The Food & Wine Lover’s Southern Italy

The Food & Wine Lover’s Southern Italy
Agropoli, Campania

Accommodations in air-conditioned double room with sea view and private bathroom
Full-day excursion to the Amalfi Coast including Amalfi and Ravello
Excursion to the Greek temples at Paestum
Excursions to small local villages
Pizza lesson
Visit to the premier mozzarella di bufala farm
Shopping at a local market
Winetasting at one or more wineries
All meals, with unlimited local wines
Group transfer from and to Naples station

Price in 2008: 925 Euro/person

Day One

Group transfer from Naples rail station to Agropoli Villa Hotel. Check into your double room with sea view and private bathroom. Afternoon free to relax in your room or lounge by the pool.
Evening cocktail followed by your welcome dinner.
Overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Two

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Paestum to visit the world-famous temples. Many experts believe these are the most perfectly-preserved Greek temples in the world. Click here to read about them.
Lunch on your own near the Temples.
Paestum is also the Capital of Mozzarella. There are several water buffalo farms in the area that produce the very best mozzarella di bufala on earth. You will visit the most beautiful of these establishments, a totally organic state-of-the-art operation located on a historical estate that has been superbly renovated. You’ll see the buffalo as they lie on their custom-made air mattresses or enjoy a relaxing massage, then, as you watch the cheesemakers turn the milk into soft delectable balls, you’ll learn why there are water buffalo in southern Italy and where the name “mozzarella” comes from. Afterwards, you’ll taste some cheese only seconds after it is made, and you’ll also be invited to try some buffalo yogurt laced with homemade kumquat marmalade.
Transfer back to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Three

Breakfast at the hotel.

Excursion to the Amalfi Coast. You will drive through the charming seaside villages of Vietri, Minori and Maiori, on your way to Amalfi and Ravello. In Amalfi you’ll be able to visit the exquisite medieval cathedral, built in the 13th century and a masterful combination of intricate details and mystical tranquility. Atop the hill in Ravello, you won’t want to miss Villa Cimbrone, a botanical garden whose origins date back to the Roman Empire. No matter what time of year you are here you’ll see rare flowers and trees against a backdrop of ancient ruins and the magnificent Amalfi Coast. If there’s time on the way home, you can stop to shop for the colorful local ceramics.

Transfer back to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Four

Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion through the Cilento Nature Park. The second largest park in Italy, it combines breathtaking nature with mythology, history and culture, including the call of nymph Leucosia, the beaches where Palinuro left Aeneas, and the ruins of the Greek colony of Elea. This is a once in a lifetime chance to experience an explored territory that not even most Italians have seen.
Visit to one or more ancient hilltowns, where foreign tourists are still a rare sight!
Transfer back to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Five

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning it's off to meet up with Grand Maestro Pietro, who will teach you How To Make Your Own Pizza!

Next you will enjoy a meal based on the results of your newly-learned pizza skills.

After a panoramic drive down the coast, walk off your lunch with a tour of Castellabate, an exceedingly beautiful medieval hilltown perched dramatically high overlooking the bay. Since the town was an important bishopric, there are some interesting homes and churches – including the castle and the Basilica Romanica di S. Maria de Gulia – to see amongst its alleyways. One thing you won’t see here is tourists – farther off the beaten track you couldn’t get!

Transfer back to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Six

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Agropoli to visit the very colorful and lively outdoor market, which features not only local foods but also clothing and all sorts of merchandise brought in by itinerant salespeople. Prices are incredibly low! Afterwards you'll stroll through the ancient city of Agropoli, which has been here since the Greeks built it (and named it acropolis). You’ll make your way up the impressive staircase and through the gate into a warren of narrow alleys lined with the homes of fishermen.

Lunch on your own in town.

This afternoon you'll visit one or more local wineries, seeing how they grow and bottle their vintages, and tasting some of the final product.

Transfer back to the hotel.

Farewell dinner and overnight at Agropoli Villa Hotel.

Day Seven

Breakfast at the hotel.
Group transfer to Naples rail station.

Included in the Price

Six nights in a double room with sea view and bathroom
Six breakfasts
Six dinners with local wine
Excursion to the Greek Temples of Paestum
Excursion to the Amalfi Coast
Pizza lesson
Visit to a mozzarella farm and tasting
Visit to one or more wineries and tasting
Shopping at a local outdoor market
Excursion to the Cilento Nature Park
Group arrival and departure transfers from/to Naples rail station
All transfers for excursions
Taxes and services

Not Included in the Price
Entrance tickets (to the Temples or any museums, churches or villas visited)

2008 price per person
925 Euro
Supplements per person
Single room: 200 Euro
Suite: 175 Euro
2008 tour dates
April 19-25 (guaranteed for even one person)
May 10-16
September 20-27
October 4-10 (guaranteed for even one person)
October 18-24
Other dates are available on request
for groups of four people or more

Minimum number of participants: 2

Please note that we guarantee all services as described above, but the order of
Days Two, Three, Four, and Five may vary for organizational reasons.

Tour operated by Agropoli Villa Hotel