About Us

bethesda travel home
itineraries home
unique group itineraries
testimonials
contact us

Day 1 Depart USA

Dinner and a movie aloft as you make your way to Rome on the overnight flight!

Day 2 Roma

Arrive in Rome, where you will be met for the transfer to your convenient downtown hotel. (TBA) Hotel selection will vary according to your taste and budget - we are well prepared to discuss a range of hotel options as we consult with you in the planning process of your vacation! 95% of the time we recommend a downtown location, usually in the heart of Rome’s enchanting pedestrian area! Dining/restaurant suggestions will be made for you as well!

Day 3Roma - Introductory Sights

Breakfasts included each morning in your hotel dining room! Some hotels offer outdoor rooftop dining (subject to the weather!) Detailed private sightseeing this morning to the main spots in central Rome, including the Colosseum and the Forum and the great monuments and architectural wonders of the city, including the Moses Statue, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain. Afternoon is free to relax and explore on your own!

Day 4

Roma (Vatican Museums - Sistine Chapel & Basilica)

Guided visit to the Vatican Museums, housing the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel. Continue for a visit to the main Basilica of Saint Peter including Michelangelo’s pieta’ statue and the main altar by Bernini! Free time in the afternoon will give you a chance to climb to the top of the cupola of St. Peters or perhaps to explore vibrant Trastevere! Or why not a visit to Hadrian’s Tomb, known to the Romans as Castel Sant’ Angelo!

**Please note that if your trip has a religious component, planning could revolve around the weekly Wednesday Papal Audience, the Sunday noontime angelus prayer, a visit the synagogue and Jewish “ghetto” of Rome, or the Catacombs. Sung Vespers of the Sant’ Egidio Lay Society in the historic church of Santa Maria in Trastevere occur each weekday evening at 20h30. Or maybe a theme of Rome for Kids is in order, with the focus on the numerous catacombs and ancient churches of Rome, the baths of Caracalla, treasures of the Palatine Hill, Nero’s Villa, the lives of the early martyrs or Jesuit Rome. The possibilities are endless and we will consult with you in depth to determine the best schedule and activities just for you!**

Day 5Roma free day, or expanded sightseeing

Today could be entirely at your leisure to find out why it is called “The Eternal City.” Or why not engage your private guide for one more day to visit the art wonders of the Borghese Galleries, housed in a magnificent palazzo within the Villa Borghese? Continuing afterwards, to visit the wonders of San Clemente, Michelangelo’s Moses, or more of Rome’s unique and characteristic neighborhoods... What a city!

It’s such a difficult decision???!!! More time in Rome?? ( a week wouldn’t even touch the surface!) or is it time to head on?? Ideas abound but normally after a busy couple of days in Rome it’s time to head for the Amalfi Coast!

Day 6 Roma - Pompei - La Costiera Amalfitana

Heading south with an expert car & driver, along the way you could visit the WWII site at Monte Cassino Abbey, or perhaps take a circuitous route through Anzio and Nettuno, where the Allies disembarked in the Spring of 1944. The Bourbon Palace of Caserta and the ancient city of Pompei are right along the way! Perhaps a stop at scenic hilltop Ravello will be in order as you reach the Amalfi Coast? Located on the south edge of the peninsula forming the scenic Bay of Naples the Amalfi Coast waits with where our favorite place to stay is Positano, offering a broad range of hotel selections. Other options include Ravello, Amalfi-proper, and Praiano, among others. Turning the corner, lovely Sorrento is a larger town that faces the islands of Capri and Ischia, also with a nice view to Vesuvius! You can’t go wrong and it’s a year-round destination!

Day 7/8/9 La Costiera Amalfitana

You are now in for a couple of days to just relax or to explore the region! Capri is just a short boatride away and offers a uniquely beautiful setting (we’ll coach you on the best ways to fill you time and visit the wonders of the area!), or maybe you’ll just sit on your veranda, enjoy the view and catch up on your reading - it’s all up to you! And of course we’ll give restaurant suggestions for the best of the local cuisine!

Day 10 La Costiera Amalfitana

Is your time limited? Naples is convenient to the Amalfi Coast and offers a major international airport for your flight home! Or you may wish to stop back in Roma on your way back to USA. Or, why not stay for more sightseeing, such as Torre Annunziata, the Villas of Stabiae, the Archaeological Museum of Naples, San Carlo Theater, and there is a lot more!

Days 11 - 14

Some Ideas for Extending your Trip!

More time to travel?? You could insert some days to visit the Abruzzo region east of Rome, offering castle towns, great beaches and plenty more! Or, why not stop in the charming countryside of the Campania region known - complete with a cooking school and samplers of wine and olive oil methods from centuries ago that have stood the test of time! A jaunt to Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s boot might be in order, or maybe you’d like to trace your ancestors, who may have come from Abruzzo, Benevento, Napoli or Potenza... We will gladly adapt your itinerary to include the locales where they once lived!