Tauck Value Includes:
All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff and local guides Private Tauck Shore Excursions – $1025 Value!
Exclusive after-hours visit to the Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel – without crowds – during two nights in Rome at the Hotel Majestic Roma, located on the Via Veneto
Ride aboard a Zodiac-style boat for a shore excursion to Taormina Islands at the tip of Italy’s boot
They’ve been conquered in turn by different invaders, with some, like Malta and Sicily, boasting a history of occupation that dates back thousands of years. Once you see the sensational seaside views from the cliff-top, Maltese city of Mdina, walled since medieval times, you’ll discover why so many visitors were eager to claim this island gem for their own. Sicily, inhabited since the Ice Age, was a favorite trophy for the Greeks in the 5th and 6th centuries BC, followed in turn by a succession of rulers, including the Romans, the Vandals, the Arabs, the Normans, the Swabians, the House of Aragon and the Bourbons. The landscapes on this large Mediterranean island have proven to be fertile ground for vineyards, citrus groves, almond and cherry trees – and beaches. While its conquerors had their own reasons for turning Sicily into one of their colonies, travelers today revel in the archaeological treasures they left behind. You’ll see an ancient Greek theatre and temple in Siracusa, a Roman renovation in Taormina, an open-air Arab casbah in Palermo, and Punic and Norman fortifications in medieval Erice – mingling with magnificent frescoed duomos, grand piazzas, Baroque balconies and terraced towns that speak volumes about Sicilian life, past and present.
1. ARRIVE MALTA
Tour begins: 6:30 PM, Hotel Phoenicia Malta. A transfer is included from Malta International Airport to Hotel Phoenicia Malta. Your landmark hotel boasts an excellent location and gracious service. Join us this evening for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner to meet your fellow cruisers. Meals D
2. EXPLORE MALTA / EMBARK LE PONANT A guided tour of Malta includes the medieval walled city of Mdina, perched atop a cliff, and a drive around St. Julian’s Bay, a favorite year-round setting for the colorful Maltese boats that are often photographed here for worldwide enjoyment. Return to Valletta for a walking tour – this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a virtual open-air museum of Baroque architecture – and go inside the elaborate Co-Cathedral of St. John where priceless art and silver artifacts are housed. Your yacht, Le Ponant, will be waiting for you in the Grand Harbour, one of the most beautiful ports of call in the Mediterranean. Dine aboard ship tonight. Meals BLD
Call your travel agent or Tauck at 800-468-2825
Special Tauck Experiences include traditional Sicilian entertainment and a visit to the amazingly well-preserved ruins of Herculaneum
Night sail by the volcanic island of Stromboli
Aboard ship – daily cocktail hour, all-day soft drinks and wine with dinner
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure
27 meals (10 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners); service charges, applicable fuel surcharges, taxes and porterage
3. SAVOR THE DAY AT SIRACUSA, SICILY Le Ponant docks at Ortigia Island this morning, lined with 18th- and 19th-century townhouses, for a visit to Siracusa, an important stronghold of ancient Greece. Drive to Neapolis Parco Archeologico to see the Teatro Greco, an ancient 15,000 seat theatre hewn out of rock, and Latomia del Paradiso featuring the Ear of Dionysius. Enjoy a sweet taste of granita, a refreshingly cold Sicilian speciality, before spending the afternoon at your leisure in Ortigia. Easy to explore sights include the ancient Doric 6th-century Temple of Apollo – transformed over the centuries as a Byzantine church, a Muslim mosque and then a Norman church – and the Baroque-inspired Duomo. Leave time to experience the Piazza del Duomo, one of the most elegant squares in Sicily. Set sail for Taormina this evening. Meals BLD
Prepare to be enchanted in Valletta, nestled on the Mediterranean coast
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