Rome to Venice

Day 1 Rome, Italy

2,500 years of history are woven into the fabric of modern Rome. You can feel it in the glory of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Or as you wander sidestreets that open onto piazzas, fountains, Bernini sculpture, and elegant courtyards. Famous treasures are legion in Rome: the Colosseum…the Forum…St. Peter’s Cathedral…the Trevi Fountain…the Spanish Steps. Take time out between sights to do as the Romans do: enjoy a three-hour lunch, shop, people-watch, or savor the best gelati in the world.

Day 2 Capri, Italy

Geologically Capri is limestone; its dolomite cliffs, which at many points tower perpendicularly out of the sea, have been chiseled and tunneled by time into fantastic shapes and marvelous caves (grottoes). There are two main massifs: on the east Monte Tiberio (1095ft) and on the west Monte Solaro (452ft). The town of Capri (from which the island takes its name) at 452ft is located between them, in a position, which has Marina Grande to its north and Marina Piccola on its southern side. The island's second residential center, Anacapri, lies in a sweep of lush countryside to the west of Monte Solaro. For the etymology of the name Capri, one must look back to the Hellenic colonists who first inhabited it in historic times.

Day 3 Messina or Taormina, Sicily

We've taken to describing Taormina, a nineteenth century haunt of the English aristocracy, as a Sicilian Monte Carlo, without the casino or royal family. But anybody who has been to Monte Carlo, or even Positano (on the Amalfitan coast south of Naples), will find Taormina faintly similar yet very different. It has long been Sicily's most famous resort town. It was here, in romantic Taormina, that a self-exiled D.H. Lawrence was inspired to write Lady Chatterly's Lover, one of the most passionate and erotic love stories of its era. Taormina has endlessly winding medieval streets and tiny passages, each with its own secrets -- great restaurants, cafés and ice cream bars. Some of these intriguing places are secluded gardens hidden by stone walls, others are set on terraces overlooking the coast or in more public but equally pleasant squares. Taormina is beautiful by day but in the evenings its atmosphere is simply enchanting, whether you stroll the illuminated streets or indulge in the view of the coast over a delicious dinner. Then there's the rarer spectacle of Mount Etna's nocturnal fires as lava flows along the snow-covered slopes of Europe's greatest natural wonder, leaving a stream of steam and light in its wake. Within its eternal stone walls, old Taormina has fascinating archeological monuments and medieval homes like Palazzo Santo Stefano. Magnificent views of the sea complete the picture.

Day 4 At Sea

Day 5 Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro, located in a most secluded part of Gulf of Kotor. It has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic, listed with UNESCO world heritage sites. It has numerous other sights, such as Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town (built in 1166), and ancient walls which stretch for miles directly above the city.

Day 6 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Nestled on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik is a beautifully preserved fortifed town. Its ancient medieval walls contain a sparkling white Old City, filled with 15th-century churches, peaceful Franciscan cloisters, a cathedral with works by Raphael and Titian, and a fascinating Maritime Museum. One of Dubrovnik’s main attractions is the sea swim from the quiet, rocky beaches on either end of the city, or catch a boat to the wooded island of Lokrum nearby.

Day 7 Hvar, Croatia

Blessed with an abundance of vineyards and perfumed lavendar fields, Hvar is an island that also echoes its rich Venetian past. Among the striking architecture dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, you'll find one of the oldest theaters in Europe. And the views of the neighboring islands from the fortress are truly unforgettable.

Day 8 Venice, Italy

For centuries,Venice stood at the crossroads of culture between the Byzantine and Roman worlds. The city the great traders and philosophers created is an extraordinary place. From the elegant carved gondolas and vaporetti that ply the Grand Canal to the magnificent Piazza San Marco bustling with life – Venice is unique in all the world. Great works of art are housed here, in the Accademia with its Renaissance masters and the collection of Peggy Guggenheim in her canal-side palazzo. The Basilica di San Marco and the Doge’s Palace are must-sees. After that, follow where your feet take you, over romantic bridges, to shops selling precious glass, to small cafés for a cappuccino or Campari.