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During this tour, travelers got a taste of Italy exploring the Campania region, home to the stunning Amalfi coastline, historical cities and ancient ruins, and unforgettable food. We were based in Naples and Sorrento with Chef Michael of the acclaimed SRV restaurant as our guide. 

The Naples & Amalfi Tour Included:
  • 7 nights hotel accomodation
  • A seafood cooking demo, and a hands-on pizza-making class, with Chef Michael Lombardi
  • Fabulous meals in restaurants both rustic and elegant
  • Tours with producers of wine, buffalo mozarella, and San Marzano tomatoes
  • Historical tour of Pompeii
  • A day trip to the magical island of Capri
  • Free time to shop, relax, and explore on our own

 

Day-By-Day in Naples & Amalfi

AT A GLANCE

Sunday, October 16

Benvenuto! Check in and get settled, then join us for a wine tasting and welcome dinner at our first home, the Royal Continental Hotel in Naples. 

 

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Monday, October 17

Get oriented on our historical and cultural walking tour of Naples. Enjoy free time for lunch and shopping, before our cooking class and pizza dinner with the Chef.

Tuesday, October 18

Today we’ll get to know some of the region’s signature ingredients, with a winery tour and a visit with a producer of San Marzano tomatoes. We’ll stop for lunch in the town of Gragnano, known throughout the world for its homemade pasta. You’re free tonight to explore Naples!

 

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Chef Michael Lombardi leading a cooking class

Wednesday, October 19

We’ll have a guided tour of Pompeii, before arriving in Sorrento and our next hotel, the Parco dei Principi. For dinner, we’ll have a seafood cooking class with the Chef. 

Thursday, October 20

We’ll experience the Amalfi Coast town-by-town, learning about limoncello, pastries and history. Lunch is in spectacular Ravello, overlooking the sea. 

 

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Friday, October 21

We’ll visit a farm where water buffalo are raised, followed by a tour of a dairy producing buffalo mozzarella and ricotta. After lunch, we’ll stop in Vietri sul Mare, renowned for its ceramics. Your evening in Sorrento is free. 

Saturday, October 22

Today we’ll take a day trip on the ferry to the magical island of Capri. After a guided tour, you’ll have time to explore the island on your own. We’ll return to Sorrento in the evening for the final farewell dinner. 

 

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Sunday, October 23

Arrivederci! Today you will check out, and we’ll help you arrange your transportation to the airport—or, perhaps you will choose to continue your stay in Italy on your own! 

 

See the Luxury Accommodations

Royal Continental — naples

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The Royal Continental Hotel is a 4-star hotel on the Naples’ seafront promenade, right in front of the marina and historic Castel dell’Ovo. The hotel is a 10-15 minute walk to the historical center, and features a rooftop pool and dining with a view of the sea.  

Superior rooms are larger than the Standard rooms, and all Superior Rooms feature balconies overlooking the Gulf of Naples and overlooking the pedestrian promenade of the city, ideal for those who want to wake up in front of the sea. The supplement for a superior sea view room is €35,00 per room, per night.  

The hotel also has 3 junior suites available to our group, for a supplement of €70,00 per room, per night. The Junior Suites are divided into sleeping and sitting areas, with a double balcony and large windows.

For photos and more information, please visit the Royal Continental Hotel website.

 

parco dei principi — sorrento

Over hundreds of years, the land of the Parco de Principi Hotel has been owned by many: the Order of the Jesuits; King of Naples, Ferdinand IV; the King’s cousin, the Count of Syracuse; the Cortchacow family, who attempted to create a dacha for their cousin, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. In 1959 it was purchased by an engineer from Naples who commissioned the architect bio Ponti to transform the former palace-dacha into a hotel. Ponti’s design is rooted in the earth and characterized by the verticality of the ancient dacha and the Sorrento coast.

For photos and more information, please visit the Parco Dei Principi website.

Meet the Chef and Guide 

Chef Michael Lombardi in Italy

Chef Michael Lombardi

Our tour is led with Chef Michael Lombardi of SRV Restaurant in Boston. 

Chef Michael Lombardi, a native of Connecticut, first moved to Boston to attend Boston University. After discovering his passion was in the kitchen, he switched from his intent on the corporate life and attended the Culinary Institute of America.

Lombardi discovered his love for Italian cuisine while cooking in the Umbrian city of Orvieto. After six months, he returned to the States and took a position at the Michelin-starred Mario Batali restaurant, Del Posto, in New York City. He spent two years at Del Posto before heading back to Europe where he worked alongside chef Kevin O’Donnell in opening L’Office in Paris.

Upon his return to the States, Lombardi landed at Gwynnett St. in Brooklyn before coming to Boston in early 2013 to reunite with his former colleague and now Executive Chef, Kevin O’Donnell, as the Chef de Cuisine of The Salty Pig in the Back Bay.

When owners Michael Moxley and Jim Cochener set their sights on expanding their empire with SRV, Lombardi jumped at the chance. The pair signed on as Co-Executive Chef and Partner at the South End restaurant, which opened in early 2016.

 


 

Alice Rossi Parma Italy Tour Guide

Guide Alice Rossi

Our favorite beloved guide in Italy, Alice Rossi, is a native of Parma, Italy, where we met her. Although she loves her home city and region, she is incredibly knowledgeable about all Italian food and wine, and she is a pleasure to be with, no matter the city and region! Alice writes this about herself:

My passion is food, and my dream is to share my passion!

I love getting its magic across, whether to experts or to other interested people. I did a degree in Food & Wine Science so that I could turn my passion into a job. After university, I worked for a year (2012-2013) at Barilla Academy, where I was in charge of Gourmet Touring and Taste Education. I organized and publicized tours about Food & Wine and special tastes. My various jobs made me realize how much I love working in close contact with people, so I decided to become a tourist guide and tour leader. This gives me the chance to show off our Food & Wine specialties to Italian and foreign tourists, and to share my emotion and passion!