8-Nights Italy: Puglia and the Amalfi Coast - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

Abercrombie & Kent

OFFER ID 1721573

Rugged, rustic Puglia with its time-warp villages and sweeping countryside may seem like an unlikely pairing with the glamourous islands and resorts of the Amalfi Coast, but their respective charms offset each other perfectly in this soulful journey shaped by ancient citadels, timeless cuisine and some of the Mediterranean’s finest coastal vistas. Travel from near Bari on the Adriatic Coast to Naples on the Tyrrhenian Sea on a luxury journey tailored to your interests and accompanied by expert guides. En route, explore the UNESCO-listed city of Matera in Basilicata, the site of natural limestone caves that have been inhabited for more than 10,000 years; the piazzas and palazzos of pretty Lecce, Otranto and Ostuni; and the sumptuous island escapes and pastel-hued villages of the Amalfi Coast.

8 nights | Call for pricing

Itinerary

1 Arrive Bari, Italy
The pretty port city of Bari serves as the gateway to northern Puglia and its emblematic trulli cottages. These structures started life as temporary accommodation that could be demolished quickly to avoid taxes; today, the small town Alberobello has 1,600 and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Find them scattered through the Valle d’Itria, a fertile plain of whitewashed villages, olive groves and vineyards.

Meals:

2 Puglia | Trulli Cottages
From your base in a stylish masseria near Fasano, wander the labyrinthine streets of hilltop Locorotondo, Cisternino and quaint Alberobello, with an expert guide to put the trulli in context.

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3 Lecce | Liquid Gold
With its baroque churches and Roman amphitheater, Lecce has been dubbed the Florence of the South. Southeast of here is Otranto – founded by the Greeks, fortified by the Aragones and invaded by the Turks with a rich cultural and architectural blend as a result. The cathedral has a spectacular 12th-century mosaic floor that blends pagan and religious imagery. Travel to Lecce via the dazzling “White City” of Ostuni and visit a bakery that has been making focaccia in an olive wood-fired oven since the 1920s.

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4 Lecce | Jewel Of Solento
Take a scenic walking tour through town, seeing the Piazza del Duomo, the masterful Basilica of Santa Croce and the Roman amphitheater. Taste a pasticciotto while learning the secrets behind preparing this beloved, custard-filled confection. Next, master the intricate art of papier-mâché.

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5 Matera | Paleolithic Cave Dwellings
The limestone caves of Matera, riddling the flanks of a steep ravine, have been inhabited for more than 10,000 years; from the 12th century, frescoed churches were hewn into the rocks alongside them. Once a slum, the city’s Sassi (stones) districts are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guide takes you to the dark caves of the Murgia plateau on the opposite side of the ravine as well as the elegant streets of the Piano with their 17th-century monasteries and palaces.

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6 Amalfi Coast | Ruins Of Pompeii
With its pastel-hued houses and villas clinging to near-vertical cliffs, the Amalfi Coast has enchanted visitors since the days of the Grand Tour. Explore it by car or boat, adding in day trips to the uber-glamorous island of Capri and the ruins of ancient Pompei or Herculaneum. Dine on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and enjoy a guided visit to the ruins of once-opulent Pompeii.

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7 Capri | The Blue Grotto
Take a ferry to Capri, a poster child for glamour since its hedonistic holiday heyday with starlets like Brigette Bardot in the 1960s, and tour the iridescent Blue Grotto by private boat.

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8 Amalfi Coast | Seaside Villages
Explore the Amalfi Coast by private vehicle, from Ravello, with the magnificent garden estate of Villa Rufolo, to Amalfi and Positano.

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9 Depart Naples

Meals:

Featured Destinations

Capri

Amalfi Coast

Matera

Lecce

Puglia

Bari

Bari (ancient Barium) is an industrial city in the Apulia region of southern Italy and a seaport on the Adriatic Sea. The old quarter of the city sits on a promontory separating the old and new harbors. It is the site of two notable Romanesque churches: the Basilica of San Nicola (11th-12th century) and the cathedral (late 12th century). Bari was formerly a Greek colony and later a Roman trading settlement. It came under the domination of the Lombards, the Byzantines, and the Normans. It was a key Italian naval base during World War II and sustained heavy damage. From here it is easy to visit Alberobello and Egnazia.

Excursions

Bari: Polignano a Mare & Monopoli - 5 hours

Bari: Locorotondo & Alberobello - 5 hours

Bari: Ancient Matera - 8 hours

Bari: Highlights of Puglia & Cheese Tasting - 8 hours

Today you will meet your English-speaking guide for a full day excursion of “Valle d’Itria”. You will visit Alberobello which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded in the 15th-century by the Counts of Acquaviva. The image of the trullo in Alberobello has always been associated with Puglia. The trullo is a construction with a central round or square base of dry stone and a con-shaped roof.

Afterwards you will visit Locorotondo where you will see the architecture typical of the region with white-washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches. The town also features several community squares, each of which are built on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular views.

Next visit to a local cheese production where you will see the different phases of how different cheeses are made. After the visit you will enjoy an informal cheese tasting with a buffet where you will taste the local products.

Finally, visit Polignano a Mare, shining gem on the coast of the Valle d’Itria, perched atop a 20 metre-high limestone cliff above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare truly lives up to its name and literally could not be any more ‘at sea’!

Highlights:

Tour the charming and architecturally impressive villages of Alberobello and Locorotondo
Experience the authentic taste of Puglia with a cheese tasting that includes various local products

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning/Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

Private transport by luxury car or minivan
An expert local guide throughout (8 hours)
Cheese tasting
Entrance fees
All taxes

Exclusions:

All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
Gratuities

Naples

From Naples visitors can explore the rugged Amalfi coast, Italy's most romantic stretch of coastline. Near Amalfi is the resort of Positano, where visitors enjoy strolling through streets and shopping in small boutiques. Take an excursion to legendary Pompeii, an ancient Roman city covered and preserved by the debris from the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The monuments of this city are considered to be among the finest of any ancient city in Europe, and visitors can spend a day here learning about life in a Roman town during the first century A.D. The Cathedral of San Gennaro, a fine medieval building, has one chapel containing the tomb of Charles of Anjou, while another houses the cathedral's gold and silver treasure. Among the Christian underground burial vaults discovered in an area of suburban heights, the Catacombs of San Gennaro can be visited. Capodimonte Park - a well-kept tropical park - has a royal palace built by Charles III in 1738 that now houses Naples' picture gallery, the National Museum of Capodimonte.

Excursions

Naples and Pompeii - 8 hours

Naples: Food Tour of Naples - 4 hours

Naples: The City of Naples - 8 hours

Naples' historic city centre is the largest in Europe, covering 4,200 acres and enclosing 27 centuries of history. One of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world with Bronze Age Greek settlements dating back to the second millennium BC, the area was re-founded as Neápolis (‘new city’) in the sixth century BC, becoming a lynchpin of Magna Graecia and playing a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society.

Explore Naples today with your expert guide. Highlights include the Spaccanapoli district, the magnificent Duomo cathedral, the Cappella Sansevero with its virtuosic sculptural masterpiece the Cristo Velato, as well as lesser-known gems such as the San Giovanni a Carbonara. Today’s tour encompasses artistic-historic treasures and plenty of local colour. Along the way, enjoy a bite of Naples’ famous street food ‘frittura’, a sinfully delicious mix of deep fried aubergines (eggplant), zucchini, mozzarella, arancini (rice croquettes), cauliflower, or potato croquettes.
Continue your sightseeing tour in the historic centre of Naples. Visit the Castel Nuovo, the imposing medieval structure built by the Angevins to defend the city. You may also wish to visit the adjoining Palazzo Reale (The Royal Palace Museum and Royal apartments), built in the 17th century. The magnificently decorated halls and rooms contain the original Bourbon furnishings, paintings, statues and porcelain. Enjoy a panoramic drive to reach the magnificent Carthusian Monastery, the Certosa di San Martino situated on Vomero Hill, where you may visit the luxuriously decorated Baroque Style church.

Highlights:

Try Naples' famous street food as your guide shows you the historic sights of Italy
Visit the medieval Castel Nuovo, whose magnificently decorated rooms contain original Bourbon furnishings, paintings and statues

Tour Duration: 8 hours

Tour can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Low

Inclusions:
•   Luxury car or minivan at your disposal during the tour
•   An expert local guide (8 hours)
•   Entrance fees
•   All taxes

Exclusions:
•   All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
•   Gratuities

Naples: Historic Pompeii & Vesuvius - 9 hours

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

09/01/2025 - 09/01/2027

from $999,999,999 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

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Length

8 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Luxury
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Remarks

Prices are per person, double occupancy and include internal air where applicable. Holiday surcharge may apply. Departure dates, prices and availability may change at any time. Some restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1721573

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Swain's Travel, Inc.

35 Old South Road
Nantucket, MA 02554
USA

(508) 228-3201