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Classic Italy Tour

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Discover the delights of central Italy

Combine a three-night stay overlooking the glorious Bay of Naples with four nights in the sublime Apennine countryside. Discover brooding Vesuvius, fabled Sorrento, ancient Pompeii and the exquisite Amalfi Drive. See historic Montecassino, and visit 'eternal' Rome and Renaissance Florence, as well as beautiful Assisi and extraordinary Orvieto with its great, golden-fronted cathedral.

This holiday is based beside the beautiful Bay of Naples, and in the idyllic Tuscan countryside.

Vico Equense

Set on the blue Bay of Naples, some four miles from Sorrento, Vico Equense enjoys a stunning setting beneath the wooded slopes of Mount Faito. Typically Southern Italian in atmosphere and style, 'Vico' is home to a selection of bars, cafes and al fresco restaurants.

Chianciano Terme

The spa-resort of Chianciano Terme, 60 miles from Florence, boasts a wonderful climate. It comprises two settlements: the old hill-town and the modern spa town below it, and offers some excellent shops as well as many small gelaterie, bars, cafes and restaurants.

Day One

Fly to Italy, meet our Tour Manager in the airport and transfer to Vico Equense and the Moon Valley Hotel, your base for the next three nights. You'll then have time to rest and relax before dinner is served at the hotel.

Day Two

In the morning we'll head to the Amalfi Drive. With its immense cliffs and dizzy bridges spanning deep gorges, this is among Europe's most scenic coast roads. Experience the unforgettable view above Positano's colourful Moorish-style houses, and visit beautiful Amalfi and Ravello, with its alleys, stairways and roofed passages clinging to the mountainside.

This afternoon's highlight is our half-day tour of Roman Pompeii. Buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 and forgotten for hundreds of years, Pompeii was rediscovered in the 18th Century. Since then, excavations have gradually revealed the city's magnificent villas, temples and frescoed houses.

Day Three

Today you'll begin to explore the beautiful Bay of Naples, travelling first to the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, whose brooding cone looks over the blue waters below. The road leads to a height of 1000 metres, but you can take a guide (payable locally) and climb the further 500 metres or so to the rim of the volcano itself.

Descending Vesuvius's mighty slopes we'll then head to Sorrento. Here you'll be free to wander the maze of narrow alleyways crammed with small shops, bars and restaurants, and enjoy its two tiny ports, even tinier beach and blue waters dotted with colourful pedalos and sailboats.

Day Four

Bidding farewell to Vico Equense, we'll head north towards the rolling hill country of Lazio. En route, we'll call at the town of Cassino, scene of one of the fiercest battles of World War Two, and site of the Benedictine monastery of Montecassino. The town and hill-top monastery have been faithfully restored, buy the museum and cemetery still contain poignant reminders of the turbulent past.

Later this afternoon you'll arrive in Chianciano Terme, your base for the next four nights.

Day Five

Today we'll travel into Umbria, to Assisi, birthplace of Italy's patron Saint, and home to Umbria's greatest glory - the magnificent Basilica. After time to explore here, we'll head to the Tuscan hill-top settlement of Orvieto. Some 300 metres above the valley floor, the town stands on a volcanic bluff crowned by the great Gothic cathedral, one of the most ornate in Christendom.

Day Six

Revel in the wonders of Florence, Italy's beautiful Renaissance capital. Join our optional city tour and you'll see the magnificent Florentine skyline, explore Santa Croce and cross the medieval Ponte Vecchio. For art lovers, the Accademia houses Michelangelo's peerless statue of David, and the Uffizi, Botticelli's exquisite 'Birth of Venus' (gallery entrances payable locally).

Day Seven

On our final included excursion we travel south to the Eternal City - Rome. Explore on your own, or enjoy our optional guided tour of the ancient Colosseum and Forum, the great basilicas and the Baroque fountains. In the Vatican City, the dome of St Peter's looks over the vast Square, while a visit to the nearby Sistine Chapel will reveal Michelangelo's fabled frescoes.

Day Eight

Transfer back to the airport for check-in and your flight home.

Entrance fees

Some of the attractions visited on our optional excursions offer free admission to visitors aged under 18 or over 65, therefore we do not include entrance fees within the excursion's price. If appropriate, these will be payable locally.

Changes to your hotels

Should demand for this holiday exceed expectation, we reserve the right to accommodate you in another hotel of the same category in a similar area. Should this be necessary, we will send you full details with your Joining Instructions.

Transfer Times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour from Naples, and three and a half hours from Rome. The transfer time back to the airport from your hotel is approximately three and a half hours to Naples and two hours to Rome.

 
 

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