DOLCE VITA SOUTH ITALY

Discover Bari’s stunning coastline and rich culture. Visit the Norman church of St Nicola, a major pilgrimage site for both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Wander through Bar Vecchia, where cobbled lanes, whitewashed houses, drying laundry and wrought-iron balconies create a timeless scene.

Below the charming streets lies underground Bari—a network of tunnels, caves and chambers carved into limestone over centuries. Once used for storage and shelter during conflict, these hidden spaces reveal the city’s deep history and the resilience of its people.

A short drive away is Polignano a Mare, a coastal gem known for its dramatic cliffs, crystal-clear waters and picturesque old town overlooking the Adriatic. Enjoy time for photos and exploration before continuing to Ostuni, the ‘white city,’ famed for its whitewashed buildings and historic centre. Its maze of narrow streets leads to the striking Cathedral with its beautiful façade and rose window.

Travel on to Martina Franca, celebrated for its baroque and rococo architecture. Its historic centre, with ornate balconies and elegant white buildings, is a pleasure to explore on foot.

Visit the Castellana Grotte, a vast underground system of karst caves and one of Italy’s most spectacular.   

Proceed to the beautiful town of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at the curious trulli, round stone houses with conical stone roofs that are unique to the provinces of Bari and Taranto. 

Visit a local farm where we can taste some olive oil and enjoy lunch.  Drive to Matera, one of Italy’s most interesting tourist destinations. 

Enjoy a walking tour around the ‘Sassi di Matera’, cave dwellings which originated from prehistoric settlement.  Look at the cramped town above the river ravine.  This town was chosen as the film site for ‘The Passion of Christ’ because of its similarity to Jerusalem two thousand years ago. 

Make our way through the Calabria Region, located at the ‘toe’ of Italy’s boot-shaped peninsular, one of the few regions with coastlines along two different seas. 

Cross the Straits of Messina which separates the Italian mainland from Scilly.  Drive to Taormina, one of Sicily’s most popular resorts for over 200 years.  See the Greek Theatre and the glorious sub-tropical terraced gardens before strolling along the elegant Corso Umberto to the Piazza for spectacular panorama across the bay to the Ionian Sea and the Isola Bella, a rocky islet which once belonged to a rich English noblewoman. 

Spend the night in Catania, Sicily’s second largest city located at the foot of Mt Etna.   

Mt Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, attracts tourists to witness volcanic activity from a safe distance.  Board the cable car for our ascent to 2500m on Mt Etna.  Transfer to a 4x4 vehicle to see the magnificent craters surrounded by old and recent lava flows.  (Note: Excursion subject to weather conditions and volcanic activities) 

Make our way to Syracuse, renowned for its historical significance, archaeological treasures and coastal charms.  Cross one of the 3 bridges to the small island of Ortigia, the oldest part of Syracuse.  The best way to explore this small island is to wander around the labyrinth of charming streets packed with over 2500 years of history.   

Look forward to Ragusa, one of Sicily’s most picturesque towns.  Its old town features narrow streets, stairways and irregular squares.  Explore the sloping palm-lined Piazza del Duomo, the magnificent three-tiered façade of the Cathedral di San Giorgio. 

Next, we proceed to Modica which boasts fine Baroque architecture, picturesque alleys and lanes and more importantly, chocolates!  Its historical centre stretches along the Corso Umberto I.  The Cathedral of St George reigns on the promontory.  Climbing up to the church, we can also explore a steep maze of dwellings.   

Drive to Agrigento, renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas, in the south of Sicily.   

Visit Sicily’s most enthralling archaeological site, the Valley of the Temples, considered one of the most important archeological sites in the world (UNESCO World Heritage Site).   

A short drive away from Agrigento is the unusual white cliff of Scala dei Turchi – Stair of the Turks.   

Continue to Marsala located on the westernmost tip of Sicily and is renowned for its wine and the landing of Giuseppe Garibaldi which led to the unification of Italy.  Enjoy a visit to a winery to taste the famous Marsala wine.  

Drive along the Salt Road, the coastline from Marsala to Trapani.  It is characterised by picturesque windmills, shallow ponds and white pyramids of salt.  Make a stop at the Stagnone Nature Reserve Lagoon to admire the unique landscape in this salty environment.   

Continue to Trapani where we hop on the cable car to Erice.  Often shrouded in clouds, Erice is a beautifully preserved town which is said to have attracted the likes of Hercules and Aeneas.  The maze of cobbled streets is a delight to wander around.  The views are stunning on a cloudless day. 

End the day in Palermo, the capital of the autonomous region of Sicily. 

Continue to Cefalù, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. Dominated by the great rock once called the Promontory of Hercules, its terracotta-topped whitewashed houses line narrow streets leading to the bay. Stroll the old town, visit the 12th-century Norman cathedral with its superb Byzantine mosaics, explore the Jewish quarter near Porta Giudecca, and see the medieval wash house with its lava-stone staircase and lion-headed basins.

Then discover Palermo, shaped by North African, Italian, Spanish and Greek influences, and sample its famous street food. Visit Quattro Canti—the octagonal square where Cassaro and Via Maqueda meet—framed by Baroque palaces from the Spanish era. Movie lovers will recognise Teatro Massimo from The Godfather Part III. Don’t miss the Cathedral, with its remarkable Romanesque and Gothic-inspired inlays.