Itinerary

Overnight stay: Naples Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

After breakfast at hotel, we will board a motorcoach for our journey to Naples and the beginning of our quest to find the roots of pizza. 

Along the way, we’ll stop at the Toffini Academy for a comprehensive cooking class. Toffini Academy is ranked in the top 10 cooking schools in Italy, but it is the only one totally dedicated to non-professional food lovers. That’s why we will not learn in the kitchen of a restaurant or a pizzeria but in a special domestic kitchen where we will have our own place and tools to maximize the experience.  We’ll learn the tricks to making the real Neapolitan Pizza at home without a wood oven as Neapolitan people do.  We’ll turn into experienced pizzaiolos and be treated to the fruits of our labor for lunch.

Next, we’ll visit the Archeological Museum of Naples, one of Italy’s top archaeology museums and a must-see site for any visitor to Naples.  It is most famous for its collection of large Roman sculptures and items brought here from the nearby excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It’s truly a jaw-dropping walk through ancient art and history. 

After checking into our hotel in Naples, well enjoy more pizza at Pizzeria Brandi tonight, the birthplace of the pizza margherita!   Then it’s time to learn a new word, “passeggiata.”  This is the Italian tradition of taking a stroll after meals.  You may want to take a stroll in the Santa Lucia port area of Naples after dinner and work your way back to the hotel at leisure.

Overnight stay: Naples Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Dinner included

After our hotel breakfast we will embark on a historical food tour to some of Naples’ most historic areas, including the famous Spaccanapoli Street.  This straight and narrow street in the historic city center will literally and figuratively give us the flavor of Naples as our main promenade to neighborhood hot spots for samples of delicious street foods.  This includes the mouth-watering sfogaliatele, a delicious pastry originally prepared only for the Italian aristocracy during the Renaissance.  We’ll also pass a number of important sights of the city and stop to visit one of the most important churches in southern Italy, the impressive Naples Cathedral (Duomo di San Gennaro) which dates back to the 1300’s,

After the morning’s activities, enjoy some free time for shopping before heading back to the hotel for some time to rest.   You might opt to grab a bite to eat, but the tastings from the food tour will likely leave you satisfied.

Before dinner, we’ll pay a visit to the Castel Nuovo, located in a beautiful location near Naples’ port. Part medieval castle and part fortress, its scenic location and imposing size makes the castle, first erected in 1279, one of the main architectural landmarks of the city.  We will have a guided tour that will set the mood for dinner on our last evening in Naples, a classic Neapolitan meal of fried pizza and other local favorites at the historic Antica Pizzeria de’ Figliols.

Overnight stay: Sorrento Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Lunch included

We’ll enjoy breakfast at our hotel before checking out and boarding the motorcoach for our transfer to out next stop, beautiful Sorrento.  Along the way, we will visit one of two local mills.  One possibility is the Caputo Flour Mill.  Since 1924, the experience and passion developed over three generations as Master Neapolitan Millers creates the very best in quality flour, produced with great respect for the raw ingredients and traditions. While there, we will enjoy a cooking demonstration in their test kitchen and sample some of their pastas.  Should the pasta tour be unavailable, we will substitute a visit to a local olive mill with tastings of their products so you can become a true connoisseur of olio d’oliva.

Next, we will head to the archeological site of Pompeii for an extensively guided visit of these fascinating ruins. When you visit Pompeii it’s like going back in time.  The town, the architecture, the artwork, and even some of the bodies of residents are well-preserved well because they were buried quickly by ash from a volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.  Learn about day-to-day life in Pompeii and get a sense what their final moments were like, minus the experience of an actual eruption!

Afterwards we’ll visit one of the wineries at the foot of Mt Vesuvius, the Cantina del Vesuvio, where the local wines are unique due to the volcanic soil and minerals the grapes grow in. One such specialty is the legendary Lacryma Christi, the Tears of Christ, made from grapes indigenous to the slopes of Mount Vesuvius since Ancient Roman times dating to the 5th century BC. Enjoy a tasting of local cheeses and salumi perfectly paired with their wines in a setting that makes you feel like you’re living la dolce vita!

In the afternoon, we’ll reach Sorrento, where we will settle in to spend the next 5 nights in a well-appointed and centrally located hotel.  Enjoy an evening at leisure to enjoy some of the coastal city’s great restaurants. Some suggested specialties are seafood, gnocchi, limoncello, and, of course, PIZZA!

Overnight stay: Sorrento Hotel TBD
Breakfast included

After breakfast at our hotel, we will embark on a panoramic trip along the Amalfi Coast. Don’t forget your camera because the views are like a spectacular!  We’ll make stops in the charming seaside towns of Positano and Amalfi built into the cliffs next to the shore.  Find the ideal lunch spot with a panoramic view or grab street food to eat while exploring the narrow alleyways and piazzas.  We’ll feel like we are walking through a postcard and snap selfies that will make or friends’ jaws drop.  

Lemons from this area are prized for vibrantly flavored and abundant juice, are very aromatic, and their rind contains lots of oil.  For all of these reasons limone di Sorrento are used to make many specialty products that make wonderful gifts. They are also the best choice for making homemade limoncello liqueur. We’ll stop at a small family limoncello factory in Minori, where we will learn how to make our own at home and also sample their many liqueurs and homemade chocolates. Later on, we’ll enjoy a coffee and pastry break at their family-owned bakery specializing in some of Campagna’s delicious desserts!

When we return to Sorrento in the afternoon, the remainder of the day is on our own to explore the winding allies and small shops to do souvenir shopping and enjoy dinner at our leisure.

Overnight stay: Sorrento Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

This morning we will have breakfast at the hotel and then board the motorcoach for a day trip to the area of Paestum in the province of Salerno.  First, we’ll visit a local buffalo mozzarella factory to learn about the entire process.  You can’t consider making the perfect pizza without the very best cheese.  The highest-quality mozzarella in the world is made from water buffalo milk, and it’s a truly superior product to mozzarella made from cow milk.  It is creamier, softer, and far more flavorful than the cow-milk version.  It is one of the most elusive cheeses on earth, primarily produced in the hills around Naples, where water buffalo are most plentiful, and coaxing the perfect ball of mozzarella from their milk is an art.   After sampling some freshly made cheeses, we’ll enjoy a typical lunch onsite. You’ll also be able to admire handmade buffalo leather goods sold at their shop. 

Second, we’ll head over to the Greek ruins of Paestum to visit both the archeological ruins and their museum on a guided tour. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Paestum is like taking a dip in history and an unforgettable journey in different times. The site, contains three temples dedicated to Hera, Athens and Neptune, built around 500 BC. For people interested in more recent history, along today’s journey you will get glimpses of Salerno.  The area played a key role in World War II when the allied invasions of 1943 opened a second front in Europe.

After returning to Return to Sorrento, we will dine as a group with make-your-own pizzas this evening at the Pizzeria da Giggino or similar location, depending on availability.

Overnight stay: Sorrento Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Lunch included

After our breakfast at hotel, we will explore the classic pizza ingredient of the humble tomato.  Some people may say “tomayto, tomahto” thinking all tomatoes are equal, but that is not true.  Case in point – the San Mazano tomato.  San Marzano tomatoes are the most famous plum tomato to come out of Italy. They are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base of Mount Vesuvius, which gives them a sweet flavor, low acidity, a firm pulp, and deep red color that makes them so desirable.  We will hit the ground to learn more about how this rock star ingredient can elevate the common pizza.

We will also visit the small town of Gragnano in the hills just outside Naples, where world-famous pasta has been made for generations.  We’ll embark on a pasta experience as we visit an immersive center showcasing the history and the secrets of amazing, centuries-old pasta traditions, enjoy a demonstration,  and sit down for a pasta-tasting lunch that would be approved by an Italian nonna.

In the afternoon, we’ll return to Sorrento for an afternoon at leisure to do some shopping, sample some more local favorites, and select a dinner spot of our choice for a leisurely Sorrentian meal. 

Overnight Stay: Sorrento Hotel TBD
Breakfast, Dinner included

A highlight of any tour in this region is a visit to the island of Capri.  After breakfast at our hotel, we will travel to the Sorrento Marnia to board a ferry for a picturesque sail to this stunning island.  During a full-day guided tour, we will get to know the two towns of Capri and Anacapri.  Capril is known for its whitewashed stone buildings, luxury brand shops and glamorous hotels that attract the rich and famous. Anacapri, on the other hand, is much more authentic with a small homes, humble gardens, local shopkeepers and artisans, and residents going about their daily lives.  Adding to the charm, Capri restricts cars coming onto the island most of the year, so traffic is a minimum.  In fact, there is only one road on the island which will travel by our motorcoach.

Our guide will show us the best of both towns, including to delicious specialties named for the island:  Insalata Caprese and Torta Caprese.  After the tour, you will have time at your leisure to explore gardens and other panoramic spots, grab a lunch overlooking the ocean, or wander to alleyways basking in the Mediterranean chic and feeling like a celebrity!

Later, we will catch the return ferry to the mainland for a dinner at the marina area featuring a seafood and fish menu.  Perhaps you’ll want an evening stroll in Piazza Tasso to cap your final evening in Sorrento.

Breakfast included

After breakfast, we will have a group transfer to the Naples airport where there will be one of three options available.

OPTION  1: Depart for home on your independently arranged flight.

Even though our vacations are leisurely, you may want to consider staying longer in Italy. You may find that the extra time will make your journey even more memorable.  

OPTION 2: You can make your own arrangements to stay in Naples or travel to other regions from the Naples airport.

OPTION 3: You can choose to take advantage of a trip extension and join Travel Deliciously onto Sicily.

FOR THOSE CONTINUING ON THE SICILY EXTENSION:

Overnight: Palermo Hotel TBD
One-way flight from Naples to Palermo included
Dinner included

As a group, we will fly from Naples to Palermo on the southern island of Sicily and then transfer to our hotel home for the next three nights.  Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily the 5th largest city in Italy by population, and rich in history and beauty. However, it is much more authentic and less crowded than cities like Rome, Venice or Florence.  Depending when our flight arrives, we will have time to explore the city before a planned group evening tour of Palermo by minivan or small motorcoach.  The night will be capped off with a meal at a local restaurant highlighted by family-style tastings of Sicilian specialties.

Overnight: Palermo Hotel TBD
Breakfast, lunch included

After our hotel breakfast, we will meet our guide from Experience Sicily and hit the road for a guided tour of three small towns in the region.  For guests joining us from the Milwaukee, WI area, you might recognize these places as the tiny section of the Sicilian seacoast that is the ancestral homeland to immigrants arriving to Milwaukee from Sicily in the early 1900’s.  Many Milwaukee families trace their roots to a small strip of villages on the Mediterranean seacoast east of Palermo: Santa Flavia, Sant’Elia, and Porticello. Our group will see these areas and get a better understanding of what factors might have influenced their decision to emigrate from Sicily.   Certainly. they brought with them their fervent religious traditions. Religion has played a key role in the lives of Sicilians for centuries and there will be activities today that underscore the importance of those customs to this day.

Besides being a land rich in natural and architectural beauty, Sicily is rich is culinary arts. And there is no better way to learn how to cook like a Sicilian than from local experts on local food and products. So, today we will have our lunch at a local Agriturismo, a family farm where the owners will lead us in a memorable cooking class featuring local recipes.  Not only will you get a fabulous meal, you will get to bring home new recipes and skills to impress your family and friends.

To take in more of the beauty of the island, we will experience a boat ride along the coast to sail, snack, and snap shots of the beautiful vistas.  Before returning to Palermo, this evening we will also get free time to explore Mondello, a small seaside beach resort on the outskirts of Palermo. Depending on your appetite, you can choose to grab street food from a local vendor as you roam or choose a romantic seaside restaurant for a relaxing and scenic feast.

Overnight: Palermo Hotel TBD
Breakfast, dinner included

After our hotel breakfast, today’s day trip will take us high in the hills of Sicily to the city of Erice towering high above the shoreline of Palermo.  Erice is a wonderfully preserved Medieval town offering castles, and cobblestone streets, and breathtaking views.  While surrounded by a palpable sense of history, we will participate in a sensationally sweet cooking class at Pasticceria Maria Grammatico, home of Sicily’s most famous pastry chef.

On our returning to Palermo, we’ll stop to visit to the beautiful Cathedral of Monreale which dates back to the 1100’s.  This church is one of the greatest examples of Norman, Arabian, and  Byzantine art in one building, one of the most important attractions in Italy, an UNESCO heritage site, and a photographer’s dream.

Before it’s time to bid “arrivederci” to Italy, our group with gather for a farewell dinner in Palermo to share stories and relive the memories of the past days.

Breakfast included

After breakfast, we will have a group transfer to the Palermo airport where we will depart on our independently arranged flights home.