Enjoy a unique in-depth vacation in the fascinating region of Umbria and learn about the mysterious Etruscans. Start and end in Rome, where you will enjoy welcome and farewell dinners with wine at a local restaurant, and visits to St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Travel to Spoleto, and stop in the hilltop town of Narni, inspiration for the Chronicles of Narnia, and visit the Convent of San Domenico. A highlight is a pasta demonstration by a chef to learn the art of homemade Manfricolo pasta, followed by lunch. Stay three nights in Assisi, and hear all about St. Francis and St. Clare as you visit their basilicas with a Local Guide. Also visit the St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. Enjoy an excursion to Perugia, where a visit to the Perugina Baci Chocolate Factory is included, as well as dinner in the town of Deruta, famous for its ceramics. See Villa Bramasole in Cortona, where the author of the book Under the Tuscan Sun used to live, and stay two nights in Siena, with an included excursion to picturesque San Gimignano and Volterra. Via Pienza, famous for pecorino cheese, and Montalcina, where a Brunello wine tasting and lunch await, arrive in Orvieto, high atop a volcanic rock, and hear about the Etruscans during your exclusive visit to the Etruscan underground Labirinto. Here, an exclusive dinner has been prepared by the famous Italian cook, Maurizio. From Rome, hop aboard the high-speed Eurostar train and head south to Sorrento. Spend three relaxing overnights and enjoy time at leisure as well as a guided walking tour of the Old Town—an unforgettable vacation!
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in Rome, Italy. Welcome to Rome! At 5 pm, join your Tour Director and traveling companions, and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)
Day #2 Rome–Narni–Spoleto. Your discovery of the green provence of Umbria, made famous by the movie My House in Umbria with unforgettable Maggie Smith, starts in the hilltop town of Narni, almost 800 feet high. Narni is the town that is said to have been the inspiration for the Chronicles of Narnia. Enjoy a guided visit of the CONVENT OF SAN DOMENICO basement, and see a cell where prisoners of the Inquisition wrote graffiti on the walls. Then, a true highlight: learn the art of homemade Manfricolo pasta from a chef during a [LF] PASTA DEMONSTRATION, and, of course, enjoy lunch afterwards. Next is Spoleto, a former Roman municipium and capital of an important Lombard duchy from the 6th to the 8th centuries. During your walking tour with a Local Guide, take pictures of La Rocca, the former Papal fortress that was used as a high-security prison until 1982; admire the Ponte delle Torri, erected on the foundations of a Roman aqueduct; and visit PIAZZA DEL DUOMO. This evening, a special dinner with wine awaits you at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)
Day #3 Spoleto–Spello–Assisi. In the pretty town of Spello, enjoy a tour and an OLIVE OIL TASTING at an authentic oil mill. Time for lunch and to browse through the little shops before continuing to Assisi. Visit ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS BASILICA, where St. Francis consecrated St. Clare as the “Bride of Christ,” then start your guided walking tour with visits to ST. CLARE’S CHURCH and ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God’s creatures. A dinner with wine has been prepared at one of Assisi’s quaint restaurants. (B,D)
Day #4 Assisi. Excursion to Perugia. A short drive brings you to Perugia, capital of Umbria and an important university town. A guided walking tour features the PIAZZA IV NOVEMBRE, one of the grandest squares in Italy, graced by the Fontana Maggiore. Admire the gothic cathedral, the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, and Perugia’s stunning medieval municipal palace. Then, a special treat: [LF] visit the original PERUGINA BACI CHOCOLATE FACTORY, and taste Italy’s most delectable candy. End in Deruta, famous for its ceramics, and have dinner at a local taverna. (B,D)
Day #5 Assisi–Cortona–Siena. Enter Tuscany, and stop in the town of Cortona, made famous by the movie Under the Tuscan Sun and see Villa Bramasole, where the author of the book used to live. Arrive in Siena, and follow your Local Guide on a walk through ancient, narrow lanes to PIAZZA DEL CAMPO. Hear about the biannual Palio, Siena’s spectacular medieval-style horse race that is held on this square. This evening, an optional dinner outing to Monteriggioni is available. (B)
Day #6 Siena. Excursion to San Gimignano & Volterra. A scenic day: visit San Gimignano, the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns. Next is the town of Volterra, an important Etruscan center, where the famous movie New Moon in the Twilight Sagas was made. Return to Siena. An optional excursion to Asciano, to visit the Abbazia Monte Oliveto Maggiore, followed by dinner, is available to make the most of your stay. (B)
Day #7 Siena–Pienza–Montalcino–Orvieto. Famous for pecorino cheese, Pienza has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to a member of the Piccolomini family who became Pope Pius II in the 15th century and redesigned the town in perfect renaissance style. Continue to Montalcino, beautifully located in the Tuscan Hills, and [LF] enjoy a Brunello WINE TASTING, followed by lunch in a family-owned estate. On to Orvieto, perched high atop a volcanic rock. Access, denied to many a would-be conqueror through the ages, is easy for you. Ride a modern FUNICULAR right through the forbidding ramparts, where a unique visit to the [LF] Etruscan underground Labirinto (labyrinth) awaits you. This evening, an exclusive dinner has been prepared for you by the famous Italian cook, Maurizio. (B,L,D)
Day #8 Orvieto–Rome. Hear the history of this fascinating town from your Local Guide during a pleasant walk through the narrow lanes and visit the CATHEDRAL with its San Brizio Chapel. Return to the “Eternal City” for a drive past Rome’s main highlights, ending at ST. PETER’S SQUARE. A special farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurants awaits you to celebrate the success of your vacation in Umbria and Tuscany. (B,D)
Day #9 Rome–Sorrento. Transfer by high-speed EUROSTAR TRAIN to Sorrento. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (B)
Day #10 Sorrento. Morning guided walking tour through the OLD TOWN. (B)
Day #11 Sorrento. Full day at leisure. Ask your local host for suggestions. (B)
Day #12 Sorrento. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (the nearest airport is Naples). (B)
Hotels:
ROME Una Hotel Roma (F)
SPOLETO San Luca (F)
ASSISI Giotto (F)
SIENA NH Excelsior (F)
ORVIETO Grand Hotel Italia (F)
ROME Holiday Inn Rome Aurelia (F)
SORRENTO Hilton Sorrento Palace (SF)