline upgrades on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,895 per person; Premium Economy – $995 per person
  • A visa is not required for this tour.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Odysseys Unlimited.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Villa Angela , Taormina / Days 2-5 / Superior First Class

Overlooking the Mediterranean with panoramic views of the sea and Mount Etna, Villa Angela offers modern comforts and Sicilian ambience. Hotel amenities include a restaurant and bar, outdoor swimming pool, and a terrace facing Naxos Bay. Each guest room has its own terrace facing the bay, as well a private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, mini-bar, TV, and phone. The hotel offers a shuttle service to the center of Taormina.

 

Locanda di San Martino , Matera / Days 6-7 / First Class

This 32-room hostelry recalls millennia of cave dwellings – but with contemporary comforts and modern amenities. Passageways cut into the rock, external staircases, and elevators connect all four levels of the hotel. This hotel is in the heart of Matera's Sassi historical district, close to the city center. The hotel has a bar; air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, Internet access, and TV. Please note that because of the unique nature of the hotel, room sizes and views vary.

 

Patria Palace Hotel , Lecce / Days 8-10 / Superior First Class

A former palazzo, the Patria Palace Hotel is superbly located in the heart of Lecce’s historical center, opposite Santa Croce Basilica. The 63-room hotel boasts many of its original flourishes, though it has been artfully refurbished in an art deco style with Lecce stone and original frescoes. Hotel amenities include a restaurant and bar, solarium, and Internet access. Individually-styled guest rooms with decorative paintings have private bath with hair dryer, air conditioning, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

 

Hotel Antiche Mura, Sorrento / Days 11-14 / First Class

This historic hotel sits in the heart of Sorrento on Piazza Tasso, the main square, close to shops and restaurants. Amenities of the intimate 53-room hotel include an outdoor swimming pool, solarium, lovely gardens with a citrus grove (which supplies all of the oranges and lemons used by the hotel), lobby bar, outdoor snack bar, and breakfast room. Art nouveau-style guest rooms have private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, Internet access, TV, and phone. Air conditioning is available from May through October; heat from November through April.

 

Empire Palace Hotel , Rome / Extension / Superior First Class

A well-located hotel just a two-minute walk from the Via Veneto, the 110-room Empire Palace is an actual palace, built in 1870 and completely refurbished and converted to a hotel that offers a restaurant and bar, fitness center, Internet access, and laundry service. Air-conditioned rooms feature private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, mini-bar, TV, and phone. Please note that because of the unique nature of this hotel, room sizes vary.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations and Refunds

You will receive a full refund for any cancellations made up to 95 days before departure (125 days for In the Wake of Lewis and Clark). If you must cancel your tour, the effective date of can­cellation will be upon our receipt of your notification. Refunds for cancellations are subject to the following per person charges:

For all tours (except as noted)

Prior to departure

Charge

95 days or more

Full refund

94–65 days

25% of tour price

64–45 days

50% of tour price

44–30 days

75% of tour price

29–0 days

No refund

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

13 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 8 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
odysse-SouSicOdy

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