Amber Road Tours

Amalfi Coast to Apulia

13 days/12 nights

• Day 1

  Midday transfers from Naples train station and airport, where you will be met by your tour escort. Our first stop is for a fascinating afternoon guided tour through the streets of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city that remained buried for 1800 years underneath ash and stone from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Transfer to Ravello (see map), one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, overlooking the stunning Amalfi Coast. Our hotel is the lovely Hotel Villa Maria (4 nights). At 7pm welcome meeting, aperitifs and dinner at hotel.

• Day 2

  Morning at leisure. Ravello, a popular resort during Roman times and later a part of the Amalfi Republic, has in the last few centuries been home to famous writers and composers. It has much to enjoy with its spectacular views, wonderful gardens, pedestrian only lanes and enormous town square. 2pm departure for a trip by ferry to famous Positano. Late afternoon return to Amalfi, the most intriguing city of this whole amazing coastline. Amalfi, with historical roots in the Fall of the Roman Empire, was a thriving maritime republic during the Medieval period. Guided tour followed by an included seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

• Day 3

  Paestum, an ancient Greek and Roman town founded in 720 B.C., is home to three of the best preserved Greek temples in the Mediterranean. Paestum was abandoned during medieval times and its existence forgotten until the 18th century. Our local guide will walk us through the archeological complex and museum bringing this powerful town of Magna Graecia back to life. After a scenic drive back along the Amalfi Coast you'll have late afternoon and evening free in Ravello.

• Day 4

  Today is free for your own explorations - a boat trip to Capri or Sorrento; visits to the neighboring towns of Minori where you can see the remains of an old Roman Villa or Vietri sul Mare, famous for its ceramics; hiking through lemon grove covered hills or just enjoying the beauty and charm of Ravello. Your tour escort will be on hand to assist you in the arrangements.

• Day 5

  Leaving the Tyrrhenian coast we will cross the Italian peninsula to the Adriatic Sea. Our first stop is the town of Melfi in the region of Basilicata, where we will have a taste of the unique local cuisine and wine at a trattoria. Transfer to Trani, in Puglia, a beautiful port town that was once the possession of Venice. You'll be staying at the Hotel Regia (2 nights) in the 18th century Palazzo Filisio, located between the cathedral and the port.

• Day 6

  Morning city tour with local guide, including a visit to a magnificent cathedral that even the church-weary can appreciate. Rest of the day on your own to explore the port, the piazzas, gardens, shops and medieval lanes of Trani.

• Day 7

  Guided visit to Castel del Monte, the enigmatic octagonal castle erected by the Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. Transfer to the "Sassi" of Matera, a fascinating agglomeration of cave dwellings built into the soft tufa stone of deep ravines. Our hotel is the Locanda di San Martino (2 nights), located in the heart of the Sassi historic district. Included lunch.  

• Day 8

  Inhabited since prehistoric times, there were 18,000 resident cave dwellers as recently as the 1950s when they were forcibly evacuated for inadequate sanitation. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the area has been repopulated, the homes renovated, many transformed into elegant hotels and restaurants. This morning we will have a fascinating guided tour through these antique lanes, visiting lodgings and churches. On the plateau about the gorge, just 100 meters from your hotel, the more modern medieval Matera offers an architectural gem of a city center with open squares, fountains and inviting shops.

• Day 9

  Today our first stop is Manduria, where we'll visit a local winery for a tasting of their excellent "Primitivo" wines and a visit to their Wine Culture Museum. Included light lunch. Afternoon transfer to the historic district of Gallipoli, once a Greek inhabited island on the Ionian Sea. Gallipoli means "beautiful city" and it is, with its sparkling port, beaches and the narrow winding streets of the Old Quarter. We'll be staying at the 19th century Palazzo Mosco Inn (2 nights). Late afternoon you'll have time on your own to get lost in what is perhaps the most entertaining town on tour. Included dinner.

• Day 10

  Early morning in the medieval town of Galatina to see the 14th century Santa Caterina d'Alessandria Cathedral where there are frescoes so vast and magnificent that you might imagine yourself to be in Assisi. Then the ancient Roman and Byzantine town of Otranto, the easternmost point on the Italian peninsula. Our local guide will take us through the 1000 year old walled hamlet and the 11th century Norman cathedral with the best preserved mosaic floors in southern Italy. Late afternoon and evening on your own in Gallipoli.

• Day 11

  Morning guided tour of Lecce, another ancient Greek settlement, principal Baroque city of Puglia. After lunch we'll move on to Ostuni, the "White City" perched on a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Inhabited at least since 1000 BC by native and Greek peoples, was destroyed by Hannibal during the Punic wars, rebuilt by the Greeks, taken over by Romans, sacked by Gauls and revived during medieval times. Our hotel is the labyrinthine 13th century Hotel La Terra (2 nights). Evening on your own to experience the excellent local cuisine.

• Day 12

  Guided visit to Alberobello where you'll find a village of one thousand fairytale-like Trulli, round white houses with tall conical roofs. Afternoon free in Ostuni. An olive oil tasting precedes our farewell dinner of local Apulian delicacies and last limoncello.

• Day 13

  Morning transfers to Brindisi airport.