ITINERARY
This special itinerary is named after the legendary journey and adventures of Ulysses, who landed in Gaeta with his companions and was placed under the magical spell of the sorceress Circe. Our itinerary does not include any magical spells but great memories of an enjoyable vacation!
Day 1: Rome/Riviera Ulysses
Morning arrival at Rome FCO Airport. Meet our assistant. She will greet us and accompany us to the bus and our driver. Transfer to the Riviera Ulysses, and check into your hotel (Grand Hotel Miramare, 4 stars or similar) for the next six nights. Enjoy a welcome drink as your Alitours representative goes through orientation. Welcome dinner to follow (drinks included) tasting traditional Latium dishes. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2: Riviera Ulysses/Gaeta
Breakfast at your hotel.
This morning a guided tour of Sperlonga (Half day bus + Half day guide). An ancient and picturesque old town with narrow and terraced streets, it was originally a fortress protecting the local population against invaders from many lands. The houses you see are literally built into a massive rock, which sits on a spur of land jutting out into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Continue on to visit the wonderful National Museum and the site of the villa of the emperor Tiberius (entrance fees included). Before returning to the hotel, stop at a mozzarella cheese factory for a tasting. After lunch on your own, depart for a half day guided tour of the picturesque town of Gaeta (half day bus + half day guide). The city of Gaeta is situated at the centre of Coast of Ulysses. It is a famous bathing centre for its wonderful beaches, with important naturalistic beauties and views, it preserves many historical, religious and monumental testimonies. This old military fortress is today a lovely fishing harbor with a thriving local fishing industry. A lot of medieval streets, a big castle, historical church and Roman monuments compose the rest of the city. See the Baroque church of Santissima Annunziata dating from 1320, the Cathedral of St. Erasmo with its Romanesque style dating from 1180, and visit the Sanctuary of Montagna Spaccata. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3: Riviera Ulysses/ Sorrento and Amalfi Coast
Basket breakfast furnished by the hotel. 7:00am - Depart for a full day excursion to Sorrento and Amalfi Coast with our tour escort. An excursion to the Amalfi Coast is one of Europe’s most stunningly beautiful drives. Down the “Motorway to the Sun” and along the Sorrentine Peninsula, take in the wild, rocky coastline, caves and sea shore grottos towards Mt. Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Continue to Sorrento for a visit, after which the journey continues with breathtaking views of the Isle of Capri, Positano with its luxury villas of the rich and famous. Arrive in beautiful Amalfi to see its sights and visit its crafts as part of this unforgettable excursion. It goes without saying you must have your camera. Lunch on your own - Return at the hotel about 7:30pm. Dinner, overnight.
DAY 4: Riviera Ulysses/Rome & Vatican City
This morning (About 6:30am) embark on a day trip to Rome, taking with us a basket breakfast provided by the hotel. Arrival in Rome and meet at the Vatican our private guide. Start the full day guided visit of the Eternal City with the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. Guided visit of Vatican Museums (admission and headphones included) with Hall of the Greek Cross, the Candelabra Gallery, the Tapestry Gallery, the Maps Gallery, the Raphael Room and above all the Sistine Chapel. Next, guided visit of St. Peter’s Basilica to see “Pieta” by Michelangelo. Lunch on your own. After lunch, continue with a walking guided tour of the Roman Squares. On to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. (about 6:00pm): Late in the afternoon, depart by bus from Rome to return to your hotel on the “Riviera Ulysses”. Dinner at hotel, overnight.
DAY 5: Riviera Ulysses
After breakfast at the hotel, the day is free to explore this wonderful city on your own. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
OPTIONAL FULL DAY TRIP NAPLES & POMPEII: After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll leave for a full day guided visit to Naples and Pompeii with a visit to the archaeological excavations (ENTRANCE FEES INCLUDED). Driving south, the road to Naples is lined with local specialties like Buffalo Mozzarella - too watery to cook with but served sliced with fresh tomatoes and olive oil - and really Real Neapolitan Pizza. The road leads to the city of Pompeii, sitting in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.
Some of the bodies from the Mount Vesuvius eruption were preserved as well, and there are plaster casts of those who ran from the erupting volcano clutching their jewelry and their coins, nearly 2,000 years later, frozen in prayer. Today more than 3 million reside in the surrounding towns in the shadow of the mountain. Later on today you have the possibility to taste for lunch the wonderful REAL NEAPOLITAN PIZZA with Buffalo Mozzarella and fresh tomatoes.
After a break for lunch, you travel to Naples for a panoramic drive through the city (NO GUIDE – ONLY TOUR ESCORT). From high above you will see the magnificent sweep of the Bay of Naples, and in the distance, Capri. Late in the afternoon, return to the hotel.
DAY 6: Riviera Ulysses
After breakfast, the day is free to relax around the hotel, or explore your holiday base. Perhaps visit a local market selling a colorful variety of local products and clothing at exceptional prices, or the resorts’ main shopping area with a wide variety of interesting shops of every kind. It’s here that the locals shop, so the prices are great. (please note: the weekly market of Gaeta, takes place on Wed.). This evening enjoy an authentic farewell dinner at the hotel. Overnight.
OPTIONAL: MORNING COOKING CLASS: Partake in an OPTIONAL three hour “Cooking Class” where you will learn the basis of traditional local cooking as well as savor the food prepared by you. About 08.00am, you’ll meet your assistant at the hotel and you’ll depart by bus to Fondi. Soon you’ll visit a typical fresh food market and you’ll be searching for the fresh food you need to enjoy your cooking class!
You will meet the peasants and the farmers with their stands proposing all the genuine products of their country: from novel tomatoes and fresh vegetables to eggs just chosen from the hen-house!
About 10:00am your assistant will accompany you at our specialized RESTAURANT “I BRIGANTI” TO START YOUR COOKING CLASS.
The course will take 3 hours for lesson and you could discover, with the help of the chef “Daniele” and his wife,, all the secrets of the most typical recipes.
You will choose all the ingredients, you will learn all the methods of preparation and cooking of a recipe, putting this new knowledge into practice.
At the end, you will present your final dishes and, afterwards, you will have the great pleasure of an unforgettable lunch, prepared by you and everybody will be around the table, to taste and enjoy all the dishes, drinking the best wines matched with the dishes. BUON APPETITO!!!
Lunch and matching of wines included.
After lunch transfer back to the hotel and afternoon free.
OPTIONAL: AFTERNOON MONTECASSINO ABBEY:
02:15pm - This afternoon we can drive towards Montecassino, for a guided visit of Montecassino Monastery. It was founded by St. Benedict about 529 of the Christian Era, becoming famous for the prodigious life and the Sepulcher of its Founder. Through the ages, the abbey was looked upon as a place of holiness, culture and art for which it became renowned on worldwide level.
In 1944, during world war II, Montecassino happened to be on the firing line between two armies: this place of prayer and study which had become in these circumstances a shelter for hundreds of civilians, in only three hours was reduced to a heap of debris under which many of the refuges met their death.
Now has been rebuilt saving all the memories of the past.
(HALF DAY BUS + HALF DAY GUIDE)
DAY 7: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Rome’s FCO Airport for your return flight to home. You will take with you the best the memories of a trip of a lifetime. |
