Aromas of Campania, Italy

The arrival is scheduled in the morning at the Naples airport, where you will be welcomed by our representative who will be with you during your entire stay. Then, you will be transferred by coach to your preferred hotel in Sorrento.

In the afternoon you will be accompanied on a walking tour of Sorrento, a marvelous resort town which is worldwide known for its Limoncello, a homemade lemon liqueur renowned for its delicate and smooth flavor. You will walk through the historical center, whose narrows streets represent the touristic heart of the town, and arrive at Marina Grande, a quaint fishing village which was the setting of the 1955 movie Pane Amore e… with Sofia Loren. You will enjoy the breathtaking view of the Gulf of Sorrento and soak into the mouth watering aromas of fresh grilled seafood.

The place was the hometown of the Italian poet Torquato Tasso and is renowned to be the legendary land where Ulysses, on the way back to Ithaca, was tempted by the charming sings of the mermaids. In the evening you will return at the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the port of Sorrento where a ferry will take you to the romantic isle of Capri. Once arrived, you will lead to Villa San Michele in Anacapri. The villa was the dream home of the Swedish physician, Axel Munthe who first came to Capri in 1885. He built his villa on the ruins of an ancient Chapel dedicated to San Michele, following a series of sketches made on a wall. After Munthe’s death the villa has been converted into a beautiful museum which displays ancient artifacts collected by Munthe throughout the years.

You can admire a wide range of sarcophaguses, busts, a Greek tomb, a granite Sphinx, Roman pavements, marble statues and columns, which have been found around the island by the physician or donated by friends from around the world. In the afternoon after a short break for lunch in Anacapri, you can choose to take a local bus from Piazza Vittoria, the main square of Anacapri that will take you to the Blue Grotto or explore the exclusive center of Capri. The Blue Grotto is an optional excursion which is not included in the price of the tour.

The Blue Grotto is one of the most outstanding natural attractions of the isle whose interior can be explored only by small rowing boats. The sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue and silver reflection that illuminates the cavern. In Capri you will be taken for a tour where you will visit the Gardens of Augustus, a complex of panoramic flowered terraces overlooking the Faraglioni and the Bay of Marina Piccola. After this quick visit, you will have some free time to fully discover the precious heart of Capri.

You can go shopping for souvenirs along the quaint narrow streets around the isle where crafty local products are sold, window shop along via Cammarelle, where all the high fashion brand name boutiques are located, relax for a cup of coffee at the Piazzetta, its famous main square and meeting point of the Caprese Good Life or enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the Faraglioni from via Tragara. In late afternoon you will meet at the port of Capri and return by ferry to the hotel in Sorrento for Overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will be driven on the Amalfi coast, one of the most charming touristic attractions of the Italian territory. A 25 mile double lane road runs across the high cliff rocky coastline which offers breathtaking views of the Bay of Salerno. You will soak into the delicate perfume of the oleanders and get charmed by the sparkling blue waters. You will pass by Positano, a quaint small village whose colourful box shaped houses were gradually erected on the rocky sides of the coast. The place is worldwide known for its crafts, fashion clothing lines and for being the setting of many famous movies.

You will end your journey in Amalfi, one of the four powerful Maritime Republics who ruled the Mediterranean trades during the Middle Ages. You will visit the main square where the statue of Flavio Gioa, inventor of the compass, is placed, Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, a stunning combination of Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic and Baroque architectural elements which dates back to the 11th century and the Lungomare (the Boardwalk) where many souvenir shops are located.

In the afternoon after a short break for lunch, you will leave for Pompei, where our representative will lead you through the excavations of this ancient Roman city. Together with Herculaneum, Pompei was partially destroyed by the lava and buried under volcanic rocks and ashes during the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was then discovered by the king of Naples Charles of Bourbon in 1748. In the evening you will return to the hotel in Sorrento for Overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be accompanied by coach for a tour of the Vesuvius and its surroundings. The Vesuvius is currently a dormant volcano whose main eruption dates back to the Roman times when the cities of Pompei and Herculaneum were destroyed.

This explosion left a large crater that nowadays can be visited. You will visit a twenty minute climbing excursion to the edge of the volcano where you will watch the fuming crater, see the remains of the 1870 funicular railway which got totally destroyed by the last major eruption in 1944, and appreciate the stunning panorama of the Gulf of Naples, the island of Ischia, the isle of Capri, the Sorrentine peninsula and the Amalfi coast. In order to fully enjoy this excursion, good walking shoes are recommended. In the afternoon after a short break for lunch you will be transferred to Herculaneum where you will visit the ancient ruins of the city which was partially devastated by the lava and buried under volcanic rocks and ashes during the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the evening you will return to the hotel in Sorrento for Overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will be led on a sightseeing tour of Naples, the third largest city in Italy and the capital of the Campania region. Where our representative will take you visiting the most famous sights of the city such as: Piazza Plebiscito, its main square; the Royal Palace, one of the four residences used by the Bourbon kings during il Regno delle Due Sicilie , one of the old kingdoms of Italy which lasted from 1730 to 1860 and whose capital was Naples; il Teatro San Carlo, one of the oldest and largest opera houses in Italy; Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino, a royal residency erected by the king of Naples Charles I of Anjou during the Middle Ages and Castel dell’Ovo (the Egg Castle) whose name comes from an ancient legend according to which the Roman poet Virgil hid a magical egg in the dungeon in order not to make the castle collapse. You will be taken for a walk along the Lungomare in the outstanding area of Santa Lucia where you will enjoy the marvellous view of the Gulf of Naples.

In the afternoon after a short break for lunch, you will continue your tour and you will be accompanied to the Solfatara near Pozzuoli, the hometown of the famous actress Sofia Loren. This is an ancient crater of a dormant volcano which has preserved an interesting activity of fumaroles over the years. You can feel the underground heat of the land and see the rising of vapour, jets of boiling mud and sulphur dioxide fumes. The Solfatara phenomenon is a unique example of volcanic activities which gives its name to other similar events throughout the globe. This so called land of sulphur is located in the heart of the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) area which has been recently converted into a natural park. In the evening you will return to the hotel in Sorrento for Overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will have the entire morning to say goodbye to Sorrento. You can take a walk through via S.Cesareo in the historical heart of the town for some souvenir shopping and bring home some of the finest inlaid wood artistry, have a lovely snack at one of the cafés in Piazza Tasso, the main square, get some of the latest fashionable clothes and shoes in one of the many shops on Corso Italia, the main street, go a nice horse carriage tour and enjoy of the stunning views of the Sorrentine Peninsula, spend some relaxing time at the beach in Marina Grande or have a delicious lunch at one of the many local restaurants around town. In the afternoon you will then leave Sorrento and its charming Peninsula to go to the Naples airport for your departure.