Overview
The Amalfi Coast has long been exalted as the most inspiring in all Europe, and across the Bay of Naples lies enticing Capri, soaring out of azure seas. We’ll link these two realms with a journey of moderate hikes, wonderful cultural encounters, and superb meals! One hike brings us from top-of-the-world Ravello to Positano across the Sentiero degli Dei (the “Path of the Gods”), and on craggy Capri, we follow a stone-paved path to the very top of the island. Back on the mainland, we hike across lemon groves in the Sorrento Hills, then walk along the brooding crater rim of Mt. Vesuvius above Pompeii. Between hikes, we’ll watch mozzarella di bufala being made, visit an olive farm, and explore the haunting ruins of Herculaneum.
This was the trip of my lifetime. I have been home for one week and I can't stop smiling remembering my trip to Italy while being in the good care of JoAnn, Andrea, and Zuzana! Way to go, Wilderness Travel, for employing such a great team of trip leaders.
— Carole B., Alta Loma, CA
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-3
Naples / Herculaneum / Paestum / Ravello
After a pizza lunch in the colorful city where it was invented, we stroll in the Roman city of Herculaneum, buried in ash yet remarkably preserved when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. We explore Greek-era Paestum, with its iconic Doric temples, and hike up to entrancing Ravello, set on an incredible perch above the sea. A panoramic hike brings us down to the seaside town of Amalfi, with lunch right in the town square.
Days 4-7
Sentiero degli Dei / Positano / Capri / Sorrento
On the fantastic high trail known as the Sentiero degli Dei, we hike across terraced hillsides down to Positano, one of the most photogenic towns on the Amalfi Coast, with its brightly painted houses draped in bougainvillea. Ferrying to Capri, our hikes lead along stone-paved lanes to imperial Roman villas and up Mt. Solaro for views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius. Back on the mainland in sunny Sorrento, with its old town high on a seacliff, we visit an olive farm and hike through fragrant lemon and walnut groves.
Days 8-9
Mt. Vesuvius / Naples
Our last hike takes us along the rim of Vesuvius, with a chance to peer into the steaming abyss of the volcanic caldera. The ash produces rich soil for growing grapes, and we’ll have lunch at a winery on the volcano’s slopes. Depart on Day 9 via Naples.
Amalfi and Capri
