CENTRAL HOLIDAYS - ITALY

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DAY 1 I TUE I NAPLES I SORRENTO Morning arrival into Naples’
Capodichino Airport. Here you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in
Sorrento, the famous resort town of orange and lemon groves. Dinner
at your hotel restaurant is included. (D)
DAY 2 I WED I SORRENTO I POSITANO I AMALFI I RAVELLO I
SORRENTO Leave Sorrento in the morning for Positano. Enjoy a
brief stop at the Belvedere for a unique view of Moorish architecture
blended with pastel colored houses. Weather permitting, board a
motorlaunch and cruise along the coast to Amalfi for a walking tour
of the old town. Continue to Ravello for lunch at a restaurant with
spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast and the Bay of Salerno. Enjoy
some free time for a stroll around the center of town before returning
to Sorrento. (B,L)
DAY 3I THU I SORRENTO I CAPRI I SORRENTO A morning jetfoil
whisks you across the blue Bay of Naples to the fabled Isle of Capri,
where you will ascend to the Piazzetta, visit the Floral Gardens
of Caesar Augustus, and still have free time for lunch and some
shopping before returning to Sorrento. Tonight, dinner is at a local
restaurant. (B,D)
DAY 4 I FRI I SORRENTO I LECCE After breakfast, depart for Lecce.
Nicknamed the “Florence of the South” because of its mostly
Baroque-era churches packing its maze of narrow streets, Lecce
dazzles with elaborately carved facades and interiors that erupt with
symphonies of angels, cherubs, saints and Madonnas. On our way
to Lecce, stop at a local winery for a wine tasting session at a well
renowned estate. Dinner at the hotel. (B,D)
DAY 5 I SAT I LECCE I OTRANTO I LECCE This morning’s guided city
tour will introduce you to the beauty of Lecce. Built in the local
soft creamy limestone with dazzling architectural surprises around
every corner, Lecce is a minor Baroque masterpiece. Its spider’s
web of streets offer a kaleidoscopic mix of long-range vistas, alluring
glimpses and playful perspectives that have long enchanted visitors.
In the afternoon, head towards Otranto for a guided tour of Italy’s
easternmost town. The imposing castle, thick perimeter walls, and
robust towers dominate much of the town, giving way to a small port,
a series of sea-front promenades with excellent fish restaurants,
and the town’s very own beautiful white sandy beach and turquoise
waters. Overnight in Lecce. (B)
DAY 6 I SUN I LECCE I OSTUNI I SELVA DI FASANO After breakfast,
depart for Ostuni. Rising high above the vast olive-carpeted plateau
of the lower Murgia, Ostuni has long been an awe-inspiring sight
for those travelling across Puglia. Strong defensive walls and
tumbling clusters of white-washed houses wind around the hillside,
at the top of which, proudly surveying the surrounding land, sits the
magnificent Gothic Cathedral. After an olive oil tasting session, you
will have time for lunch on your own before continuing to Selva di
Fasano. Dinner and overnight at hotel. (B,D)
DAY 7 I MON I SELVA DI FASANO I ALBEROBELLO I SELVA DI
FASANO This morning, visit Alberobello, Puglia’s picture-postcard
town famous for its conical-roofed houses - “trulli” - and a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. With its narrow pedestrian streets, little shops
selling local produce, and a few nice cafes and trattorie offering
al fresco dining, Alberobello will enchant you. This evening, a wine
tasting session will be followed by dinner featuring typical dishes of
Pugliese cuisine at your hotel. (B,D)
DAY 8 I TUE I SELVA DI FASANO I MATERA I BARI This morning,
depart for Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
Your afternoon tour will guide you through the city of the Caverns,
entrenched villages, peasant houses carved in the rock, frescoed
rocky churches, grand Romanesque, Pugliese and Baroque churches,
and noble palaces. Overnight in Bari. (B)
Otranto
Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Lecce