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Pompeii, Capri & the Bay of Naples

8 days from only £699pp

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Explore the stunning Amalfi coast on our escorted tour

Pompeii, Capri & the Bay of Naples

8 days from only £699pp

Experience more with so much included

Full-day visit to the stunning island of Capri
Tour of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum with a local guide – entrance fees included
Full-day guided tour of Pompeii and the Naples Archaeological Museum – entrance fees included
Walking orientation tour of Sorrento
Full day tour of the breathtaking Amalfi coast
Return travel from a selection of regional airports, plus all hotel transfers
Seven nights in a choice of conveniently located 3-star to 4-star superior accommodation inclusive of all local taxes, plus breakfast and dinner. Stays at the Hotel Mediterraneo are on a bed-and-breakfast basis
Services of our experienced tour manager throughout

Departures from April to November 2019

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At a Glance

7 nights in 3 to 5-star accommodation

Return flights & transfers

Programme of daily tours & visits

Half board (Mediterraneo Hotel is B&B)

Expert tour manager

Checked Luggage

Watch Tour Video

Overview

The Sorrento peninsula and the Bay of Naples is simply one of the most beautiful corners of Europe, attracting visitors for centuries in search of its outstanding scenery, tranquillity and some of the most wondrous ‘sights’ from throughout history. Indeed in the immediate area we have a selection of places to see and visit which stand comparison with almost anywhere in the world.

It has a long and violent history, and invasions by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Saracens have all left their mark – but none more so than the Romans. Even 2000 years ago the attributes of the region were well known with the Emperors Tiberius and Augustus, together with countless members of the ruling elite, having villas here.

Sorrento came to real fame during the late 18th century when many of Europe’s aristocracy came to spend their winters here, attracted by its mild climate and outstanding natural beauty. Sumptuous houses and grandiose hotels were built along the cliff-tops and today Sorrento is everything you expect an Italian town to be: tiny cobbled streets and quaint squares with flowers decorating almost every building, tubs of geraniums, dark blue morning glory climbing up pastel coloured, almost crumbling walls, with pink Oleander, Bougainvillea and roses in almost every open space. Mouth-watering aromas drift from the numerous restaurants and bistros, some humble and homely, some grand and ostentatious with pavement cafés serving fine cappuccino on seemingly every street corner.

Explore the legendary Amalfi coast, with every guidebook proclaiming Europe’s most beautiful, and when you see it, you cannot disagree! Limestone mountains covered with pine forests plunge dramatically into the calm blue Mediterranean. Next it’s Capri, which possesses a deserved reputation as a veritable Garden of Eden – it is no surprise why so many celebrities live here.

The Bay of Naples' skyline is dominated by the majestic and still active volcano Vesuvius, rising loftily to over 4000 feet and it has erupted in spectacular fashion several times in its history. The most famous of course, was in 79AD when Roman Pompeii, together with many of its inhabitants, were entombed and whose state of preservation today is little short of remarkable.

All in all there can be few places you will find which combine together so much of interest in an area of such outstanding natural beauty as the Bay of Naples.

Your Itinerary

DAY 1ARRIVE IN SORRENTO

ARRIVE IN SORRENTO

You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Naples from your selected airport.

On arrival a coach takes us to Sorrento, a lovely base for our holiday. You have a choice of carefully selected hotels, all well managed and of a very good quality within their category with good restaurants where we dine. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure, allowing you time to settle into the hotel and start exploring Sorrento if you wish.

DAY 2WALKING TOUR OF SORRENTO

WALKING TOUR OF SORRENTO

Sorrento has been a resort for centuries and has developed with great style, so today we have a rather lazy day commencing with a short walking tour. The Romans were aware of Sorrento’s attributes and the area is dotted with the remains of their opulent villas. During the 18th century it became part of the Grand Tour for Europe’s aristocracy with classic hotels being built around the old cliff-top town. Today, spared the excesses of modern development, Sorrento is delightful and so typical of the south of Italy. Tiny winding streets lined with tall, seemingly crumbling buildings complete with their faded façades of ochre, yellow and magenta are now home to superb shops and cosy restaurants. The stylish young astride their Vespas, and on every bench sit splendidly turned out senior citizens, superbly dressed no matter how hot the weather – all having time to pass a few words in the street.

DAY 3NAPLES & POMPEII

NAPLES & POMPEII

Today, we take the drive north around the bay to the cosmopolitan city of Naples where we have a guided tour of the Archaeological Museum which is one of the finest of its kind. All entrance fees are included here.

When the excavations commenced in nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, the best of the finds were brought here and displayed to an eager public. There is a very extensive display of remarkably preserved mosaics giving a superb insight into the way of life and even sense of humour of the ordinary Roman. Other sections include murals, figures, fine pottery, ropes and even preserved food. One of the central displays is of some of the largest classical sculpture ever found and the museum as a whole complements your visit to Pompeii admirably.

We all know the story of Pompeii, however, it is more than a series of ruins: the state of preservation is astonishing and even if you are not interested in history you cannot fail to be moved by the scale of the city, the construction of which appears to put our modern structures to shame, especially when you consider machines were unavailable. Much of our knowledge about the way of life of the ordinary Romans, their habits, social structure, class systems and domestic arrangements has come from here. Some of the baths are virtually complete as are various murals and mosaics, with some buildings having graffiti describing political events, romantic entanglements and gossip of the time! You can even see the traffic calming measures, how the oneway system operated and appreciate the very high standard of living evident in Roman Pompeii. The atmosphere is eerie, as preserved for all time are the pained facial expressions of the victims of Vesuvius. We will have a guided tour of this fascinating city, before returning to our hotel.

DAY 4FREE DAY

FREE DAY

Today you have a free day in Sorrento to spend as you wish. You could take a boat trip, shop in the high class boutiques, have a lazy lunch or simply catch up on some reading – the choice is yours.

DAY 5CAPRI

CAPRI

Capri is renowned the world over for its outstanding natural beauty and today we take the short boat ride to the island. It has long been the most sought-after part of the Bay of Naples: not only attracting three Roman emperors, but also writers such as D.H. Lawrence and George Bernard Shaw who sought inspiration here. Famous names such as Gracie Fields and Graham Greene, amongst many others, have made it their home. It is easy to see why it is so adored: as we approach the island you can see small fishing boats rising and falling with the gentle waves, with pretty shops and restaurants lining the busy quayside.

The picturesque main town is perched on the hill looking down on the quaint harbour below. You may wish to visit to the famous Blue Grotto – the large cavern which can only be reached by boat and by a freak of nature is bathed in incandescent blue light, hence its name. Yes, Capri really does deserve its reputation as a Garden of Eden. We then take the boat to the mainland and return to our hotel.

DAY 6HERCULANEUM

HERCULANEUM

This morning we visit Herculaneum, known locally as Ercolano, located in the shadow of the mighty Mount Vesuvius. All entrance fees to Herculaneum are included.

This ancient Roman town was destroyed in AD 79 by the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in European history. Very much like Pompeii, the town of Herculaneum was buried under volcanic mud and ash, which smothered everything from household objects to metals and textiles, sealing it all in an airtight tomb, until excavation of the site commenced in 1738 using underground tunnels that revealed the hidden secrets of this fascinating place.

Our local guide will bring the history of the town to life and as you walk amongst this fantastically preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will have an understanding of the vast amount of volcanic waste that had to be excavated and the enormity of the task to uncover what we can see today. Herculaneum is less well known than Pompeii, but the state of preservation of the buildings is generally far superior, so it’s most certainly worth the visit.

DAY 7AMALFI COAST

AMALFI COAST

We think you will agree the Amalfi coastline is, as it claims to be, Europe’s most beautiful. Today we explore the coast winding around towering cliffs, dipping almost sheer to the beautiful blue sea with birds soaring above and the air heavy with the typically Mediterranean scent of pine forest and wild flowers. Our coastal drive takes us above the exclusive resort of Positano….haunt of celebrities. We arrive in Amalfi, a picturesque village in a gorgeous setting, possessing charm in abundance and perhaps the highlight of the coast.

Just inland is the stunning village of Ravello, with its unrivalled location perched like an eagle’s nest on a shelf above Amalfi, affording some amazing views. It has an ambience of its own and a wonderful main square surrounded by delightful small cafés and the Villa Rufolo – once the headquarters of a city-state, now a charming collection of medieval buildings, statues, tasteful walled gardens and the setting for Wagner’s opera Parsifal.

DAY 8RETURN FLIGHT

RETURN FLIGHT

Today we return to Naples airport, at the appropriate time for your flight home, after a really memorable and unique tour.

Watch Pompeii, Capri & the Bay of Naples Video

Price Includes

The price of this holiday is per person and is based on two people sharing a twin room. Single and sea facing rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes return flights, seven nights with breakfast and dinner, all local taxes and transfers, all tours as mentioned, entrance to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples museum and the services of a Riviera Travel tour manager.

Useful Information

Transfer Times

All transfer times listed here are approximate, and dependent on traffic. If you have a question regarding transfer times please don't hesitate to contact us.

Arrival airport	First hotel location	Transfer time	Final hotel location	Departure airport	Transfer time
Naples Airport	Sorrento	1 hr 30 mins	Sorrento	Naples Airport	1 hr 30 mins

Fact File

Currency: Euro
Deposit: £100 per person
Flight time: Approx. 2 hrs 45 mins to 3 hrs 15 mins
Language: Italian
Time zone: GMT+1
Country: Italy

Mobility

We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitabilty of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to call us to discuss these concerns. General information on mobility in connection with our tours can be found here.

Hotel Information

The use of air-conditioning in hotels in Italy is at the hotel’s discretion and is normally restricted to the summer months (mid-May to mid-September), depending on the temperature.
Where hotels feature a swimming pool, it will be open during the summer months depending on weather conditions.
Whilst we do our best to ensure an exceptional experience, the views from the sea facing rooms may at times be partially obstructed.