10 Days / 9 Nights

Operated On MONDAYS From May 02 To October 17 2016

ITINERARY: ROME - NAPLES - POMPEII - SORRENTO - CAPRI - SORRENTO - CASTELLANA CAVES - LOCOROTONDO - ALBEROBELLO (TRULLI) - NOCI - LECCE - GALLIPOLI - OSTUNI - MATERA (STONES) - SORRENTO - ROME - MONTEPULCIANO - PIENZA - SIENA - SAN GIMIGNANO - TAVERNELLE CHIANTI AREA - LUCCA - PISA - LA SPEZIA - PORTOVENERE (GOLFO DEI POETI) - CINQUE TERRE - CARRARA MARBLE CAVES - MONTECARLO DI LUCCA - ROME

DAY 1 (Monday)

ROME - NAPLES - POMPEII - SORRENTO

7.30am meeting point at the Dias Travel’s sightseeing office or pickup at the hotel from 6.45am to 7.15am and departure by coach to NAPLES by coach with a multilingual tour leader. Upon arrival in Naples our local guide will take you for a walking tour of the historical center to admire PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO, ROYAL PALACE, GALLERY OF UMBERTO I, and the SAN CARLO OPERA HOUSE. From Naples, continue to POMPEII, and enjoy a short visit to a coral and cameo factory. Lunch in a typical Restaurant, followed by a visit of the excavations of this ancient Roman city which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvio in 79 b.C. and buried under 4 to 6 meters of ash and stones. Proceed to SORRENTO, a charming town of the Sorrentine Peninsula famous for the cultivation of Oranges, Lemons and Olives trees. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 2 (Tuesday)

SORRENTO - CAPRI - SORRENTO

American buffet breakfast at the hotel and departure at 8.00am to the island of Capri. You will board the ferry and arrive in MARINA GRANDE. Once on the island, you will visit the BLUE GROTTO (weather permitting), the AUGUSTUS GARDENS and stop at the famous “Piazzetta”. A Minibus will take you up to ANACAPRI. After lunch in Anacapri, you will return to Marina Grande where you will board the ferry for your transfer back to Sorrento. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 3 (Wednesday)

SORRENTO - CASTELLANA CAVES - LOCOROTONDO - ALBEROBELLO - NOCI

7.30am, pick up at your hotel or at the meeting point in Sorrento and departure for APULIA. Along the way you will visit THE CASTELLANA CAVES discovered in 1938.

The Grottos of Castellana are one of the most important attractions of Puglia and a natural heritage of inestimable value to Italy. The tour winds along a distance of 3 km, a unique guided tour of the caves to more than 60 meters deep in an amazing scenario made of stalactites, stalagmites, concretions, incredible shapes, fossils, canyons and caves with fantastic names; calcifications from conformations and amazing colors solicit the imagination of children and adults.

Time at leisure for lunch. After the visit to the Caves , will continue our journey to LOCOROTONDO where you’ll enjoy a wine tasting in the local wine cellar. The journey continues to ALBEROBELLO the town of the “TRULLI” which is part of the Unesco Heritage list. The trulli are typical houses with a cone roof, used as homes and to store farmer utensils. Proceed to NOCI. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 4 (Thursday)

NOCI - LECCE - GALLIPOLI - OSTUNI - NOCI

Buffet breakfast at the hotel and departure to LECCE famous for his baroque arts & architecture developed between the end of the XVI century and the first half of the XVII century. During the tour you will admire the rich and beautiful decoration of the St. Oronzo church, the basilica of Santa Croce and the Celestini palace and the roman amphitheatre. The tour will continue to GALLIPOLI, from the Greek Kallipolis meaning beautiful city, is a fishing village on the coast in southern Italy's Puglia region. Gallipoli has a good old town built on a limestone island and linked to the mainland by a 16th century bridge. Its harbors are used by fishing boats and there's plenty of fresh seafood. Free time for lunch and proceed to the village of OSTUNI, also called “white town” because of its white walls and white painted houses. Return to the hotel in Noci. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Meals: B D

DAY 5 (Friday)

NOCI - MATERA - ROME

Buffet breakfast at the hotel and departure to MATERA. This town is internationally known for the “SASSI” (stones), originated from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be the first settlements in Italy. The Sassi are houses into the tuff rock itself, which is characteristic of the Basilicata & Apulia regions. One of the peculiarities of this ancient city is that there is a great similarity with the ancient sites in and around Jerusalem. This caught the eye of film directors and movie studios and the Sassi were the set of various films such as “The Gospel according to St. Matthew”(Pasolini 1964), “King David” (Bruce Beresford 1985), “The Passion of the Christ” (Gibson 2004) and the “Nativity story” (Hardwicke 2006). Matera is also part of the Unesco Heritage List. Time for a snack in Matera and return via Pompei where you will board a bus to Rome. Arrival in Rome and overnight at the Hotel, Dinner is not included.

Meals: B

DAY 6 (Saturday)

ROME

American breakfast and day at leisure to explore the city on your own. Overnight at the hotel. Dinner is not included.

DAY 7 (Sunday)

ROMA - MONTEPULCIANO - PIENZA - SIENA

American buffet breakfast. Pickup at 7.30/7.45am at the hotel. Meet your multilingual tour leader and start a delightful trip through the rolling hills of the Chianti Region. Will reach the hilltop town of MONTEPULCIANO, an ancient village rich of medieval and Renaissance buildings, famous for producing one of the oldest wines of Italy, the “Nobile di Montepulciano”. You will stop for a visit to a wine cellar and experience a tasting of wines and local products like ham, cheese, and salami. Proceed to PIENZA, the Renaissance town built under Pope Pius II and alsowell-known for its pecorino cheese. The tour will proceed to SIENA, where you will enjoy a visit of the old city centre. You will be walking along the medieval streets admiring splendid palaces. The sightseeing tour will end in the

Piazza del Campo with its spectacular Cathedral. This is one of the most beautiful squares in the world and site of the famous 600 years old horse-race, called “Il Palio”. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 8 (Monday)

SIENA - SAN GIMIGNANO - TAVERNELLE - CHIANTI AREA - LUCCA - PISA - LA SPEZIA

After breakfast at the hotel, departure to SAN GIMIGNANO, a tiny city that has remained intact through the centuries; situated on a hilltop and famous for its numerous towers, frescoes and other art treasures. You will then proceed to Tavernelle Val di Pesa located within the CHIANTI CLASSICO “Gallo Nero” region, where we will make a stop at the farmhouse la tancia to enjoy an excellent wine tasting with light lunch. The tour continues onto LUCCA, where you will have free time for lunch. Our expert tour leader will also take you for a pleasant walk into the enchanting historical centre, where you will admire the Anfiteatro Square, the Guinigi Tower, the San Martino Dome and the typical antique shops. In the early afternoon, you will then proceed to PISA, Upon arrival you will have a walking tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli, with its famous Leaning Tower (exterior visit), The Baptistery (exterior visit) and other beautiful monuments. Proceed to LA SPEZIA. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 9 (Tuesday)

LA SPEZIA - PORTOVENERE - GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE - LA SPEZIA

After breakfast, departure by boat for an unforgettable day dedicated to the discovery of one of the most amazing and enchanting landscape in the World.

The five villages, “CINQUE TERRE” is an area suspended between sea and land, hanging from sheer cliffs surrounded by hills and vineyards. You will enter into a little piece of heaven. By touring the coast line by boat, you will have the possibility to admire this amazing landscape from the seaside*, like in a postcard. (*In the event of rough sea, the visit will be done parthly by coach and parthly by train.) During the tour, the boat will reach Portovenere and the most important villages. You will be able to stop at PORTO VENERE, VERNAZZA, MONTEROSSO and visit them at leisure.

PORTOVENERE: Portovenere, on the Gulf of Poets, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its picturesque harbor is lined with brightly colored houses, while narrow medieval streets lined with shops lead up the hill from the ancient city gate to the castle.

RIOMAGGIORE: Caught between two steep terraced hills descending in steep cliffs to the sea, the ancient village of Riomaggiore strikes visitors with its delightfully colored houses built vertically.

MANAROLA: Built on a high rock 70 metres above sea level, is one of the most charming and romantic villages. The tiny harbor features a boat ramp, picturesque multicoloured houses facing the sea, a tiny piazza with seafood restaurants.

CORNIGLIA: Is an ancient Roman village that has a long and rich agricultural tradition. The village is surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces. Its architecture is closer to that of a rural inland village than that of a coastal village.

VERNAZZA: The small fishing village Vernazza is probably the most characteristic of the Cinque Terre and is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

The village is surrounded by very steeply-terraced olive groves which are said to produce among the finest olive oil in the country.

MONTEROSSO: It is the largest of the five coastal villages. Its amazing beaches, its beautiful reefs and the sea’s crystal clear waters, make this small village one of the most hospitable of the Ligurian Riviera. Board the train from Monterosso and arrive in La Spezia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Meals: B D

DAY 10 (Wednesday)

LA SPEZIA - CARRARA MARBLE CAVES - MONTECARLO DI LUCCA - ROME

After breakfast at the hotel, the tour will take you to CARRARA for a visit of the impressive marble quarries carved deep into the mountain. This is where Michelangelo took the raw material to create his superb masterpieces. By visiting the quarry museum you will admire ancient tools, some sculptures and the quarryman’s house. Continue to MONTECARLO DI LUCCA, a lovely town located on the hills around Lucca. This territory is ideal for the production of top quality wine and extra virgin olive oil. We will stop and visit a farmhouse where the owners will have you taste delicious Tuscan food specialties, from olive oil to cheese, from bread to wine and of course pasta, which you will taste with different wines. Proceed to Rome and arrival in the evening. End of the tour.