This is a good value tour because all of the following are included:

• Return air fares with Emirates from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane into Rome.  

• A 15 day tour of Italy and Sicily, including Venice, Florence, Sorrento, the Isle of Capri and Pompeii.     

• An overnight boat trip from Palermo to Naples. 

• A 2 night Dubai stopover on the way home. 

• Very good accommodation, mainly 4 star. 

• Many meals. 

• All transport and transfers. 

• Services of Italian and Arab tour guides, and if there are 12 or more participants there will be an Australian tour leader.

We will do our best to match up people without travel partners who wish to travel at twin-share rates, but this is not guaranteed. For anyone requiring a single room, there would be an extra charge of $895.

Tour Itinerary

Terms and Conditions

Booking Form

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	Itinerary for Italy and Sicily Tour - September 2012
	Included meals are indicated as B = Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner
01.09.12	Australia - Dubai Depart Brisbane at 8.45pm on EK 435, arriving in Dubai at 5.25am the next morning (02.09.12). Depart Sydney at 9.10pm on EK 413, arriving in Dubai at 5.45am the next morning (02.09.12). Depart Melbourne at 9.25pm on EK 407, arriving in Dubai at 5.25am the next morning (02.09.12).
02.09.12 (D)	Dubai - Rome All passengers depart Dubai at 9.25am on EK 97, arriving in Rome at 1.45pm. You are transferred to the hotel. At 5.00pm meet your tour director and other travelling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome's lively restaurants.
03.09.12 (B)	Rome Sightseeing with your local guide starts with a visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and the Last Judgement. Continue to monumental St.Peter's Square and Basilica. Cross the Tiber and visit the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, where Roman legions march in triumph. Then, time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities.
04.09.12 (B)	Rome - Florence A smooth drive past the Chianti hills takes you to Florence, capital of Tuscany and "Cradle of the Renaissance." Afternoon at leisure to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewellery or to visit one of Florence's many museums.
05.09.12 (B)	Florence - Venice During your walking tour with a local guide, visit the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo's celebrated David. Admire the magnificent cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture studded Signoria Square. Then head across the wooded Apennine Mountains to Venice. Enter in style by private boat. Tonight is your chance to sample Venetian fare.
06.09.12 (B)	Venice Highlights of your guided walking tour this morning are St. Mark's Square and the byzantine Basilica, lavish Doges' Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Also watch skilled glassblowers fashion their delicate objects in an age old traditional manner. Afterwards, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride.
07.09.12 (B/D)	Venice - Ravenna - Assisi Along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea to Ravenna. Here see the famous mosaics in the 6th century Basilica of St.Apollinaris in Classe. In the afternoon, arrive in Assisi and visit the massive 13th century lower Basilica of St.Francis built above the Saint's grave. Time to enjoy the peaceful town at your own pace.
08.09.12 (B)	Assisi - Pompeii - Naples Meet your local guide and enter Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. See patrician houses, public baths and commercial districts strikingly recalling day to day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. Tonight board your ferry in Naples for the overnight cruise to Sicily.
09.09.12 (B/D)	Palermo After disembarktion, start your sightseeing with a Local Guide. Visit the ornate Piazza bellini, the Cathedral and the Arab Norman Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace. After lunch drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d'Oro and visit to the 12th century Norman Cathedral, famous for its 50,000 square feet of precious byzantine mosaics. Your first day in Sicily ends with a visit to the typical and picturesque village of Mondello before returning to Palermo.
10.09.12 (B/D)	Palermo - Marsala - Agrigento Along the western coast of Sicily all the way down to the saltbeds, famous since Roman times. Near Marsala, stop to visit a salt mill. Then continue to Agrigento, where your local guide will take you for a spectacular walk through the Valley of Temples. Even travellers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures that miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history.
11.09.12 (B)	Agrigento - Taormina Area Enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island's heart on your way to the Taormina area. Later, focus on the 3rd century Greek Amphitheatre, the second largest of its kind in Sicily. Situated above the city, it affords spectacular views of the bay and Mount Etna.
12.09.12 (B/D)	Taormina Area In the morning you may wish to join the half day optional excursion to Mount Etna. Afternoon is at leisure to relax or for individual activities.
13.09.12 (B)	Taormina Area - Sorrento Today board a ferry and cross the Strait of Messina to land at the toe of the Italian boot in Calabria. Tonight you are in the charming resort of Sorrento delightfully situated on the Bay of Naples.
14.09.12 (B)	Sorrento Speed across the Bay of Naples by Jetfoil to the Isle of Capri, an ancient retreat for Roman Emperors and renowned ever since that time for its beauty. Ride the funicular to Capri village for a guided visit of this pretty town. Free time to explore the little shops on the Piazzette before returning to Sorrento. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
15.09.12 (B/D)	Sorrento - Rome Return to Rome. This evening, say goodbye to your travelling companions with an included farewell dinner with wine in a local restaurant.
16.09.12 (B)	Rome - Dubai After breakfast transfer to the airport for you flight to Dubai. Depart Rome at 3.25pm on EK 98, arriving in Dubai at 11.15pm. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to the Holiday Inn Al Barsha for a two night stay.
17.09.12 (B)	Dubai This morning is at leisure to relax or explore Dubai. In the afternoon there is a sightseeing tour, where we view the Burj Al Arab, which is a considered by many to be the most famous building in Dubai. Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel which stands on an artificial island. The shape of the building is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. Also view the Jumeirah Mosque, which is located within a coastal residential area of Dubai. There is also a visit to the Gold Souk, which is a traditional market in Dubai, located in the heart of Dubai's commercial business district. The souk consists of over 300 retailers that trade almost exclusively in jewellery. By some estimates, approximately 10 tons of gold is present at any given time in the souk. Afterwards you are returned to the hotel.
18.09.12 (B)	Dubai - Australia This morning you are transferred to the airport for your flights home. Melbourne passengers depart Dubai at 10.10am on EK 406, arriving in Melbourne at 5.35am the next morning (19.09.12). Sydney passengers depart Dubai at 10.15am on EK 412, arriving in Sydney at 6.05am the next morning (19.09.12). Brisbane passengers depart Dubai at 10.25am on EK 434, arriving in Brisbane at 6.40am the next morning (19.09.12).
Note:	The ground operator whilst in Italy & Sicily is Globus

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Deposits and Payments - A non-refundable deposit of $400.00 per person is payable within 7 days of booking. This deposit is not refundable should you later cancel. The balance is payable in full 10 weeks prior to departure.
Refunds and Cancellations - Cancellations after final payment will result in a refund limited to whatever we can recoup from the airline.
Insurance - Adequate travel insurance is essential. We can arrange this for you if desired. Macleay Valley Travel offers Suresave Travel Insurance.  Please note that we can only process  your travel insurance when we have received full payment for the insurance and the signed Suresave Travel Insurance application form, located on the last page of the Suresave Travel Insurance information booklet. Until this time the travel insurance cannot be processed and will not be valid. Macleay Valley Travel will bare no responsibility for any consequences that may occur as a result of an incomplete insurance application.    
Passports - All travellers require a current passport with at least 6 months left on it at the end of the tour. Non-Australian passport holders require a re-entry visa for Australia.Visas are not required for Italy and Dubai if travelling on an Australian passport.
Basic Tour Price and Taxes - Air taxes and Fuel Levies are included in the basic tour price if the tour is paid in full on or before the due date on the final invoice. Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to charge for any increase in Air taxes and Fuel Levies if the tour is not paid in full by the due date.
Not  Included in the Cost - Travel insurance,visas and all items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, drinks, excess baggage, tips, meals, (except those specified in the itinerary), etc.are not included in the cost. Similarly, credit card payments can only be accepted if 2% is added to the price to help defray the heavy merchant fees charged to us by the credit card companies.
Breakaway Fee - All fully inclusive prices are based on group travel and any deviation from the set itinerary will incur a breakaway fee. The breakaway fee for most deviations including a post-tour extension on this tour is $105 per person. Please inquire with our office for prices on any pre-tour extensions. 
Booking through other Agents - As we keep the cost of our tours as low as possible, there is insufficient margin for us to be able to pay commission to other travel agents, so some bookings can only be accepted if the client pays the other agent's commission. 
Macleay Valley Travel is a fully licensed travel agent and as such any monies paid to us are fully insured by the Travel Compensation Fund. We are happy for any prospective traveller with us to check us out with your local Consumer Affairs (fair trading) department.
Similarly, credit card payments can only be accepted if 2% is added to the price to help defray the heavy merchant fees charged to us by the credit card companies.
Health and Fitness - Macleay Valley Travel recommends that the passenger is reasonably healthy and/or fit to participate in this tour.  Persons with a disability requiring special assistance must be accompanied by a companion. Macleay Valley Travel and their representatives cannot provide this service.  Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to accept/decline or terminate a passenger's participation in the tour under certain circumstances.
Limitation of Liability - As Macleay Valley Travel acts only as agent for the Airlines, Hotels, Coach Companies etc., providing accommodation, transportation and other services, Macleay Valley Travel shall not be liable or responsible for death or injury to any person or loss or damage to any property including baggage arising out of or connection with any transportation, accommodation or other services, or resulting directly or indirectly from acts of God, fire, breakdown in machinery or equipment, acts of Government or other authorities, de jure or defacto wars, whether declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, epidemics, quarantines, medical or customs regulations, delays or cancellations caused by changes in schedules or itinerary, or over bookings or defaults or for any causes beyond Macleay Valley Travel's control or any loss or damage resulting from improper or insufficient passports, visas or other documents and neither Macleay Valley Travel, and its servants or employees shall be or become liable or responsible for any additional expenses or liability sustained or incurred by the tour member as a result of the foregoing causes.
Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to modify the itinerary or the accommodation if circumstances make this necessary, provided that the amended itinerary is of equal value or greater value than that of the original program.
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