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Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

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3.8 stars(68 reviews)
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Small Group

Uncover Southern Italy’s most spectacular coastline

You are viewing the 2023 itinerary. Select your departure year
20232024
12 days From £2,995 per person

2023 Tour code: ICS23

About the tour

Explore the Amalfi Coast, without a doubt one of Europe's most visually stunning regions. Starting with two nights in Rome, we continue to Sorrento, a pretty town that looks over the stunning Bay of Naples - the gateway to Capri, the Amalfi Coast and the lost city of Pompeii.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – London and Lyon

We meet at London St Pancras and take the Eurostar to Paris. We change trains for Lyon, a historic French city on the banks of the Rhône and Saône. We check into a local hotel here where we spend the night.

Please Note: For departures 27/09/2023 you will overnight at the Mercure Chambery hotel in Chambery.

For departures 11/10/2023 you will overnight at the Hotel Le Cinq Chambery in Chambery

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Meal
Day 2 – Rome

Leaving Lyon behind, we continue to the Italian capital of Rome. The ancient city is a feast for the senses, from its celebrated fountains to its intimate cafés filled with the inviting aroma of coffee. Rome's architecture charts the passage of time as clearly as anywhere in Europe, with wonderfully preserved monuments from the early Romans and buildings with distinctive medieval, Renaissance and Baroque features. The most famous sights are a real wonder to behold - no photo can prepare you for the awesome sight of the Colosseum or Trevi Fountain close up.

Please Note: For departure 03/05/2023 you will stay at the NH Collection Roma Centro in Rome

For departure 11/10/2023 you will stay at the Bettoja Hotel Mediterraneo, in Rome

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 – Rome

We get to the heart of ancient Rome today on a guided city tour, seeing the best that this enticing city has to offer. Our tour takes in the Roman Forum, once the political and religious centre for the Roman Empire and now a striking ruin. We also see the Trevi Fountain, Rome's best-known fountain, which was built for Pope Clement XII and almost fills the small Piazza di Trevi. Later, you're free to savour the sights and sounds of Rome. You could visit St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, stroll through the atmospheric streets, ascend the Spanish Steps, or relax with a gelato in one of the city's squares.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 – Sorrento

Today we travel to Sorrento, a pretty town set in its own small bay, within the vast Bay of Naples, perched on a natural terrace above dramatic cliffs that overlook the sea. The narrow, cobbled streets feature Renaissance palaces and Romanesque churches, surrounded by hillsides of fragrant lemon orchards. Sorrento is famous for its citrus products, such as Limoncello - a liqueur made with lemon rind - which we sample during a stroll through the town's cobbled streets and colourful squares. Our base for seven nights is the 4-Star Hilton Sorrento Palace in the centre of Sorrento.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 – The Amalfi Coast

We uncover the beauty of the Amalfi Coast today from its glistening waters. First, we cruise to Positano, where pastel houses stud the hillsides and, at the beach, fishermen haul their wooden boats as they did decades ago. We continue to Amalfi, the 'Jewel of the Amalfi Coast'. Here, you could visit St Andrew's Cathedral, which overlooks the Piazza del Duomo. Back in Sorrento, we take part in a pizza-making experience, discovering the secrets to this revered Italian dish before sitting down to enjoy our delicious creations.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 – Pompeii

We catch the Campania Express which takes us to Pompeii, the world-renowned city that was buried by ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. The ash froze Pompeii and its residents in time, and it lay forgotten about until its rediscovery in 1748. Now, after having spent almost two millennia buried under the ash, Pompeii is the best-preserved Roman city in the world. We take a fascinating guided tour around Pompeii, seeing the shops, villas and restaurants that make up the mesmerising city, as well as the Amphitheatre and Grand Theatre.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 – Sorrento

Today is free to enjoy the relaxed town of Sorrento. You could explore the narrow streets filled with pretty Renaissance buildings, or relax in the central square, Piazza Tasso - a perfect place to watch the world go by. The beautiful Chiesa di San Francesco is highly recommended. Situated beside the Villa Communale Park, the church features Arabic porticos and bougainvillea blooms across its interlaced arches. There are plenty of tempting options for lunch, and you'll find several craft shops selling locally-produced ceramics, lacework and wooden items.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 8 – Herculaneum

We travel by coach to Herculaneum, a lesser-known Roman city that was also buried, and magically preserved, under the volcanic ashes of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. Due to its close proximity to Mount Vesuvius, the eruption that blasted Pompeii had a similar effect here, fossilising much of the town. We make our way through the preserved ruins, taking in the fascinating sights of ancient life. Herculaneum was wealthier than Pompeii and is known for its magnificent palaces and mansions, some featuring beautiful frescoes. We continue to a local agriturismo - a type of Italian farmhouse - where we're served a traditional lunch of local produce, including homemade limoncello and mozzarella.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9 – Sorrento

Enjoy another day to yourself in lovely Sorrento. You could soak up the views on a walk around the town - on a clear day, the views from Sorrento include the city of Naples, renowned Mount Vesuvius and the island of Ischia. Otherwise head to one of the many inviting cafés or restaurants the town has to offer and indulge in some delicious cuisine. Sorrento is a perfect place to enjoy a long, lazy lunch made using the best of local ingredients, ideally while looking out over the glittering ocean. Maybe try the local gnocchi, or Scialatielli ai frutti di mare - a traditional seafood pasta dish.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 10 – Capri Cruise

We enjoy a cruise to Capri, just off the coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Capri is one of the Mediterranean's most idyllic islands, with breathtaking scenery, azure shores and rocky cliffs. The island has attracted writers and artists for centuries, and today is a popular destination for glamorous travellers from around the globe. Our visit to Capri includes a ticket on the funicular railway, which carries visitors to the centre of the town. You have some free time here, and you'll find plenty of chic boutiques and coffee shops to while away your time. This evening, back on the mainland, we enjoy a final Sorrentine dinner together.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 – Turin or London

We say goodbye to Sorrento today, transferring to the city of Naples. Here, you either travel to the airport for your return flight to the UK or board a train to Turin, where we check into our hotel for an overnight stay.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 – London

Leaving Turin, we travel to Paris where we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal

Additional information

Travel Options

We offer a Standard Class and First Class rail options for departures on this tour. You can find out which class each departure is by clicking on the information button in the table of prices.

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotels

Bettoja Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio, Rome

Bettoja Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio, Rome

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Hilton Sorrento Palace

Hilton Sorrento Palace, Sorrento

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Bettoja Hotel Mediterraneo, Rome

Bettoja Hotel Mediterraneo, Rome

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Starhotels Metropole, Rome

Starhotels Metropole, Rome

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Trains

Eurostar
Frecciargento
Frecciarossa
TGV
Trenitalia

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Extending your European holiday in Paris
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

3.8 stars3.8 / 5 · 68 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (18)
  2. 4 stars
    (32)
  3. 3 stars
    (8)
  4. 2 stars
    (5)
  5. 1 star
    (5)

Jonesy

5 stars

Submitted 22/May

Wonderful trip. Excursions etc were interesting and very well organised. Good balance of free time, two days during the week in Sorrento were ideal as the travel down is quite tiring. New hotel in Sorrento was lovely, beautiful pools, amazing breakfasts. Tour manager Chris was superb. The only rail delay was totally beyond GRJs control but all onward coach travel was rearranged with no fuss. Chris was also very helpful in advising us about a trip to Naples on our free day. A memorable journey that fully lived up to expectations. See you next year!

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Steve T

5 stars

Submitted 8/May

Absolutely fabulous experience and well above our expectations.

Collected by Trustpilot

SJH

5 stars

Submitted 7/May

Fantastic holiday Ria our tour manager was brilliant she made sure we all knew where we needed to be and at what time, any problems (there we a few, mainly with Italian train times) were dealt with quickly and we were kept well informed. The itinery is hectic but enjoyable, as an extra on one of our free days we took a tour up Mount Vesuvius great experience, quite a climb so good shoes and reasonable level of fitness needed we can thoroughly recommend this tour.

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Jenni

3 stars

Submitted 05 Nov 2022

All the arrangements for moving from place to place were excellent. The hotel in Sorrento was not - we felt - worth 4 stars, as the room was not up to expectations and on two occasions our bed was not made up. The towels were not hotel standard. The tour guide was excellent and we found her always extremely helpful.

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C Martinow

1 stars

Submitted 05 Nov 2022

Probably the most disappointing holiday we have ever taken in over 40 years. Even before we left there was the fiasco of having to share a standard case or pay an additional £65 for a 2nd case, plus all the additional drama of filling in the form plus sending photos of our passports - none of which worked - resulting in some people not getting their luggage for several days. The oganisation was poor with extended periods of hanging about in places with no seating. Food provided was very basic and not varied – in Italy! The main hotel was not based in Sorrento which made it difficult and expensive to do anything on free days or find alternative places to eat. It had little in the way of facilities, many of the bedrooms were dire. We started in one and had to be moved as the shower was hung over the centre of a bath with a shower curtain, providing nothing to hold on to and was not safe for someone with Parkinsons. The move proved there were better rooms available but it was in no way a 4 star hotel. Neither the guided visits to Pompeii nor Herculaneum showed the best of either site and a lifelong ambition since being an art student resulted in a wasted opportunity. The journey home was 2 very long days (starting before sunrise on the second day) sitting on trains without meals provided and not even an opportunity to see anything of Turin at our final stop over. Everything felt ‘done on the cheap’ and, despite the best efforts of our tour manager, our previous wonderful experience to India with GRJ seemed as though provided by another company entirely.

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Mark Warrick

5 stars

Submitted 04 Nov 2022

A wonderful holiday with a varied itinerary that included history, spectacular scenery and sunny beaches. Rail travel was smooth and easy and we had some wonderful meals. The hotel in Sorrento was great but its breakfast coffee was best avoided - appalling for Italy - but that was the only poor aspect of a really good time. Tour manager was wonderful.

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