Board your motor coach for a half day tour that will include such “must see” sights as Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Explore on your own in the afternoon then enjoy dinner with fellow travelers this evening. The following day brings with it the excitement of a full day’s tour of the city built by Romulus and Remus. The genius of Michelangelo is on display at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, where you will spend the first part of your day. Enjoy local fare for lunch before you proceed to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. DONNA LAURA PALACE.

Travel east to the province of L’Aquila and the town of Sulmona, the birthplace of Ovid and the portal to Majella National Park. Named for the imposing mountain group that dominates the landscape, Montagna della Majella, the park is a majestic collection of massifs, karst plains, and lush flower-filled valleys. Visit the medieval cliff-side hermitage of Saint Onofrio, Lama dei Pligni botanical park, and the red deer wildlife park while here. HOTEL OVIDIUS.

Continue east to the province of Foggia and Gargano National Park, a protected area of mountains, forest, scenic shorelines, and islands. Much of the 456 square mile park is encompassed by the Gargano peninsula that juts into the Adriatic Sea like a spur in Italy’s boot. The Umbrian forest is home to some of the country’s oldest trees and the region’s soil provides purchase for some 300 species of orchid. End your day in the picturesque town of San Giovanni Rotondo. HOTEL GRAN PARADISO.

Drive to the venerable city of Rodi Garganico for a boat tour of Gargano’s dramatic coastline. From Rodi to Vieste, rock formations jut out into the Adriatic, and through eons of erosion, a stunning array of arches, coves, grottos and caves have formed. Motor through darkened archways into light-filled chambers that are the remnants of collapsed caves; swim in the warm water of the Baia di Campi. HOTEL GRAN PARADISO.

In the province of Puglia lies perhaps one of the most idiosyncratic towns in Italy, Alberobello, known for its whitewashed conical roofed houses called trulli. Built of limestone and erected without mortar, archeological records suggest that the practice started in the Bronze Age, however, legend has it that they were so built to avoid being taxed as a “permenant” dwelling by the Kingdom of Naples. Whatever their origin, these gnome-like structures are truly charming and form an important element of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue your discovery of the area the next morning when you enter the cathedral like expanses of the Castellana Grotto. From there you drive to Ostuni. The whitewashed edifices of the old city and citadel dominate the landscape from their hilltop prominence. Walk streets lined by ancient battlements and baroque churches. TIPICO RESORT.

Today you begin your drive westward toward Naples and to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera where you will discover what are thought to be the oldest dwellings in Italy. The ancient Sassi di Matera (stones of Matera) is the location of prehistoric cave dwellings hewn from the calcareous rock that lines a riverine gorge. This rudimentary way of living continued on with little improvement until the 1950s when the Italian government moved much of the population to the more modern section of the city. What remains is a fascinating subterranean city that will leave you speechless. Drive to Salerno late this afternoon. NOVOTEL SOLERNO.

Venture to the summit of the infamous Mount Vesuvius best known for its eruption in 79 CE, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. The barren smoldering moonscape of the summit provides an “extraterrestrial” view of Naples and the bay beyond. The irony of Vesuvius is on full display at the National Museum of Archeology in Naples. Although the pyroclastic clouds of ash and heat destroyed structures, they helped to preserve irreplaceable works of art ranging from statuary to intricate mosaics. Day two in Napoli finds you traversing the Spaccanapoli (Naples splitter) as the locals call it, one of three ancient east-west oriented roman roads that formed the grid of ancient Naples. Visit the Cathedral of Saint Jennaurius, the seat of Archbishop of Naples, named for the city’s patron saint. A cooking experience at a local culinary school is your treat this evening for your farewell dinner. HOTEL SAN PIETRO.