Tauck's Exclusive Roman Holiday Offers Gala Dinner Inside The Vatican

Highlighting Tauck's 2012 lineup of European tours and cruises are the return of its exclusive “Roman Holiday” event as well as a new 10-day itinerary in Sicily and a new 12-day exploration of Turkey.

Returning to Tauck's European collection this year is its “Roman Holiday” event, last offered in 2010. The one-time, five-day event (October 25 -30; from $4,990 per person, double occupancy, plus air) features a rotation of themed, small-group, sightseeing “tracks” that each explores a different element of Rome's history or culture. Tracks include “Ancient Rome: From Romulus to the Caesars,” “The Eternal City: Geniuses of Rome,” “First Families, Private Palaces & Movie Sets,” and “Caput Mundi: The Middle Ages.”

Event attendees will reconvene at the end of each day for special gala evenings, including a private fashion show highlighting Italian designers and a performance of Italian opera inside a privately owned palace. The event's signature evening, however, is an exclusive after-hours tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, followed by aperitifs and a private dinner inside the Vatican Museums' stunning Braccio Nuovo gallery, a venue normally reserved for Vatican state dinners and other official functions.

NEW JOURNEYS IN SICILY AND TURKEY

Tauck's new “Sicily: Culture Through The Ages” tour (from $4,990 per person, double occupancy, plus air) explores the enduring influences that have shaped Sicilian culture, including those of the Greeks, Romans, Normans and even the Mafia. The tour also introduces guests to the island's diverse artisans and their various crafts, including a chocolatier, a maker of Majolica ceramics, a chef specializing in traditional pastries, and the vintners at a family-owned winery where Tauck groups will enjoy a tasting. Another Tauck-exclusive highlight is a reception and dinner at the home of La Principessa di Raffadali in Palermo, along with a tour of her 14th-century palazzo. “Sicily: Culture Through The Ages” includes multiple-night stays in Palermo, Siracusa and Taormina, as well as overnight stays in Sciacca and Ragusa.

"Turkey, Land of Contrasts" features three on-tour flights that allow Tauck's guests to experience a wide range of locations, from a three-night stay in Istanbul with an in-depth exploration of the city, to the coastal cities of Izmir, Ephesus and Antalya, to the interior cities of Konya and Cappadocia. Among the highlights of the new Tauck itinerary are an included hot air balloon flight above the “fairy chimney” rock formations of the Goreme Valley, private instruction in the preparation of authentic Turkish coffee, and a traditional dance performance by a troupe of “whirling dervishes.” Other special experiences include time at a “caravanserai” or roadhouse inn on the ancient Silk Road, a private home visit with an artist in Istanbul, and a visit with a family in their modern “cave home” carved into a bluff in Cappadocia. “Turkey, Land of Contrasts” is priced from $4,990 per person, double occupancy, plus roundtrip airfare to Istanbul.

More information: www.tauck.com