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. 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.
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. 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
Hotel Name: Hotel Villa Romana, Minori

Visit Area: Pompeii
The Roman city of Pompeii is located in the southern region of Campania, near Naples. The city was covered by volcanic material in 79 AD and forgotten for centuries. When the city was excavated, archeologists found the city to be intact as it had been prior to the eruption. Today visitors walk on the original streets, complete with chariot ruts. The city was made up of a variety of different buildings including theaters, homes, shops, thermal baths and temples — all of which can be visited today. In addition, every-day objects and precious artifacts have been preserved along with original mosaic and fresco decorations.

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.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

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.

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.

Breakfast 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. 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Ravello
Ravello is a small village perched on top of a mountain overlooking the Amalfi Coast and Tyrrhenian Sea. It is famous for these views from the many Villas and their gardens. One of the most famous is Villa Rufolo. The terraced gardens of the villa overlook the dramatic Amalfi Coast and gave inspiration for the composer Wagner when writing his operas. The village is also home to several small shops and cafes.

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.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Lecce

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.

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.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

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.

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.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso, Alberobello

Admittance: Tarantella Folk Music & Dance Performance

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

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.

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

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.

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

Breakfast 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.