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Benvenuti in Italia!
Welcome to Italy – a country as famous for its history,
archaeology and art as it is for its dolce vita. Both a
sacred and historical place, Italy bears witness to the
unparalleled Roman Empire, the splendor of the Italian
Renaissance and some of the best museums in the world.
Wonderful food, delightful people and each landscape more
beautiful than the last are just a few more reasons why
Italy is one of the most popular destinations in the world.
We will be delighted to share this enchanting country with
you, and hope that you’ll join us for the journey of a
lifetime.
TOUR ITINERARY:
Day 01 Depart from New York – Fly to Rome
Day 02 Arrive Rome Airport
Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City. You will be met at
the airport and then transferred by private coach to the
hotel. After settling in, we will set off on an orientation
walk through the Centro Storico – the historical center –
and see the famous monuments and piazzas that make Rome the
most magnificent of Italian cities. The ancient Romans
referred to Rome as Caput Mundi – the head of the world. As
the center of the Roman Republic and then the Empire, Rome
witnessed 1,000 years of one of the greatest civilizations
in the world before becoming the seat of what is now the
Catholic Church. Evidence of the glory of ancient Rome and
the Italian Renaissance can be seen throughout the
historical center, and these and many other treasures are
ours to explore before a welcome dinner to celebrate the
beginning of a wonderful trip. Overnight in Rome. (D).
Day 03 Rome
Our morning begins with a visit to one of the most important
museums in the world. Legally its own country, Vatican City
is the head and administrative center of the Catholic
Church. One of the most extensive museum collections in the
world, the museum is also home to the Sistine Chapel, where
the legendary Michelangelo created one of his most famous
masterpieces on the ceiling. After the museums we will visit
St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Catholic basilica ever
built. It’s soaring dome was engineered by Michelangelo and
the artist’s famous Pieta sculpture and countless other
artistic wonders make St. Peter’s church one of the most
awe–inspiring buildings in the world. Following lunch, we
will be given a rare, very special tour of the ancient
necropolis beneath the Basilica of St. Peter’s – the site of
St. Peter’s tomb. We will then head over to the Basilica of
San Clemente, a church whose multiple subterranean levels
attest to 2,000 years of the neighborhood’s history. We will
wrap up our day with a tour of a site that features some
subterranean ancient Roman homes with a very special and
sacred history. Overnight in Rome. (B,D)
Day 04 Rome
We begin the day with a visit to the Pantheon, a building
dedicated to the worship of the state gods and for the
imperial cult. Then, we will explore the famous Colosseum –
the largest ancient amphitheater in the world and the site
of countless gladiator games. In the afternoon we will tour
the Roman forum, the administrative capital of the Empire
and the site of some of the most famous speeches in history
by the likes of Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Cicero. As
we leave the forum we will pay a visit to the site of the
Mamertine prison, where according to tradition St. Peter was
incarcerated before his execution in 64 A.D. This will be
followed by a short journey outside the city center to visit
one of the most unique catacomb complexes in the city: The
Catacombs of St. Priscilla, which features the earliest
known depiction of the Virgin Mary is located.Overnight in
Rome. (B,D)
Day 05 Ostia
Today, we will enjoy a full day tour of Ostia, the port city
for Rome. Here we will examine the homes, baths, theater,
warehouses, and shop lined city streets of this excellently
preserved and well excavated ancient city. Additionally,in
Ostia we will visit the ancient synagogue. Here,
archaeologists discovered the earliest synagogue ever found
in Europe. Overnight in Naples. (B,D)
Day 06 Pompeii – Sorrento
This morning we will tour Pompeii, the site of one of
history’s most dramatic disasters and one of archaeology’s
most enlightening and evocative excavations. In 79 A.D., a
powerful eruption of Mt. Vesuvius completely buried the
ancient Roman port cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Centuries later, what was an unmitigated disaster for the
ancient inhabitants of these cities created an almost
perfect snapshot of life in ancient Rome at the end of the
1st century. The remarkable state of preservation of both
cities is a wonder for both modern visitors and
archaeologists alike, and walking through these ancient
streets is an astonishing experience that no history
enthusiast should miss. Overnight in Sorrento. (B,D)
Day 07 Herculaneum – Sorrento
Today we will visit Pompeii’s sister city Herculaneum, which
shared Pompeii’s fate during the catastrophic volcanic
eruption. Completely buried by rock and ash during the 79
A.D. eruption, a visit to the site of Herculaneum allows us
to continue our extraordinary journey through 1st century
Rome. We shall also witness how this ancient natural
disaster did not spare even the most elite of Roman society.
A visit to the perfectly preserved Villa Poppaea, the
seaside vacation home of the Emperor Nero’s wife that was
also buried in the eruption, provides us with a unique
insight into the private life of one of Rome’s most
notorious imperial families. We will finish the day with a
tour of the Archaeological Museum of Naples, where the most
important remains of the nearby buried cities are on
display. Overnight
in Sorrento. (B,D)
Day 08 Paestum – Rome
Our final full day will see us traveling south to Paestum,
the site of three of the world’s most beautifully preserved
Greek temples, as well as some extremely unique and rare
tombs from the same period. After lunch in the modern city
of Paestum, located by the sea just a short drive from the
ancient temples, we’ll travel north again to Rome, where we
will enjoy our final farewell dinner. Overnight in Rome. (B,D)
Day 09 Fly back to New York
Arrivederci Italia! You will be transferred by private coach
to the airport in Rome, where you will depart for the U.S.,
arriving the same day. Come back soon!
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