Gourmet Southern Italy

(12 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Rome, Sicily, Naples, Amalfi Coast

This tour concentrates on the delicious food and wine of southern Italy, highlighting the regional gastronomic variations influenced by geography and history. Start with two nights in Rome and enjoy flexible city touring and opportunities to sample sdelicious regional specialties as saltimbocca (veal with prosciutto and sage in white wine), bucatini all’amatriciana and carciofi alla giudia (fried whole artichokes—a Roman-Jewish specialty).

Continue to Sicily, celebrated for its distinctive, Arab-influenced cuisine in which almonds, eggplant, saffron and couscous are staples. Spend two nights in Taormina at a hotel with panoramic views of Mt. Etna and the sea. Enjoy time to stroll through Taormina’s lovely, bougainvillea-lined streets, stopping to visit sights such as the Greek Theatre and Public Gardens. Shop on the pedestrian main street for linens, ceramics or the beautiful marzipan Taormina is famous for. One day, enjoy a private cooking class and wine and olive-oil tastings in villages near Mt. Etna. Another day, enjoy private touring of the magnificent mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Piazza Armerina.

Continue to Palermo and spend two nights at a lavish hotel set amidst fragrant gardens, overlooking the sea. During a flexible private tour, explore the Norman-Arab architecture so unique to this region, as well as outdoor markets where you can taste local specialties such as ca’ meusa bread. One day, visit the Doric temple of Segesta, and Erice, one of Italy’s most beautiful medieval villages. Erice is filled with cobblestoned streets, flowering vines and narrow alleys, and is renowned for its delicious almond pastries and geometrically patterned carpets. Also travel to Agrigento for a private tour of the Valley of the Temples, the most important archaeological site in Sicily.

Naples, famous for its fresh seafood, pizza, coffee and pastries such as sfogliatelle, is the next stop on this culinary tour. Enjoy a private, comprehensive tour of the city, focusing on its small markets and specialty shops, stopping to enjoy local delicacies such as insalata caprese (tomato, mozzarella and basil salad) or spaghetti alle vongole (in a fresh clam sauce), perhaps paired with a Falanghina (crisp, white wine). Also visit the National Archaeological Museum—one of the finest in Europe—housing objects excavated at Pompeii.

Continue with your private driver to the Amalfi Coast, where you will spend the next three nights at the Hotel Caruso, an Orient Express Hotel in the charming town of Ravello. Enjoy spectacular views over the sea from your room, and free time to enjoy the pool, spa and restaurant. One morning, enjoy a private cooking class, followed by a drive along the Amalfi Coast to visit the seaside villages of Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. Perhaps attend an evening concert in a villa perched atop the cliffs—throughout the summer, chamber music concerts are held many evenings in villas overlooking the sea. We recommend taking a day excursion to the island of Capri to explore the island and simply relax with a glass of Capri’s rare white wine after a lunch of ravioli alla caprese (pasta filled with ricotta and marjoram), a delicious local specialty.