• 5 Handpicked Accommodations
• 19 Meals
• 2 Choice of Tour Options
• Venture through Naples’ historic city centre (UNESCO) overflowing with local life and eccentric monuments.
• Explore a sfusato lemon grove and hike the Amalfi Coast’s ancient Path of Lemons.
• Make the most of a free afternoon in the popular resort town of Positano.
• Zoom through Ostuni like a local – in the backseat of a 3-wheeled Ape Calessino car.
• Experience the Italian landscape like never before and spend 2 nights in a unique cave-dwelling accommodation.
• Impact Moment: Discover traditional Neapolitan songs and music during a private performance at a local social enterprise.
• Sample wines just outside of Pompeii, created from the fertile volcanic countryside.
• Make your way through Lecce’s city centre with a multi-stop dinner.
• Gaze out at the deep blue Bay of Naples and looming Mt. Vesuvius as you dine on regional specialties.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Naples, Italy
Dinner Royal Continental Hotel

Arrive in Naples, a vibrant mecca for locals and travellers 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 2: Naples
Breakfast Royal Continental Hotel

Explore Naples’ exuberant historic city centre (UNESCO) and underground ancient ruins with a local guide. Visit the Sansevero Chapel, home to the Veiled Christ statue, rumored to be created by alchemy due to its carved flowing cloth. 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 3: Naples – Pompeii – Minori
Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner Hotel Villa Romana

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 4: Minori – Maiori – Minori
Breakfast Hotel Villa Romana

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 travel 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.

Day 5: Minori – Amalfi – Positano – Minori
Breakfast Hotel Villa Romana

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.

Day: 6 Minori – Ravello – Minori
Breakfast & Dinner Hotel Villa Romana

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.

Day 7: Minori – Matera
Breakfast & Lunch Locanda di San Martino

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 accommodation,**** connect with the Italian landscape like never before.

Day 8: Matera
Breakfast Locanda di San Martino

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 9: Matera – Lecce
Breakfast & Dinner Santa Chiara Suite Hotel

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 centre.

Day 10: Lecce – Otranto – Lecce
Breakfast Santa Chiara Suite Hotel

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 11: Lecce – Ostuni – Alberobello
Breakfast Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso

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, before continuing to Alberobello, a whimsical city that hosts a collection of cone-shaped trulli homes. Make your way to your personal room,**** a converted house that will serve as your home for the next 2 nights. Early this evening discover the town’s secrets with a local guide and enjoy free time for dinner on your own.

Day 12: Alberobello
Breakfast & Dinner Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso

Today experience a tour of an olive oil mill and taste different kinds of extra virgin olive oil. Back in Alberobello, enjoy your free time meandering through a labyrinth of these gnomish houses, sometimes featuring symbols with superstitious connotations. The afternoon is yours to explore. As the day draws to a close, wish Italy goodbye at a farewell dinner.

Day13: Alberobello – Tour Ends
Breakfast

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