Rome Tours

Puglia/Sorrento/Rome - 6 Days
Escorted Tours

• Day 1 - Depart the U.S. for Italy.
• Day 2 - Bari/Alberobello: Upon arrival in Bari, proceed to baggage claim and after clearing customs you will be met by your Tour Escort. Drive to the Puglia region at the "heel" of the boot. Puglia region experienced a long-lasting Greek influence, though its golden age was under the rule of the Normans. Its glorious architecture, the curious "trulli" houses and the florid Baroque style of the city of Lecce, complete the picture of and ancient land subject to more influences from outside the Italian Peninsula than from within it. As to nature's wonders, Apulia offers an extraordinary intermingling of mountains, woods and uncontaminated sea, for which the promontory of the Gargano in the province of Foggia is so well renowned. Tonight enjoy dinner at the hotel. (Dinner)
• Day 3 - Alberobello: Today you will visit Alberobello, the "trulli" capital. Strange circular buildings with conical roofs and domed within, trulli are built from local limestone stacked without using mortar. The walls and openings are generally whitewashed, while the stone roof tiles are either bare or have religious, pagan or magical symbols painted on them. Their origins are obscure, though the name is traditionally applied to ancient round tombs found in the roman countryside. Enjoy free time for lunch, then visit Castel del Monte, built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II when the region became a crossroads between the Roman Catholic Byzantine and Arab worlds. Enjoy dinner and overnight in Alberobello. (Breakfast, Dinner)
• Day 4 - Alberobello/Lecce/Alberobello: After breakfast, depart for a full-day tour of Lecce, one of Puglia's special treasures and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a Greek settlement, and later an important Roman center, the city was "redone" in the 17th century to reflect a highly decorative "Baroque" style. City tour highlights include the Piazza Sant'Oronzo and the Roman Amphitheater. Return to the hotel for overnight. (Breakfast)
• Day 5 - Alberobello/Matera/Sorrento: This morning after breakfast, depart for Sorrento. Stop in Matera, a town built into the rocks. Perched on the edge of a deep ravine, this town consists of the bustling upper district and the silent lower "Sassi" (caves) district, divided into the Sasso Barisano and the more picturesque Sasso Caveoso. The people of Matera once lived here in dwellings scooped out of the rock. From the 8th to the 13th centuries, such caves probably provided refuge for monks from the Byzantine Empire. Visit the "Sassi" cathedral built into the rock and the typical houses and churches dug into the "tufa" crag and enjoy dramatic views of the seemingly vast landscape. Today the area still evokes ancient times, providing the backdrop for the film, "Passion of the Christ" filmed here. After lunch in a local restaurant, continue on to Sorrento, a lovely resort situated on the Sorrento Peninsula. This area is particularly known for its unique landscape, where low and high hills, deep valleys and majestic mountains alternate, and where the most impervious areas were transformed into the famous terraces cultivated with orange and lemon trees degrading towards the sea. Poets and writers have described Sorrento as the land of colors and Mermaids. Sorrento is indeed a very pretty city where kindness and hospitality are a combination that is handed down from one generation to the next. (Breakfast, Lunch)
• Day 6 - Sorrento: Don't miss out on getting a first-hand glimpse of Italy's natural beauty. Take an optional tour of the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento. Visit the old town of Amalfi, once a seafaring Republic, rivaling Genoa, Venice and Pisa. Near the waterfront is Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the ninth century Cathedral of Saint Andrea, whose remains are said to be buried in the crypt. Extensively rebuilt and superbly maintained, this fine Cathedral reflects Amalfi's original importance. Overnight in Sorrento. (Breakfast)
• Day 7 - Sorrento: After breakfast, visit Flegrean Fields, where most of the mythological sites of ancient Rome are located: the Roman city of Pozzuoli, where Sofia Loren wa born, the biggest Roman port of Baia, and the Greek city of Cuma, where people prayed to the Egyptian God fo Iside. Return to Sorrento for overnight. (Breakfast)
• Day 8 - Sorrento/Rome: After breakfast, depart for Rome. Spend your first day in Rome mesmerized by Etruscan tombs, imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, baroque basilicas and Renaissance palaces. Take an optional tour of Imperial Rome, featuring the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Overnight in Rome. (Breakfast)
• Days 9 & 10 - Rome: Enjoy these two days to explore the city on your own. See the Colosseum, the most famous monument of ancient Rome and an impressive testament to her past greatness. Worth a visit are the Vatican Museums and their immense wealth of art, resulting from centuries of papal collections and the Sistine Chapel. For some fun, stop at a "trattoria" in Trastevere to try the local cuisine, sit outside of a caffé on elegant Via Veneto or maybe shop in fashionable Via Condotti or, for a wonderful range of art, antiques and antiquities shops, visit Via Margutta. (Breakfast)
• Day 11 - Rome/U.S.: Transfer to Rome airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

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