Days 1-2: Arrival Naples, Sorrento
Arrival Sorrento via Naples
A dream comes true as your wide-bodied jet thunders off the airstrip, Europe-bound. Time for a meal, a movie and a nap. Then it gets light again, first off the left-hand side of the airplane, then everywhere. It's morning, and Naples, Italy!
Travel to the fabled town of poets and sunsets, also renowned for its embroidery and intarsia (wood-inlay).
The evening is free to enjoy Sorrento's scenic delights and spectacular views. For the finest overlook of all, you may want to go to Punta di Sorrento and watch the sunset from the belvedere.
Day 3: Excursion to Pompeii, Free time in Sorrento
Walk through the Roman city recognized by UNESCO as a treasure of Western Civilization. See how well-to-do Romans lived 2,000 years ago, until Mt. Vesuvius all at once destroyed this city in one day and preserved it for all time.
Free time in Sorrento
The remainder of the day is free to plan as you wish.
You may want to check out the Museo Correale di Terranova, whose collections (notably Neapolitan paintings, Capodimonte porcelain, and Murano glassware) are housed in an elegant villa that overlooks the Bay of naples. Its Library holds books by the poet Torquato Tasso, born in Sorrento in 1544, whose best-known work is Gerusalemme liberata, an epic poem published in 1581 that's one of the classics of Italian literature.
Day 4: Free time in Sorrento, Excursion to Capri
Plan your free time or consider an optional excursion.
Excursion to Capri
Descend the winding road to the port of Sorrento.
Headset receiver
A headset receiver is included.
A ferry will take you to the Isle of Capri.
Transfer by funicular to the town of Capri's main square (Piazzetta), passing tropical gardens on the way. On the island stands Villa Jovis, the imperial residence from which Tiberius once ruled his empire. Recall tales of the Emperor Augustus, and of the mischievous Caligula.
Visit to Capri's Gardens of Augustus
From Capri's Piazzetta, it's an easy walk to the Gardens of Augustus, a magnificent public garden landscaped in the 1930s by the German industrialist Friedrich Krupp. Its terraces adorned with colorful and fragrant vegetation are perched atop a cliff with a sheer drop to the sea. The gardens face Capri's southern coast and provide splendid views of the 14th-century Charterhouse of San Giacomo, the Bay of Marina Piccola, down below, and the Faraglioni, the needle-like rocks that soar above the sea.
Board a ferry bound for Sorrento.
Day 5: Transfer to Naples, Train to Rome
Travel to Rome, via Train from Naples,
Travel to Naples.
A Frecciarossa or Frecciargento train takes you to the Eternal City.
Proceed to your centrally-located hotel, settle in and get ready to explore your surroundings.
Trevi Fountain
If your schedule allows, consider a visit to the Trevi Fountain, one of Rome's most celebrated sights, which was the terminus of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct. Throw a coin over your right shoulder and into the spray to ensure your return to this wonderful city!
Day 6: Rome City Sightseeing
Set out on a sightseeing tour of Rome.
A local guide, specially-trained on the history and culture of Rome and its surroundings, will accompany your group.
Visits to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum
Walk through the best known monuments of Ancient Rome, the Colosseo and the Foro Romano. Once the heart of a vast empire, the Forum was filled with extravagant buildings and crowded with people from all over the known world.
Local guide
A half-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Vatican City, will accompany your group.
Visit to the Vatican
Discover outstanding masterpieces collected for the Vatican Museums since the early 1500s. See exceptional statues from antiquity, such as Laocoön and His Son and the Apollo Belvedere, as well as stunning Renaissance paintings, notably the The School of Athens fresco in the Raphael Rooms.
Headset receiver for the Vatican sites
Marvel at Michelangelo's Last Judgment and brightly-colored ceiling frescoes in the Cappella Sistina.
Enter the sanctuary recognized as the world's largest church. The Basilica di San Pietro also houses priceless works of art, in particular Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's Dove of the Holy Spirit.
Stroll on Piazza Navona
Walk through the plaza built on the site of Domitian's Stadium. Lined with grand buildings and trendy cafes, this oblong square is adorned with statues and fountains, notably Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Inside the "Temple to All the Gods," you will understand why it has been called one of the better-preserved and most harmonious monuments of antiquity.
Day 7: Rome
Free Time in Rome
Enjoy your free time in Rome.
You may want to visit the famous Spanish Steps, a favorite spot for Romans and tourists alike. Attractions in the area include the last residence of the poet John Keats, the exclusive Babington Tea Rooms, and Via dei Condotti, lined with high fashion boutiques such as Armani, Prada, Versace, and Gucci.
Day 8: Borghese Gallery, Capitoline Museums, Dinner with Music at Le Terme del Colosseo
Visit to the Borghese Gallery
Head to Rome's most beautiful park, Villa Borghese. to view the superb art collection on display in the Galleria Borghese. This museum owns notably Bernini masterpieces, such as David and Apollo and Daphne as well as Canova's famous statue of Pauline Borghese, the sister of Napoléon Bonaparte.
Visit to the Capitoline Museums
Head up Capitoline Hill, which was once the site of Rome's foremost temples. Enjoy a visit to the Capitoline Museums, housed in the neighboring Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori. Their collections include artifacts from all periods of the Roman Empire, in particular the marble statue known as the Dying Gaul, pieces of a colossal statue of Constantine the Great, Roman busts that stand as a kind of ancient Who's Who, and remarkable Renaissance paintings.
Dinner with entertainment at Le Terme del Colosseo
Tonight, enjoy dinner with entertainment at the restaurant Le Terme del Colosseo, which is located between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, in halls with arched ceilings and exposed stone. It offers a variety of Italian dishes accompanied by musical entertainment titled "Roman Fantasy," with singers in costume.
Day 9: Departure
Ciao, Europa! Statistics show that visitors do in fact return to Rome, although it may not have anything to do with coins in a fountain. Race the sun and arrive home later today, eager to share your discoveries with family and friends.