Puglia: Italy's Undiscovered Coast ​

Today you will transfer to the airport in Brindisi from Lecce. Upon arrival in the Rome airport, claim your luggage. VBT's local representative meets you and helps you transfer by private car to your hotel. (The representative will meet you outside the customs area in your arrival terminal and will be holding a VBT sign.)

Today's opportunities are endless. You might visit the Forum, the political and commercial center of ancient Rome when the empire was at its greatest power. Various emperors constructed the temples, monuments and other buildings here over a period of nine centuries. Today you can still see the Curia, where the Roman Senate met. Take a walk up the Palatine Hill, where tradition says the first settlers of Rome built their huts under the direction of Romulus, later to be the home of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius and Domitian.

Perhaps you'll step out of Italy with a visit to the Vatican, an independent state. The Vatican museums are filled with magnificent art that goes far beyond such well-known pieces as the Pieta Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and his Creation of Adam.

Tour Rome's famous Catacombs, located in tunnels carved out of rock along the Via Appia, or Appian Way. Or spend an idyllic afternoon in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, one of Europe's most elegant parks. And by all means, do as the Romans do — sip espresso, savor Italian wine, and take time to enjoy la dolce vita. After a full day of independent exploration, retire to your hotel or perhaps enjoy one of Rome's fine restaurants.