The Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Ravello, Pompeii and Capri

Accommodation

4-Star Hotel Villa Romana

This delightful family-owned hotel is right in the centre of the pretty town of Minori, with its shops, bars and restaurants all on the doorstep and just a few minutes walk to the promenade. A favourite with British guests for many years, the Villa Romana is a traditional hotel and offers a relaxing, friendly atmosphere.

Every morning a continental breakfast buffet is served and in the evening the restaurant serves meals that blend Mediterranean and international cuisine, including pasta and freshly-caught seafood. There is a cosy bar lounge and free Wi-Fi is available.

The classically styled bedrooms are comfortably furnished and have en-suite bathroom, TV, safe and air conditioning. Please note the use of air-conditioning in hotels in Italy is normally restricted to the summer months (usually mid-May to mid-September).

The hotel has a small swimming pool and spa (usually mid-May to mid-September) and an outside terrace.

Excursions & Itinerary

Day 1 - Fly to Naples

On arrival you’ll be met and transferred to our hotel for a 7 night stay.

Days 2 - 7

During our stay we have arranged a superb programme of four included excursions and sightseeing trips to enable you to discover this beautiful region of Italy. There are also two days at leisure, when you can relax in the comfortable surroundings of our hotel or explore our resort and nearby attractions.

Ravello, Sorrento and the Amalfi Drive

A highlight of any holiday to Italy’s Amalfi Coast is a visit to Ravello, a delightful village nestling some 350 metres above the sea on the hillside. Ravello is reached by driving along the “Valley of the Dragons” through deep ravines and around the hills, a fantastic 5-mile journey with twists and turns as you climb steadily to this perfect village. From the terrace in the gardens of the Villa Rufolo, which was the setting for Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’, there are some magnificent views over the Bay of Salerno. Following our visit we continue our journey to Sorrento, a bustling resort with its cluster of old houses, lovely gardens and grand hotels. On arrival, a short walking tour points out the Piazza Tasso and Corso Italia with its many pavement cafes, ice cream parlours, restaurants and boutiques. You'll also get the chance to learn how the area's famous liqueur, limoncello, is made, with a tasting included of course. During free time, why not shop for souvenirs – the resort is filled with small shops specialising in ceramics, handbags and hand-made leather sandals. We leave Sorrento later in the afternoon and make our way over to the world-famous Amalfi Drive. When travelling along what is acclaimed to be one of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe, words fail. Winding its way along the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula, the scenery along the Amalfi Drive is absolutely breath-taking. There are different views around every corner as we make our way past beautiful Positano, which seemingly cascades down to the sea, and through picture perfect fishing villages before driving through Amalfi itself and on to Minori.

Amalfi Coast Cruise visiting Positano and Amalfi

We sail from Minori's harbour and follow the coast as we make our way to our first port of call, Positano, with its pastel-coloured houses which seemingly cascade down the hillside to the sea. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which is just above the sea front, features a majolica-tiled dome and a 13th-century Byzantine Virgin Mary and Child painting. We stay in Positano for around 2 ½ hours, giving ample time for exploring and shopping in the winding streets and alleyways. Positano also has one of the coast’s longest beaches, the Spiaggia Grande, where you will find beachside cafes, bars and restaurants. Following our visit we continue our cruise, passing picture perfect fishing villages with their fishermen’s cottages and on to Amalfi itself. Amalfi, which used to be an important Maritime Republic, is characterised by tightly packed whitewashed villas. Overlooking it all is the beautiful 13th century Cathedral, with its mosaic façade and reached by a magnificent flight of 65 steps. The resort has a splendid promenade and the maze of narrow streets leading through to the Cathedral offer a good selection of craft shops, boutiques and pavement cafes. Again, we stay here for around 2 ½ hours before our return sailing back to Minori.

Pompeii

Pompeii was frozen in time when it was buried by a layer of ash and lava during the eruption of the Volcano Vesuvius in 79AD. Today, most of the city has been excavated and is probably the largest archaeological site in the world and offers the most complete record of everyday life 2,000 years ago. During our guided tour of the excavations this morning we will discover everything about Pompeii’s history, its people and their way of life. You will be amazed when you walk along streets worn away by the wheels of chariots and lined with villas, houses, wine shops and even bakeries with loaves of bread still in the ovens. We then visit the centre of the excavated town with the forum, the public baths and the theatre, all of which are perfectly preserved. The entrance ticket to Pompeii is included in the holiday price.

Isle of Capri

We sail from Minori to one of the most beautiful islands in the world. This magical island has been home to Emperors, artists and poets over the centuries and is today, perhaps, Italy’s most exclusive holiday destination and needs little introduction. Capri’s harbour, the Marina Grande, is filled with the yachts of the rich and famous and the island’s pedestrian only streets are lined with stylish restaurants and chic designer boutiques. On arrival in Marina Grande a minibus will take us to the picturesque village of Anacapri on the slopes of Monte Solaro. You will have time to take a chair-lift ride to the summit of Solaro or visit the delightful Villa San Michele with its views back to the Sorrento peninsula (payable locally). Another highlight of our guided tour is Capri village itself. Here we will have a short walk through the meandering streets to the wonderful Augustus Gardens which overlook Gracie Fields villa ‘Song of the Sea’ and the Faraglioni rocks. This afternoon there is free time to explore at your own leisure - why not enjoy a cappuccino in one of the stylish pavement cafes in the ‘Piazza’, or there are some fabulous shops and boutiques to browse in?

Day 8

Today, at the appropriate time, we transfer to Naples airport to take the return flight to the UK.

The transfer time from Naples airport to your hotel is approximately one hour 30 minutes