Best of Southern Italy: Rome, Bari, Amalfi

Arrival
Welcome to Rome - one of the most charming and heritage rich cities of Italy. Upon arrival, you are met by your private driver, who transfers you to the hotel for the check-in.

The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip.

Highlights of Rome
In the morning after breakfast, you meet your guide at the hotel lobby and embark on a panoramic walking city tour to see the most famous attractions and hidden treasures of the Italian capital.

You see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers, as well as witness the masterpieces by Bernini, Borromini, and many others.

After the tour, your guide takes you back to the hotel and you have the evening at leisure.

Vatican Sightseeing
In the morning after breakfast, you meet your guide and have a transfer to the walled enclave and the world’s smallest independent state - Vatican*.

When inside the Vatican, you visit private apartments of Julius II, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Candelabra.

Next, you proceed to the Sistine Chapel, where you have enough time to admire Michelangelo's famous frescoes and learn about the intense relationship between Pope Julius II and Michelangelo that drove the artist to create the greatest work of art the world has ever known.

Then your tour continues in the vast open spaces of St. Peter’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. As you step into the basilica, you'll be awestruck by the grandeur of its immense, ornately decorated interiors. 

The ending point of your tour is St. Peter’s Square, where you can admire Michelangelo's Dome and the gorgeous colonnades designed by Bernini.

Upon your return to the hotel, you have the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the beauty of Rome on your own.

*Please note: the Vatican is a sacred religious site thus the dress code for visiting it is applied just as when you visit any church in Italy: no shorts – no uncovered knees and shoulders, no backpacks. Due to religious services St. Peters Basilica may be spontaneously closed, thus entrance to St. Peters Basilica may not be guaranteed.

Discovering Ancient Rome and Train to Bari
​​​​​​​In the morning after breakfast, you check out and meet your guide to discover the famous ancient treasures of the Eternal City on a walking tour.  

Your first stop today is the iconic Roman Forum, situated on low ground between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, it was the key political, ritual, and civic center of ancient Rome and can be traced 3 thousand years back.

Today you can see columns and remains of ancient temples, archs and buildings, such as the Temple of Caesar and the Arch of Septimius Severus, as well as the adjacent Palatine Hill, which was the site of the city’s first settlements.  

The next place you discover today is Rome's hallmark site - the Colosseum. Originally known by the name of Flavius amphitheater, it was the biggest and most imposing building of its kind in the Roman world, designed as an arena for the fights of Roman gladiators and could hold up to 70 thousand spectators.  

After the tour, your driver takes you to the railway station for a comfortable 4-hour railway ride across Southern Italy to the picturesque coastal town Bari.

Upon arrival, your driver picks you up at the railway station and transfers you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.

Arrival
Upon arrival, your driver transfers you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.

Bari City Tour
Following breakfast at your hotel, you meet your guide and enjoy a 3-hour private guided city tour of Bari.

Bari is a sparkling resort town with a lovely historic center. During the tour you stroll the maze-like Bari Vecchia - medieval heart of the city and see its major attractions including the 11th-century Basilica di San Nicola. You enjoy views of Piazza Mercantile, Piazza Ferrarese and enter the medieval Castello Svevo. You can also make a stop for a cold lemonade or iced coffee at one of the many sidewalk cafes.

After the tour you return to the hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Departure to Matera
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and depart from Bari.

Arrival in Matera
​​​​​​​In the morning after breakfast at your Bari hotel, you check-out. Your driver transfers you to the fascinating countryside town Alberobello.

After the sightseeing tour, your driver transfers you to Matera. Upon arrival you check-in your hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Matera City Tour
After breakfast in your hotel, you meet your private guide, who takes you on a comprehensive private sightseeing tour around Matera.

Together with your guide you visit the UNESCO-listed World Heritage ancient cave dwellings called Sassi di Matera. You wander the lanes alongside the picturesque cave-filled cliffs and learn the history of this fascinating place. During the tour you also explore the city's fascinating architecture, pay a visit to the Casa Grotta Museum that shows a traditional cave dwelling, and enjoy a stroll through its baroque area.

After the tour your return to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Departure
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and depart from Matera.

Arrival to Amalfi
Following breakfast in your Matera hotel, you check-out and your private driver takes you to Amalfi. When you arrive in the Amalfi coast you meet your private guide and start the scenic sightseeing tour through the coastline.
After the tour, you are transferred to the hotel on the Amalfi Coast (or Sorrento) for check-in.

Departure to Naples
​​​​​​​Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and meet your private driver for the transfer.

Arrival to Naples
Following breakfast, in your Sorrento hotel you check-out, meet your private guide and driver and start an exciting tour to the ancient city of Pompeii. 

After the tour, you are transferred to your centrally-located hotel in Naples and have the rest of the day free.

Naples City Tour
Following breakfast, your private guide takes you on a touring program around the best sights of charming Naples, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its towering palaces, narrow streets, ancient churches, and underground passages dating to different time periods are making Naples city center probably the most unchanged one in Europe.

Start your tour in the Monumental Area of the city and see Plebiscito Square, Galleria Umberto I, San Carlo Opera House, and the Royal Palace of Naples (from outside). Proceed to the UNESCO-listed historic center of Naples. Walk along Via San Gregorio Armeno, the crib alley with the shops exclusively dedicated to the famous Neapolitan Crib, and see the churches of Gesù Nuovo and Santa Chiara. The highlight of the tour is a visit to the Sansevero Chapel Museum to admire the masterpieces of the world's artistic heritage.

Why not get acquainted with the culture of Neapolitan street food in the city that boasts to be the motherland of pizza? You can choose to try fried pizza or Neopolitan cuoppo with fried fish. Sfogliatella pastry - the most famous Neapolitan pastry - is naturally in the tasting too!

You then continue to the Dante Metro Station which features modern installations by internationally renowned artists. You ride one-stop and arrive at the Toledo Metro Art Station, designed around the themes of light and water. Built at 50 m (164 ft) deep, the station extends below the groundwater. After the tour, you return to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.

Departure
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and depart from Naples.