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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check in from 2:00 p.m.
Afternoon: After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our first group activity. We will meet in the lobby at 4:30 p.m. with a local expert for a short neighborhood walk to see the location of banks, pharmacies, and grocery stores. We’ll then circle back to the hotel for a "Welcome to Sorrento" reception where you will meet our Group Leader and fellow Road Scholars.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. If you like, take a stroll in the traffic-free streets in the heart of Sorrento. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Walking about 1 mile throughout the day; stone steps, inclined path, steps with and without handrails.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will go over COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. Program-related transportation will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Unless indicated otherwise, meals will be served by gloved and masked wait staff. Breakfasts will be buffets, while lunches and dinners will be set menus. Water is included with all meals; other beverages such as wine, tea, and coffee will be available for purchase; some dinners will have a glass of wine included. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After a short break, we’ll set out with our Group Leader on a walking field trip to explore more of Sorrento. Among the highlights will be the Marina Grande, the characteristic old port where it’s not uncommon to see fishermen bringing in the catch of the day or repairing their nets. Our walk will circle back to the hotel.
Lunch: At the hotel.
Afternoon: As preparation for our explorations in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Paestum, we will gather in the hotel meeting room with a local expert who will give us a presentation on Classical Greek and Roman art and architecture.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 16 miles, approximately 1.5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 4 miles, approximately 4 hours; uneven cobblestone and dirt paths, steps, inclines, slippery when wet. Except at entrance/exit, no benches or other places to sit in the archaeological park.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Just outside our hotel, we will board a motorcoach and ride to Pompeii for an expert-led exploration of this wonder from the ancient world. Pompeii was a vibrant city when Mount Vesuvius erupted with such disastrous consequences on August 24, 79 CE. It was not rediscovered until the late 16th century. The first systematic excavations began in 1738 and have continued to the present day. The archaeological site covers more than 163 acres, and about 121 acres have been excavated. We’ll explore the streets of the city frozen in time. We’ll walk into the amphitheater, see where gladiators trained, walk down Via Abbondanza, the main street, and observe 1st-century political graffiti. Our field trip will last about four hours.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll reboard our motorcoach after the field trip and return to the hotel.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. You can also consult your list of suggested restaurants in your program materials.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles; uneven, cobblestoned streets, some inclines.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: In the hotel meeting room, a local expert will present on key issues facing Italy today followed by Q&A. We’ll learn about the country’s healthcare system, education, religion, and women’s issues. We’ll also hear about the ways in which Italy continues to undergo rapid economic and societal change. We’ll set out on a walking field trip to the Tarsia Museum that displays the materials, tools and traditional motifs used by master craftsmen of marquetry, or inlaid wood design. To ensure continuity for the decorative art tradition the museum is also a workshop to teach the craft to local youth.
Dinner: On your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 55 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking about 2 miles; generally even terrain, flat stone and cobblestone; extended standing at museum; several flights of marble stairs; few benches in gallery rooms.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach to Naples for an expert-led exploration of the Archaeological Museum that houses treasures and artifacts found in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Highlights include the famed Alexander Mosaic, Flora and Fauna, and the Farnese Bull. We will also have some time to explore independently and see what interests each of us most. We will gather at the appointed time and walk to our lunch restaurant.
Lunch: At a restaurant in the heart of Naples.
Afternoon: Our exploration of Naples will continue in the historic center. We’ll pass the Royal Palace, home to the Bourbon kings who ruled from 1734-1860, and on to see the exterior of the San Carlo Opera House and the Galleria Umberto, elegant 19th-century glass-roofed arcade. Returning to the hotel by motorcoach, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner: We’ll take a short ride through olive groves to a restaurant with views of the Bay of Naples.
Evening: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 1 mile from hotel to marina. Getting on/off ferry to island of Capri, boat ride 1 hour total. Funicular to town of Capri, taxis to town of Anacapri. Driving 8 miles, 20 minutes riding time. Walking up to 3 miles; uneven terrain, cobblestones, inclines.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll take a short motorcoach ride to the Sorrento marina, then board a large boat to the island of Capri for a full day on the Mediterranean’s most lush island while roaming intricate cobblestone lanes and chic neighborhoods. From the Capri marina, we’ll ride the funicular, or cable railway up to the town of Capri, where we’ll walk to the scenic and fragrant Cesare Augusto Gardens. We’ll have some time for independent exploration. You might like to stroll along the scenic Via Tragara to the Belvedere for breathtaking views of the Faraglioni rock formations, or savor a gelato or beverage at a café. We’ll rendezvous in the main square of Capri town at an announced time. Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy the scenic ride to Anacapri, the village at the summit of the island, in convertible taxis with the top down.
Lunch: At a restaurant in Capri.
Afternoon: Our local expert will lead us on a walk to the Villa of San Michele, home of the Swedish physician Axel Munthe, who visited Capri in 1885 and built his dream house "open to the sun, to the wind, and the voice of the sea, just like a Greek temple, and light everywhere." We’ll explore the villa and terraced gardens. Next, we’ll hop into convertible taxis and ride down to the marina. We’ll reboard the boat that will return to Sorrento by late afternoon and ride back to the hotel by motorcoach. After a short break we will gather in the hotel meeting room, where a musicologist will demonstrate the Neapolitan musical tradition complete with recordings. Selections include classical, opera, popular and pop music by Neapolitan composers.
Dinner: On your own to have what you like.
Evening: We will meet at the appointed time in the hotel or in town and walk to the Cathedral for a concert performed by local musicians. Short walk back to the hotel.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 16 miles, approximately 1 hour total riding time. NOTE: Ride out is approximately 50 minutes via a scenic winding road; ride back is direct, about 10 minutes. Walking about 50 feet, uneven terrain, steps, inclines from motorcoach drop-off point to farm restaurant.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We begin our day with a lecture on the political history of Italy from the 1860s when the country was unified, through the years of fascism and World War II, to Berlusconi and the latest government coalition.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: We’ll board our motorcoach and head out on a panoramic drive through the Sorrento countryside. We’ll stop at an “agroturismo” — a farm restaurant — and assist in a demonstration of mozzarella cheese forming from a bowl of fresh milk and rennet. The host will describe the process of making olive oil and wine. Then, tie up the apron lent to you by the cook and assist in the preparation of regional dishes.
Dinner: At the agriturismo, a sampler of appetizers and an aperitivo will start off our enjoyment of dinner.
Evening: Returning to the hotel, prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 10 miles riding approximately 3/4 hour. Getting on/off a boat, riding approximately 3/4 hour. In the event of bad weather that prevents the boat from leaving, we will walk up the hill along town sidewalks to the bus parking lot and board our motorcoach to Amalfi. Walking up to 3 miles; uneven terrain, steps, inclines. Baggage will be loaded onto the motorcoach and delivered to our rooms at the hotel in Minori.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel and begin our journey to Minori via motorcoach along the Amalfi Coast Drive. The scenic, narrow, winding road is cut into steep cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. En route, we will stop in the elegant seaside town of Positano with its characteristic white and pastel-colored houses that cling in tiers to the rock face. We’ll have some time for independent exploration before boarding a boat to Amalfi, with views of the cascading houses and lush gardens on the mountain face. The motorcoach will continue to Amalfi and we will reconnect after our boat ride.
Lunch: At a restaurant in Amalfi.
Afternoon: We will be joined by a local expert who will lead our walking field trip in Amalfi including the Piazza del Duomo, the main square, and the small museum that illustrates techniques of milling paper, an industry that flourished in Amalfi in the 12th century. We’ll also have some time to explore on our own. Those who wish to visit the interior of the 13th-century Duomo — cathedral — of Sant’Andrea, there are 62 steps to climb (no handrail). We’ll reboard our motorcoach for the ride to Minori on the scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast. We will check in to the hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before meeting in the lobby for dinner.
Dinner: In the hotel restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. Take this opportunity to experience some of the charms in this pleasant, seaside village.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles each way, approximately 3 hours total riding time. Walking up to 4 miles; uneven dirt paths; few places to rest at archaeological site.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride south along the Amalfi Coast to Paestum. Founded as a Greek settlement circa 600 BCE, it was dedicated to Poseidon. A local expert will lead our exploration of this site that is world-renowned for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Greek temples. Two are in the Doric style and dedicated to Hera, "queen of the gods." The third temple — dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom and war — features both Doric and Ionic elements.
Lunch: At a local restaurant overlooking the temples.
Afternoon: Our Paestum field trip will continue with an expert-led visit to the museum at the archaeological site that contains the famed painted Tomb of the Diver, discovered in 1968. We will ride back to Minori after our field trip.
Dinner: In the hotel restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 10 miles, approximately 3/4 hour total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles (not including elective return walk to hotel). Villa Rufolo gardens terraced with paved steps. Elective walk from Ravello to Minori about 1.5 miles, approximately 1 hour; dirt paths, hundreds of irregular stone steps through olive groves.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board our motorcoach and set out on the winding road to Ravello, a medieval hill town above Amalfi with spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast. A local expert will lead our field trip in the world-renowned gardens of Villa Rufolo, dating from the 13th century. Falling into disrepair after many years, it was purchased in 1851 by Scottish botanist Sir Francis Neville Reid, who restored and renovated the house and gardens. The composer Richard Wagner visited in 1880 and was greatly impressed. Ravello today is known as "la città della musica" for its renowned annual music festival. The motorcoach will return to the hotel in Minori with time for an independent visit to the ruins of a Roman villa near the hotel. Those who wish to walk back are welcome to do so and enjoy spectacular views along the way.
Lunch: On your own to sample the local fare.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions including details on how to return to Minori independently via public transportation or the footpath connecting Minori and Ravello.
Dinner: In the hotel restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. You might like to take a walk along the Minori beachfront and bid arrivederci to the Amalfi Coast. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 36 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 2 miles; uneven terrain, dirt and gravel paths with slight inclines and some unavoidable steps.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel in Minori, board a motorcoach, and ride to Herculaneum. According to legend, Herculaneum was founded by and named for Hercules in 1243 BCE. This once upscale resort town was enveloped along with Pompeii in 79 CE by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It was rediscovered in 1707 when a well was being dug, but excavations did not ensue until 1738. Because of differences in the kind and rate of volcanic damage, the buildings here were better preserved than those in Pompeii. One of the most significant is the so-called Villa of the Papyri where some 1,800 carbonized scrolls were found; the excavated Villa of the Papyri was the inspiration for the Getty Museum in Malibu, California. We’ll then continue to Naples and check in to our hotel. After settling in to our rooms we will meet back in the lobby for lunch.
Lunch: In the hotel restaurant.
Afternoon: Free time to explore Naples at your own pace.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant. Recap your adventures and share your favorite memories.
Evening: At leisure. See more of what appeals to you in Naples. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check out 11:00 a.m. See your program’s “Travel Information” regarding transfers.
Breakfast: At the hotel depending on departure time. This concludes the program.
Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!