The Awe-Inspiring Amalfi Coast

Fly into Naples International Airport (NAP) by midday. If you're taking an overnight flight, we recommend arriving a day early so you can rest, relax, and adjust to the local time. You’ll find the “Arrive 1 Day Early” option in the Add-ons section.

Either way, grab one of the many taxis at the airport taxi stand and head to our 4-star hotel, the Excelsior in central Naples. It has glorious views of the sea and Vesuvius.

Take time to settle in and freshen up. We'll meet in the early evening for a drink and to discuss our week together. Then, we'll take a walking tour of downtown Naples with an expert guide.

We'll enjoy dinner in Naples tonight as we get to know each other better and toast to new friendships in a beautiful place.

After breakfast today, we’ll visit Vulcan – or Hephaestus if you prefer his Greek incarnation. Vulcan ruled fire and volcanoes in ancient times, and today, we’ll discover Pompeii, the volcano that stopped time in 79 AD. An expert guide will lead us through the ancient city that was buried under 20 feet of volcanic ash when Vesuvius erupted. This natural disaster has given us a glimpse of what life was like almost 2000 years ago. 

From Pompeii, we’ll hop back into our private transport and zip off to lunch and a wine tasting at Cantina del Vesuvio. We’ll sample wines from this volcanic area before heading to Sorrento and checking into our new hotel, the Hotel Continental.

You’ll have time to relax and get to know our home base for the next few days. Maybe dip in their pool or simply soak in the views at their rooftop bar. 

We'll come together for dinner at the hotel restaurant, Terrazza Vittoria, for fresh seafood and great conversation over cold cocktails as the sun sets. 

Prepare to taste the best of the Amalfi region today.

Our first stop is at a local olive oil mill, where we can observe the production of Italy's essential ingredient. We'll tour the mill and sample various local olive oils, with a unique opportunity at the end to purchase bottles straight from the source.

Next, we’ll tour a limoncello factory at Il Convento and walk through lemon groves. Learn from locals how this golden sunshine digestive is made and why the regional lemons are so important to its production.

Lunch is served at a farmhouse among the lemon groves. How quintessentially Italian is that?

In the afternoon, we’ll zip back to Sorrento, where you can take time to relax with a drink on the terrace, go shopping, explore this charming seaside town, or read a great book with an Aperol spritz in hand as you gaze at the jaw-dropping view of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

We'll enjoy a lovely meal together this evening at Donna Sofia, a cozy taverna tucked away in the town, waiting to serve up delicious Italian favorites. 

Sip your cappuccino at the hotel, then grab your sunglasses and swimsuit – we’re off to Capri in a private boat. This is a thrilling way to see the Amalfi Coastline. Weather permitting, we'll visit the famous Blue Grotto along the way.

We’ll dock for lunch on the island and enjoy a meal at a seaside eatery with the waves lapping nearby. Tuck into a Caprese salad and delicious pasta, but make sure you leave room for dessert because we’ll stop in town for some gelato and free time to explore and shop.

At the end of the day, our captain will take us back to the hotel in Sorrento. It’s been a big day – enjoy dinner alone or with friends in town, or order room service and unwind.

Our private driver will pick us up after breakfast to explore the highlights of the Amalfi Coast. This is the Amalfi you’ve seen on postcards and travel shows, the curling coastline featuring dramatic cliffs and colorful villas juxtaposed against the azure sea.

We’ll visit Ravello, Amalfi, and Positano, three villages guaranteed to fill your camera with snapshots of La Dolce Vita! Fragrant lemon groves line the hillsides, and darling shops and cafes hide along cobblestone alleyways. Getting from Positano to Amalfi is part of the fun because we’ll take a mini-cruise in a boat from one beachside town to the next. The rest of the tour is by minibus.

After driving to Positano and exploring for a bit, we'll board the mini cruise over to Amalfi, where we'll meet our guide for a tour of the stunning Baroque St. Andrew's Cathedral. 

We’ll enjoy a traditional lunch at Taverna Buonvicino, complete with all the Italian classics - anchovies, pasta alla genovese, and linguine alla Buonvicino. After we refuel, it's off to our last stop of the day: Ravello. 

We'll be treated to a tour of the gorgeous 13th-century Villa Rufolo, a massive estate overlooking the picturesque coastline. 

After making our way back to our hotel, be sure to savor this last night in Sorrento before we leave for Naples tomorrow. Dinner is on your own this evening.

We say arrivederci to Sorrento today. Enjoy a light, leisurely breakfast at the hotel and spend the morning relaxing or wandering around town one last time.

We're going to put you to work for your lunch today. We'll slice and dice with a local chef at Nonna Flora Cooking School, then dig into the fruits of our labor for a midday feast!

After lunch, we'll board the mini-bus for a 90-minute drive back to bustling Naples. We’ll check back into the Excelsior for our final night together 

This evening, we will share our final dinner of the trip at Transatlantico and raise a toast to the wonderful adventure we've shared this week!

To quote one famous fictional Italian, “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Alas, our adventure has come to an end.

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to say farewell to all your new pals. Take a taxi to fly out of the Naples International Airport. We can help you arrange this at the hotel, it's only a short ride. 

Ciao!