outhern Italian Sojourn

Transcription

1 outhern Italian Sojourn Highlights Experience Southern Italy s people, pathways, culture & cuisine travelling from Naples to Sicily See the Amalfi coast, Aeolian Islands & Sicily through local eyes & relax with extended stays in comfortable hotels Follow local trails to the seaside villages of Positano, Praiano & Amalfi Learn from local guides on day excursions to Naples, Capri, Ravello, Pompeii, Herculaneum & Vesuvio Take a mud-bath on the island of Vulcano & hike on the flanks of Sicily s Mt Etna Taste seasonal cuisine, mozzarella cheese & limoncello liqueur Experience the people, pathways, culture and cuisine of Southern Italy on this 19 day journey. The Amalfi coast, Aeolian Islands and Sicily provide a true taste of Italian life and you can experience it through local eyes. Your tour leader was born and bred in the Amalfi region and introduces you to local people, events and experiences that will leave a lasting impression. The mountain village of Agerola is our base to explore the Amalfi coast. Ten nights at a family run hotel means we can truly unpack our bags and become a part of Italian village life. From this lofty base, follow local trails and stairways to the seaside villages of Positano, Praiano and Amalfi. On non-hiking days discover the ruins of Pompeii, visit the Isle of Capri, explore Naples and peer into the crater of Mt Vesuvius. There s time to taste Agerola s hand-made cheeses and lemon liqueur or explore the extravagant rooms of Caserta Palace. An overnight boat journey brings us to the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano. Climb to viewpoints, hike to crater rims or combine sulphur and mud baths with swims in the sea. Our final destination is Taormina on Sicily s east coast where we spend five nights. There is time to walk to medieval villages and walk on the flanks of Mt Etna, Europe s highest active volcano. The tour was fabulous and extremely good value for money. Enzo went out of his way to help and accommodate everyone. DETAILS Price: Twinshare / person (ex Naples, ends Catania) Sue & Rowland Hill Advanced Early Bird: A$6,950 until 25/08/2017 Early Bird: A$7,150 until 15/12/2017 Regular: A$7,450 Single Supplement: A$990 Note: For single people who prefer to share, we will try to find a suitable roommate, but if this is not possible the sole-use surcharge will apply. Minimum Group size: 10 guests Special Interest: Food, Culture, History Note: Can be joined with Mallorca - Serra de Tramuntana and Croatian Coast & Slovenia For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 1

2 WALK RATING Easy to Moderate: 3-15km per walking day with some shorter or longer options. Age is not necessarily as important as your fitness and recent walking experience, and anyone of reasonable fitness should be able to join this tour. We reserve the right to be flexible with the itinerary to allow for unforeseen circumstances including weather conditions and group fitness. INCLUSIONS 18 nights twin share accommodation 3-4 star hotels with private facilities, including 1 night upon a Ferry. Please note that single rooms in Europe are often smaller than Australian or American single rooms. Meals included 17 Breakfasts / 3 Lunches / 15 Dinners All transfers as listed in itinerary National park, cable car and museum entry fees Professional tour leader assisted when required by local tour guides Basic group tips where required Pre-departure material including background & personalised A-Z tour information and destination tour companion EXCLUSIONS Airfares & taxes to start / from end of tour Passport & Visa expenses Heavy or excess baggage Travel insurance Personal expenses e.g. drinks (water, alcohol, tea & coffee), laundry, telephone, or optional tours / excursions TOUR LEADER Enzo Amodio is from Agerola on Italy s Amalfi coast and lives in Melbourne with his wife Cathy and two children. Enzo s Southern Italian Sojourn tour to the Amalfi Coast & Sicily is one of IPT s signature tours, with guests loving his friendly manner and ability to enliven the Italian experience with his singing and local contacts. FAQ S How & when to book? Our biggest message to you is BOOK EARLY!! Many tours book out very quickly so the moral of the story is the early bird catches the worm! To qualify for any of the early bird prices, you simply need to send a completed booking form and deposit of A$400 per person per tour, by the early bird dates listed at the front of the tour itinerary. We offer A$500 discount per person if you book by the Advanced Early Bird date and A$300 discount per person if you book by the Early Bird date. If your deposit arrives after any of the early bird dates, the tour balance will be at the regular price. To place your booking, simply visit com.au to pay your deposit and book online, or complete a Tour Booking Form, and post / fax / it to us with your deposit. Once you have booked on a tour, we will stay in contact with regular mailings (see below). What information and contact can I expect? When you send your initial deposit, we will contact you to confirm your booking. Once the tour has been confirmed to depart, a comprehensive information pack will be sent to you, including a Tour A-Z, suggested packing list, medical questionnaire, balance of payment invoice, and pre / post accommodation options. We can assist you with flight arrangements but please don t book flights until our office contacts you to confirm that your tour has been confirmed to depart. The final mailing is sent out approximately three weeks before departure and includes final tour documents, address list for family and friends, meeting points, and any final travel information. What is the group size? We specialise in small group travel with an average group size of around guests. Please see the front page for details on the minimum group size for this particular tour. All tours need a minimum number of passengers to operate at the price listed in the itinerary. If the minimum number is not reached, a tour may still operate with a surcharge. How fit do I have to be? When you are assessing your ability and agility to participate, age is not necessarily as important as your fitness and recent walking experience. Please read the tour walk rating and the day by day walking descriptions in the itinerary to determine if the tour is suitable for your fitness. If you have any queries, we are happy to put you in touch with either the tour coordinator or tour leader to discuss your fitness in more detail. What gear and equipment do I need to take? Because we focus on half and full day walks, returning to our accommodation in the afternoon, you don t need to carry any more than a daypack with rain wear, sunscreen, drinking water, camera and lunch. A few tours include an overnight hike where you will need to carry personal gear for the journey. We recommend hiking boots on most of our tours as they offer good ankle support and grip. A detailed packing list is included with your tour s information pack. For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 2

3 TOUR Day 1 Tue 17 Apr Naples to Agerola Your tour begins either at Naples Train Station (pick up at 12.30pm) or Naples Airport (pick up at 2pm) with a transfer to the village of Agerola (elevation 650m). Situated above the famous resorts of Amalfi and Praiano, Agerola means little field and is famous for its cheese and fresh produce. Surrounding the town is the Monti Lattari range, which includes the impressive Tre Pizzi di Sant Angelo (elevation 1444m). We are based for ten nights in a family run hotel located in Bomerano, the largest of Agerola s five small hamlets. On arrival there will be a guided tour of the village. Meals: D Walks: Guided tour of Bomerano Day 2 Wed 18 Apr Pompeii / Mt Vesuvius Situated 24km south of Naples is the famous Roman town of Pompeii, destroyed by Mt Vesuvius on 24 August 79AD. Pompeii was buried under 7m of ash and remained hidden until Serious excavations did not begin until 1748 whilst the area was under French Bourbon rule. We travel by bus to Pompeii where our local guide will meet us for a tour of this World Heritage listed site. After exploring the town, we continue up onto the flanks of Mt Vesuvius (elevation 1277m), which last erupted in With our local guide, we follow a steep, loose gravel path to the crater rim where we are rewarded with stunning views. Walks: 90min round trip / 200m ascent / descent on well-constructed, gravel track that zigzags to the crater rim. The return journey is on the same track. Day 3 Thu 19 Apr Amalfi Today our walk leads from Agerola down to the town of Amalfi, following a wonderful network of paths and mule tracks along terraces of lemon and olive groves. On arrival in Amalfi, there is time to swim and explore this once-powerful maritime republic. At its peak in the 11 th century, Amalfi was a rival to the ports of Venice and Genoa. You may choose to visit the arsenal, cathedral (Duomo) and the Cloister of Paradise, with its Roman & medieval arches. At the end of the day we return to Agerola by local bus. Walks: 3½hr / 8km walk with 640m descent. A reasonably good track in parts, with some long rocky sections and steep descents on long flights of concrete steps and some short 50-80m step ascents. Day 4 Fri 20 Apr Capri Situated 5km off the tip of Sorrento peninsula, the island of Capri is famous for its hedonistic history and is still a playground for the rich and famous. We travel by ferry to Capri then take the funicular to reach the main piazza of Anacapri. There is time to explore the cafes and designer boutiques or hike up to the ruins of Villa Jovis, once the residence of Tiberius. You may prefer to return to the mainland earlier and explore the town of Sorrento, where we meet in the early evening for dinner in a local restaurant. Walks: Optional 2hr walk, 70m descent on flight of concrete steps and 50m gradual ascent with a well-built path Day 5 Sat 21 Apr Naples Naples, the capital of Campania, is a city that offers extraordinary history, culture and cuisine. Our bus drops us at the port of Santa Lucia near the famous Castle dell Ovo (Castle of the Egg), a 12 th century fortress built over the ruins of an ancient Roman villa. With For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 3

4 TOUR continued... a local Neapolitan guide, we visit many of Naples magnificent sites including the Umberto Gallery and the Theatre of S. Carlo. In the afternoon there is time to visit the archaeological museum which contains some of Europe s most valuable collections, including mosaics and sculptures excavated at Pompeii and Herculaneum. In the evening we discover why Naples is famous for its pizza. Walks: Guided tour of Naples Day 6 Sun 22 Apr Positano This morning we walk from our hotel on an ancient path to Positano. Named by German writer Goethe, Sentiero degli dei (Path of the Gods) leads us through two smaller villages, Nocelle and Montepertuso, where we stop for lunch. Our destination is Positano which, like its neighbour Amalfi, was part of the powerful maritime republic and thrived on trade with the Middle East. Over the years, it has been a popular residence for artists, musicians and writers, while these days it is the fashion centre of the Amalfi coast. There is time to explore, swim and relax before taking a boat to Amalfi and then the local bus to Agerola. Walks: 4hr / 9km, steep rugged hillside mule track walk, an initial gradual ascent of 60m with some rocky & narrow sections. From Montepertuso there is a gradual, steep descent of 315m to Positano down long flights of concrete steps. 100m ascent, 600m descent. Day 7 Mon 23 Apr Atrani / Ravello This morning we indulge in some of Agerola s specialties and meet the makers of hand-made cheese and the local liqueur, Limoncello. In the afternoon we travel to Amalfi from where we walk to Atrani, a unique medieval village. We continue to Ravello, known as La citta della musica, where we visit Villa Rufolo (one time home of Richard Wagner) and the gardens of Villa Cimbrone. Villa Rufolo hosts many classical concerts and you may like to attend an evening concert. Walks: 30 minute walk from Amalfi to Atrani Day 8 Tue 24 Apr Praiano Our destination today is the delightful fishing village of Praiano. We commence our walk from the hotel down steep, rocky steps, along terraces of olives and vineyards. Our first stop is Piazza di S.Luca which offers marvellous views. We continue down to a small fishing cove, Marina di Praia, where we will have lunch and a swim in the sea. We return home with local transfers. Meals: B, L, D Walks: 7km; 638m descent, with an uneven path; initial 300m is very steep on rocky, uneven steps; final 150m descent to Marina di Praia is on a good path and well-made concrete steps Day 9 Wed 25 Apr Reggia di Caserta For contrast this morning, we drive to the magnificent Reggia di Caserta, a vast 18 th century palace known as the Versailles of Naples. Construction commenced in 1752 for the Bourbon King, Charles III, and was completed almost 20 years later. The palace has 1,200 rooms, 1,790 windows and 34 staircases! Behind the palace are magnificent parks and gardens stretching over 3km. We return to Agerola in time for our evening meal. Walks: Guided tour of Caserta Palace For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 4

5 TOUR continued... Day 10 Thu 26 Apr Free day Enjoy a free day for walking, relaxing on the beach or sightseeing at your leisure. Your tour leader, Enzo will provide options and information. Meals: B Walks: Your choice Day 11 Fri 27 Apr Overnight ferry to Lipari This morning is free to prepare for our journey to Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian Islands. We will have a barbecue lunch in a beautiful rural spot along the Path of the Gods before our coach takes us to Naples. Our overnight ferry to Lipari departs at 9pm. Dinner and breakfast are not provided on the ferry but it is possible to buy food on board or you may wish to buy some snacks to take with you. Meals: B, L Day 12 Sat 28 Apr Lipari We arrive at Lipari around 9.30am and make our way to our accommodation. The Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) are made up of seven small islands: Vulcano, Stromboli, Lipari, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea, which were formed by a number of volcanic eruptions. The Greeks believed these windswept places were the home of Aeolus, the God of the Winds. Today is free to explore the Castello, Lipari s ancient acropolis. Meals: D Day 13 Sun 29 Apr Vulcano This morning, we take a leisurely walk from our hotel to the southernmost point, Punta Capparo from where you can see the famous Faraglioni (dramatic rocks that rise from the sea) and the island of Vulcano. We continue up to the International Geophysics observatory at Monte Guardia which offers spectacular views, before our descent to the centre of Lipari. This afternoon we take a boat trip to Vulcano, where you may like to join an optional climb to the crater (elevation 380m). You may also like to soak in the sulphur baths or cover yourself with the therapeutic mud! Walks: 2hr / 7km walk; good track with small rocky sections, gradual 230m ascent and steep 230m descent. Optional Walk: 2½hr / 5km volcano walk following a well graded gravel path that zigzags to the crater rim, 380m ascent / descent. Day 14 Mon 30 Apr Taormina After a free morning to explore Lipari or visit the Archaeological Museum, we depart the island by ferry and head for Milazzo situated on Sicily s north eastern tip. Taormina is Sicily s most famous resort, renowned for its splendid position high on Monte Tauro (elevation 200m), with Mount Etna as the backdrop. Our accommodation for the next five nights is situated 5km from Taormina in the coastal resort of Letojanni. Day 15 Tue 01 May Taormina Castelmola Castelmola (elevation 530m) is a small village situated above Taormina. We take the public bus to Taormina, and then climb the ancient steps to a church built into the rocks, Madonna della Rocce (elevation 350m). We continue walking along a steep but good path to Castelmola, where we can sample the local almond granita. The rest For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 5

6 TOUR continued... of the day is free to explore Taormina and the wonderful 14 th and 15 th century palaces that have been well-preserved. A definite highlight is the Teatro Greco which is the second largest theatre in Sicily after Siracusa. Walks: Round trip Taormina-Castelmola: elevation: 330m steep ascent on a concrete path. Castelmola-Taormina: gradual descent on a rocky path with some rocky steps. On the way up you will be given the option of the public bus to avoid the steep ascent. Day 16 Wed 02 May Castiglione Today we visit the medieval village of Castiglione di Sicilia (Castle of the Lion). The town is situated on a rocky spur along the Alcantara valley and dates back to the 4 th century BC. We explore the town on foot before following old mule tracks to Gole Alcantara, a gorge of basalt rock created by the eruption of the volcano Monte Moio around 2400BC. Our walk takes us along the Alcantara River, one of the four main rivers in Sicily, and ends at the gorge. Depending on the level of the Alcantara River, it may be possible to descend into the gorge and cross a small section of the river. There will be time for a drink or gelati before our bus takes us back to our hotel. Walks: 9km, gradual 400m descent on a good, wide path with some rocky sections. The final 45m descent to the gorge is a steep, narrow and overgrown path. Day 17 Thu 03 May Free day in Taormina Enjoy a free day where your tour leader, Enzo will provide options and information. Meals: B Walks: Your choice Day 18 Fri 04 May Mt Etna On our last full day, we explore the northern flank of Mount Etna, 30km from Catania. Historical basalt lava flows cover much of the surface of this massive and still active volcano. We start our day driving south to the small village of Milo, known for its wonderful fresh produce and wine. Our walk begins through a lush, wooded area dominated by beech and birch trees. The path gently climbs and we soon pass over some of the most recent lava flows. Our destination is Piano Provenzana, (elevation 1800m) where we meet our vehicle. NB: This walk will depend on weather conditions and the eruptive state of Mount Etna, which will be reviewed with our local guide. Meals: B, L, D Walks: 2hr / 350m ascent / descent on volcanic scree and old lava Day 19 Sat 05 May Tour end Our tour ends after breakfast. A morning transfer will be provided from Taormina to Catania Airport. Connections are available to European cities from Catania. Meals: B Images used in this itinerary are courtesty of David Male, John Harston and John Larkin. For bookings call visit or info@parktours.com.au 6

7 REDISCOVER EXPERIENCE CONNECT WHY TRAVEL WITH US? InterNATIONAL PARKtours have been leading small group walking holidays since Our like-minded guests bond easily and often create reunions, celebrations and friendships, many of them lifelong. Our tours are active with regular half and full day walks. Aside from walking, we also spend time meeting local people, tasting regional food and immersing ourselves in the culture and history of a destination. Our flexibility enables us to adapt to the likes, dislikes and agility of our travellers, and changing situations such as weather and unforeseen circumstances. In most locations, we stay 2-3 nights and sometimes longer. This allows us to slow down, unpack our bags and enjoy the local atmosphere at different times of the day. Accommodation is comfortable, unique plus locally owned and operated where possible. Our guides are dedicated, informative people who share their passion and knowledge on local history, culture, wildlife & topography. Our journeys are designed to safeguard the ecosystems; benefit the communities we visit and contribute to the sustainability of destinations. Travel is a chance to change your perspective. Nature always provides a new view if we take the time to look. IPT offers great value for money with their programmes. There is minimum spending money needed once on tour and there are no hidden extras along the way. Judy & Peter Hughes I know that you get the blue ribbon extras with IPT and I was in the mood to be spoilt. Judy Potkonen Disclaimer of Liability Although international PARKtours has prepared the Information contained in this itinerary with all due care and updates the Information regularly, international PARKtours does not warrant or represent that the Information is free from errors or omission. Whilst the Information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the Information. The Information may change without notice and international PARKtours is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user. Itinerary Updated: September 27, :55 AM Responsible Travel For your protection, we are allied members of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents. Your payments are kept in a trust account until required for payment of your tour. We are accredited with ATAS, a national accreditation scheme, endorsing travel agents who have met strict financial and customer service criteria. We also have advanced accreditation with Ecotourism Australia and are members of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Serendipity of travel Our guides will work 24/7 on your behalf to make sure that we are doing all we can to ensure your enjoyment. We have planned an intimate adventure, but adventure cannot be guaranteed. If indeed it could then it would lose its appeal. Though we do the best we can to plan a smooth journey, sometimes things change at short notice. Some things may take longer than anticipated, transport and accommodation arrangements may alter, and you may experience occasional shortcomings and be frustrated by the manana attitude; at other times you will be amazed by local efficiency. Tour itineraries may need to be modified but this is done so with your needs in mind and to provide the best tour experience. So, be flexible, surprised and delighted with the serendipity that comes from being open to the unexpected. Your enjoyment of this journey is ultimately up to you. T T F Timbarra Drive Beechmont QLD 4211 Australia info@parktours.com.au