Hiking – Cinque Terre & Amalfi Coast

Day 1: Begin Your Adventure
Depart on your overnight flight to begin your adventure along the Mediterranean Sea.

Day 2: Welcome to Italy
Arrive in Milan where your motor coach is waiting to transfer you to Deiva Marina. Here you will check-in to your hotel and enjoy a welcome reception and dinner. D

Day 3: La Spezia to Monterosso
Begin your day with a train ride to La Spezia, an important commercial harbor on the Ligurian Sea between Genoa and Pisa. Walk through town to the harbor where we board a cruise that takes you all along the Cinque Terre to Monterosso. Surrounded by the deep blue of the Ligurian Sea, you have your first look at the small villages that make up the Cinque Terre from the waterside. This historic region is a part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cinque Terre is one of the few parts of Europe still most accessible by foot and is a hiker’s paradise. Once you arrive in Monterosso al Mare, a train returns you to your hotel in Deiva Marina. BD

Day 4: Corniglia to Vernazza
Today, the hiking tour begins. In the morning, take a train to the village of Corniglia, a bluff city overlooking the water, surrounded on most sides by vineyards and terraces and affording spectacular views of the sea and the other cities in the Cinque Terre. During your journey you will stop for typical Ligurian cuisine at a well-known fish restaurant. Later you come to Vernazza, a fishing village to the north of Corniglia. Either enjoy a free afternoon, or join an optional more difficult hike to Moterosso. This trail has a very steep climb to start. From there, you will return to your hotel for dinner in Deiva Marina by train. BLD

Day 5: Deiva Marina
Today has been left completely free for you to enjoy the amenities of our hotel or to head out and explore the surrounding area. BD

Day 6: Volastra and Manarola
This morning you travel by train to Corniglia and start our walk to the little village of Volastra. Cinque Terre literally means “five lands,” corresponding to the five towns in the region. From Volastra, you have the best panoramic view from the land overlooking the coastal line. We continue and descent to Manarola where we have lunch and free time on our own. In the afternoon, you return by train to the hotel in Deiva Marina. BD

Day 7: Santa Margherita and Portofino
Travel by train to the village of Santa Margherita, a point in the northern portion of the Levante Riviera. For a long time this village was a part of the Republic of Genoa when the castle was built to protect the harbor from pirates in the 16th century. Set out for a hike along the coastline toward the historic harbor of Portofino. Enroute time for lunch at a local Osteria. Once in Portofino, a travel destination for many celebrities and aristocratic families since the late 19th century, you may enjoy the seaside town and historic port. Witness a fishing industry that still uses traditional methods from past centuries or tour some of the historic churches. Return will be by ship or bus to Santa Margherita Ligure and then by train to the hotel in Deiva Marina. BD

Day 8: Cinque Terre to Amalfi Coast
Leave behind the lovely terraces and villas of the Cinque Terre and travel to the southern coastal region in Italy along the Tyrrhenian Sea. You will arrive in Vietri sul Mare, a town situated directly on the Amalfitan coast with very good access to all sites we will visit here. Check into your oceanfront hotel. BD

Day 9: Positano
You use another segment of Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) to travel to the village of Positano by foot today. Along the way, you have lunch in a restaurant with the typical cuisine of the region. Then, there is time for your own exploration of the picturesque port. Find the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, where a thirteen century Byzantine icon of the Madonna di Positano can be found. Return to the hotel by bus. BLD

Day 10: Capri
In the morning, a short bus drive brings us to Salerno. This is the key place in the Sorrentine peninsula and it overlooks the Gulf of Naples. From here, you cruise along the coastline to the mountainous island of Capri, a popular resort for the wealthy since the 19th century. If the sea is rough, we will go by bus to Sorrento and take the boat from here. You take the scenic hike around the island, allowing spectacular views of the sea and the mountains. Enjoy the wildlife as well, as Capri has an extensive amount of interesting flora and fauna to admire. After the hike, you will have time on your own to explore the churches, grottos, and museums. Return to the hotel will be by ship and bus. BD

Day 11: Pompeii
Today our bus brings you to Mt. Vesuvius, which had the legendary volcanic eruption in 79 AD, when the roman city of Pompeii was destroyed. Meet a local guide there, who hikes with you around the edge of the crater at the crown of the mountain. Besides the lovely view of the Bay of Naples, you get to see volcanic rock firsthand. We have lunch from our lunch bags. After this, a short trip brings you to Pompeii itself. See the excavations of the site including the houses of ordinary people who lived there and the extravagant ruins of temples to the Roman gods. Exploring the city remnants will give you an insider’s idea of what Roman life was like at the time of Pompeii’s destruction—a detailed snapshot that is not always possible elsewhere. Later, you return to the hotel by bus. BLD

Day 12: Ravello and Amalfi
Take a bus to the exciting small town of Ravello, located above the Amalfi Coast. Stroll along the streets that were originally a shelter from Barbarian Invasions during the fall of the Roman Empire. You hike along the Sentiero degli Dei, otherwise known as the Path of the Gods, down to the city of Amalfi. A glorious port is here, and it was once highly important as a maritime power. With the mountains and turquoise sea as a backdrop, you can wander through the streets and happen across restaurants and cafés, shops, and even St. Andrew’s Cathedral. This ancient structure was built on the ruins of a cathedral, which had in turn been built on the ruins of a temple, making this a very sacred site. Take a look at the bronze doors, which were cast in Constantinople in 1066 and bear the signature of Simeon of Syria. After this time on your own, return to your hotel by bus for your last night in Cava de’ Tirreni. BD

Day 13: Naples and Rome
Say goodbye to the Amalfi Coast and begin the last leg of your adventure—Rome. En route, stop in Naples and have a guided city tour. Introduce yourself to the Italian metropolis, full of lively citizens. Naples is the third largest Italian city. Find yourself in wonderful piazzas and shopping districts, and see the spectacular Castel Nuovo, where the rulers of Naples lived for centuries. Afterwards, continue to Rome where hotel check-in and dinner at a typical Rome Taverna are waiting. BD

Day 14: Rome
In the morning, you have a guided city tour of ancient Rome. See the great sights that Rome has to offer—the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the numerous basilicas that abound in the city. In the afternoon, you have free time to explore. You can visit St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican or stroll in the old town. The entire city is opened up before your feet. Even if you are ready for a break from history, you can find plenty of parks, shopping and cafes, making it possible to enjoy this city along the Tiber River. Tonight, we celebrate the past two weeks with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. BD

Day 15: Arrivederci!
Depart from Rome airport. B

***Please be aware that this is a hiking tour. Participants should be able to climb on uneven ground and many steps and stairs without any assistance for about three hours daily. Participants should bring clothing to be prepared for all kinds of weather. Hiking boots (ankle-high) are recommended, as well as a backpack for day trips, further head covers, professional hiking sticks, and, of course, a water-bottle and maybe some band-aids.