Italy: Amalfi Coast to Puglia

In a country of renowned cuisine, iconic coastlines, and ancient roots, stray off the beaten path and explore a new side of the Italy you know and love. Make your way through southern Italy and experience the Amalfi Coast and the Puglia region.
Hotel Name: Royal Continental Hotel

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. As arrival times will vary, there is no scheduled sightseeing today. Spend the day as you wish, exploring the city independently. 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.
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Naples
Naples is the third largest city in Italy and a cultural and political hub of the Campania region. The city sits at the base of Mount Vesuvius overlooking the Bay of Naples. The city was the home of the last Spanish King who ruled over the Kingdom of Two Sicilys from his massive castle that is located near the port. Today the city center is a mix of post WWII era modernity and a few historic treasures that survived the bombing. The crazy traffic of the city has become a symbol of the modern Naples and its vibrant streets.

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 and Ercolano. 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.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Ercolano

Take the day to explore the lively city of Naples on your own. Perhaps you’ll join an optional excursion and sail to the enchanting Isle of Capri, where you’ll reach the world-famous Piazzetta and explore this island paradise of chic boutiques, lush vegetation, and outdoor cafés. Join your guide on a panoramic drive to Anacapri to sample local food and wine, then sail back to Naples in the afternoon.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Hotel Villa Romana, Minori

Admittance: Wine Tasting
Gain a new perspective on the volcanic countryside with a visit to a winery near Pompeii. Layers of ash have transformed the timeworn soil into a fertile vineyard. Enjoy an exclusive wine tasting with lunch, where you can relax and take in the landscape.

Begin your day exploring the archeological site of Herculaneum in Ercolano, at the western foot of Mount Vesuvius. Imagine Roman society of the past as you wander through the excavated ruins of Ercolano with a guide. Then, visit a pasta factory and taste an iconic Italian dish right where it is produced during a light lunch. Watch the sun fade along the horizon in coastal Minori, your new home for the next three nights.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Minori
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.

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. Enjoy some time at leisure, then 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.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Amalfi
The rocky Sorrento Peninsula stretches into the Tyrrhenian Sea separating the Bay of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south. On the south of the peninsula is the famed Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast features the 32 mile long coastal drive that hugs the cliff at is passes through the picturesque fishing villages of Positano, Amalfi, and Minori (among others). The coast is famed for its breathtaking views, local cuisine, and drinks like limoncello.

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 before hiking** along the coast. You’ll trek the rugged Path of Lemons — an ancient, hilly route that links Minori with the nearby town of Maiori. Explore on your own before returning by boat. This afternoon, it’s your choice! You can enjoy the relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere of Minori like a local, sipping coffee and people watching -OR- explore the nearby village of Ravello and its amazing views from the picturesque gardens of Villa Rufolo.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Locanda di San Martino Hotel

Visit Area: Positano
Ferry past tumbling cliffs and pastel-colored houses on your way to Positano, where you’ll enjoy a free afternoon in this resort town. Perhaps you spend time browsing the posh boutiques, or taking a moment to relax and rest along the beach.

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 two 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.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Matera
Matera is a community in southern Italy that is home to the unique Sassi of Matera. The Sassi of Matera are a unique urban structure of cave dwellings that are carved out of the local tufa stone ravines. The community of stone dwellings were inhabited by nearly 15,000 people until the 1950s when the Italian government forced everyone to leave for hygienic purposes. Today, the Sassi are being rehabbed into modern homes, hotels and tourist attractions. The site is also home to a number of ancient stone churches.

Today, it’s your choice! You can hike into Matera’s 9,000-year-old history on a guided hike along its hillside caves, narrow passages, and steep alleys known to locals as the Sassi -OR- discover some local recipes during a cooking demonstration inside one of the rock dwellings. 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.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Lecce

Visit Area: Lecce
You’ll have a free day to lose yourself in Lecce’s charismatic ambience – full of winding lanes, sun-kissed piazzas, and hidden cafes. Perhaps you’ll join an optional excursion to Otranto and a nearby winery, featuring wine from the region’s dark purple grapes.

Cross into the Puglia region and pause at a wine museum to learn about the special wines produced in Puglia 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.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Admittance: Tarantella Folk Music & Dance Performance

Today, visit the picturesque village of Otranto and enjoy its characteristic winding lanes and hidden cafés. 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.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso, Alberobello

Visit Area: Ostuni
Stop in Ostuni, a whitewashed town surrounded by olive trees. A place inhabited since the stone age, Ostuni is famous for olive oil, wine, and the “Old Town,” a section of the city built on a hill, topped with a citadel and surrounded by ancient walls.

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.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Ape Calessino Tour
Zoom through the city of Ostuni like a local in the backseat of an open-air Ape Calessino, a traditional 3-wheeled car. You’ll get an incredible overview of the entire city during an unforgettable tour unlike any other as you’re whisked through the streets.

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.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Alberobello
Alberobello is a small town in the southern Italian region of Puglia. The town is famous for its unique stone homes called trulli. The trulli of Alberobello look like something out of a cartoon. Each trullo is constructed using slabs of local stone with a conical roof made without mortar. The city center of Alberobello is home to nearly 1500 trulli and is designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site. Visitors can walk through the streets that are lined with trulli that are used as homes, B&Bs, shops and restaurants.

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

Breakfast Included