Ancient Sicily and the Amalfi Coast
April 15-28, 2015
(with an optional Amsterdam extension, April 28-30)
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While winter weather sets in across much of the country, my mind is on traveling! 2014 found me leading groups to England, Scotland and Tuscany and 2015 is setting up to be even more exciting! We will be doing a total of three trips next year, the first in April to Sicily and Southern Italy with an optional extension to Amsterdam. You will find the full itinerary and pricing below.
September 9-21, 2015 will find us leading a trip to Normand and Belgium. That itinerary will be available soon and will also be posted on the blog, as well as on my website www.troybmarden.com when complete.
November 19-December 4, 2015 will find us leading one of our biggest tours yet, exploring Australia for 17 days. We are currently working on this itinerary, hoping to have it complete by mid-December. It will also be available both on my blog and my website.
I hope you will consider joining us for one of these amazing tours to some of the world's most spectacular destinations. For questions, please email me at troy@troybmarden.com
April 15 Depart
the U.S. for Palermo, Sicily
April 16 Arrival in Palermo, Sicily--Dinner
at our hotel in Erice
April 17 Today we will visit the ancient Greek temple at Segesta,
which can make a valid claim to being the best preserved in the world. This archeological
site, about seventy kilometers southwest of Palermo and reflecting the presence
of several ancient civilizations, will certainly amaze you. Its amphitheater boasts a hilltop position on
Mount Barbaro that is second to none. We will return to Erice in time for you to
enjoy free time in this wonderful town.
April 18 Our
second day of sightseeing finds us at The
Cathedral of Montreal, one of the greatest extant examples of Norman
architecture in the world. It was begun in 1174 by William II and in 1182 the
church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was elevated to the
rank of a metropolitan cathedral. The church is a national monument of Italy
and one of the most important attractions of Sicily. We will continue to the Villa Romana del
Casale, a Roman villa built in the first quarter of the 4th century and
located about 3 km outside the town of Piazza Armerina, Sicily. Containing
the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world,
it is one of 49 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. We will spend the night in Taormina.
April 19 This morning we will visit the
private garden of Rossella Pezzino, Giardini
Le Stanze in Fiore. Rosella began the villa restoration in 1996 and the
garden followed shortly thereafter in 2000.
After visiting this garden masterpiece, we will be treated to a
wonderful garden lunch. This afternoon we are in for another treat as we visit Villa Cuseni. Often considered to be the finest house in
Taormina, Villa Cuseni has enviable views of both the sea and Mount Etna. The terraced gardens were
carefully designed to hold the rainfall from winter until needed during long,
hot summer months. The gardens each display a stunning, eye-catching feature,
as well as being adorned with some of the original citrus, other fruit trees,
roses, vines and wisteria. As a relatively modern 20th century garden, you will
see bold Rococo and Art Deco design. Dinner on your own tonight in Taormina.
April 20 We will begin our day with a trip to
the Benanti Winery where we will not
only enjoy a tour of the winery, but also lunch and a wine tasting. This winery, one of the most important in
Sicily, has won several awards over the last twenty years and is located
directly on the slopes of Mount Etna. After lunch, we will return to Taormina where
you will have an opportunity to visit this charming town at your leisure.
April 21 Today
we will visit the Garden of Biviere and
Villa Borghese. The garden’s owner,
Maria Carla Borghese, will be our guide.
We will have a wonderful lunch after our guided tour and we promise that
this will be one of the highlights of the trip! After
lunch, we continue to the garden of the
Grand Marquess of San Giuliano at Villasmundo, near Siracusa. The
property has been in the Marchesi Paternò Castello di San Giuliano family for
more than 800 years. After our visit we
will check into our hotel in Siracusa.
April 22 Today
we will see ruins! An early visit to The Archeological Park of Siracusa will
start our day. Until the Arab conquest
of 878, Siracusa was the capital of Sicily and was by far the most important
city on the island. We will visit the Ear
of Dyonisus, the Greek Theatre, and the Ara (altar) di Ierone. Afterwards,
we will walk through the historical centre of Ortigia to admire the Cathedral,
constructed over the ancient Temple of Athena, the Aretusa fountain and the
ancient and baroque streets. Lunch will be at your leisure in Ortigia. We will
then depart for Catania where we will spend the night.
April 23 This
morning, we will depart Sicily for our
short flight to Naples. Once we have landed and collected our luggage, we
will meet our private coach for a visit to Pompeii.
As you know, Pompeii is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites,
having been buried in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. when it was a
thriving city of 11,000 people, complete with a complex water system, an
amphitheater, a gymnasium and a port. When we finish at Pompeii, we depart for the Amalfi Coast. Tonight will find us staying in Ravello, one
of the most beautiful and picturesque towns in all of Italy. You will not
be disappointed in Ravello!
April 24 We
have been on the go since we landed in Sicily more than a week ago, so we hope
you find this day a real gift—a day of
leisure to explore Ravello! Ravello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
town’s Duomo (Cathedral), the villas Rufolo and Cimbrone and their gardens, the
church of San Giovanni del Toro, and more await you in this most beautiful
place. Or maybe you’ll make your way down to the water for a relaxing and
leisurely afternoon.
April 25 Today we will travel to the Island of
Ischia where we will visit the private
home and garden of the late Lady Susana Walton. This is a truly magical place and you will be
awed by its beauty. We will tour the
garden and be treated to a garden lunch, followed by some free time in Ischia
before returning on the ferry to Ravello for the evening.
April 26 This
morning, we will depart Ravello and make our way north to Rome via the Palace of Caserta, known as the
Versailles of the south. This extraordinary palace and garden is difficult to
describe. Its sheer size and beauty will take your breath away. You really have
to see it to believe it! We will also
make another special stop before arriving in Rome.
April 27 Today,
we will spend the day in Rome. You
will have the opportunity to see some of Rome’s most famous sites, including
the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and more.
April 28 Depart Rome for the U.S. or take the optional extension to Amsterdam, listed
below.
The cost
of this trip is $4,250.00 per person. This package includes all ground
transportation by private coach in both Sicily and Italy, your flight from
Sicily to Naples on April 23, all entrance fees into the public and private
sites visited as a group as noted in the itinerary, a minimum of one meal
(breakfast) each day with some lunches or dinners also provided. Not included are the tips for our coach
drivers in Sicily and Italy, usually $5.00 per traveler, per day.
Should you
wish to travel singly, a single supplement is available on request. Single
spaces are always limited due to limited availability of single hotel
accommodations, so please inquire early.
Dec. 15,
2014—Deposits of $450 are due no later than December 15 and preferably sooner
to secure your space on the trip. ***If you are traveling singly, your single
supplement will be due at the same time as your deposit to secure your space.
Jan. 10,
2015—The first installment of $1,000.00 is due to Garden Travelers.
Feb. 10,
2015—The second installment of $1,400.00 is due to Garden Travelers.
Mar. 10,
2015—The final installment of $1,400.00 is due to Garden Travelers.
Optional
Extension: Due to the
timing of this trip, we have a unique opportunity to add an optional, 3-day
extension to Amsterdam to visit the
world famous bulb display at Keukenhof,
Het Loo palace and leisure time to explore Amsterdam. The cost of this extension is $450 per person, which will include a
3-night hotel stay (April 28, 29 and 30), ground transportation for group
visits, cost of admission to the sites we visit as a group and breakfast each
morning. ***PLEASE NOTE*** If you
choose to join us on this optional extension, you will be booking a
“multi-city” international flight. You will be flying from the U.S. to Palermo,
Sicily and then from Rome, Italy to Amsterdam, returning to the U.S. from
Amsterdam at the end of the extension.
This is not difficult to book
and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If you choose to join us on this extension, you will be returning to
the U.S. on May 1, 2015 (staying in Amsterdam the nights of April 28, 29, 30
and flying out the morning of May 1 to land in the U.S. that
afternoon/evening).
AIRFARE: International airfares are NOT included in
the price of the trip. This allows travelers to use a variety of means,
including airline and credit card points, to purchase their airfare. Garden
Travelers will be happy to answer questions and can offer some assistance to
travelers in booking airfare and will suggest flights for all travelers to ensure
that the group arrives at the appointed destination in a timely manner and we
stay on our first day’s schedule. ***PLEASE NOTE*** (repeating from above) You
will be booking a multi-city flight if you choose to do the Amsterdam
extension—U.S. to Palermo, Sicily, then departing Rome for Amsterdam and then
Amsterdam to the U.S. at the end of the extension. Please consult with us
regarding flights and times to ensure that the group arrives in a timely manner
at each destination where the group will meet.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Garden
Travelers does not offer travel insurance, but it may be obtained reasonably by
individual travelers. We strongly suggest that you consider insuring your
trip, as none of us knows when an unforeseen issue may arise. If you have
questions about purchasing travel insurance, please do not hesitate to contact
us, as we are happy to help.
PASSPORTS: Current passports are required for
travel to nearly all destinations outside of the U.S. Please be sure that your passport is current
or that you apply for your passport (if you don’t have one) at least 90 days
prior to departure, and even further ahead of time is preferable and highly
encouraged. Better to be safe than
sorry!
G A R
D E N T R
A V E
L E R S
T E R M S &
C O N D I T I
O N S
RESERVATIONS & PAYMENT: To guarantee your
reservation, a deposit, noted above, is required at the time of booking.
Payments must be made in accordance with the payment schedule. Final payment is due no later than 60 days
prior to departure, or as noted in the itinerary, after which time a late fee
of $100 per person may apply.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS: A full refund minus
$500/person administrative charge will be made where written notice of
cancellation is received more than 90 days prior to departure. If the airline ticket has been purchased, the
client will own the ticket and will pay for it in addition to the $500.00
administrative charge. Cancellations
received 45-90 days prior to departure will incur a cancellation fee of 50% of
the total tour price. It the airline ticket
has been purchased, the client will own the airline ticket and must pay for the
ticket in addition to 50% of the total tour cost. A cancellation fee of 100% of the total tour
price will apply where notice of cancellation is received less than 30 days
prior to departure. Garden Travelers will try to recover from its vendors part
of the cost of the trip, but cannot guarantee what will be recovered for the
client. Once a tour has commenced there
can be no refunds on unused portions. We strongly recommend that
you take out trip cancellation insurance, which we are happy to make
recommendations for.
PRICE CHANGE: Tour price is based on a
minimum of 20 passengers. Should the number of passengers fall below 20, Garden
Travelers reserves the right to alter the tour price, in order to reflect that
change. Price is also based on hotels as given, motor coach costs as
negotiated, and an exchange rate of 1.5. Should hotels change for reasons
beyond our control, or coach companies impose a fuel surcharge, or should the
value of the dollar drop significantly against other currencies, the tour price
may increase. Increase in tour price, for whatever reason, will not exceed 15%
of list price.
TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Airfare
(unless otherwise noted), excess baggage charges, items of personal nature,
telephone calls, room service and alcoholic beverages or other special
beverages ordered at group meals, optional extensions, meals not listed in
itinerary, or tips to the tour guide and driver. (At some special meals the
cost of beverages will be included, and the customer will be made aware of
these occasions.)
PRICES: All prices are based on double occupancy and are
in US dollars. Single supplements are charged to cover additional costs imposed
by hotels on Garden Travelers for single occupancy rooms.
RESPONSIBLILTY: Tour itineraries are planned in advance. Garden Travelers reserves the right to make
necessary alterations, should local conditions dictate. When weather or unforeseen conditions beyond
our control affect our routes or itinerary the best alternative will be
provided. In exceptional circumstances outside the control of Garden Travelers,
its agents or suppliers, such as, but not limited to the threat of war,
political unrest, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist threat or action, legal
or illegal labor disputes, adverse weather conditions and Act of God, Garden
Travelers, its suppliers, or agents cannot be held responsible for such
limitations or withdrawal of facilities. The use by Garden Travelers of
transport and accommodations in connection with the tour is subject to the
conditions of the operator/owners of such transport or accommodations, for whom
Garden Travelers act as an agent. If air
travel is not booked with Garden Travelers, the client is responsible for meeting
the group at the destination airport upon arrival.
Passengers agree
that Garden Travelers or any associates thereof, will not be held liable in the
event of any circumstance that may cause personal distress or injury to any
traveler.
