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Italy

New Year's in Sorrento

Program No. 22188RJ
Experience New Year’s in Sorrento, a picturesque town on the gorgeous southern coastline of Italy. Celebrate the holidays as you learn Italian history and culture from local experts.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Dec 27 - Jan 4, 2025
Starting at
3,999
Dec 28 - Jan 5, 2025
Starting at
4,149
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
Dec 27 - Jan 4, 2025
Starting at
4,659
Dec 28 - Jan 5, 2025
Starting at
5,319

At a Glance

In the charming town of Sorrento, ring in the New Year the Italian way with delectable cuisine, lively company, and gorgeous views of the Mediterranean. Nestled on the scenic cliffs of Italy’s southern coastline and a stone’s throw away from historic sites like Pompeii, Sorrento is the perfect place to celebrate the holidays and experience authentic Italian culture. Travel down the storied Amalfi Coast to discover quaint seaside villages and learn from local experts about Italian history and culture at a host of top-notch museums. Enjoy Italy as you celebrate the holidays in one of the country's most beautiful and fascinating regions!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to four miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, steep inclines, loose gravel, dirt paths. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Dress accordingly for visits to open-air archeological parks. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus, boat, convertible, and funicular. Sheltered waiting areas may not be available at docks.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Discover the incredible remains and ancient artifacts of Pompeii and Herculaneum on expert-led excursions.
  • Ring in the New Year Sorrento style, with delicious Italian food, good friends and an evening concert.
  • Drive down the scenic Amalfi Coast and enjoy spectacular views from the Isle of Capri, with an expert to teach you about local culture and history.

General Notes

Give us a call to combine this learning adventure with, "Christmas in Assisi" (#19220) for even more learning in Italy! We'll even transfer you for free between locations.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Michela Porcelli
Michela Porcelli was awarded an advanced degree in linguistic anthropology from the University of Naples. Fluent in English, Swedish, Spanish and French, Michela studied in the U.S. at the University of California Santa Barbara. Currently, she lives in Naples where she is involved in several research projects in linguistics at the university there.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Michela Porcelli
Michela Porcelli View biography
Michela Porcelli was awarded an advanced degree in linguistic anthropology from the University of Naples. Fluent in English, Swedish, Spanish and French, Michela studied in the U.S. at the University of California Santa Barbara. Currently, she lives in Naples where she is involved in several research projects in linguistics at the university there.
Profile Image of Vincenzo Coppola
Vincenzo Coppola View biography
Vincenzo Coppola is an ethnomusicologist and licensed guide for the Amalfi Coast area. He has a passion for music in the Neapolitan tradition. A lecturer at Naples University and Conservatory of Music, his seminars include Opera and Oriental Traits in Neapolitan popular music and the Japanese Theater of Noh.
Profile Image of Claudio Mollo
Claudio Mollo View biography
Claudio Mollo enjoys traveling and has lived in Italy as well as other countries and continents. In fact, he speaks five languages. A licensed guide, his area of expertise is history and archaeology specializing in the Campania Region comprising Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula, and Amalfi Coast. Claudio has been leading groups in southern Italy for Trinity College cultural programs including Road Scholar for 25 years and always enjoys showcasing his native region.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Pompeii, The Day a City Died
by Robert Etienne
This indispensable pocket guide illustrates daily life in the city as revealed by its evocative frescoes, mosaics and treasures.
Campania Basilicata Map
by Touring Club Italiano
A colorful, durable map of Campania, including Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
The Fires of Vesuvius
by Mary Beard
Amazon Books: "Pompeii is the most famous archaeological site in the world, visited by more than two million people each year. Here, acclaimed historian Beard explores what kind of town it was, and what it can reveal about ordinary life there."
Vesuvius
by Gillian Darley
Darley unveils human responses to Mount Vesuvius, a place both feared and celebrated, from a cast of characters as far-flung as Pliny the Younger and David Hockney. This entry in Harvard University Press's excellent Wonders of the World series is a perfect introduction for travelers to Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Italian Folktales
by Selected and retold by Italo Calvino
This collection by one of Italy’s most famous writers is a magic and classical tome to put anyone in the mood for visiting this fascinating and continually surprising country.
Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum
by Paul Roberts
Drawing on sharp, full-color photographs of more than 200 objects excavated from Pompeii and Herculaneum, Roberts, a curator at the British Museum, discusses what life was like in the ancient cities. He covers everything from birth certificates to the prevalence of bakeries and taverns.
Rediscovering the Ancient World in the Bay of Naples, 1710-1890
by Carol C. Mattusch
This extensively illustrated volume details various reactions to the early excavations of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and their international influence in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook
by Lonely Planet
A handy, palm-sized guide to pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
The Italians
by John Hooper
From Amazon: A vivid and surprising portrait of the Italian people from an admired foreign correspondent.
La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
by Beppe Severgnini
From Amazon: You won’t need luggage for this hypothetical and hilarious trip into the hearts and minds of Beppe Severgnini’s fellow Italians. In fact, Beppe would prefer if you left behind the baggage his crafty and elegant countrymen have smuggled into your subconscious. To get to his Italia, you’ll need to forget about your idealized notions of Italy. Although La Bella Figura will take you to legendary cities and scenic regions, your real destinations are the places where Italians are at their best, worst, and most authentic: the highway, the airport, and the small town.
Herculaneum: Italy's Buried Treasures
by Joseph Jay Deiss
An artful and wonderfully written description of the daily life of the Romans at the time of the destruction of Herculaneum.
In the Shadow of Vesuvius
by Jordan Lancaster
Amazon Books: "a quick look over the history, art and culture of the Bay of Naples area."
The Ancient Shore
by Shirley Hazzard
Hazzard's lyrical collection of essays on the history, beauty, complexities and contradictions of Naples. Includes a celebrated New Yorker essay by Francis Steegmuller.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.