ROME (3 nights) – SORRENTO (3 nights)

Day 1/Sat Rome Morning arrival into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Here you’ll be met and transferred by private motorcoach to your hotel in Rome. The balance of the day is at leisure. Tonight experience a taste of the Roman dining scene on your own and then explore the exciting Roman Dolce Vita and nightlife.

Day 2/Sun Rome Rome is filled with monuments, fountains, antiquities and other sites worth exploring. Use this free day to discover the ancient and modern aspects of cosmopolitan Rome for yourself. You might also choose to take an optional tour to Ostia Antica, the Castelli Romani, or attend a Papal Blessing. There’s only one Rome, so make sure you bring home enough memories to last a lifetime. In the evening, again, discover on your own why Roman trattorias are famous for their fine food and wine.

Day 3/Mon Rome This morning experience a very special privately guided tour of the priceless collection of art and reasures in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. You will be amazed by the beautiful wall frescoes created by Michelangelo, Perugino and Botticelli. The unique ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is surely one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the Christian world, built over the tomb of St. Peter. Then proceed to the Piazza Venezia and Roman Forum, with a stop at the Colosseum – a testament to the greatness of Rome’s past. Continue your full day tour by viewing the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Great Synagogue, Isola Tiberina and Castel Sant’Angelo. Tonight bid arrivederci to Rome at a special dinner with wine in a lovely Roman restaurant.

Day 4/Tue Rome/Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento This morning drive south along the Highway of the Sun to Naples, where you will have an orientation drive highlighting Via Caracciolo (the seafront promenade), the San Carlo Opera House, Santa Lucia, and the Angevin Castle. Before heading to Sorrento, stop in Pompeii (the ancient city covered by volcanic lava 2,000 years ago), with a guided tour of the remarkably preserved ruins of temples, houses, gardens and public buildings. Then drive along the spectacular coast road of the Bay of Naples to Sorrento, the famous resort town of orange and lemon groves. Dinner at your hotel restaurant is included.

Day 5/Wed Sorrento/Positano/Amalfi/Ravello/Sorrento CRUISE FROM POSITANO ALONG AMALFI’S CELEBRATED COASTLINE Leave Sorrento in the morning for Positano. Brief stop at the Belvedere to enjoy a unique view of Moorish architecture blended with pastel colored houses. Descend to town by minibus, passing elegant boutiques and craft shops and still have time to visit its charming center. Weather permitting, board a motorlaunch and cruise along the coast to Amalfi. Otherwise, you will reach Amalfi by motorcoach. A guided walking tour of Amalfi’s old town will highlight its powerful 11th century maritime republic history. Continue to Ravello, arriving in time for lunch at a restaurant with a spectacular view of the Amalfi coast and the Bay of Salerno. After lunch you may like to visit Villa Rufolo whose tropical gardens inspired Wagner’s Opera “Parsifal” or simply stroll around the center of town to buy souvenirs or indulge in a gelato. Return to Sorrento where your tour director can assist with your selection of dinner venues.

Day 6/Thu Sorrento (Capri Excursion) A morning jetfoil whisks you across the blue Bay of Naples to the fabled Isle of Capri, where you will ascend to the Piazzetta (the center of town), visit the Floral Gardens of Caesar Augustus, and still have free time for lunch and some shopping before returning to the pier by funicular to board the jetfoil back to Sorrento, arriving in time for a farewell dinner in a popular Sorrento restaurant.

Day 7/Fri Sorrento to Home (or extend your stay) Morning transfer to Naples’ Capodichino Airport for your return flight home. Meals and refreshments served aloft.

TOUR FEATURES 
-First-class hotels for 6 nights
- 11 included meals consisting of: 6 buffet breakfasts – 1 dinner at hotel, PLUS DINING PLAN 2 dinners and 1 lunch at popular restaurants, featuring  regional cuisine.
- All lunches and dinners include wine, mineral water and coffee or cappuccino
- 1 dinner in Rome
- 1 lunch in Ravello
- Farewell dinner party in Sorrento

- Touring by private air-conditioned motorcoach
- Professional Central Holidays Tour Director
- Sightseeing as indicated, including local guide and all entrance fees
- Arrival and departure transfers 
- hear clear — audio system to hear every word your guide says, even from a distance
- Hotel taxes and service charges

Preferred Hotels (or similar)

Rome: Visconti Palace Hotel – Sorrento: Grand Hotel La Pace