Abruzzo - 06 nights / 7 days

Day 1 - Rome – Ascoli Piceno Arrive Rome CX297 0725hrs. Meet & greet, drive to , stop by Villa D’este for sightseeing, 16th century villa famous for the terraced hillside Italian Renaissance Garden, now an Italian State Museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Drive around 02 – 03hrs, half day of sightseeing after lunch in Ascoli Piceno. Overnight Ascoli Villa D’este Piceno.

Day 2 - Ascoli Piceno – Teramo – Ascoli Piceno Morning drive to Teramo (37km / 01hr) points of interest include The Shrine of St. Gabriel and watching how olive oil is manufacture in the suburb of Travazzano.

Continue to Civitella del Tronto (17km / 25mins), the main sights include Fortress of Civitella (the largest in Italy), San Francesco Church from the 14th century (baroque interior) The Shrine of St. Gabriel and the Abbey of Santa Maria in Montesanta.

Drive to Atri (62km / 01hr) and visit Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta) the 13th century Church was built on the remains of an earlier Romanesque structure. Explore the ruins still contained in the unexplored grottoes of the Roman Theatre as well. Return to Ascoli Piceno for overnight stay.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

Page 1 Day 3 - Ascoli Piceno – Pescara Drive to Pescara (92km / 01hr 13mins) check in hotel Victoria.

Proceed to visit (29km / 30mins) points of interest include Cathedral of San Tommaso (relics of St. Thomas the Apostle), Museum of Ortona Battle and Medieval Aragona Castle; an interesting renaissance castle. Continue to Fossacesia (S. Giovanni in Venere) (30km / 26mins).

Sightseeing includes Costa de Trabocchi, Ortona, Fossacesia (Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere).

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta Return to Pescara and overnight.

Day 4 - Pescara Morning walking tour of Pescara. Transfer to (22km / 20mins).

Sightseeing of Chieti includes the most important sights such as San Giustino, the Cathedral dedicated to St. Justin, the National Archeological Museum of Abruzzo La Civitella and Villa Comunale, short visit to known for the Golden Bay and Bathers Statue.

Overnight Pescara. San Giustino

Day 5 - Pescara – Scanno – Sulmona – Santo Stefano di Sessanio Morning drive to Scanno for sightseeing (98km / 01hr 30mins) Santa Maria dell’Annunziata or Madonna del Lago (from the 18th century) built into the rock on the side of the lake. Visit Sulmona (38km / 50mins) continue to Santo Stefano (60km / 01hr). Overnight at Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

Madonna del Lago

Page 2

Day 6 - Santo Stefano di Sessanio – Rocca – Tagliacozzo After breakfast, a short walking tour will enable you to explore Santo Stefano di Sessanio. The village is situated high in the mountains in the heart of the National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga. The picturesque village is inserted into the spectacular landscape of the Tirino and Pescara valleys. Many houses in the village were built in 11th – 15th centuries. The current urban layout of the village had been shaped in the middle period of the Middle Ages in National Park of Gran Sasso the process of ‘incastellamento’ (fortification). The heritage is a landscape featuring hill settlements surrounded by a perimeter of fortified walls which is very characteristic for the Abruzzian hinterland.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio visit: Medieval tower, Medici Palace, Church of Santo Stefano. A short drive from Santo Stefano di Sessanio will take you to the spectacular Rocca Calascio (10km / 19mins), the small Village Calascio with one of the most stunning sights of Abruzzo region. This imposing castle-fortress is the highest mountain top fort in Italy and one of the highest in all of Europe. The beauty of the place repays the effort of the walk.

Rocca Calascio Continue to Tagliacozzo (drive 94km / 01hr) Visit Renaissances architecture, begin your journey by entering the old town through the Porta dei Marsi. You will be in the small Piazza Argoli, named after the town’s famous mathematician & astronomer Andrea Argoli (1570 – 1657). See the Palazzo Mastroddi, where (among other things) Edward Lear stayed during his tour of 1843. You could go three ways here, but for now walk in to the main square, the Piazza dell’Obelisco. This is one of the best medieval squares in Abruzzo with some fine buildings, great loggias, an interesting bar (Obelisco) and restaurant (La Vecchia Posta)

Another drive (85km / 01hr) return to Santo Stefano di Sessanio for overnight stay.

Day 7 - Sessanio to Rome Morning drive to Rome airport (02hrs) for flight back to Hong Kong

Page 3