Italy | Amalfi, Al Buon Gusto
Our guide Sergio is passionate about food. So when we set out to plan a special itinerary that combines beautiful walks with an emphasis on the cooking and culinary traditions of the Amalfi peninsula, whom did we ask? Imagine it: There you are, settled into a lovely hotel in a fishing village on the steep and sunny coastline. You take walks that reveal Positano, Ravello, the Isle of Capri, and even Pompeii with an archaeologist friend of ours. With Sergio we've arranged informal cooking sessions in the home of one of his favourite cooks as well as some hands-on tutoring with a professional chef. Like a great Italian meal, this week is a long, happy, satisfying event that you'll wish would never end.
| Duration: | 7 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW325 |
| Trip Style: | Deluxe - 5 star |
| Departure Dates: | 29 Apr 2012, 21 Oct 2012 |
| Price: | From $4,350 |
| Single Supplement: | From $795 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
This tour offers a stimulating blend of easy walking and exposure to local culture and history. Expect an active but casually paced tempo that offers plenty of opportunity to absorb the environment, sightsee and relax. Over a third of guests travel on their own, so you'll fit right in.
In your small group (just 10 guests on average and no more than 18), there will typically be a mix of solo travellers, couples, and friends or family members travelling together. If you are like many people travelling solo and prefer a room to yourself, you'll find the single supplement is reasonable. Of course, at your request, we can invite another solo traveller on the tour to share the accommodation with you.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 10 average (18 max.)
SEASONAL PRICE RANGE: $4,350 to $4,560
Single Supplement: $730 to $835
DAY 1 - NAPLES
We meet in Naples at our hotel overlooking the bay and the fortress. From here, we begin our survey with a visit around the city before exploring the original Greek and Roman settlement outside of Naples, near the still thriving town of Pozzuoli. In the 2nd and 3rd century BC, its settlement dominated the whole area of the Phlegrean Fields, and its coliseum, still standing today, was the third largest in the world. We explore the area's volcanic activity, as well as the temple and the incredibly well preserved main square of the old city.
Late in the afternoon, we return to our hotel, rated as one of the best hotels in the city, for some time to relax before our festive welcome dinner.
Overnight: Naples
Meals: D
DAY 2 - NAPLES / PRAIANO
Best seen in the company of a friend, Naples offers us a glorious morning visit that includes the old part of Naples, rich with palaces, works of art and historical buildings. We walk along Via Spaccanapoli, thus named because, when seen from above, it appears to cut the city in two. The road corresponds to the old "decuman," the main axis of urban Naples in Greek and Roman times. Now it is one of the most colourful reminders of the great wealth and baroque splendor of the city.
We duck into several of the historic buildings along our path, including the Church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, with its incredible archeological excavations. Along the way we pass through the streets lined with tiny workshops where artisans create traditional terra cotta crèche figures. Pizza was first made in Naples and Neapolitans are justifiably proud of their creation.
Our visit of here ends with lunch at one of our guide's favorite pizza restaurants, before we head for the picturesque seaside village of Praiano. Here we have some time to rest and relax at the hotel or take a walk to the beach, before we start on our first cooking instruction. Our host, Catello, is a professional chef and the son of the chef from Positano's renowned Il San Pietro hotel and restaurant. While he shares with us stories of the famed coast and its visitors, we participate in a cooking instruction and pick up a recipe for totani e patate, Praiano's favorite stew of seafood and potatoes.
Overnight: Praiano
Meals: B, D
DAY 3 - PRAIANO / POSITANO
As we wake this morning in our lovely seaside hotel overlooking the beautiful bay, our views stretch from Positano to Capri. After breakfast, we travel to Positano, just a few minutes from Praiano, for a walk through the town and some time to shop on your own. The little shops of Positano are known for their unique local fashions, handmade shoes and excellent selection of ceramics, such as Solimene and Pinto, from nearby Vietri, famous for hundreds of years for the quality of its ceramics.
Late morning, we walk along a scenic footpath that traces the coastline to reach a lovely corner on the beach for a light lunch. Mid-afternoon, we return by boat to Praiano for some time to relax before we begin our second cooking instruction. In the late afternoon, we walk through the village to the private home of one our guide's best friends, Antonella, who will share her home, including its charming kitchen and wonderful terrace, with us for two of our four cooking instructions this week.
Overnight: Praiano
Meals: B, D
DAY 4 - CAPRI
Today offers us a break from the cooking instructions, but tempts us with beautiful walks and visits, culminating with a magnificent dinner on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Capri deserves a day all its own, and you can spend it as you choose: walking on your own along well marked paths, swimming in the warm waters, or with our guide.
A morning ferry from Sorrento takes us to Marina Grande, the main port on Capri. The Phoenicians were the first to settle here and the Greeks arrived in the 4th century BC, followed by the Romans, who made it their playground. Emperor Augustus vacationed there and Tiberius built 12 villas scattered over the island. The pirate Barbarossa also encamped here in the 16th century, making it a fortress.
After a walk through the elegant center of town with its famous piazzetta, we pass by the Certosa and reach Augustus' gardens for unforgettable views of the sea. Then it's on to Anacapri, the village on the other side of the island, where we visit the gorgeous Villa San Michele and a 17th century church with an incredible ceramic mosaic floor.
After a wonderful morning, we enjoy lunch at Marina Piccola, the most exclusive corner of the island. The ferry returns us to the mainland in the afternoon to Sorrento, where we first enjoy a walking visit around the charming historical center before returning to our cliffside home in Praiano.
Overnight: Praiano
Meals: B
DAY 5 - AMALFI / RAVELLO
Our morning starts with a short scenic journey along the coast to Ravello, perched high on a ridge above Amalfi. A pleasant stroll through the town offers us the reward of a visit to 18th century Villa Cimbrone, a private estate with magnificent views to the Bay of Salerno. Following our exploration of the villa's gardens, we have ample time for lunch and to wander through the colourful shops in the medieval village known as the Aristocrat of the Amalfi Coast.
After lunch in the lovely village square, we reach Amalfi where we walk the little streets of the charming town, passing by the cathedral with its beautiful façade, then visiting an old mill to see how paper was made in medieval times. The area owes its renown to the many foreign artists and writers who depicted the wild beauty, made even more charming by the presence of the ancient paper mills. Our walk culminates at a small factory for a tasting of the famous limoncello (lemon liquor).
After a final reflection on the lemon gardens spread on both sides of the valley of the mills, we return to Praiano before we our join our friends for another cooking instruction in their kitchen.
Overnight: Praiano
Meals: B, D
DAY 6 - PRAIANO
This morning we leave Praiano on a scenic walk along the coast to a simple monastery dating to the 14th century. Dramatically sited on a cliffside promontory, the monastery has beautiful frescoes that have been carefully restored by local artisans.
Arriving midmorning, our visit allows us to admire their work and a chance to meet some of the few monks still living here. We continue along a little coastal trail to a friend's private home. Here we have fun learning how to make our own pizzas in a real wood-fire oven, while enjoying a barrel tasting of the family's wine, sampling the famous mozzarella cheese from Naples and the local fior di latte (both made fresh nightly from water buffalo and cow's milk, respectively).
Mid-afternoon following our luncheon, we return to Praiano on foot. After time to enjoy some last minute shopping around the village, we head back to our hotel to relax before our festive farewell dinner overlooking the sea and the shimmering lights of Positano.
Overnight: Praiano
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 7 - POMPEII / NAPLES
After breakfast, we leave our peaceful little corner of Amalfi's magical coast for Pompeii, the most famous archeological site in the world. Buried in volcanic ash in 79 AD, Pompeii is famous for its excavations that reveal a complete city, including streets, shops, buildings and many beautiful villas, which we explore with our personal archaeologist guide. Midday, we return to Naples where we part company.
Meals: B
Inclusions
- First class accommodation
- All breakfasts, 1 lunch, 5 dinners
- 4 cooking instructions
- Full-time experienced guide(s) who are with you throughout the trip, handle behind-the-scenes logistics and are there to help with anything from haggling for a rug to buying a tube of toothpaste
- Support vehicle(s)
- Admissions to tastings, historic sites and other scheduled events as noted in the detailed daily itinerary
- Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage
- Trip literature
- All land transportation during the trip, whether by bus or boat
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
