Guiding tours through its native homeland since 1945, the Perillo family developed this fast-paced trip that takes tourists through roughly a dozen Italian cities in two weeks. The escorted trip begins at Lugano, a picturesque town in south Switzerland, and meanders through Venice, the countryside of Florence, and Pisa, where guests can see the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Tourists experience the Mediterranean coastline in the cities of Sorrento and Capri before ending up in Rome to visit the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, the home of Michelangelo's famed frescoes. This trip is designed for those who want to dine on their own. But you'll have plenty of help choosing where to eat: Tour guides offer several suggestions, and the trip includes generous breakfast buffets.
In addition to its continental Italian tours, Perillo recently added a nine-day trip that begins in Sicily's capital, Palermo, with a free dinner, as well as tours to the city's breathtaking cathedral and chapel.
The trip guarantees sightseeing opportunities in the beautiful coastal town of Taormina. It also includes a visit to Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, according to Time Magazine.
Perillo Tours
Perillo Plaza
577 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
(800) 431-1515
perillotours.com
Globus Escorted Tours offers a weeklong vacation that includes guided tours of Italy, but allows visitors to explore independently. "The Taste of Italy" tour starts with guided trips to Rome's most treasured landmarks including the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Square. After the first three and a half days in Rome, guests travel along the "Highway of the Sun" to Tuscany and then to Florence to see the famous David statue by Michelangelo, and numerous other sculptures in Signoria Square.
Then it's off to Venice for a private boat ride and a walking tour that takes tourists through the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Square, Venice's main square. The trip also provides one day to explore Venice by yourself. While on your own, you may happen upon artisans practicing the ancient art of glass-blowing.
Globus
5301 S. Federal Circle
Littleton, CO 80123
(866) 755-8581
globusjourneys.com
Those looking to explore southern Italy may consider "Country Roads of Southern Italy and Sicily." Offered by Insight Vacations, the 14-day trip begins in Rome but focuses primarily on southeastern Italy and Sicily.
Tourists will discover the off-the-beaten-path town of Alberobello in the Trulli region of Italy before heading to the craggy mountaintops of Calabria and hopping a ferry to Sicily. Next, you can soak up the sun--and stunning ocean views--at a resort in the Sicilian tourist town of Giardini Naxos. Guests can relax at the beach or take an optional trip to Mount Etna. Additionally, the package provides visits to Palermo and ends the Sicilian portion of the trip with a ferry to Naples.
Insight Vacations Inc.
801 Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92805
(800) 582-8380
insightvacations.com
