Italy & Greece

Board your overnight flight to Naples today.

Welcome to Italy! Travel to your hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula, which opens to the Bay of Naples and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Our recommendation for freshening up? Order an espresso con panna, served with a heaping dollop of fresh whipped cream. And take your time—Italians don’t usually take their coffee to go, so sidle up to the coffee bar and savor yours slowly.

Then, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.

Join your local guide and sail across the Bay of Naples to the famed Isle of Capri. Known around the world as a playground for chic jet-setters, Capri’s dramatic coastline is dotted with colorful cliffside hotels and lavish villas. You’ll traverse crystalline waters by boat and spend time on the island before returning to the Sorrento Peninsula.

• Boat around the island and bask in the romance of Capri’s caves and grottoes (weather-dependent). You can admire the famed Blue Grotto and Faraglioni rocks as they jut out of the water.
• Stroll through the winding alleys of the village of Capri, lush with Mediterranean flora—palm trees, umbrella pines, and bright pink-and-purple bougainvillea.
• Take a funicular ride to Capri’s upper town and watch the island’s vistas unfurl below you.
• Explore the Gardens of Augustus—a botanical garden with an intimate setting, intoxicating blooms, and a dreamy view of the water.

End the day by adding an excursion to an agriturismo—or farm stay—where you’ll indulge in a four-course, farm-to-table meal, as well as a tour of its fertile grounds. Prefer to spend the time exploring on your own? Enjoy your free evening in the Sorrento region by tracking down the best limoncello.

En route to Rome, stop at Pompeii for a guided walking tour of the city’s ruins, frozen in time since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The former port town lay buried under ash for 1,500 years before being rediscovered, and ongoing excavation continues to uncover remnants of everyday life before disaster struck.

• Discover how Roman citizens lived 2,000 years ago as you stroll through remarkably preserved temples, public baths, and amphitheaters.
• View the excavated ruins of Roman theaters, villas, temples, and baths.

Then, continue to Rome and sit down for dinner, served with beer or wine.

Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a guided tour of the Eternal City.

• Immerse yourself in the grandeur of Imperial Rome, where history unfolds around every corner.
• Experience the awe-inspiring Colosseum, a monumental amphitheater that reverberates with the roar of ancient spectacles. Walk in the footsteps of gladiators and feel the weight of history pressing down from all directions.
• Traverse the evocative ruins of the Forum, once the pulsating heart of Roman life. Listen for bygone echoes of parades and gripping trials as you explore the remnants of this marketplace of yore.
• Imagine the deafening roar of the crowds at Circus Maximus, where Romans raced chariots and gladiators faced off against each other.
• Pass the collapsed ruins of the once-sumptuous Baths of Caracalla, an integral part of Roman social life.

This evening, choose to get your hands dirty—with flour, that is—by adding an excursion to a pasta-making class. You’ll learn traditional techniques for preparing and rolling out fresh pasta before digging into the dishes you prepared.

Need a moment of respite? Use your free time this afternoon and evening to visit Aventine Hill, home to the peaceful Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) and a view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

It’s your final full day in Rome. Whether you want to take it easy over a morning cappuccino or admire the exquisite art and architecture of the Galleria Borghese, use your free day at your leisure. You can descend into the eerie underground chambers of the Capuchin Crypt—also known as the Bone Chapel, the way it’s adorned with skeletal remains in a unique display of artistic macabre—or add an excursion to the sacred walls of Vatican City, where the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and countless masterpieces await.

Please note: On some departures, the optional Iconic Sights: Vatican City excursion may be moved to day 5.

Fly to Athens, Greece. Then, stop at the Corinth Canal as you travel to Nafplio. This narrow waterway connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf and was an important navigational route upon its opening in 1893. While it’s too narrow for today’s modern vessels, its steep limestone walls provide a scenic contrast to the aquamarine waters.

Romantic and slightly out of the way, Nafplio is a thriving seaside town with a rich history that exhibits Roman, Venetian, and Ottoman influences. Join your Tour Director on a walk through Nafplio’s charming Old Town: Take in Syntagma Square (alive with locals enjoying a coffee or a nightcap), quaint restaurants, and historical buildings around every turn. For a keepsake to take home, look for shops selling worry beads. Used for relaxation or stress relief across Greece, the city has a storied tradition of producing them.

Tonight, join your fellow travelers for an included dinner, served with beer or wine.

Visit Greece’s archaeological wonderland of Epidaurus, famous for its amphitheater. Remarkably well preserved, it was constructed toward the latter part of the fourth century B.C. as a site for religious ceremonies. In the theater’s current incarnation, visitors can enjoy performances of Greek dramas, set against a backdrop of the surrounding valley and mountains.

Your guided tour continues in the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Mycenae. No visit to the eastern Peloponnese would be complete without a visit to the cradle of Mycenaean civilization, which peaked between 1400–1200 B.C. As you walk through the hillside citadel, you’ll come across the remains of homes, storefronts, ancient tombs, and Agamemnon’s Palace.

Nothing can prepare you for the sheer sense of awe you’ll feel when you come face-to-face with Athens, where ancient architecture and artifacts coexist with modern life. Meet up with your dedicated local guide, who will introduce you to the highlights of this bustling capital.

• Pass by the Olympic Stadium, whose curved roof was designed by noted architect Santiago Calatrava.
• Continue to Syntagma Square, home to the neoclassical Greek Parliament building, and admire the plaza’s imposing marble steps, fountain, and lush shade trees.
• Reflect on the Arch of Hadrian, built to honor the Roman emperor, and imagine how its Pentelic marble stones were carted more than 11 miles from Mount Pentelikon in 131 A.D.
• View the remains of the sixth-century Temple of Zeus and gaze up at its 16 ornate Corinthian columns.
• Drive through Plaka. Situated at the foot of the Acropolis, this district is one of the oldest parts of Athens and is known as “the neighborhood of the gods” due to the dozens of monuments strewn throughout.
• Set off on a walking tour around the ancient Acropolis—site of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Erechtheion. You may have seen these enduring icons of antiquity in books and film, but now you’re stepping through the work of craftsmen who quarried and honed these marble blocks thousands of years ago.

Opt into the excursion to Cape Sounion today, where the remains of the Temple of Poseidon—god of the sea—offer the perfect vantage point to take in panoramic views of the Aegean and its island chains.

You can also use this free day in Athens to explore on your own. Head back to the Plaka district, or wander through Anafiotika on the northeast slope of the Acropolis. The neighborhood dates to the 19th century and is chock-full of charming whitewashed cottages and vibrantly hued doors, the likes of which you might have seen—or will see soon—on Greece’s Cycladic islands.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or, extend your stay to visit inimitable Santorini, where you’ll dive into white-and-cobalt-tinged postcard views of the iconic island. Walk through picturesque fishing villages, enjoy a cruise or local wine tasting (or both), and get your fill of just-caught seafood.