Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

Arrive in Italy, meet your tour manager and board our coach for the scenic journey to the Bay of Naples, and on to your chosen hotel, in or close to Sorrento.

Today you're free to rest and relax, either enjoying the facilities of the hotel, or perhaps venturing into the centre of delightful Sorrento. The town, perched upon its cliff-top, seems built between the sky and the sea, and offers everything you might need for an enjoyable stay. Its colourful heart is the Piazza Tasso, pedestrianised in the evenings, when the bars and cafés that surround it become a perfect place to watch the locals meeting friends and strolling through the city on their nightly passeggiata.

On the shore, Sorrento's two tiny ports are backed by even tinier beaches and several boardwalks dotted with beach huts and sunloungers. Out on the water, pleasure-craft of all shapes and sizes (and the occasional cruise ship) add to the colourful scene.

Today’s included excursion begins with a visit to the awe-inspiring ruins of Roman Pompeii in the company of a local guide for a walking tour. Destroyed, and yet miraculously preserved, by the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. it was rediscovered in the 18th Century, and since then excavations have continued to reveal more and more of this ancient, once magnificent city where the villas, temples and frescoed houses give a very vivid insight into Roman life.

From Pompeii you'll journey around the bay, passing the brooding hulk of the famous volcano to one of Italy’s most colourful cities, the great southern Italian capital, Naples. Highlights of your guided panoramic tour here will include Garibaldi and Plebiscito squares in the UNESCO-listed heart of the city, with their fine statues; the San Carlo Opera House, second only in importance to Milan’s famed La Scala; and the Royal Palace. You’ll also take in medieval, turreted Castel Nuovo, and the spectacular view from Posillipo Hill, which rises up above the city, before you return to Sorrento at the end of a wonderful day.

One of the most scenic coastal roads in Europe forms the backdrop for today's included excursion. Here, fantastical rock faces plunge vertically into the sea and dizzy bridges span deep gorges while, in contrast, gently-contoured hillsides covered in vines, fruit and olive trees roll away inland.

Take in the view above the town of Positano, with its Moorish-style pink and white houses, and enjoy a visit to beautiful Amalfi, a thriving holiday resort with houses rising up the hillsides and a main square dominated by the beautiful cathedral. Whilst in Amalfi, you'll be taken by shuttle service to Maiori, a colourful lively town, which boasts the largest beach on the 50 km Amalfi coastline where you'll find a lovely waterfront promenade with restaurants, cafés, and shops.

Rest and relax in Sorrento, or join today’s optional excursion for a fascinating insight into some of the traditions and cuisine of the region. Begin with a walking tour of Sorrento’s oldest quarters, then journey into the countryside of Campania. Your day will include visits to a local wine cellar, an ancient olive press and a working farm, where the region's famous cows milk mozzarella is still hand-made.

There will be opportunities to taste and purchase regional produce, and your day will also include a scenic drive through some of the Sorrentine peninsula’s smaller towns, where spectacular views of the "due golfi" – Naples and Salerno – add to the enjoyment of the day.

Today will prove one of the highlights of your holiday, as you meet your guide and board the jet-foil for the 20-minute crossing from Sorrento to the wonderful Isle of Capri. When you arrive in this famous hideaway of poets and artists, a minibus will take you to the picturesque village of Anacapri on the slopes of Monte Solaro. You will have time to take a chair-lift ride to the summit of Solaro (payable locally) before you continue to the island’s main town to visit the Augustus Gardens, overlooking the Canzone del Mare, former home to the legendary Gracie Fields.

Spend your last day enjoying the surroundings of the hotel, Sorrento and all of its charms. For a deeper insight into the history of one of Campania’s most tragic cities, opt to visit Herculaneum, one of the largest Italian cities that was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Though perhaps not as well-known as nearby Pompeii, this lost city is often considered the best preserved in the area, and you can see the houses, markets and even organic goods of the time excavated from the thick volcanic mud.

On your visit, you’ll explore the city’s vast thermal baths, complete with well-preserved mosaic floors and complex ancient engineering systems, and the vast Augusteum, the remains of a spectacular Roman temple. Another highlight will be the coastal Villa of Papyri, which remarkably preserved more than 1,800 scrolls during the eruption.

It's "Arrivederci, Italia", today, as you transfer to the airport to check in for your flight home at the end of a marvellous holiday to the Bay of Naples.