DAY 1 - GET HERE, GET SETTLED

Pick up in Rome or Pescara, transfer to Villa d'Abruzzo in private air conditioned vehicle.

Welcome drinks and check in.

Explore Torre de'Passeri, lounge by the pool, relax.

Dinner followed by a review of your trip plan.

DAY 2 - MONKS AND MOUNTAINS

Visit a hermitage carved out of the Maiella mountain by monks and marvel at the beauty and peacefulness of the surroundings.

Afterwards, it's up the mountain to more than 2000 metres above the Adriatic Sea, visible in the distance on good weather days.

Lunch in a local restaurant followed by a visit to a nearby village.

DAY 3 - THE ADRIATIC COAST

Breakfast followed by a trip to the coast to see fishing platforms only found in Abruzzo and the Canadian WWII cemetery near Ortona.

Lunch at a local fish restaurant in the beach town of San Vito or a picnic in a nature reserve.

Then you visit San Giovanni in Venere, a medieval abbey built on top for a former Roman temple.

Day 4 - VISTAS AND VILLAGES

You start with a drive up the Gran Sasso Massive to a 10th-Century fortress overlooking the Tirino Vally.

Lunch in a local restaurant in the village of Santo Stefano where the buildings are stacked on top of each other.

Then you see church frescos that were done in 1263 - 250 years before that other Chapel in Vatican City.

DAY 5 - PRO LOCAL

This morning, you go Sulmona for market day or take a walking tour of Torre de'Passeri and learn the rich local history dating back to prehistoric times.

Lunch is pasta and salad at the villa or stop at a local food truck.

Later, you visit a local ceramic artist's studio followed by a winery tour and tasting.

DAY 6 - THE GORGEOUS GORGE

Today, we spend the day in the breathtaking Sagittario Gorge, a World Wildlife Fund reserve.

You visit a mill originally built by Benedictine monks 1000 years ago, a hermitage and a traditional filigree jewelry shop.

Lunch is a lakeside picnic followed by visits to the unique villages of Villalago and Scanno.

DAY 7 - ROMANS AND MARSICANS

Today, it's inland to the Roman ruins at Alba Fucens, a 12th century church built on the foundation of a Temple of Apollo, and a medieval village.

Lunch in a local restaurant, then you visit Celano's stunning castle, take in the amazing views, and examine some well-preserved artifacts and medieval art that rivals collections in Florence or Rome.

DAY 8 - ARRIVEDERCI

Following breakfast, you transfer to where you need to go in Rome or Pescara.