Compare Archaeological Wonders of Southern Italy and Sicily by National Geographic Expeditions

Days 1 & 2: U.S./Naples, Italy/Sorrento

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Imperial Hotel Tramontano

Depart on an overnight flight to Naples. Upon arrival, take a scenic drive to Sorrento, a picturesque seaside town that will be our home for the next three days. After free time this afternoon, meet for a welcome reception and dinner.

Day 3: Pompeii/Mount Vesuvius

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Imperial Hotel Tramontano

Spend the morning in Pompeii, a city frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, blanketing the area in a thick layer of ash and debris. The site was only discovered many centuries later, and the first excavations in 1748 revealed dwellings, everyday objects, and the bodies of Pompeii's residents, all remarkably preserved in the volcanic ash. Venture into this splendid and haunting city on an insider's tour, see its frescoed villas, and get a rare glimpse of daily life nearly 2,000 years ago. Then head up to Mount Vesuvius and hike to the crater's edge with a volcanologist. Take advantage of a free night to try out one of Sorrento's fine restaurants.

Day 4: Paestum/Amalfi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Imperial Hotel Tramontano

Journey south through the province of Salerno to the Greco-Roman city of Paestum, a World Heritage site. Wander among its three magnificent Doric temples, and see impressive frescoes and carved friezes from the site at the museum. Stop for lunch at a farm where mozzarella is produced on our way to the spectacular Amalfi Coast. As we trace these dramatic shores, marvel at an ever-changing vista of sheer cliffs that plunge to the sea and pastel villages stacked up the rocky slopes. In the town of Amalfi, once one of Italy's four great maritime republics, stroll into the historic center to visit its stunning Romanesque cathedral.

Day 5: Naples/Palermo

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Grand Hotel et Des Palmes

Spend the morning at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, home to a grand collection of Roman artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as an extensive collection of Greek antiquities. We fly to Palermo, Sicily, this afternoon and check into our hotel in the old city.

Day 6: Monreale/Palermo

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Hotel et Des Palmes

After a panoramic tour of Palermo, travel to nearby Monreale for a visit to its Norman cathedral. Wander through Moorish-style arcades and cloisters and examine its exquisite gold mosaics illustrating biblical tales. Back in Palermo, take a guided tour of the Duomo, an eclectic cathedral that combines elements of Gothic, baroque, neoclassic, and Norman architecture. View the mosaics of the Cappella Palatina, a unique gem of Arab-Norman art, and descend into the catacombs of the Convento dei Cappuccini, where mummies and skeletons of Palermo's former elite are still dressed in their finery.

Day 7: Segesta/Selinunte/Agrigento

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Baglio della Luna

Head west to Segesta, where a beautifully preserved hilltop temple was begun in the fifth century by the indigenous Elymian people and never completed. Continue south to Selinunte, home of the ancient city of Selinus—once a rival of Segesta. Perched on a clifftop overlooking the sea, these ruins make up one of the largest archaeological parks in Europe. Enjoy a picnic lunch looking out over the Mediterranean Sea before traveling to Agrigento, a prominent city in Magna Graecia before it was sacked and fought over by the Carthaginians and Romans in the fourth and third centuries B.C. Explore the incredible Valley of the Temples, where temples to Zeus, Castor and Pollux, and Herakles dominate the landscape.

Day 8: Piazza Armerina/Syracuse/Taormina

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Atlantis Bay

Journey into Sicily's mountainous interior to the World Heritage site of the Villa Romana del Casale, near the town of Piazza Armerina. The villa's exquisite mosaics—some of the best preserved in the Roman world—were buried in mud for centuries and only rediscovered in the late 19th century; they are still being restored. Arrive in Syracuse, a city that once rivaled Athens in culture and economic strength. Venture down the winding streets of Ortigia, a tiny island linked to Syracuse by a bridge, and pass the sixth-century-B.C. ruins of the Temple of Apollo, which has served as a church, a mosque, and a military barracks. Then visit the stunning Greek theater and the adjacent quarry, now a massive grotto with resonating acoustics dubbed the "Ear of Dionysius." Drive up the coast to the lovely cliff top town of Taormina and settle into our hotel.

Day 9: Mount Etna/Taormina

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Atlantis Bay

Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna dominates eastern Sicily. Ascend to 10,000 feet above sea level by cable car and 4x4 to the very rim of this legendary volcano and behold a fascinating landscape forged by countless eruptions. Descend to Taormina for a walking tour and time at leisure before we gather for a farewell dinner tonight.

Day 10: Taormina/Catania/U.S.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to the Catania airport for your return flight.