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| Day 1 |
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Depart US
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Depart the U.S. on your flight to Naples, Italy.
NOTE: If you are combining this trip with Sicily, Cultural Crossroads of the Mediterranean, see Day 9 of that itinerary. |
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| Day 2 |
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Arrive Naples; Italy * Hotel check-in * Tour orientation
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Arrive this morning in Naples, where your guide will meet you and accompany you to your hotel. Have time to unpack, rest, and walk in your neighborhood overlooking the Bay of Naples before you gather for dinner at a local restaurant. D Hotel Majestic (4-star)
NOTE: If you are combining this trip with Sicily, Cultural Crossroads of the Mediterranean, you will fly from Catania to Naples, where you will meet your guide for Sojourn in Southern Italy and the travelers arriving from the U.S. |
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| Day 3 |
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Isle of Capri * Blue Grotto * Anacapri
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Leave from the port of Naples by hydrofoil, bound for the magical island of Capri. Meet your site guide for a tour of the island, which has just two towns, Capri and Anacapri, and is small enough that you are always near the sea. If the weather permits, your tour will include a visit to the Blue Grotto, which you enter in a small boat piloted by an expert oarsman. The sunlight that shines through the water in such a way that the grotto glows with a deep blue-green. Enjoy lunch on your own in one of Capri’s many restaurants, and have time at leisure to explore the byways, beaches and shops. Later in the afternoon, a hydrofoil will take you to Sorrento, where you will check into your centrally-located hotel and have dinner, perhaps followed by a stroll through the town’s lively streets. B/D Palazzo Guardati (4-star)
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| Day 4 |
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Amalfi Coast * Ravello * Palazzo Rufulo
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Some have said it is worthwhile to go to Italy just for a trip along the Amalfi Coast,* your excursion for today. Drive along Italy's finest coastline overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. At every turn of this spectacular Cliffside road you will come upon breathtaking views of the sea and small villages clinging to the rocky mountainsides, their trellised lemon trees cascading over the walls. A trip up the mountain to Ravello, called "one of the most famous beauty spots of Italy," will include a visit to the Cathedral and the Palazzo Rufulo with its tropical gardens that inspired the magic garden in Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal. Enjoy lunch in Ravello, then wind your way back down the mountain and along the coast to Amalfi. There you may explore on your own or join a guided tour to see the magnificent 9th-century Cathedral, decorated with mosaics of colored marble, the lovely Cloister of Paradise, and other highlights. Stroll Amalfi’s arcaded streets and the harbor quays before returning to Sorrento for dinner on your own. B/L Palazzo Guardati (4-star)
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| Day 5 |
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Pompeii * Mt. Vesuvius
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This is the day for your visit to the famous ancient city of Pompeii,* buried by the volcanic ash of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Pompeii is gradually being reclaimed so that scholars and visitors alike can appreciate this city, first inhabited in the 8th century B.C., which had become a resort for wealthy Romans before life there so abruptly ended. You will see intricate mosaic floors and colorfully frescoed walls, shops that sold olive oil and wine, temples, a grand forum and beautiful vacation homes, circa 1st century A.D. Have lunch at Pompeii, and return to Sorrento, where you will have the late afternoon and evening at leisure. B/L Palazzo Guardati (4-star)
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| Day 6 |
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Free day in Sorrento * Optional Paestum
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Enjoy a day on your own in the lively and fascinating Sorrento, or join an optional trip to Paestum,* where some of the best-preserved Greek temples anywhere are set in the wildflower-strewn countryside. In Paestum, a Greek city founded in the 6th century B.C., you will come upon beautifully preserved Doric temples that convey the sense of grandeur and majesty these edifices had in ancient times. Temple of Poseidon, the Temple of Hera, and the so-called Basilica, all facing eastward, dominate the site, but there are other remnants, including an amphitheater, in this large and evocative site.
In the nearby village you will fine some excellent gelato as well as handcrafted items. Return from Paestum in the afternoon to have dinner on your own and spend the evening in Sorrento. B Palazzo Guardati (4-star) |
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| Day 7 |
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Herculaneum
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Travel to Herculaneum to see the ruins of a city destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in the same eruption that covered Pompeii. Walk through the town on streets still paved with stone, past well-preserved buildings, some still with their upper stories. Gardens have been replanted to give visitors more of a sense of the living town. Have lunch in a restaurant nearby, and return to Sorrento for dinner at the hotel and one more chance to enjoy an evening walk through the town. B/L/D Palazzo Guardati (4-star)
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| Day 8 |
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National Archaeological Museum * Farewell Dinner
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Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before leaving for Naples. When you arrive in the city, have a guided tour of some of the city’s highlights. Your tour will include a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, where many of the objects from Pompeii are exhibited. Check into your hotel this afternoon, choose some favorite spots to visit on your own, and later enjoy a farewell dinner at a Neapolitan restaurant. B/D Hotel Majestic (4-star)
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| Day 9 |
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Depart Naples * Return home or continue onto Treasures of Rome, Florence & Venice
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Leave from Naples Airport on your return flight to the U.S. B
or Continue onto the Treasures of Rome, Florence and Venice. |
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