Italy Sorrento Peninsula & Amalfi Coast Hiking Tour

Welcome to Italy! Your MT Sobek guide will meet you and the group at Naples airport for a 45-minute transfer to the hotel. Stop along the way to savor your first slice of Neapolitan pizza. Upon arrival at the colorful seaside town of Vico Equense, settle into your comfortable hotel. Refresh, then meet up for a welcome orientation and your first Italian dinner together with the group.

Today, hike around the magnificent Bay of Ieranto on the farthest point of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Pliny the Elder believed that this majestic turquoise cove was where Ulysses met the sirens on his way home to Ithaca. Start your hike in the little village of Nerano and descend to the Baia (Bay) via a path lined with fragrant Mediterranean bushes. Stop at an olive grove for an olive oil tasting, followed by a delicious picnic lunch under the trees. Marvel at crystal-clear waters, take in fantastic views of Capri and the massive Faraglioni stacks, then ascend the same trail back to Nerano. Continue to Sorrento, savor a gelato and spend some time roaming the pretty town before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Transfer to Castellammare di Stabia on the coast and drive up to the top of Mount Faito, a 4,500-foot peak in the Lattari Mountains. Your 5-mile loop hike comes replete with spectacular vistas of the Sorrentine Peninsula, the island of Capri and the Gulf of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius in the distance. See the Church of San Michele, the warrior angel who inspired the saints Catello and Antonino to build this sacred place in a beautiful beech forest. If you're lucky, you may spot some of the wild horses that call this regional park home! After a hearty lunch, return to your home base in Vico Equense.

Enjoy a boat ride to the stunning island of Capri, with its steep cliffs rising from the sea. Walk to the imperial Villa Jovis, built by the Roman Emperor Tiberius at the eastern extreme of the island. As you ascend the narrow lanes, take in the sight and scent of jasmine, wild rosemary, and flamboyant passion flowers. Delight in a lunch of Italian specialties, then walk along the spectacular Pizzolungo trail, past the uniquely designed Casa Malaparte. From Tragara Belvedere viewpoint, soak up the panoramic beauty of the island from the bay of Marina Piccola and its pristine beach to the famous Faraglioni sea stacks. Back on the mainland, dinner is at the hotel.

Hike on the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) and travel back in time to when the Greeks settled villages like Agerola and Positano to ease commerce between the coast and the inland areas. From alpine Agerola, descend into Positano while admiring cultivated terraces, ancient dry walls, and the privately owned archipelago of Li Galli that once belonged to the famous Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Spend some time in the jet-set nest of Positano before transferring by ferry to Maiori for the evening, where dinner will be on your own tonight. Your guide can make recommendations for restaurants in close walking distance.

Walk from Maiori village to the village of Minori on the Path of Lemons, a paved route that passes numerous cascading terraces planted with lemon trees. You may have to occasionally share the path with working donkeys, still used for transporting goods in this part of the Amalfi Coast! Lemons play a big part in the area's economy, and you'll stop at a lemon grove to sample their limoncello and other products. Round off the day with a visit to the Villa Romana di Minori, a splendid showcase of 1st-century Roman architecture. Return to Maiori for dinner. This area has been renowned for its pasta production since the 16th century, and you'll get to see how local pastas such as fusilli furitani and ndunderi are made during a pasta-making demonstration.

Take a scenic drive to Ravello, a delightful village perched high above the sea that has inspired artists like Miro, Turner and Wagner. Explore the enchanting Villa Rufolo, famed for its distinctively patterned gardens and incredible views. Then, hiking along the Dragone River Valley, make your way down to Amalfi via Mount Aureo and the Torre dello Ziro, an ancient watchtower. Marvel at waterfalls and prehistoric plants such the 6-foot Woodwardia radicans fern. At the end of the valley lies the town of Amalfi, home to the splendid Cathedral of St. Andrew, built way back in the 9th century. Enjoy lunch on your own as well as some free time in town, with entrance to the cathedral included, before heading back to Maiori for the evening.

Today you'll travel south from Maiori to the province of Salerno to visit the Greek temples at Paestum, one of the region's most impressive archaeological sites. Before delving into history, make a stop at a local buffalo farm to taste the rich and creamy mozzarella that the region is famous for. Powered by delicious dairy, continue to Paestum for an expertly guided tour. Explore three of the world's best-preserved ancient Greek temples, roam the ruins of the forum, and discover millennia-old frescoes at the excellent on-site museum. In the afternoon, drive back to Maiori and enjoy your farewell dinner in the evening.

All good things come to their end, and so does your journey around the Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi Coast. Say arrivederci to this bedazzling corner of the earth and transfer to Naples airport after breakfast.