SOLD OUT!
SPECTACULAR NEW TOUR!
Join us on an all-new, exciting Italy trip of a lifetime! Charline’s past guests are still raving about these small-group Italian adventures. Our new Treasures of Southern Italy tour includes the best of Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, and the Amalfi Coast. Join Charline as she reveals Southern Italy’s best-kept secrets; giving an insider’s take on her favourite trattorias, hotels, specialty shops and other hidden gems.
$7,899 per person
Taxes Included!
Price based on double occupancy. Land Only
Charline Fortier – Our Italy Expert
This intimate, worry-free, Italian adventure is designed and hosted by our own Charline Fortier, a Maritime Travel counsellor for more than 40 years. Charline is an expert on all things Italian, and has been to Italy more than 50 times – on her own, with her wine-expert husband, and hosting groups. “I feel more at home in my beloved Italy, than I do in Canada,” she will tell you. Charline loves to share her secrets… whether it’s a favourite restaurant where she’s friends with the owners, the best little gelato shop, or the best shoe store in town. Charline speaks Italian, English and French.
“Charline was amazing as a host, very knowledgeable and gave us lots of tips and free time. The food and wine were awesome.” – Italian Treasures Past Guest
May 3 (Syracusa): Arrive at Catania Airport and meet your Maritime Travel representative to transfer to your hotel. Syracusa is a coastal jewel. Once a powerhouse of the classical world that rivaled Athens, the city is a living museum where modern Sicilian life unfolds among 2,500-year-old ruins. Tonight we meet up with Charline and your travelling companions to enjoy a Welcome Dinner featuring local Sicilian food. D
May 4 (Syracusa): After breakfast we will enjoy a guided walking tour through the historic heart of Syracusa, before continuing onto the enchanting island of Ortigia, the city’s oldest quarter. Wander through elegant piazzas, narrow medieval streets and lively cafés overlooking the sea. The afternoon is free to enjoy Ortigia at your own pace. B
May 5 (Syracusa): Enjoy a completely free day to explore at your own pace. After a leisurely breakfast venture just outside the center where the Neapolis Archaeological Park lies. Or you could walk back to Ortigia to see the Aura Market, visit Castello Maniace, or relax at a local café. It is a labyrinth of narrow, cream-colored limestone alleys, vibrant street markets, and breezy sea-facing promenades. Charline will point the way. B
May 6 (Taormina): Shortly after breakfast today we will depart Syracusa and head to Taormina. We will have a stop along the way for a hands-on cooking class experience at a traditional bistro in Giardini Naxos, where local chefs will introduce the secrets of regional cuisine before sharing the meal prepared together. By late afternoon we will arrive in Taormina and check into our hotel. Framed by the dramatic, smoking backdrop of Mount Etna and lush Mediterranean gardens, it offers a striking mix of medieval charm, high-end boutiques, and breathtaking coastal vistas. B, L
May 7 (Taormina): Today’s excursion combines Sicily’s extraordinary nature with its cinematic history. Meet our local Guide in your Hotel and travel to the slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano, where you’ll visit a local winery for a tasting of Etna DOC wines accompanied by a traditional Sicilian light lunch featuring regional specialties. In the afternoon continue to the picturesque villages of Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, made famous by Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary film The Godfather. B, L, WT
May 8 (Taormina): Enjoy a free day to relax or sightsee independently. Use you day to visit the iconic Teatro Antico di Taormina. This 3rd-century BC Greek theater frames Mount Etna and the sea through its ruined stone arches. Or maybe take the cable car down to the beach to see Isola Bella. Ask Charline for her suggestions. B
May 9 (Tropea): Following breakfast, we will leave Taormina and drive to Messina to board the ferry across the narrow Strait of Messina to mainland Italy. This leg of your journey shifts the vibe from glamorous resort towns to dramatic coastal cliffs. We will journey up Calabria’s stunning coastline to Tropea, a town built directly on top of sheer cliffs dropping into the turquoise sea. This evening we will have a group dinner at a local restaurant. B, D
May 10 (Tropea): Spend a free day exploring the coastal town and beaches. Walk down the cliffside steps to visit Santa Maria dell’Isola, a striking monastery sitting on a rocky promontory surrounded by sand and sea. Spend the afternoon relaxing on Tropea’s pristine white-sand beaches or swimming in the remarkably clear water. Or maybe you prefer getting lost in the historic center (Centro Storico). B
May 11 (Rossano): After breakfast we will transfer from Tropea to Rossano, we cross the Calabrian peninsula from the western Tyrrhenian coast to the eastern Ionian coast, arriving at the historic hill town of Rossano. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon exploring Rossano’s quiet, timeless alleys. B
May 12 (Rossano): Today we have a full-day guided tour visiting the famous Amarelli Liquorice Museum to discover how this historic family estate has been transforming local roots into world-class licorice since 1731. We will also visit the Diocesan Museum to see the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, a UNESCO recognized 6th-century Greek Gospel manuscript written in gold and silver ink on purple-dyed parchment. Then we head into the green hills of the Sila landscape to explore the isolated Monastero di Santa Maria del Patire, an 11th century Norman-Byzantine abbey known for its beautiful mosaic floors. B, D
May 13 (Lecce): Following breakfast we move from Calabria into Puglia and Basilicata. This portion of our trip showcases Italy’s deep architectural diversity. Exit your hotel and step out into a city built entirely of pietra leccese—a soft, golden limestone that glows under the southern Italian sun. Spend your afternoon wandering the pedestrian-friendly historic center. B
May 14 (Lecce): Today we embark on a guided tour that pulls back the curtain on Lecce’s private nobility. Gain rare access behind heavy wooden doors into magnificent private courtyards and manicured secret gardens. We will pause mid-tour for a delicious group lunch, tasting regional specialties. B, L
May 15 (Matera): Today we transition from Lecce, the “Florence of the South,” to the ancient, otherworldly stone caves of Matera. After travelling north through Puglia’s olive-grove-dotted landscape we will stop for a guided walk through the UNESCO-listed Rione Monti district. Marvel at the trulli—whitewashed, conical stone huts built without mortar. Lunch is on your own in Alberobello. We then cross into the rugged Basilicata region, arriving at Matera. Tonight we enjoy a group dinner. B D
May 16 (Matera): Today you enjoy a completely open schedule to explore the Sassi di Matera, a massive labyrinth of ancient cave dwellings, rock-hewn churches, and winding stone stairways carved directly into the canyon face. Walk along the edge of the Gravina gorge or cross the pedestrian suspension bridge. Maybe cap off your stay here by booking an optional dinner inside an authentic, vaulted cave restaurant. B
May 17 (Raito): After breakfast we transfer from Matera to the Amalfi Coast and the picturesque hamlet of Raito, just a few steps from Vietri sul Mare. Vietri is the ideal starting point to explore Salerno, Capri, Ravello, Positano and Amalfi. B
May 18 (Raito): Free day to relax on the coast. Visit the Villa Guariglia & Ceramics Museum, taking a walk down to Vietri’s colorful artisan ceramic shops or enjoy the local wine at and relax with panoramic views of the Gulf of Salerno. B
May 19 (Raito): Free day, ending with a farewell dinner at our hotel. We will share memories and say farewell to our new friends and travel companions. B, D
May 20 (Departure): Transfer from Amalfi to Naples Airport for your return flight home. B
B = BREAKFAST L = LUNCH D = DINNER WT = WINE TASTING
Terms & Conditions: *Some itinerary details are subject to changes. Price is per person based on double occupancy. Single Supplement is $2400. A non-refundable deposit of $1500 is required at time of booking. Deposit is fully refundable if tour does not occur. Full payment is required on January 29, 2027. Once full payment has been received, the tour is non-refundable. Minimum number of 14 guests required to guarantee departure.
Liability: Travel arrangements made by Maritime Travel Exclusive Escorted Tours and Holiday Escapes are subject to the terms, conditions and tariffs set out by our suppliers. Maritime Travel Exclusive Escorted Tours and Holiday Escapes will not assume liability for any refunds, losses, damage, costs or expenses arising out of injury, accident or death, loss of, or damage to, or delay in baggage or other property, delay, inconvenience, upset, disappointment, stress, frustration, or loss of enjoyment or loss of holiday time resulting from:
(i) the act or fault or omission by any party other than by Maritime Travel Exclusive Escorted Tours and Holiday Escapes or its employees;
(ii) mechanical breakdown, government action, weather, strike or any other action beyond its control;
(iii) being denied access to aircraft due to contravening the airlines conditions of carriage;
(iv) the traveller missing flight connections or departures or failing to follow instructions of tour representatives.
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