The Amalfi Coast & Capri ​

Depart from the U.S. and travel to Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Arrive at the airport of Capodichino in Naples, Italy, where a VBT representative meets you and helps you transfer (approximately 45 minutes) to your Naples hotel. The rest of the day is free to discover and dine on your own with your VBT City Information included in your Final Travel Booklet as your guide.

Please note: If you arrive early, your hotel room may not be available until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the Reception Desk.

Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you fly in earlier than the scheduled program dates, transportation from the airport will be at your own expense.

You have the rest of the day free to discover this city full of art treasures, to stroll along the picturesque Borgo Marinaro just across from our hotel and to dine on your own at one of the cozy restaurants nearby.

VBT Air Package and Pre-Extension guests: Meet your VBT Trip Leaders at 9:30 a.m. in the main lobby; they will be wearing VBT staff garments. Please come to the meeting dressed in walking gear (walking shoes at least) and carry your backpack.

Our VBT Trip Leaders will hold an introductory and safety talk before we board a private motor coach and transfer to Pompeii. On the way, you will get an interesting introduction to the region. In Pompeii, meet our local expert for a visit to the site. At dawn on August 25, 79 AD, the violent eruption of Vesuvius caused the total destruction of Pompeii. In just a few moments, all of the residents of Pompeii perished doing whatever they could to survive. Tremendous amounts of ash and cinder covered and preserved the scene exactly as it was at that instant. That's why today we know exactly how Romans lived 2,000 years ago—living in houses and apartments, working in shops very much as we do today. Our guide will tell us, for example, that posters were used to advertise elections and support party candidates, and that the word “candidate” comes from the word candid, a tunic that candidates had to wear before elections to prove they had a clean criminal record. Lunch is on your own in Pompeii.

Today, we drive to Sant'Agata dei Due Golfi and explore the Sorrento Peninsula. We follow the red and white markings of the Alta Via dei Monti Lattari trail, the path that winds upwards into a beautiful chestnut forest. As the woods open up, masses of multicolored, aromatic flowers are on display. Right before the promontory of Malacoccola, the view of the entire Gulf of Salerno opens before us. We continue to Torca where a short shuttle takes us to our lunch stop, a family-run fattoria where we'll first have a hands-on demonstration in making mozzarella braids before enjoying home-grown, organic specialties. Later today we return to Sorrento on foot or by shuttle, taking in more views of the gulf from above. Enjoy free time to shop, explore the town or relax at the hotel swimming pool and private pier.

Dinner is on your own tonight in Sorrento. Try gnocchi alla sorrentina, seasoned with a Bolognese sauce and fiordilatte (local mozzarella).

Early this morning, we'll walk to the Sorrento harbor, taking a moment to admire the whole panorama of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius. Board a hydrofoil to ferry across the Sorrento Peninsula to Capri Island. As we arrive at the famous piazzetta, the hub of the island, we start along an easy walking path leading to Villa Iovis. On the way, your senses will be enchanted by the scent of jasmine and the view of manicured gardens full of flowers. The Roman Villa Jovis was built by Emperor Tiberius in the third century at a strategic point where he could dominate and control the opposite coast. We enjoy incredible views from here. The Jump of Tiberius – a sheer cliff nearly 1,100 feet high – is where the Emperor had his enemies thrown.

We continue walking through a thick Mediterranean park where strawberry trees, myrtle, clematis, liana plants, honeysuckle, laurel, wild asparagus and cyclamen thrive. Past Villa Lysis, you can opt to conclude the loop in Capri's shopping and café area, or continue to Arco Naturale and Grotta di Matermania, a natural cove that was originally used to honor Cybele, the Magna Mater, or Great Mother of the gods. It is located down a long flight of stairs and in a thick forest. This is also the right time to stop for lunch on your own in one of the island cafés or to picnic in the shade of a garden overlooking the blue sea. As we come upon the eastern rim of the island, we see the amazing and famous Faraglioni cliffs emerge. Then, we continue to the Augustus Gardens, where the views of the cliffs and the curled Via Krupp are gorgeous. Our trail ends in the fancy shopping district. From here we loop back to the piazzetta, where we began.

We have some time to discover the fascinating area around the piazzetta before a fast ferry takes us to our next destination on the mainland, Amalfi. On the way, we take in the panorama of the Amalfi Coast from the sea. In Amalfi, a short shuttle takes us to our hotel in Ravello, where we settle in and enjoy dinner in the restaurant with great views of the sea.

After breakfast, we roam the terraces of Ravello with our leaders, starting in the peaceful pedestrian-only center. Admire the white-faced Duomo in Piazza Vescovado and the Arabic-Norman towers of Villa Rufolo. This is where composer Richard Wagner was inspired to create the music for the scene in Klingsor's magic garden in his opera, Parsifal.

Later, continue exploring Ravello on your own and maybe visit Villa Cimbrone and its beautiful gardens or follow our Trip Leader for a walkto Scala and Pontone. For lunch, we're treated to secret Neapolitan recipes – including pizza cooked in the wood-fired oven - and breathtaking views at a family-run trattoria. Then, we trace vineyard-laden terraces to the Valley of the Ferriere, a magnificent nature reserve in the Valley of the Mills.

As we proceed on a trail covered in moss and ferns, our guides show us calcara, large pits where lime was made by burning huge blocks of limestone for days. We'll also see the spandituri, or paper-hangers, buildings now in ruins but once used to dry paper. As we reach Amalfi, we stop at an interesting paper museum, where we learn how paper was made from rags. In the 15th century, the fame of Amalfi paper was such that many foreign authors demanded to be published in Naples so they could use the prized material. You can buy the handmade paper in the museum shop, if you like.

In Amalfi, take your time to visit the beautiful Duomo and stroll along the side streets. Sit down and maybe enjoy a delizia al limone pastry or a piece of pastiera cake made with ground wheat soaked in running water for days before getting mixed with other fragrant ingredients.

Back in Ravello, you have time to relax by the scenic swimming pool of our elegant hotel.  Dinner is on your own in Ravello tonight.

Note: Ravello is well known for its classical music festivals. Contact the hotel reception to book tickets in advance.

Spend the rest of the afternoon on your own: relax by the hotel swimming pool or at the sandy beach - just a few steps from our hotel - or take the time to stroll through the labyrinth of alleys full of interesting craft studios and shops. The clothes industry in Positano was so popular and influential in the 1970s that the style they created became known as “Positano Style.” In addition to clothing, you can find local ceramics, jewels, leather footwear and paintings by the many artists who were inspired by the beauty of the region.

Choose one of the many fine restaurants in Positano for dinner on your own tonight.

This morning we shuttle up 2,000 feet to Santa Maria del Castello, where many hillside trails converge from the surrounding Lattari Mountains. We will offer a walk in a chestnut forest before stopping for lunch at the only bar in the village, and then it's an easy descent back to Positano, with spectacular views of turquoise waters and the jagged coast. This is one of our shortest walks, so take your time … linger at the overlooks and sniff the hillside rosemary and valerian.

Return to Positano at your leisure, then browse its art studios, rest your legs with a beachside nap or join our Trip Leaders for a short jaunt. Tonight we feast on gourmet specialties during a festive farewell dinner, courtesy of Signora Attanasio.

After breakfast, we transfer to Gragnano and stop for an interesting visit to an old pasta maker. We follow the process of production of this important element of Italian food. Made with the highest quality durum wheat, pasta is trafilata al bronzo that is, made with the old-fashioned technique of extruding it through bronze dies. It is then dried slowly in the open air. In this way, pasta gets a coarse texture, retains flavor and can hold more sauce.

After a tasting and light lunch prepared by the factory owners, we continue our transfer to Rome.

VBT No-Air Package guests: your trip concludes at our Rome hotel at approximately 4:30 p.m.

VBT Air Package guests: You arrive at our Rome hotel at approximately 4:30 p.m. and have the rest of the day at your leisure.

If you have chosen the independent Post-Trip Extension to Rome, you remain at this hotel for three nights. When you arrive today, our VBT representative will answer your questions and offer an optional evening city walk that will help you make the most of the city.

After breakfast* this morning you will transfer to the Rome airport (approximately 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic) for your departing flight**. Please ensure you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated time.

*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

**VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.