Italy: Amalfi Coast to Puglia

Day Stop

• Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy

Hotel(s)

Royal Continental Hotel, Naples

Meal(s)

Dinner

Arrive in Naples, a vibrant mecca for locals and travelers alike. Volcanic landscapes give way to medieval architecture and Grecian lanes, creating a unique culture exclusive to Naples. Settle into your new home for the next 2 nights and admire the view of crashing waves and bobbing boats. Toast to the start of your Italian getaway over dinner, looking out over the deep blue Bay of Naples to Mt. Vesuvius looming in the distance.

Day Stop

• Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy

Experience

Explore Naples’ exuberant historic city center (UNESCO) and underground ancient ruins with a local guide.

Hotel(s)

Royal Continental Hotel, Naples

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Explore Naples’ exuberant historic city center (UNESCO) and underground ancient ruins with a local guide. During your afternoon at leisure, consider visiting the nearby National Archeological Museum and peruse relics from Pompeii. Tonight’s Impact Moment comes in the form of a private concert, performed by the Napulitanata social enterprise, which supports Italian heritage and abates the city’s high unemployment.

Day Stops

• Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy
• 80045 Pompei, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy
• 84010 Minori, SA, Italy

Experience

Sample wines just outside of Pompeii, created from the fertile volcanic countryside.

Hotel(s)

Hotel Villa Romana, Minori, Amalfi Coast

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Feel the ghosts of the past as you wander through Pompeii with a guide. After you’ve explored the public baths and private villas, get a new perspective on the volcanic countryside with a visit to a nearby winery. Layers of ash have transformed the timeworn soil into a fertile vineyard. Enjoy a wine tasting with lunch before continuing to the beloved Amalfi Coast. Watch the sun fade along the horizon in coastal Minori, your new home for the next 4 nights.

Day Stops

• 84010 Minori, SA, Italy
• 84010 Maiori, SA, Italy

Experience

Explore a sfusato lemon grove and hike the Amalfi Coast's ancient Path of Lemons.

Hotel(s)

Hotel Villa Romana, Minori, Amalfi Coast

Meal(s)

Breakfast

A fishing village of terraced lemon groves, Minori exudes the quintessential Amalfitana vibe. Start your morning in a garden and learn about sfusato lemons, used in limoncello. Sample this fragrant liqueur in a pastry shop before hiking* along the coast. You’ll trek the rugged Path of Lemons - an ancient, hilly route that links Minori with the nearby town Maiori. Explore on your own before returning by boat. The remainder of the day is yours.

*The hike along the Path of Lemons and/or the boat trip to Maiori may be cancelled in case of inclement weather or adverse sea conditions. The hike is 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) long and involves multiple flights of stairs; a boat will be provided for travelers who prefer not to hike.

Day Stops

• 84010 Minori, SA, Italy
• 84011 Amalfi, SA, Italy
• 84017 Positano, SA, Italy

Experience

Make the most of a free afternoon in the popular resort town of Positano.

Hotel(s)

Hotel Villa Romana, Minori, Amalfi Coast

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Journey by boat** to Amalfi, the rocky coast’s namesake town. Formerly a maritime republic, Amalfi puts a historic spin on the seaside hubs, containing cobblestone piazzas and towering mosaicked cathedrals. After a few hours on your own, ferry past tumbling cliffs and pastel-colored houses on your way to Positano. Enjoy a free afternoon in this resort town, perhaps browsing the posh boutiques or resting along the beach. Return to Minori by ferry.

**The ferry boat service does not operate between November and March. During these months a substitute bus service will be provided. In case of adverse sea conditions, the ferry service may be suspended at any time, in which case a substitute bus service will be provided. Travelers prone to seasickness should take proper precautions.

Day Stops

• 84010 Minori, SA, Italy
• 84010 Ravello, SA, Italy

Experience

Visit the gardens of Villa Rufolo, making your way through a latticework of hedges and flowers to gaze out at the azure waves below -OR- hike the half-mile trail down to the remote gardens of Villa Cimbrone*** before returning to Minori for an afternoon at leisure.

Hotel(s)

Hotel Villa Romana, Minori, Amalfi Coast

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Dinner

Look down upon the Amalfi Coast from Ravello, a picturesque village with the best vantage point of the winding coastline. Then, it’s your choice! Visit the gardens of Villa Rufolo, making your way through a latticework of hedges and flowers to gaze out at the azure waves below -OR- hike the half-mile trail down to the remote gardens of Villa Cimbrone*** before returning to Minori for an afternoon at leisure.

***The gardens of Villa Cimbrone are only accessible by a pedestrian path that is made of approximately 200 large shallow steps. The distance from the village to the entrance of the gardens is 0.4 miles (650 meters). The same distance must be covered uphill to return to the village where the tour bus can meet you.

Day Stops

• 84010 Minori, SA, Italy
• 75100 Matera, Province of Matera, Italy

Hotel(s)

Locanda di San Martino Hotel, Matera or Hotel La Suite, Matera

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, discover one of Italy’s delectable cheese products during a visit to a dairy farm. Taste freshly made mozzarella for lunch before continuing south to Matera (UNESCO), whose inimitable scenery has been featured in blockbuster films. Experience the town’s cave dwellings, your home for the next 2 nights. Each cave is unique, half-excavated and half-carved from the land. In these unparalleled accommodations,**** connect with the Italian landscape like never before.

****While on occasion you may be accommodated in more traditional hotels, the most part of your accommodations in Matera and Alberobello will be in 'scattered hotels' with rooms located in various buildings close to a central lobby and breakfast room.

Day Stop

• 75100 Matera, Province of Matera, Italy

Experience

Hike into Matera’s 9,000-year-old history on a guided walking tour along its hillside caves, narrow passages and steep alleys known to locals as the Sassi.

Hotel(s)

Locanda di San Martino Hotel, Matera or Hotel La Suite, Matera

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Hike into Matera’s 9,000-year-old history on a guided walking tour along its hillside caves, narrow passages and steep alleys known to locals as the Sassi. The afternoon is yours to explore more of Matera’s heritage. Perhaps you’ll visit the remarkable Palombaro Lungo underground water cistern or head out of town for a hike through the surrounding countryside dotted with prehistoric caves and medieval rock churches.

Day Stops

• 75100 Matera, Province of Matera, Italy
• 74023 Grottaglie, Province of Taranto, Italy
• 73100 Lecce, Province of Lecce, Italy

Experience

Get to know the city with a local expert and take in its iconic architecture and papier-mâché craftsmanship.

Hotel(s)

Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Lecce, Puglia or Risorgimento Resort, Lecce

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Dinner

Cross into the Puglia region and pause at an olive grove to learn about the different kinds of oil before continuing to Lecce, a Baroque powerhouse of limestone. Get to know the city with a local expert and take in its iconic architecture and papier-mâché craftsmanship. Dine your way around Lecce in the evening with a multi-stop dinner in the city center.

Day Stop

• 73100 Lecce, Province of Lecce, Italy

Experience

Private folk music and dance performance, highlighting the traditional pizzica e taranta.

Hotel(s)

Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Lecce, Puglia or Risorgimento Resort, Lecce

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Today enjoy an excursion to the picturesque village of Otranto and enjoy its characteristic winding lanes and hidden cafes. Take your time for a relaxing lunch along the sea and enjoy your time at leisure in one of the pearls of Salento. Reconvene in the evening for a private folk music and dance performance, highlighting the traditional pizzica e taranta. According to legend, spider bites cause the women to dance with feverish energy.

Day Stops

• 73100 Lecce, Province of Lecce, Italy
• 72017 Ostuni, BR, Italy
• 70011 Alberobello, Metropolitan City of Bari, Italy

Experience

Zoom through Ostuni like a local - in the backseat of a 3-wheeled Ape Calessino car.

Hotel(s)

Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso, Alberobello, Puglia

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Stop in Ostuni, a whitewashed town surrounded by olive trees. Zoom through the town like a local in the backseat of an open-air Ape Calessino, a traditional 3-wheeled car. Enjoy time on your own in Ostuni before continuing to Alberobello, (UNESCO), a whimsical city known for its trulli, stone huts with cone-shaped roofs. Meander with your guide through a labyrinth of these gnomish houses, some adorned with symbols carrying religious or astrological meanings. Make your way to your personal room**** in one of these peculiar houses that will be your home for the next two nights. Today breakfast will be included.

****While on occasion you may be accommodated in more traditional hotels, the most part of your accommodations in Matera and Alberobello will be in 'scattered hotels' with rooms located in various buildings close to a central lobby and breakfast room.

Day Stop

• 70011 Alberobello, Metropolitan City of Bari, Italy

Hotel(s)

Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso, Alberobello, Puglia

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Dinner

Today, take a tour of an olive oil mill and taste a variety of extra virgin olive oils. Back in Alberobello, enjoy free time to further explore the city on your own. As the day draws to a close, gather to wish Italy goodbye at a farewell dinner.

Day Stop

• 70011 Alberobello, Metropolitan City of Bari, Italy

Meal(s)

Breakfast

Depart for home with treasured memories of rocky shores and cobblestone streets.