Saturday, Day One: Arrive in Rome
Upon your arrival in Rome, private transfer to your hotel. Welcome to the Eternal City, with its Seven Hills and millennia of history. Capitol of the Roman Empire, home to the Popes, and filled with culture, art, and a thousand stories on every street corner. Dodge the speeding Vespa mopeds zinging through the streets, count the number of fountains by Bernini, or marvel at the number of steeples and domes from the
innumerable churches that fill this glorious city. Free late afternoon and evening. Option: this afternoon, after settling in to your hotel, you may want to hike up the nearby hill on which sits the Villa Borghese and its luxurious gardens. From this hill, you can see all of Rome, from the Roman Forum to the Vatican. Enjoy an evening stroll back to your hotel, stopping at the Spanish Steps. The poet John Keats spent his last sickly years near here. Overnight in Rome.
Sunday, Day Two: Rome
In the morning, meet your licensed guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel for your half-day private sightseeing tour of Monumental Rome. First head to Trevi Fountain, where water rushes beneath the marble statues. You will visit Piazza Colonna, with the Column of Marco Aurelio; Tempio Adriano; the Pantheon; Piazza Venezia, with Monument of Victor Emanuel II, also called Vittoriano); the Capitol Square, designed by Michelangelo; the Roman Forum; and a visit to the Colosseum. Free afternoon and evening. Option: This evening, you may want to enjoy dinner across the river Tiber in the quaint trattorias of the Trastevere district. The winding streets are filled with quiet, candlelit restaurants that come alive as the sky grows dark and the smells of pasta and parmesan fill the air. Overnight in Rome.
Monday, Day Three: Rome
In the morning, meet your licensed guide in the lobby of your hotel for your half-day private sightseeing tour of the Vatican, including the Vatican Museums; the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s masterpiece ceiling and Last Judgment; and St. Peter’s Basilica. Free afternoon and evening. Overnight in Rome.
Tuesday, Day Four: Rome to Petrignano (Umbria)
In the morning, your 5-day rental car will be delivered to your hotel. Make your way north from Rome to your hotel in Petrignano, just outside of Cortona: a perfect base for exploring the glories of Tuscany and Umbria. Option: en route you may wish to visit the splendid hill towns of Orvieto and Perugia. Orvieto sits atop a magnificent tufa outcropping and is famed for its splendid white table wine and marvelous views of the Umbrian countryside, as well as its stunning Duomo, with its sumptuous façade of statues and mosaics, with the rest striped black and white from alternating basalt and travertine. After checking into yoour hotel, you might want to visit nearby Cortona. The city, founded by the Etruscans, is both ancient and scenic. The maze of winding streets includes medieval buildings like the Palazzo Communale, the fascinating Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca, which focuses on Etruscan history, the Romanesque duomo, and Etruscan tombs that can be visited from the Museo della Cattedrale. Overnight in Petrignano.
Wednesday, Day Five: Petrignano
In the morning, meet your licensed guide for your full-day sightseeing tour of Perugia and Assisi. First visit nearby Perugia, the capital of Umbria. Perugia is a well-preserved medieval town, whose winding streets may confuse you at first, but in the end will surely charm you. After an exploration of Perugia’s historical center, enjoy some free time to find lunch on your own before departing for nearby Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. Though an earthquake caused damage to the frescoes by Giotto in the Basilica, which depict the life of St. Francis, you will still wish to explore this important pilgrimage site where lies the tomb of the founder of the Franciscan Order, dedicated to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. The town of Assisi, nestled at the foot of grand Mt. Subasia, is also worth exploring, especially for visiting the Chiesa Santa Chiara–home of the Order of the Poor Clares, a sister order to the Franciscans founded by a follower of St. Francis. Time permitting, you might enjoy an optional visit to the tranquil Ereme delle Carceri, where St. Francis would retreat for religious meditation, and the Roman ruins of the Tempio di Minerva in the Roman Forum, beneath the Piazza del Comune. After a pleasant day’s journey, return to Petrignano for a free evening. Overnight in Petrignano.
Thursday, Day Six: Petrignano
Free day to explore the area. The Umbrian countryside offers myriad explorations. You can choose from the following options: perhaps begin in Spello, clinging to the southern slopes of Mount Subasio. This town features Roman gateways, steep winding streets, and refreshing frescos by Pinturicchio. Continue on to Bevagna, a small town surrounded by city walls armed with towers, bastions, and medieval gates. Handcraft traditions still live on in the workshops opening onto the narrow streets and splendid central piazza. Nearby Montefalco, the ‘Balcony of Italy,’ presents delightful views of the surrounding countryside as you sample the famed Sagrantino wines. Next visit Spoleto, once the capital of a medieval Lombard duchy, and now a cultural capital, featuring the summer Festival dei Due Mondi, one of Europe’s leading music festivals. Numerous churches are well worth a visit the elegant façades of the 12th century Duomo and San Pietro, which sits on the outskirts of town. A magnificent bridge, the Ponte delle Torri, spans a deep ravine that separates the main town from the Rocca Albornoz, a huge papal fortress that towers over Spoleto. Continue on country roads that wind through the hills to Todi, which features the lovely Piazza del Popolo, the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, one of the finest in central Italy, and some of the most striking views in Umbria. After exploring Todi, you may choose to visit Lago Trasimeno. This lake is the site of one of the most devastating battles in ancient history. The Carthaginian general Hannibal had taken the Romans by surprise by crossing the Alps with his army, including a number of terrifying war elephants. On the shores of Trasimeno, Hannibal wiped out the legions sent by the Romans, a mighty victory. It took nearly ten years for the Romans to eliminate the threat of Hannibal from Italy. Today the lakeshore is far more peaceful in this quiet town. Simply enjoy the peaceful environs by stopping for dinner in the charming medieval lakeside town of Castiglione del Lago. Overnight in Petrignano.
Friday, Day Seven: Petrignano
Free day to explore the area. Option: Today you may wish to explore the town of Siena. Revel in the splendor of the medieval city of Siena, with its rose-pink palazzi, winding roads, and huge central square, the Campo. Twice each
summer, the Campo fills the Sienese celebration of the Palio, a pageant of ancient rivalries fought on a wild horserace between representatives of the city’s districts, contrades; the race has no rules and thus has been filled with cheating and violence since its origins in the Middle Ages. Towering over the Campo is the crenellated façade of the Palazzo Pubblico, the city hall; climb the 500 steps for a panoramic view of the city. The Palazzo houses the Museo Civico, home of Siena’s greatest treasures, and the vast Sal del Mappamondo, where the City Council once met beneath the magnificent frescoes. While in Siena, you may also want to explore Piazza del Duomo, with its white, green, and pink striped marble façade. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the Pinacoteca Nazionale are also of interest. In the afternoon, you may wish to stop at one of the wineries near Montepulciano to savor one of the fine vintages of Vino Nobile wine. Overnight in Petrignano.
Saturday, Day Eight: Petrignano to Civitavecchia/begin cruise
In the morning, set out on your drive to Civitavecchia. Option: as time permits, en route you might want to visit one of the following hidden treasures of Tuscany and Lazio. The hilltop town of Montalcino is famed as the home of the Brunello wines. The seemingly ageless town seems to overflow with traditional wood-paneled bar teeming with vineyard workers escaping from the midday sun to sip on a Brunello or two. Climb the narrow, steep streets for the enchanting views from the heights of the walls. The most unique place to sample the regional vintages is in the Fortezza at the highest point in town. Further south is Grosseto, home to an excellent archaeology museum, with displays and finds that help explain the mysterious Estruscans. This will come in handy if you decide to stop at Tarquinia, one of the most important hilltop Etruscan towns, and home to one of the most extensive Etruscan necropolis. The National Museum of Tarquinia houses many Etruscan treasures, including the famous terracotta winged horses. The necropolis is worth a visit, as the tombs are painted with frescoes that are not only works of art, but insightful depictions of the lively world of the Etruscans, who ruled this area from the 9th century till they were defeated by the Romans a few centuries later. Whatever you choose to do today, end your day in Civitavecchia, outside of Rome, where you will drop off your rental car and board your ship to begin your cruise on your Royal Clipper. Overnight aboard your ship.
Sunday, Day Nine: Cruising/Ponza
The pastel houses of Ponza Town rise in neat terraced rows from the busy harbor where sleekly groomed yachts and ramshackle fishing boats moor side by side. Happily, there are few tourists here, so it’s a delight to wander through the unspoiled town. Then find yourself a bit of beach, there are lots of them, and enjoy the feel of warm sand and cool clear water lapping your toes. Overnight aboard your ship.
Monday, Day Ten: Cruising/Sorrento
Sorrento’s city walls rise straight out of the sea and they hold many charms within. Sorrento overlooks the Bay of Naples and is located on the lovely Amalfi Coast, one of Italy’s most beautiful coastal regions. Meet your licensed guide for your private sightseeing tour by car with driver of Pompeii, where the ashen remains of ancient Romans lie frozen in time. In the evening, visit nearby Capri, where the Emperor Tiberius held notorious bacchanals at his Imperial villa. This isle has gradually become one of the most popular resorts in southern Italy. Famous for its scenery and climate, Capri is a garden of Eden teeming with vegetation despite the rocky landscape. Overnight aboard your ship.
Tuesday, Day Eleven: Cruising,Amalfi Coast
What is it about the Amalfi Coast that inspires such rapture? From the time of the Romans, who had grand villas here, Amalfi has been a preferred destination for the wealthy and the artistic. During the Middle Ages, Amalfi was a powerful Republic of 70,000 people, rivaling nearby Ravello. for a sense of Amalfi’s medieval glory, wander through the grand Duomo, containing the remains of St. Andrew. Or visit Ravello, where the annual music festival is held, or nearby Positano, said to be the most beautiful town in the Mediterranean. Overnight aboard your ship.
Wednesday, Day Twelve: Cruising,
Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna overlooking the green Gulf of Catania, Taormina inspired Goethe to say that “It is the greatest work of art and nature. Shop along the steep, cobblestoned streets of Corso Umberto. Or listen to the ghosts of the ancients in the Greek Theater, where even a whisper can be heard. Overnight aboard your ship.
Thursday, Day Thirteen: Cruising,
Lipari & Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
Italy’s seven volcanic Aeolian Islands are obviously a place favored by the Gods. Just off the north coast of Sicily, they are a favorite destination for adventurers and visiting yachts, which anchor in the numerous little harbors indenting the coastline. In Lipari, climb narrow streets to the medieval castello, and discover a beach with the whitest, finest sands in all of Italy. Overnight aboard your ship.
Friday, Day Fourteen: Cruising
Today simply enjoy the privacy and excitement of sailing on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Revel in a long lazy afternoon, as slanting rays of sun glint on sparkling wave tops. Relax in the widow’s net under the bowsprit. Marvel at flying fish leaping from the waters. Could anything be more adventurous than this? Overnight aboard your ship.
Saturday, Day Fifteen: End Cruise,
Depart from Rome
After disembarking in Civitavecchia, private transfer to the airport for your outgoing flight.
After two days exploring Rome, from the bustling Piazza Navona to the ancient mystery of the Pantheon, head north to the heartland of Italy, Tuscany & Umbria. After several days exploring the medieval hilltowns and living la dolce vita, head to Civitavecchia, where you will board your clipper ship for your odyssey along Sicily and the southwestern coast of Italy. Explore Sorrento, located on the lovely Amalfi Coast, and a wonderful doorway to the magical island of Capri or the buried city of Pompeii. Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna overlooking the green Gulf of Catania, Taormina is an ancient jewel set in the crown of Sicily. Visit Lipari, one of Italy's seven volcanic Aeolian Islands just off the north coast of Sicily, which are obviously a place favored by the Gods. A ruggedly beautiful island cradled in the Golfo de Gaeta about half-way between Naples and Rome, Ponza is the perfect stop for a beach day. 
