Italian Heritage Tour

HIGHLIGHTS: Rome, Assisi, Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza, Tuscan vineyard wine tasting, Orvieto, Deruta, mozzarella farm, Paestum, Pompeii tour, Mt. Vesuvius winery lunch, Benevento, Amalfi Coast– Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Maiori

The Italian Heritage Tour includes:

• Accommodations in first-class hotels for 13 nights

• A private small coach bus with driver

• An experienced full-time guide throughout the tour

• 20 meals- All breakfasts, 5 dinners and 2 lunches-

  at a mozzarella farm, and a Mt. Vesuvius winery

• Staying in beautiful smaller towns such as Montalcino, Orvieto and Benevento

• Wine tasting at a vineyard in Tuscany

• Visit Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis

• Tour the ancient Roman city of Pompeii

• Visit ceramics studio in Deruta where pottery has been produced for centuries

• Entrances to Vatican Museum, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Siena Cathedral, Pompeii and Paestum

• Local licensed guides in Rome, Assisi, Siena, Pompeii and Paestum.

• Audio headsets for use at the Vatican and in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi

Prices are per person, double occupancy. Single supplement: $695.

This is a land-only package. You can make your own flight arrangements and use frequent flyer miles if you have them. Does not include: transfer from and to airport, airfare, city taxes, or any other personal travel expenses. When you sign up for one of our tours we will send out information including tips on booking a flight, obtaining travel insurance, and packing for your trip. Our aim is to to prepare you in advance so that you can travel with confidence.

And if this is your first visit to Italy we would highly recommend that you consider arriving a day or two early. Early arrival is a great idea for getting over jet lag in time for your tour.

Reservations are accepted and confirmed upon receipt of trip deposit of $300 per traveler, payable by check in U.S Dollars, money order, cashiers check, along with a completed and signed registration form. The balance of the tour price is due 60 days before departure. Payments not received within 60 days of travel will be considered notification of cancellation by default. Your deposit is fully refundable up to 120 days before the tour departure date. We recommend travel cancellation and interruption insurance for this purpose. There is no refund for unused portions of a tour once it has commenced. Should a trip be cancelled, payments will be fully refunded. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel and health insurance to provide yourself protection from unanticipated medical and travel emergencies.

Day 1 Arrive in Rome and check into our centrally located hotel. You can rest after the flight or freshen up and start exploring. We will meet in the early evening for a stroll to see some of Rome’s famous piazzas and fountains at night. Then we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner together, featuring classic Roman dishes. Sleep in Rome 3 nights.

Day 2 Ancient Rome Meet our local guide and get a history lesson while exploring the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The afternoon is free to wander this exciting and surprising city.

Day 3 Vatican City Today, we’ll visit St. Peter’s Basilica, seat of Christianity and the world’s largest church. Then we’ll walk through the treasures of the Vatican Museum to gaze upon Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Free time this afternoon to rest, shop or explore.

Day 4 Tuscan Hilltowns After breakfast we will leave the big city and head north for Tuscany. We’ll wind our way through the peaceful landscape of the Val d’Orcia in our private coach to the hilltowns of Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino, making stops along the way. Sleep in Montalcino 2 nights.

Day 5 Siena Today we’ll stop at a local vineyard for a winery tour and taste some outstanding Brunello, one of the finest wines Tuscany. A visit in the afternoon to the popular hill town of Siena with one of Italy’s most beautiful piazzas will round out the day.

Day 6 Orvieto We’ll leave Montalcino today and say goodbye to Tuscany. But we’ll stop and see more beautiful places on our way to the tufa-rock hill town of Orvieto and our hotel near the historic center . Sleep in Orvieto 2 nights.

Day 7 Assisi and Deruta This morning, we’ll take a short drive to Assisi, hometown of St. Francis, Italy’s patron saint. On the way we’ll stop in Deruta, famous for its pottery, and watch a demonstration of the craftsmanship this area is known for. In Assisi a local guide will take us through the art-filled basilica. Afterward, enjoy free time to have lunch and investigate this charming hilltop town.

Day 8 Benevento We’ll continue south today and make our way to the region where most Italian-Americans come from. We’ll make a beeline to Benevento, a town with Roman roots and our base for the next two nights. We might take a short drive to your hometown and check out your roots – and perhaps visit town hall to retrieve any family records there. Otherwise, we will have more time to spend in Benevento, a city with an impressive history and a great place to see how Italians really live.

Day 9 The Sacred and the Profane Today we’ll take a short trip to the lovely nearby village of Pietrelcina, birthplace of Padre Pio, one of Italy’s most popular saints. In the afternoon we’ll visit the ravine-perched village of Sant’Agata de Goti, where time seems to have stood still.

Day 10 Paestum and Maiori In the morning, we’ll leave Benevento and head toward the coast. First stop is at a water buffalo farm to see the production of this area’s specialty, mozzarella di bufala, followed by a tour and a delicious lunch. From there it’s a short ride to walk among the ancient Greco-Roman temples of Paestum, dating from the first half of the 6th century B.C. Then it’s off to the Amalfi Coast, where more beauty and beaches await. Sleep in Maiori 4 nights.

Day 11 Amalfi Coast Spend the day wandering along the dramatic Amalfi Coast. Visit Positano and Amalfi and escape the crowds (we hope) in the charming town of Ravello, high above Amalfi.

Day 12 Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius winery lunch Today we’ll tour the ruins of Pompeii, where a local expert will give us a glimpse of everyday life in this ancient Roman city. On our way back, we will stop at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius and taste the regions famous Lacryma Cristi wines and have lunch at a local vineyard.

Day 13 Relax The last day of our tour is entirely free for you to spend as you like — maybe lying on the beach, taking a boat ride to Capri, or sipping limoncello while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll meet for a farewell group dinner tonight.

Day 14 Arrivederci After breakfast, our group will be transported to the airport in Naples, and we’ll depart for home.

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