Amalfi Coast & Pompeii

After lunch, if time permits, you'll visit a cameo factory to see how the jewelry is made. Continue along the mountain road, which takes you to one of the picturesque villages of this famous area to explore its quaint streets.

Continue along the coast, and take in stunning views at every turn of the winding road. When the Amalfi road closes to traffic (during Holidays), this part of the tour is done by motor boat. The views from the water are simply spectacular.

In case of inclement weather and rough seas, the cruise to Amalfi will be substituted by a visit to Sorrento.

Sorrento & Amalfi by Land & Sea

Enjoy a very scenic and relaxing excursion, experiencing Italy's most famous coastline by motor launch, with minimal walking involved, and time within the beautiful village of Sorrento. After an approximate one-hour drive by coach, you will arrive to the town of Salerno, located at the very end of the Amalfi Coast. There you'll board a private motor launch and enjoy a 45-minute cruise, viewing the Dolomitic cliffs, which at many points, tower perpendicularly out of the sea and have been sculpted by nature into fantastic shapes.

Amalfi is situated at the mouth of a deep gorge along the coast. Learn how this was a major shipping port during the Middle Ages and it was also an independent maritime state. Enjoy a narrated walk around the town center of Amalfi, with your guide, who will explain the history and architecture of the Cathedral of St. Andrew as you marvel at the exterior architecture, a mix of Moorish and early Gothic design. Its main treasures are the 11th-century bronze doors from Constantinople.

Enjoy some free time on your own in Amalfi, for maybe shopping or relaxation, before cruising back to Salerno where your coach will be waiting to drive you to Sorrento. With its luxuriant vegetation and sun-drenched climate, Sorrento became a favorite resort of wealthy Romans. Experience this cliff-top setting, with an imposing Duomo, distinctive for its 13th-century cloister, and a charming, flower-filled town, all there for you to explore.

Enjoy lunch with wine in a local restaurant in Sorrento before returning back to your ship. Note: Guests must be able to walk approximately 500 yards over even surfaces with 5 - 10 steps. There are several steps to access the lunch venue. Comfortable walking shoes, hat, and sunscreen are highly recommended. Walking during the free time is at the guests' discretion. The drive between Naples and Salerno is approximately 45 minutes and from Sorrento to Naples is approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Guests wishing to enter the Cathedral of St. Andrew on their own must ascend approximately 60 or more very steep steps. The order of the tour may be reversed. The motor launch has both inside and outside seating. In case of bad weather conditions and/or rough seas, the cruise to Amalfi will be cancelled and an orientation drive of Naples will be made instead. Due to traffic restrictions of the Sorrento center a short walk from the motorcoach drop off point to the main center and vice versa will be required. During summer months expect extreme heat, crowded venues and long lines. We recommend that you dress in layers and bring bottled water.

Capri - Isle Of Romance

A fabled resort for pleasure seekers even in ancient Rome, Capri has earned a legendary reputation as the 'island of love.' A speedy ride across the Bay of Naples takes you to the Marina Grande Harbour on Capri. Here, a minibus will take you to Anacapri where you'll enjoy the beautiful scenic views.

Visit Villa San Michele, and then have some free time before you continue to the town of Capri for lunch. Following lunch, enjoy a stroll to the piazzetta, along old cobblestone streets and to the Augustus Gardens.

From here, you'll enjoy stunning panoramic views and have time to look around on your own before taking the funicular down for the return ride to Naples.

Flavors of Sorrento & Pompeii:

Start your morning with a visit to Pompeii. Here, a flourishing civilization, buried for 1,700 years under 20 feet of ash and pumice, was recovered so perfectly preserved that you can see how the 20,000 residents lived and loved, worked and played, ate and drank.

En route, you'll visit a cameo factory nearby to see how the famous jewelry is made and then have some time to browse the store. Visit the cliff-top town of Sorrento, a village with splendid views of the sea and the colorful marina below.

Enjoy some free time to explore the flower-filled main street and the Corso Italia, lined with boutiques. Then it's on to the hills above Sorrento, where a family-owned farm produces outstanding homemade products. Tour the farm and its old wine cantina, learn how to produce olive oil and homemade mozzarella, and during lunch get a chance to sample the local fare surrounded by a lemon and olive grove.

Mount Vesuvius & Pompeii

For the most adventurous, this is the perfect tour to correlate the disastrous eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of the splendid city of Pompeii. Visit the famous city destroyed by a volcanic eruption and learn how its inhabitants lived.

Learn how prior to the eruption of Vesuvius, Pompeii was a thriving city, teeming with privileged rich people and ordinary slaves. See their homes and places of work during the days of the Roman Empire. The city was prosperous due to the region's fertile soil.

Hike up to the volcano's crater and see the rivers of lava where crevices still exude fumes and heat. Vesuvius has erupted many times, but the eruption that stays in the mind of millions of people is the one in 79 A.D.

Take in stunning views of Naples and the bay from the top. Time permitting, you'll visit a cameo factory near Pompeii.

Ruins Of Herculaneum

Mainly a fishing village, Herculaneum was most appreciated for its position overlooking the Bay of Naples. It became very rich as it was chosen as a summer resort by wealthy Romans who built wonderful villas adorned with magnificent frescoes, mosaics and great sculptures.

There's a feeling about Herculaneum that's quite different from what one feels in other ancient world centers brought to light so far, including Pompeii. The torrent of mud flooding down from the volcano served for centuries as the best possible defense against atmospheric agents and illegal excavators.

See the houses, shops, and baths, including wooden elements, foodstuffs and fabrics that are preserved intact, thus offering a unique vision of their lives long ago. En route, visit a cameo factory nearby to see how the famous jewelry is made and then have some time to browse the store.

Walking Through Naples, Pizza & Secret Tunnels

This walking tour introduces you to some of Naples' best kept secrets, including castles dating as far back as the 13th century, an underground tunnel built by order of Ferdinand II of Bourbon, and the most monumental and harmonious square of the city.

Leaving the port on foot, your first view of the city takes you back to the 13th century with the Castle Nuovo, a grim and gloomy fortress that served as the residence of the kings of Anjou, Aragon, and the Spanish Viceroys. Continuing along the Naples seaside, you'll see the famous Castle of the Egg in Santa Lucia; with its spectacular waterfront views, it offers a perfect photo opportunity. Stop to snap a picture before starting your walk through the Bourbon Tunnel.

Some 150 years after Ferdinand II of Bourbon and his architect Errico Alvino designed it, the Bourbon Tunnel (Tunnel Borbonico), a splendid underground route through Mount Echia, has been reopened to the public. The Tunnel, born as a military route, went from the Royal Palace to Via Morelli.

Along the same path, an interception of networks of tunnels and reservoirs linked to the ancient aqueduct of Carmignano, which served the city of Naples, specifically, the area of Pizzafalcone. During the Second World War, the tunnel and adjacent cavities were used as shelters during the numerous German bombings.

At the end of the walk through the Tunnel you'll arrive in Piazza Plebiscito; this noble semicircular piazza is undoubtedly the most famous square in Naples and is flanked by the 17th-century Royal Palace, San Carlo Opera House and the Church of St. Francis. Finally, you'll have some free time here for shopping or taking in the views, before walking back to your ship. N

Mount Vesuvius by 4 x 4 & Hike

Located on the west coast of Naples, you'll find the still-active volcano, Mount Vesuvius. For the adventurous traveler, this is the ideal way to explore the volcano that destroyed the city of Pompeii. You'll arrive at the base of the National Park of Vesuvius, from where you'll board a special 4 x 4 coach. Ecologic and equipped with air-conditioning, it will take you to a height of about 3,000 feet.

During the drive up the beautiful path in the National Park, you'll relax looking at the Gulf of Naples. Once at 3,000 feet, you'll proceed on foot for another 1,000 feet up on a narrow zigzagging path. Once on the rim of the crater walls, you'll meet an official alpine guide and walk part of the way around the edge to enjoy this natural phenomenon and, of course, a panoramic view that includes Naples and the entire bay.

After visiting the crater, you'll walk back to the 4 x 4 coach, which will take you to the motorcoach parking for your return drive to Naples and your ship

Mount Vesuvius by 4 x 4 & Hike

Located on the west coast of Naples, you'll find the still-active volcano, Mount Vesuvius. For the adventurous traveler, this is the ideal way to explore the volcano that destroyed the city of Pompeii. You'll arrive at the base of the National Park of Vesuvius, from where you'll board a special 4 x 4 coach. Ecologic and equipped with air-conditioning, it will take you to a height of about 3,000 feet.

During the drive up the beautiful path in the National Park, you'll relax looking at the Gulf of Naples. Once at 3,000 feet, you'll proceed on foot for another 1,000 feet up on a narrow zigzagging path. Once on the rim of the crater walls, you'll meet an official alpine guide and walk part of the way around the edge to enjoy this natural phenomenon and, of course, a panoramic view that includes Naples and the entire bay.

After visiting the crater, you'll walk back to the 4 x 4 coach, which will take you to the motorcoach parking for your return drive to Naples and your ship

Best of Naples - Pompeii, Archaeological Museum & Pizza

Link the pieces of the puzzle when you visit Pompeii's ruins together with its uncovered history and treasures housed at the archeological museum. Experience the 'original pizza' in the city that boasts the world's first pizzeria, dating back to 1830, and see the sites of Naples.

Travel along the coast with magnificent views of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius - the still-active volcano that buried Pompeii in 79 A.D. - in the backdrop. At the ruins of Pompeii, you'll discover the archeological excavations of a lost city buried deep beneath the ash from Mt. Vesuvius. Entering by the sea gate, your walking tour takes in the city's baths, villas, theaters and wrestling grounds. Plaster casts mark the positions of the fallen that were swiftly overcome by volcanic ash. Your knowledgeable guide will point out the remarkably preserved remains that hint at daily Roman life, their customs, cuisine and how they entertained, decorated and lived. Highlights include stunning frescoes and elaborately detailed mosaic-inlaid floors of wealthy homeowners' villas, as Pompeii was a vacation community for high society.

On the way back to Naples, you'll stop at a cameo factory where artisans have honed their craft for generations. You'll have some time to shop for handmade seashell and coral jewelry, including intricately carved brooches, rings and bracelets. Sit back and enjoy classic Pizza Margherita at a typical Neapolitan pizzeria accompanied by a mixed green salad and beverages.

Before heading to our next stop, take a sightseeing loop around the city for a quick orientation, driving past the round-towered Castel Nuovo, San Carlo Opera House, Umberto Gallery, the Royal Palace and San Francesco di Paola Church. Driving along the waterfront, notice the site where Naples was first founded: Castel dell'Ovo or 'egg castle'. Its curious name comes from a Roman legend that claimed the castle was built over an egg placed on the site with the belief that if the egg broke Naples would fall. Visit The National Archaeological Museum next. Originally cavalry barracks, Charles of Bourbon established the museum in the late 18th century to house the fantastic Farnese Collection that he had inherited. Highlights include the Farnese Bull and a classical Roman sculpture depicting figures from Greek mythology. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of murals, frescoes and mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum.