Compare Italian Campaign Tour by Stephen Ambrose Tours vs Amalfi Coast, Capri & Rome Break by Original Travel
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 10 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 3,790 | $ 3,145 |
| Price Per Day | $ 379 | $ 393 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Luxury |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
8 Breakfasts and 7 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
Winston Churchill called Italy, the “soft underbelly,” of Europe, but the 5th Army as commanded by General Mark Clark found the campaign for Italy anything but “soft.” It was literally and figuratively an uphill struggle pitched against one of the most competent commanders in the German war machine, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring. Sometimes referred to as “the Forgotten Campaign,” the Allied effort in Italy that we cover on the Italian Campaign Tour was actually of terrific significance. As historians have noted, the campaign became a proving ground for Allied capabilities on sea, land, and in the air. Amphibious landings with Higgins crafts on the beaches of Italy provided crucial training for the Normandy invasion. Proceeding to fight and push the Germans north, the Allied forces in Italy created another front for Hitler, dividing his defense of the Reich. After the 15th Air Force established its bases in Italy, the Allies destroyed 6,282 enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. PLEASE NOTE: We offer a post-tour to Florence. |
The fact that Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country on the planet, that the food is mouth wateringly good, and that the landscapes are so varied and so beautiful, makes it as near perfect destination as you get. This eight day itinerary is the ideal antipasto to a lifetime of love for Italy; with a taste of its coastal glamour, island life Italian-style, and a side of city life you'll be left wanting more and more. |
DAY 1 Flight
Flight from a city of origin to Fiumicino Airport, Rome.
DAY 2 Paestum
After landing in Rome, the group will travel by luxury motor coach to Paestum. In the evening we will have dinner and our historian will provide an introduction and briefing on what to expect during the tour.
DAY 3 Sorrento
We begin the day at the beaches near Paestum on the Gulf of Salerno. Here is where the 36th Division came ashore in September 1943. We will visit the 36th Division Monument and its surrounding park that have been restored over the past several years before we proceed to the ruins.
The ancient Greeks came to this area around 650 BC and settled there after viewing the wide-open beaches, the scenic beauty and the potential of the fertile land. Later, we will cross the Sele Bridge on our drive to Maiori (on the left flank of the invasion). By the end of the day, we will climb the precipitous Chiunzi Pass where the Rangers crossed and held a strategic position for moving across the Sorrento Peninsula. We return to the Sorrento hotel for the evening.
DAY 4 Sorrento
The group will take the ferry across to the verdant, flower-strewn Isle of Capri. Medieval churches, villas, scenic walks and pleasant cafes are just part of the appeal. As options, you can choose to take a short trip to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, or just enjoy the charming town of Sorrento. We will return to Sorrento for the night.
DAY 5 Cassino
We depart Sorrento after breakfast, heading to Cassino on the Appian Way and travel through the Mignano Pass to the Mount Lungo Museum. Monte Cassino, San Pietro, and Monte Lungo formed the defensive line dominating the approach to the Liri Valley. We will visit the ruins of the old village of San Pietro above the modern town, and review the destruction, troop actions and the German scorched earth policy of the battle that took place.
DAY 6 Anzio
After breakfast, we will visit the Abbey of Monte Cassino. The Abbey has been destroyed several times since its founding in the 6th Century by St. Benedict. The most severe damage came at the Battle of Cassino in May 1944. After the Allies had taken Naples, the Germans made Cassino the key stronghold in the system of defenses guarding the approaches to Rome. On May 17, the Allies launched their final assault, with the Polish corps as the spearhead. After a raging battle, the Germans abandoned Cassino on the following day. This allowed the Allies to join forces and opened the road to Rome. After the war, the abbey was rebuilt according to the original designs.
After this visit, we will head to the Polish and German cemeteries. We'll continue with a scenic tour along the Rapido and Liri Rivers on the old highway. The end of the day will find us enjoying a wonderful dinner and overnight stay in Anzio.
DAY 7 Anzio
This morning we go to Nettuno, where, along with Anzio, the American troops landed in January 1944. We will visit the Museo dell Sparco Allevato (Museum of the Allied Landing). We then make a pilgrimage to the invasion beaches and the U.S. Cemetery, where 7862 Americans are buried. We will overnight in Anzio.
DAY 8 Rome
Our group will depart for Rome in the morning and visit Cisterna along the way. Upon arrival, we will visit the Crypt and War Memorial at this site, which was a German victory and setback for the Rangers. We then go on to Rome for dinner and our hotel. Our final dinner together will be this evening, where we can review the Italian Campaign.
DAY 9 Rome
We will begin the day with a 4-hour city tour with a local guide. Among the sites are the Coliseum, Pantheon, Forum, Trevi Fountain and Vatican City. This is where we say Ciao to all our new friends. Guests will have free time in the afternoon.
DAY 10 Home
Transfer to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport/Fiumicino Airport (airport code FCO).
Day 1: UK – Naples
Accommodation: Casa Angelina
There are several flights a day from London and other UK airports, with the flights ranging from two and a half to three hours. Upon arrival at Naples airport, meet your driver in arrivals to be chauffeured to your hotel on the beautiful Amalfi Coast.
The journey should take around an hour and a half and along the way you’ll catch your first glimpses of the rocky clifftop views Amalfi is so famous for. Once checked in and freshened up, head out for your first, wonderfully Italian, meal of the holiday.
Day 2: Pompeii
Recover from perhaps rather an over indulgence of lovely Italian wine last night with a leisurely breakfast and lots of coffee, polished off on your hotel's terrace. By mid-morning and now feeling ready for the day, it's time to hit the road with a private transfer one hour north to the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Completely buried (sometimes to a depth of 20ft) by burning hot ash after the devastating eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, these astonishingly well preserved Roman towns were rediscovered under the now solidified pumice rock in 1788, and are now a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The beautiful volcanic backdrop is a poignant reminder of the power of nature. Amazingly you can still walk down intact Roman streets and wander into what would have been temples, shops and cafes; and your private guide will really help you to get to grips with the layout and day to day activities that once filled this fascinating place. Our guides are exceptionally well qualified and know the crowd free areas of Pompeii and Herculaneaum like the back of their hands, so if you want to design your own route or have a particular sight you really want to see, then they can easily adapt the tour to suit
Day 3: Path of the Gods
Get up nice and early this morning as we’ve planned a spectacular walk for you, and you don’t want to be doing it in the midday heat! A hearty breakfast is also going to be key, so enjoy it in the sunshine as you slowly wake up. The walk we recommend is along the Sentiero degli Dei, or Path of the Gods.
To get there you’ll take a half an hour taxi from the hotel to the start of the trail, which is on the outskirts of Bomerano. From here it is an easy three hour walk to Nocelle, where your driver will be waiting to meet you and take you back to the hotel - after a long leisurely lunch of course! We think the trail certainly lives up to its name and provides some of the most dramatic and haunting panoramic views in Europe. Plus, it’s almost always blissfully quiet so as you take in the clifftop ocean views, it can like just you and the mountains. John Steinbeck rhapsodised in 1953 that the Amalfi Coast was, ‘a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there but becomes beckoningly real after you are gone.’ Sounds about right. Spend your last night on the Amalfi coast capturing some final shots of the cliff edge and the sunset over the ocean. When you’re ready, head to Restaurant Il Refettorio at Monastero Santa Rosa for dinner, where Chef Bob will ensure your meal is full of fresh local ingredients and precision-perfect flavour. The fusilli with baby squid, Piennolo’s tomatoes and basil scented aubergine comes particularly highly recommended.
Day 4: Amalfi Coast – Capri
Accommodation: Capri Palace hotel or JK Place Capri
After breakfast this morning you will be collected from the hotel and driven to the port in Sorrento or Amalfi (depending on where you are staying) where you will board a fast ferry to Capri - which should take anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour, with an impressive arrival into the harbour in Capri. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Capri which should take around 15 minutes.
Enjoy lunch either at the hotel or at one of the lovely restaurants on the island recommended in our detailed Dossier. This afternoon you can relax by the pool until evening and then indulge in that most Italian of traditions, the passeggiata, or evening stroll. By now the day-trippers have departed the island and it will be you and the Caprese locals wandering the pretty streets of Capri town. The Piazzetta is the 'finish line', and this tiny square is home to four fun bars, the best of which is the original, Al Piccolo. Try and grab a table on the first floor terrace (gold dust) and watch the square fill up while nursing a Bellini made with fresh island-grown peaches. Next stop, dinner, and we can pre-book a table at Aurora, home to the pizza all'aqua (a lighter take on the traditional Neapolitan pizza base) and every visiting A-lister. Blag yourself a table (again, gold dust, but we can help) outside on buzzing Via Fuorlovado for prime people watching and choose an oversize bottle from the peerless Italian wine list.
Day 5: The Isle of Capri
You’ve only got one full day on Capri, so make the most of it. Spend the morning wandering around the town stocking up on classic Capri pants for the ladies and dapper trousers from Laboratorio for the chaps before descending the sinuous steps down a cliff face to the water’s edge for lunch at Caprese institution Fontelina restaurant overlooking the iconic limestone Faraglioni rocks that rise vertiginously from the sea just offshore.
Despite its charmingly low-key vibe (thatched roof, open sides, beach umbrellas), so popular has the place become that they do two lunchtime sittings, and we will have booked you a table here. Order the spaghetti vongole and a jug of the delicious house sangria and when you’ve finished go for a refreshing swim around the rocks before you are picked up from the Fontelina jetty for an afternoon cruise around the island. Your skipper will keep you stocked up with chilled Peronis as you motor around and between the Faraglioni rocks before Capri heading around to the other side of the island and the Blue Grotto, a large sea cave that glows a mysterious piercing azure as if there’s an internal light source shining up from the cave floor. During the day the cave is crowded with visitors who are rowed in in tiny rowing boats.
Day 6: Capri – Rome
Accommodation: Hotel de Russie
After an earlyish breakfast you will be transferred back to the harbour in time for you to take the hydrofoil or fast catamaran ferry back to the mainland – this time into Naples - which will take around an hour.
You will be transferred around two and a half hours north into the city centre of Rome. As before, we’ve planned this so you will arrive in time for lunch, and our trusty Dossier should again come in use. This afternoon is yours to spend wandering and acclimatising to the buzz of city life. As evening settles in, sip an Aperol Spritz or two and then explore bohemian Trastevere - the old Jewish Quarter and home to many of the city’s best restaurants - in search of the perfect Italian dinner.
Day 7: When in Rome
Feeling fully refuelled after a good night's sleep, it's time for a full day of exploration. Despite the wealth of things to do and sites to see, Rome is a surprisingly small city, and arguably best explored on foot.
For first timers it's probably best to start at the beginning with a tour of the ancient city centre - the Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum, and we have booked a local guide who can bring an already colourful story even more vividly to life on a morning tour of Imperial Rome. Then, after lunch, pay a visit to the smallest country on Earth - Vatican City. We will have pre-arranged tickets to view the Sistine Chapel but if you want to splash the cash we can also arrange a private view of Michelangelo's masterpiece.
Additional Activities
Private Tours - we can arrange private tours of Palazzo Colonna, Palazzo del Quirinale or Galleria Villa Borghese
Foodie Rome Tour
Hidden Rome - a half day guided tour with an archaeologist to explore underground Rome, a labyrinth of ancient crypts, sewers, tunnels and buildings
Day 8: Rome - UK
It might be your final day but the trip isn’t over yet. A visit to the effortlessly fashionable Italian capital wouldn’t be complete without a spot of shopping; so whether you treat yourself to a new Prada handbag, a classic Italian scarf, or just a great bottle of wine, make sure you do go home with some goodies.
Depending on what time your flight is, there might be time for one last lunch and a gelato (can we tell we’re rather parial to Italian ice cream?) in the sun, before a private transfer to the airport for the two and a half to three hour flight.
