Italy's Ancient Cities & The Campania Coast

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, then onwards to Basel for our overnight stay at the Hotel Victoria where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast, we continue our journey to Italy travelling via Zurich to Milan and onwards to Rome and our hotel for three nights, the NYX Hotel, where we enjoy our evening meal together.

DAY 3

This morning, we enjoy a guided tour of Baroque Rome visiting the masterpieces of this dynamic period. We have the rest of the day at leisure to experience Rome, explore further, or indulge in authentic Italian food at a local restaurant of your choice.

DAY 4

Today, we take advantage of the hop-on/hop-off bus for a panoramic tour of the "Eternal City" exploring the highlights of the city before reaching the Vatican Museums. Here, we will have access to the famous Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica admiring the breathtaking treasures, galleries, sculptures, tapestries, and relics plus the Pietà di Michelangelo and the incredible altar in bronze.

DAY 5

After breakfast this morning, we take the high-speed train to Naples where we begin our tour of the Sorrentine Peninsula, stopping to visit the extraordinary Pompeii. We will walk among the ruins of this historic city which was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, discovering notable landmarks, and learning about life in ancient Rome. Afterwards, we continue to Sorrento for our four-night stay at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio where we enjoy our evening meal together.

DAY 6

Today, we will discover the charming island of Capri and start our day with a visit to the village of Anacapri. Here, we can ride the chairlift to Monte Solaro, the highest point on the island, for panoramic views of the iconic Faraglioni Rocks, Mount Vesuvius, Sorrento, and the Bay of Naples. We enjoy free time to explore, and you can visit the Villa San Michele, Axel Munthe Gardens, or take lunch in a local restaurant before we continue to the famous Piazzetta in Capri. We will walk the quaint streets to the beautiful botanical Gardens of Augustus and, afterwards, we return to Sorrento for an evening at leisure.

DAY 7

This morning, we visit an organic, historical lemon-farm and walk through the citrus and olive groves learning of the farm's history, production, and traditional farming techniques before making our own refreshing Limoncello. Our day continues with a guided farm tour and Mozzarella making demonstration including a tasting accompanied by a glass of wine. Afterwards, we enjoy a hands-on Gnocchi School to learn the secrets of creating a typical Sorrento dish before spending the evening at leisure.

DAY 8

Today, we board our fabulous coastal cruise and sail along the Amalfi Coast where we will see the ruins of an ancient Roman villa near "Bagni della Regina Giovanna", the Island of Li Galli, Nerano, and Fiordo di Furore. We have some free time to explore the beautiful towns of Amalfi and Positano and take unique pictures or shop for souvenirs! On our return to Sorrento, we enjoy our evening meal together at a local restaurant in the heart of Sorrento.

DAY 9

After breakfast this morning, we transfer to the railway station for our journey back to the Hotel Victoria in Basel where we enjoy our final evening meal together.

DAY 10

We bid farewell to Basel, returning by rail to Paris, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner