Fantasia Mediterranea

Benvenuti a Roma! After you touch down at the airport, make your own way to your hotel. Check in and enjoy your first night in Italy.

After breakfast at your hotel, a coach bus will depart at 7:00am, taking the highway “of the sun”through the regions of Lazio and Campania, where you will see a picturesque view of the abbey of Montecassino. Upon arriving in Naples, you will go on a short panoramic walking tour, seeing sites such as the Mergellina neighborhood, Castel dell’Ovo, Plebiscito square, the Royal palace, Maschio Angioino, and the port. Have lunch in a restaurant en route to Pompeii and then visit the excavations of the famous roman city, destroyed by the eruption of mount Vesuvius in 79 a.D. Leaving Pompeii, you will drive along the Sorrentine coast, arriving in Sorrento for dinner and an overnight in your new hotel.

Board a boat for the island of Capri after breakfast. Depending on weather and sea conditions, you will enter the infamous blue grotta in a small rowboat. After, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then roam the island at your own pace. Return to the mainland for dinner and your last overnight in Sorrento.

Spend a leisurely morning eating breakfast at your hotel and then exploring Sorrento. That afternoon, depart for Naples harbor, where you will board the Tirrenia/Snav ferry to Palermo. Let the waves rock you to sleep.

Please note, dinner and breakfast are not included on the boat.

Arrive in Palermo and make your own way to your hotel. That night, have dinner in the hotel and rest up for the adventure that lies ahead.

Relax over breakfast, and then head out on a morning excursion to Monreale an ancient royal town famous for its almonds, olive oil and citrus fruits, as well as its fine Norman architecture. Visit the elaborate Cathedral of Monreale or perhaps shop for local produce to take home. Back to Palermo and continue with a walking tour of the city. Wander the streets of the Old Town, hearing tales of Palermo’s 3,000-year history and discovering attractions like Palermo Cathedral. Walk inside the impressive looking place of worship and marvel at its arches, cupolas and mosaics – amassed from each of the city’s successive rulers. Enjoy free time in the late afternoon and return to your hotel for dinner. Overnight.

Rise early for breakfast and departure to Erice, a medieval village stacked into the side of Monte San Giuliano. Many say that little has changed in the village since the sixth century, and its labyrinth-like twist of lanes make for a pleasant morning amble. Continue to Marsala, a pretty coastal town on the westernmost point of Sicily. Explore at leisure, perhaps shopping for a bottle of local Marsala dessert wine to take home. Return to your coach and travel south, passing Mazara del Vallo – the closest Sicilian city to Africa – before stopping in the town of Agrigento, your final destination of the day. Visit Ancient Greek monuments and ruins at the Valley of Temples(admission included), a UNESCO World Heritage site, and learn about archeological relics like the Classical Temple of Concord the Temple of Hercules, and the Temple of Jupiter, one of the largest Doric-style buildings. Check in to your hotel in the evening. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and travel to Noto, a picturesque fishing town that’s popular for its stately Baroque architecture. Visit Cathedral of San Nicolò, a recently renovated structure, and then stretch your legs on a walk around the center. Continue along the south coast to Syracuse, on Sicily’s southeastern tip. Visit Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Syracuse’s famous archeological zone that’s home to a vast collection of Greek and Roman ruins from all over Sicily. Head inside to see impressive excavations such as the Greek theater, Roman amphitheater and the Ear of Dionysius – an artificial limestone cave. After the visit, cross one of the city’s bridges for a visit to the island of Ortygia, home to a wealth of Baroque churches and medieval palaces. In the late afternoon arrive in Taormina, check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner.

Breakfast at your hotel and then head off to Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe and the highest mountain in Italy. Learn about volcanic activity and marvel at the old lava fields and black magma rock that comprises Etna’s landscape. If weather permits, you have a chance to climb to the summit (1800 m). After, return to Taormina, the beautiful and romantic town located on Mount Tauro. Relax over dinner and then get some well-deserved rest. Return to Taormina in the afternoon and spend the rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast travel to Savoca and Forza D’Agrò a pretty hillside villages where Francis Ford Coppola filmed some of the immortal scenes of Godfather’s trilogy. A visit for lovers of this movie but also even if you aren’t a fan, this stop is a fascinating way to visit these unspoiled and typical Sicilian hill towns a real insight into the island and the heart of its people. A stop for a lemon granita at Bar Vitelli is a must for any visitor in town. It is still run by the family who owned it at the time of filming and exhibits a collection of photos taken when Francis Ford Coppola shot some scenes of The Godfather II. We also leave you time to explore further and really soak up the atmosphere of this hidden, not-for-tourists Sicilian hilltown. Everything here is just like in the movie. After the visit depart to Catania. Afternoon free time to explore Catania’s UNESCO-listed historical center with his Baroque palaces and Roman ruins. See Piazza Dante and the Fountain of the Elephant, carved from volcanic rock. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

Enjoy one final breakfast before the tour comes to an end.

• TRANSFER SERVICE: in and out are not included only.
• Venice. Difference of category between 1st and 2nd refers to the location of the hotel and not necessary connected with hotel stars rating.
• 1st category hotel are located in Venice island, Tourist Sup category are located in Venezia Mestre
• City tax will be paid directly from clients at the reception hotel desk at the arrival or at the check out according to the local city board procedure. We remind you that tax will change according to hotel category.
• ENGLISH ONLY SPEAKING – PORTUGUESE / SPANISH SPOKEN WITH HEADSET: Fantasia Tours are available only in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Even if the group is multilingual the clients are provided with headsets in order not to be disturbed by speakers of other languages.