8-night Cruising Southern Italy And Sicily – With Smithsonian Journeys

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Taormina and Mt Etna Day - 8 hours

Full day tour of the famous Volcano Mt.Etna and Taormina

Added value:

• Experience visiting a live volcano
• Visit the charming sea village of Taormina
• Stop at a local winery near Mt. Etna
• Time for shopping on the famous Corso Umberto in Taormina

Tour duration: 8 hours

Not wheelchair accessible

Physical activity: Moderate with a fair amount of walking

Included:

• Private car or van and English speaking driver guide.
• Clients are picked up and dropped off at the Port

Excluded:

• Meals

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Naples and Pompeii - 8 hours

Added value:

• Introduction to the history of Naples and Ancient city of Pompeii
• Free time for shopping in Napes
• Lunch to be reserved at original Naples pizzeria

Tour duration: 8 hours

Semi wheelchair accessible

Physical activity:  moderate

Included:

• Private deluxe sedan or van for the day
• English speaking guide for Naples and Pompeii
• Clients are picked up and dropped off at the Port

Not included: meals

Naples: Food Tour of Naples - 4 hours

Along with your expert guide, head into the heart of the historic centre of Naples and explore one of Naples’ best food markets. Your guide will lead you through the market stalls and shops, where you can sample some of the delicious local specialties. Continue along the alleys of the historic city centre to discover the most picturesque corners of Naples. Sites include the Greek ruins of Bellini square, the street of music (San Biagio dei Librai), San Gregorio Armeno street (famous for shops selling nativity scenes), Decumani and old churches decorated in Rococo style.
Stop for a wine tasting in one of the most famous wine shops in the city before the highlight of your tour: lunch in one of the world’s oldest pizzerias! Naples is the birthplace of the pizza. The Naples pizza margherita features a soft yet satisfyingly chewy base, all puffed up and charred at the edges, the merest smear of tomato sauce, the odd dot of mozzarella and a few basil leaves. Not to be missed is the pizza fritta - the original pizza and unique to Naples - a deep fried pizza filled with ricotta cheese. Heaven on a plate!

Highlights:

• Sample some delicious specialities at one of Naples' best food markets
• Visit one of the world's oldest pizzerias for lunch

Tour Duration: 4 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:
•    Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
•    An expert local guide (4 hours)
•    Entrance fees
•    All taxes
•    Wine tasting and pizza

Exclusions:
•    All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
•    Gratuities

Naples: The City of Naples - 8 hours

Naples' historic city centre is the largest in Europe, covering 4,200 acres and enclosing 27 centuries of history. One of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world with Bronze Age Greek settlements dating back to the second millennium BC, the area was re-founded as Neápolis (‘new city’) in the sixth century BC, becoming a lynchpin of Magna Graecia and playing a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society.

Explore Naples today with your expert guide. Highlights include the Spaccanapoli district, the magnificent Duomo cathedral, the Cappella Sansevero with its virtuosic sculptural masterpiece the Cristo Velato, as well as lesser-known gems such as the San Giovanni a Carbonara. Today’s tour encompasses artistic-historic treasures and plenty of local colour. Along the way, enjoy a bite of Naples’ famous street food ‘frittura’, a sinfully delicious mix of deep fried aubergines (eggplant), zucchini, mozzarella, arancini (rice croquettes), cauliflower, or potato croquettes.
Continue your sightseeing tour in the historic centre of Naples. Visit the Castel Nuovo, the imposing medieval structure built by the Angevins to defend the city. You may also wish to visit the adjoining Palazzo Reale (The Royal Palace Museum and Royal apartments), built in the 17th century. The magnificently decorated halls and rooms contain the original Bourbon furnishings, paintings, statues and porcelain. Enjoy a panoramic drive to reach the magnificent Carthusian Monastery, the Certosa di San Martino situated on Vomero Hill, where you may visit the luxuriously decorated Baroque Style church.

Highlights:

• Try Naples' famous street food as your guide shows you the historic sights of Italy
• Visit the medieval Castel Nuovo, whose magnificently decorated rooms contain original Bourbon furnishings, paintings and statues

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:
•    Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
•    An expert local guide (8 hours)
•    Entrance fees
•    All taxes

Exclusions:
•    All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
•    Gratuities

Naples: Historic Pompeii & Vesuvius - 9 hours

Travel outside Naples today for an excursion to Pompeii. Upon arrival at Pompeii, enjoy a walking tour of this once opulent town. The extensive and varied ruins of Pompeii now provide us with a rich history of life at the time of the Roman Empire. Destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 BC, this dugout treasure represents an amazing day trip for children and adults alike. On view are temples, forums, amphitheatres, a brothel and the casts of those killed by the falling ash and pumice stone.
Mount Vesuvius – 1281 meters high – was brought into volcanological history after the eruption of 79 BC, when it destroyed the towns and thousands of residents of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum. Climb till the summit of the ‘mount’ this afternoon with your guide and admire the splendid views across the Bay of Naples. Lose yourself admiring its slopes, once covered with vineyards and woods that nowadays provide a spectacular backdrop for the bustling town below.

Highlights:

• The ruins of Pompeii provide an unparalleled window into life during the Roman Empire
• Climb to the summit of Mount Vesuvius to admire views across the Bay of Naples

Tour Duration: 9 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:
•    Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
•    An expert local guide (8 hours)
•    Entrance fees
•    All taxes

Exclusions:
•    All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
•    Gratuities

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Civitavecchia: Imperial Rome & The Vatican City - 8 hours

Your driver will meet you at Civitavecchia today to transfer into Rome where you will be met by your expert local guide.
 

Begin your tour with a visit to the imposing Colosseum. Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian, the stadium could accommodate up to 50,000 spectators who came to view the gladiatorial battles that lasted up to 100 days! Adjacent is the Arc of Constantine which, dating from AD 315, is a forerunner to many other Triumphal Arches around the world. Possibly even more impressive are the excavations of the vast Roman Forum where the remains of temples, streetscapes, palaces and homes can be found.
 

After lunch, travel across the Tiber River to the Vatican City. Visit the Vatican Museums, part of the Papal Residence which is estimated to contain 1400 rooms, chapels and galleries. The Museums contain an extraordinarily rich collection of precious arts, maps, sculptures and antiquities but surely the most breath-taking masterpiece is Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. At the centre of the Vatican lies the vast Basilica of St. Paul, the world’s largest church where the colourfully dressed Swiss Guard can be found. The present Cathedral is a beautiful mix of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, formed under the hands of masters such as Michelangelo. The stunning interior is an elaborate and detailed display of marble, mosaic, gilt and bronze.

Your tour includes express entry to the Vatican Museums, past the regular lines. The Vatican requires visitors to cover upper arms and legs to below the knee.

Highlights:

• Tour some of Rome's most iconic sites including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum
• Explore the impressive museum collections in the Vatican City and the breath-taking masterpiece that is Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel
• Spend time in the Basilica of St. Paul, the largest church in the world

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert English-speaking guide in Rome (6 hours)
• Entrance fees to Colosseum, Imperial Forum and Vatican Museums
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Civitavecchia: Rome for Repeat Visitors - 8 hours

A tour designed for those who have visited Rome before, but would like to discover more of this fascinating city. Your driver will meet you at the port and bring you into Rome where your expert guide will be waiting for you.
 

Take a journey back in time at the church of San Clemente as you descend down three levels and through two thousand years of history. The medieval church was built over the remains of a 4th-century basilica which, in its turn, covers older buildings from the time of the emperor Nero and a sanctuary dedicated to the oriental divinity Mithras.

In the afternoon discover how Rome evolved through the 18th-century and visit the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, a majestic royal residence of one of Rome’s most illustrious families. Believed to be the largest privately owned Palace in Rome, the Doria Pamphilj’s vast private art collection is still held here.
 

Your guide will also be delighted to make additional suggestions for your tour depending on your own personal interests. Alternatively, you may like to revisit some of your favourite places from your previous visit to Rome.

Highlights:

• Visit the church of San Clemente and discover its fascinating history
• Explore the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, a majestic royal residence of one of Rome’s most illustrious families, which houses a vast private art collection

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/ Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert English-speaking guide in Rome (6 hours)
• Entrance fees to San Clemente and Doria Pamphilij
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Civitavecchia: Gastronomic Rome and Time at Leisure - 8 hours

Travel with your driver to Rome this morning to meet a food expert for a gastronomic walking tour of the Trastevere District, so called because it lies across the River Tiber. Trastevere was once the bohemian quarter of Rome and still retains its arty edge today. Explore the bustling market and ancient maze of streets whilst discovering the essence of Italy’s best loved food with tastings of gelato, Sicilian pastries, Jewish delicacies, meats and wine.
 

The remainder of the day can be spent as you wish, your vehicle and driver will remain at your disposal in Rome before returning you to Civitavecchia.

Highlights:

• Uncover Rome's bohemian quarter, along with tastings of Italy's best loved delicacies 
• Car and driver at your disposal to discover Rome

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/ Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low 

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert local guide (3 hours)
• Entrance fees
• All taxes
• Food and wine tastings

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Civitavecchia: Museums of Rome - Capitoline and Borghese - 8 hours

Your driver will meet you at the port and bring you into Rome where your expert guide will meet you. Begin your tour on Capitoline Hill and visit one of the oldest museum complexes in the world; the Capitoline Museums, originally founded by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471. Capitoline Hill has been a seat of religious or political power throughout the centuries, making it the most important of the “seven hills” of Rome. It was here that the most important temple in town, dedicated to Jupiter, the king of the gods, was built. See the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter and marvel at the magnificent bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius at Campidoglio Square.
 

Afterwards, explore the museums, extended over two buildings; the Palazzo dei Conservatori, where you can view splendid frescoes portraying the history of Rome and the Pinacoteca (Picture gallery), and Palazzo Nuovo, where you can admire the wonderful sculptures. Finally visit the ancient Tabularium whose monumental arches overlook the Forum.  

Continue up along the Via Veneto to the elegant Villa Borghese, accompanied by your local expert guide and private vehicle. Surrounded by a leafy parkland, the villa was originally designed as a palace of pleasure and entertainment to house Cardinal Scipione Borghese’s incredible collection of antiquities, paintings and custom pieces. Today the collections of sculpture and paintings are among the most important in Italy. Admire the stunning Caravaggio canvases, Titian's enigmatic ‘Sacred and Profane Love’ and the striking sculptures by Bernini and Canova during this fabulous visit. Return to Civitavecchia from here.

Highlights:

• Travel out to Capitoline Hill and visit one of the oldest museum complexes in the world
• Visit Villa Borghese, home to a collection of sculptures and paintings that are among the most important in Italy

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert English-speaking guide in Rome (6 hours)
• Entrance fees to the Capitoline Museums and Villa Borghese
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Rome and the Vatican City: 8-9 hours

Full day in the Eternal city of Rome and the Vatican City

Highlights:

• Great way to see major sites of Rome in a day
• Major sites covered such as the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Vatican city
• Reservations for the Vatican museum - no waiting

*A strict dress code is enforced in St. Peter's Basilica, so please do not wear shorts, sleeveless tops, skirts above the knee, or revealing clothing.

Tour duration: 8 to 9 hours

Wheelchair accessible

Physical activity : moderate with a fair amount of walking

Inclusions:

• Deluxe car or van and private English speaking guide for the day
• Entrance tickets
• Clients are picked up and dropped off at the Port

Exclusions:

• Meals not included
• Gratuities
• Items of personal nature

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Livorno: Cycling Lucca's Medieval Walls - 5 hours

Your English-speaking driver will meet your at Livorno pier today for the journey through Tuscany to Lucca where your expert local guide will be waiting for you. Lucca is a graceful and beautifully preserved town whose lovely streets are lined with old houses. Your guided walking tour through the city follows much of the original Roman pattern and includes the Duomo di San Martino and the Church of San Frediano.
 

The heart of Lucca is encircled by vast walls. Enjoy cycling along the top of these walls and take in the spectacular views of the city. Return to Livorno from here.

Highlights:

• Walking tour through the streets of Lucca, a beautifully preserved Tuscan town
• Cycle along the city walls, admiring the incredible views 

Tour Duration: 5 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/ Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Moderate

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert English-speaking guide in Lucca (3 hours)
• Bicycle rental
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Day in Florence - 8 hours

Full day in Florence with a visit to the famous Academia museum for the David and time for shopping.

Highlights:

• Introduction of basic history of Florence and visit of the David
• See the famous Ponte Vecchio.
• Leisure time for shopping at the famous leather and jewelry stores.

Tour duration: 8 hours

Tour is wheelchair is accessible

Physical activity: Moderate with fair amount of walking

Inclusions:

• Private deluxe sedan or van 
• Private English speaking guide 
• Admission to view the David
• Clients are picked up and dropped off at the Port 

Exclusions:

• Meals
• Gratuities

Pisa and Lucca - 8 hours

Full day to Pisa and Lucca with visit of the Tower and famous walls of Lucca.

Added Value

-Introduction to history of Pisa and Lucca

-See the famous Tower of Pisa

-Time for shopping in Lucca
 

Tour duration: 8 hours

Tour is semi wheelchair accessible

Physical activity: moderate with a fair amount of walking

Included :

• Private deluxe sedan or van and private English speaking guide in Lucca
• Clients are picked up and dropped off at the Port

Not included: meals

Livorno: Chianti Countryside & Wine Tasting - 8 hours

Meet your guide and driver at the pier side of Livorno for a full day of discovery in the Chianti region of Tuscany.  Hill-towns gaze across the countryside from on high, many encircled by Etruscan walls and slender cypress trees. As you travel along the winding roads, soak up the rich panorama comprising beautiful rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves. Admire the charming hamlets and farmhouses as well as fortified villas and castles that symbolise colourful history of the region during the Middle Ages. Travel through San Casciano, Badia a Passignano, Montefioralle, Greve and Castellina on your way to the Casanova Winery.  Here you will be met by your guide for a tour of the vineyards and, of course, tastings of their fine red wines.
After lunch at your leisure, continue to the picturesque medieval town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its surviving towers where you may wish to see the Collegiata containing 15th-century frescoes, the Palazzo del Popolo containing Renaissance paintings or simply wander the narrow cobbled streets. 

Highlights:

Casanova Winery
San Gimignano

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at disposal during the tour
• An English-speaking guide
• Entrance fees to the Casanova winery

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Livorno: Best of Florence & Pisa - 8 hours

Your English-speaking driver will meet your at Livorno pier today for the journey through Tuscany to Florence where your expert local guide will be waiting for you. As you stroll through the narrow streets, take in the lovely piazzas, churches and palaces before visiting Florence’s most famous landmark; the splendid Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore).

At the Galleria dell' Accademia, the world’s most celebrated statue awaits you. Marvel at Michelangelo's exquisite David; a colossal 17-foot nude inspired by the biblical hero renowned for heroically killing the giant Goliath. Wander along the enchanting medieval streets until you emerge out onto the open Piazza della Signoria; the centre of political life in Florence since the 14th-century.

After lunch at leisure, return to Livorno stopping briefly in Pisa to admire the famous Leaning Tower.

Highlights:

• Florence's Duomo
• Galleria dell'Accademia
• Piazza della Signoria
• Leaning Tower of Pisa

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:

• Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
• An expert English-speaking guide in Florence (3 hours)
• Entrance fees to the Galleria dell'Accademia

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities