Rome, the Amalfi Coast & Sicily - Southbound

Tour begins: 6 PM, Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome or Sina Bernini Bristol Rome. A transfer is included upon your arrival from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport to the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome or Sina Bernini Bristol Rome, ideally located in the heart of the city, close to must-see sights. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner at your hotel tonight.

Enjoy a guided visit to the Colosseum this morning, going inside the 50,000 seat ancient amphitheater to see where gladiators battled and condemned prisoners fought off wild beasts in front of cheering or jeering crowds. Continue on to the Roman Forum for a guided walk past temple ruins and monuments that speak to the glory days of the Roman Empire, followed by lnch at a typical trattoria. A short car ride brings you Civitavecchia -  a city and major sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, where your ship awaits your arrival. Have dinner onboard at your leisure as your ship sets sail for the Amalfi Coast.

Wake up to one of the most magnificent shorelines in the Mediterranean Sea in Amalfi; 34 miles along the Amalfi Coast have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are a perfect example of a Mediterranean landscape with a scenery of great cultural and natural value. Ride a tender ashore as you choose the excursion that interests you most. Join a local guide for a walking tour of lemon-scented Amalfi, Italy's oldest maritime republic, that includes a visit to 9th-century St. Andrew's Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo and a scenic cruise along the Amalfi Coast. Or, board a motorboat for a cruise along the coast to the seaside village of Cetara where a walking tour and tuna tasting offer a glimpse of daily life here. If you want to discover the views of sea and scenery from on high, drive up winding narrow roads on a minibus to Ravello, where a guided walking tour sees the Duomo and visits Villa Rufolo and the beautiful gardens that inspired composer Richard Wagner. Should an afternoon excursion be more to your liking, you may opt for a drive along the incomparable Amalfi Coast to the mountain town of Tramonti for a wine tasting at historic Apicella Winery. 

Dock in Palermo, the cultural capital of Sicily, for a choice of three excursions that provide in-depth insights into the anti-Mafia movement, its noble residences, cathedrals and historic squares. Our no-mafia themed walking tour is guided by locals who enlighten with expert knowledge about the notorious Sicilian mob beyond the "Godfather" myths. See the exterior of Teatro Massimo, the open-air market Il Capo, the Cathedral, City Hall and Piazza Pretoria. View shops and taste Sicilian specialties along the way. Your other walking excursion choices are culturally inspired with guided exploration of landmark sites along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, splendid piazzas, the Cathedral and Capo Market, including special visits to either sumptuous Palazzo Gangi, made famous in 1963 by the Burt Lancaster / Alain Delon film, The Leopard, and still owned by the Valguarnera family, or lavish Palazzo Mazzarino, still inhabited by its aristocratic owners. Both palaces are privately owned, exquisitely decorated and opened exclusively for Tauck. Spend time at leisure and have dinner onboard. Your ship sets sail for Taormina this evening.  

Tender ashore in Giardini Naxos for a choice of three excursions today. Choose to ride up to Taormina on a mini bus for a guided walk to the along its cobblestone streets to visit the courtyard of 15th-century Palazzo Corvaja and the 2nd-century Teatro Greco, built by the Greeks and remodeled by the Romans. Enjoy time to stroll along the famous Corso Umberto before driving to a family-owned winery on the slopes of volcanic Mt. Etna for lunch, wine tasting and breathtaking views. Alternately, experience a closer look at Mt. Etna on an adventurous excursion that passes through local villages near the slopes of the volcano to the Sapienza Refuge for a cable car ride, before boarding specially built UNIMOG vehicles driven by expert mountaineer guides up to the top of the volcano, 9,500 feet above sea level. Learn more about this hot-headed crater and its historic lava flows when you view them up close with guides who lead the way, before lunch at a local restaurant near the crater. Or, choose to visit Schiavi Castle, the private villa that was used as the setting for Michael Corleone's exile to Sicily in the epic film, The Godfather, and enjoy personal stories about the movie filming by the Baron himself. A boat ride follows for a scenic cruise along the coast to Isola Bella, with a prosecco and cannoli tasting onboard. Everyone returns to the ship for a presentation by a volcanologist and dinner onboard at leisure. 

Arrive in Siracusa this morning for a day of sightseeing choices that indulge your interests in history, palace life, wine tasting and more. With its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheaters, architecture, and renown as the birthplace and home of Archimedes, Siracusa is a delight to explore. Join an expert guide for a tour of the Archaeological Park. Visit the Greek Theatre and the Latomia del Paradiso before a walking tour in Ortigia to see the 6th-century Temple of Apollo and the Baroque-style Duomo. Or, drive through the countryside, passing villages and almond groves as you make your way to Noto, home to the best examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture on the island. This UNESCO designated World Heritage Site features handsome palaces, churches and other Baroque monuments which line the streets. Wine aficionados may want to take an excursion to Pupillo Winery near the town of Noto for a tour and tasting of locally produced wines. For a more active adventure, join our local guide for a sightseeing bicycle ride in and around Ortigia, seeing the Temple of Apollo, Palazzo Greco, Cathedral Square and more. After spending the afternoon at leisure in Ortigia, return to the ship for dinner and set sail for the island of Gozo in Malta. 

Steeped in myth and immersed in natural beauty, the island of Gozo is a hidden gem of the Mediterranean with historic towns and a striking coastline. Experience its treasures on a guided visit to the Ggantija Temples, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the world's oldest free-standing structures, they date back 5,000 years, predating the Egyptian pyramids and England's Stonehenge. Sightseeing continues with a choice of shore excursions that you let you explore the island's gems your way. Embark on a panoramic drive around the island, stopping to learn about the importance of the salt pans to the locals before a cruise aboard a small wooden motorboat through a sea cave and along the crystal blue waters of the coast, weather permitting, with lunch in a local restaurant. Or, venture to the nearby island of Comino aboard a two-masted sailboat to the Blue Lagoon, where brilliant turquoise waters invite you in for a swim and lunch is served onboard. Everyone enjoys time at leisure in the rural village of Mgarr before returning to the ship for the captain's farewell dinner.