Mediterranean Odyssey Greece to Italy Venture - 13 Days

Welcome to Athens. We’ll transfer you to your hotel on arrival, and you’ll have free time to relax or take a short stroll at your own pace. In the afternoon, please check the information boards at hotel reception for details about the start of your tour. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

We begin with a guided city tour of Athens, taking in the Presidential Mansion, the Panathenaic Stadium – site of the first modern Olympic Games – the National Library and the central squares. We’ll also explore newer neighbourhoods developed after the 2004 Olympic Games. The tour finishes at the Acropolis – admission not included.

In the evening, we provide a transfer to Plaka, a historic neighbourhood renowned for its Greek tavernas and opportunities to experience local folklore. You can choose where to dine and enjoy the atmosphere before making your own way back.

We leave Athens for the Peloponnese, pausing at the Corinth Canal – an impressive late nineteenth century engineering feat. Continuing through the mountains, we reach Tripoli, capital of Arcadia, where you’ll have time to explore lively Areos Square with its cafes and restaurants. We then travel to Olympia for a guided visit of the Archaeological Site – tickets included – birthplace of the Olympic Games in 776 BC, with highlights such as the Temple of Zeus, the Stadium, the Gymnasium and the Arena. Afterwards we continue to Patras, Greece’s third largest city, noted for its medieval fortress and the country’s largest cathedral, beside which stands the small church of St Andrew – an important place of pilgrimage. Dinner included.

After breakfast, we cross the spectacular Rio–Antirrio suspension bridge linking the Peloponnese with mainland Greece, then continue through Central Greece and Epirus. On arrival in the port town of Igoumenitsa, you’ll have some free time for a stroll before we board the modern ferry at 14:00 to sail across the Ionian Sea to Italy. We reach Brindisi around 21:00 and spend the night there.

From Brindisi, we travel to Alberobello to see its distinctive trulli – conical dry stone houses listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a notable example of Italian rural architecture. We then continue to Matera in Basilicata to explore the historic centre and the Sassi di Matera – an ancient complex of dwellings carved into the rock, considered among the oldest continuously inhabited settlements and also a World Heritage Site. Lunch is included in Matera. In the afternoon we cross Basilicata and Campania, taking in mountain landscapes, and arrive in Naples by evening, where you’ll have free time to explore.

After breakfast, we head to the port of Naples to board the ferry to the island of Capri. On arrival, you can take the funicular up to Capri town to stroll at leisure and enjoy the views. After lunch, we reboard for the crossing to Sorrento, a charming tourist town at the base of a cliff, where you’ll have free time to wander the centre. We then continue to the Gulf of Salerno for the night, staying in Salerno.

We travel south through Cilento National Park to Paola on the Tyrrhenian coast, where we visit the Sanctuary of St Francis of Paola and you have free time for lunch in the historic centre. We continue to Villa San Giovanni for a short ferry crossing to Sicily. On arrival in Messina, you’ll have time to stroll around the cathedral, then we head on to Taormina. Dinner is included. Note: accommodation is normally in the Taormina region – on certain dates it may be in Messina.

At the foot of Mount Etna, Taormina awaits – once described by Churchill as the most beautiful place on earth. You’ll have time to explore the lively historic centre, where the ancient Greek Theatre dominates the landscape, or simply relax on the beach. We include dinner.

After breakfast, we travel to Catania at the foot of Mount Etna and explore its UNESCO World Heritage Baroque centre, with its beautiful squares and palaces and the bustling fish market. We continue to Syracuse on the Ionian Sea, also a World Heritage city. Its island quarter, Ortigia – linked by bridges – is the oldest part of town, with narrow streets, the cathedral, an ancient castle, seaside terraces and markets; you’ll have free time here to stroll and have lunch. In the afternoon we head inland towards Agrigento and, before reaching the hotel, we admire from the coach the magnificent Valley of the Temples complex. Dinner is included.

We begin with a guided visit to the Valley of the Temples – admission included – an outstanding archaeological site renowned as the most complete complex of Greek temples. We then continue to Marsala, a historic city celebrated for its lively atmosphere and famous wine, where you’ll have time for lunch. Our route circles the scenic Marsala salt pans en route to Erice, a charming Phoenician town overlooking the sea, where you can take a leisurely stroll. We finish the day in Palermo, with dinner included.

After breakfast we transfer to Monreale to visit its remarkable Arab–Norman cathedral – a World Heritage Site famed for its golden mosaics – with tickets included. Back in Palermo, we explore a city shaped by Arab, Norman and Baroque influences, visiting the Cathedral – tickets included – and seeing the Norman Palace with its Palatine Chapel. You then have free time. In the late afternoon we board a modern overnight ferry to Naples, with accommodation in double cabins with en suite bathrooms.

We dock in Naples early this morning – breakfast is not included – then continue to Pompeii for a guided visit of the archaeological site, with entrance and a local guide included, to admire the remains of the Roman city buried by Mount Vesuvius. Afterwards, we explore Naples, one of the most fascinating cities in Italy and among the oldest in Europe – its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll have time to stroll and choose a spot for lunch. We end the day with our journey to Rome.

After breakfast in Rome, our journey concludes – you’ll check out and continue with your onward plans. We hope you leave with lasting memories of your trip.