Current as of: November 21, 2024 - 09:51
Current as of: November 21, 2024 - 09:51
3 out of 7 - Moderate
Walk the Amalfi Coast, where cliffs rise sharply from the Mediterranean Sea and pastel-coloured fishing towns nestle in the coves below. It’s a special place for anyone who visits but is a spiritual home for us. We’re a pioneer of group walking getaways here with more than 20 years’ experience running this trip, while our family-run hotel in the village of Bomerano, away from the bustle, has welcomed countless numbers of our groups. The result is a finely tuned adventure taking in: ancient hillsides; quaint towns, including Positano, Ravello and Amalfi itself; a visit to Mount Vesuvius and the remains of Pompeii; and arguably the best coastal walk in the world: the Path of the Gods.
Walking in summer?
If you wish to travel in July or August, the warmest months, we offer a special itinerary on selected weeks. It features shortened, easier walks, visits to beaches with few tourists, free time in Sorrento, and a visit by boat to Positano. See Walking The Amalfi Coast – Summer Edition for dates, prices and the day-to-day schedule.
Highlights
This trip involves four days of walking with low altitude throughout and has an average rating of Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit our Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.
Considering all of this, we recommend you arrive physically prepared to tackle slightly more challenging routes by exercising regularly before the trip. You should also bring suitable equipment with you, including sturdy hiking boots and walking poles, and always stay hydrated.
Accommodation: It’s likely there will be more than one group at Hotel Due Torri, which is also occasionally open to non-Exodus guests. Nevertheless, our experienced team of leaders is used to this and tailor itineraries to ensure you enjoy each activity with your own small group. Any additional groups are either on a different tour or follow an alternative itinerary.
High season: From May to September, popular towns along the Amalfi Coast, such as Positano and Amalfi, plus the island of Capri, can be busy.
Adult min age: 16
Min group size: 4
Max group size: 16
Those on the group flights will be met in Naples airport by the tour leader. A transfer of approximately 1hr 20min takes us to Hotel Due Torri, our base for the week in the village of Bomerano, on the Agerola plains above the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy a warm welcome from local hosts the Acampora family before settling in.
Please note: It is possible the order of the itinerary will be changed to ensure the best possible conditions for each activity during the trip. All listed activities and services will be included. Your leader will inform you of any changes locally after assessing conditions.
Want to extend your adventure? Speak to your sales representative about joining our pre-tour extension in Rome or adding extra nights to your trip, either at Hotel Due Torri or the four-star Palazzo Salgar in Naples.
Enjoy a warm welcome from our local hosts, the Acampora family, who run our base for the week, Hotel Due Torri. If you have time, you may want to get out and explore the village, Bomerano, a quaint retreat high in the hills and away from the often-busy Amalfi Coast below. Once everyone’s ready, we enjoy a welcome briefing at the hotel – a great chance to get to know the group a little, meet our leader and ask any questions you may have.
Want to extend your adventure? Speak to your sales representative about joining our pre-tour extension in Rome or adding extra nights to your trip, either at Hotel Due Torri or the four-star Palazzo Salgar in Naples.
From the hotel, it’s a short stroll to the village square (or, in Bomerano’s case, a triangle) and the start of today’s walk. The circular route provides a good chance to stretch our legs; following a mixture of paths and tracks, we summit Monte Tre Calli to be rewarded with wide-open views of the jagged coastline and seemingly endless blue sea. The Agerola Plain and Bomerano are laid out below us and, on a clear day, we can see as far as Capri, an idyllic island hideout for many celebrated artists and writers over the past 200 years. After admiring the majestic scenery, descend to Bomerano and enjoy a rest before a hearty dinner.
We walk towards Amalfi, a town popular with the British since Edwardian times when the upper classes favoured it as a pleasant place to spend their winters. The route has a downhill bias, following the path from Bomerano at 2,297ft (700m) to the Mediterranean shores, accompanied by wonderful coastal views. There are approximately 2,000 steps today, but also plenty of opportunities to rest and go at your own pace. On arrival, we see the large duomo (cathedral) dominating the town with a brightly tiled cupola (dome), which, along with the baroque facade and interior, is a typical example of regional architecture. Take time to explore the town, swim in the small bay or enjoy a gelato before a transfer back to Bomerano.
We transfer to the slopes of Vesuvius to view the volcanic crater, which also overlooks the beautiful Bay of Naples, the waters of which span between Naples, the regional capital, and Sorrento, the town famed for lemon groves. Depending on weather conditions, it may be possible to join an expert volcanologist on an extended walk around the caldera and beyond (optional).
After lunch, we travel by bus to Pompeii. On the lower foothills of the volcano, it was a thriving port town until Vesuvius catastrophically erupted over two days in 79CE and the city was buried in ash and pumice. Lost for 1,700 years, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the preserved remains providing an amazing insight into life in a Roman city, complete with bathhouses, bakeries and homes – some of which still have walls adorned with detailed frescoes. You may explore the site this afternoon, perhaps opting for a detailed tour accompanied by a local guide.
Today’s walk starts in Ravello, a town favoured by the Bloomsbury set and other artists and intellectuals due to its secluded location and inspirational scenery. Before setting off for the walk, we have free time to explore the town and visit Villa Cimbrone or Villa Rufolo with their meticulously landscaped gardens and breathtaking sea views (optional). The route today is mostly downhill with a considerable number of steps. After descending and taking a quick stop in Pontone village, we continue along wooden bridges and shady paths carpeted with wildflowers in season, to the beautiful moss-clad waterfalls within the closed gates of Valle delle Ferriere nature reserve. Finally, following the stream gently downwards through lemon groves, past the shells of former paper factories (a major local industry from the 12th to 19th centuries) and medieval ironworks, we reach Amalfi.
Enjoy a day at leisure to relax at the hotel or go to the seafront. The hotel also offers a range of private transfers to some of the most popular attractions in the region. Options include visiting Herculaneum, which was also destroyed during the Vesuvius eruption. The city was buried in mud rather than ash; some say this led to the site being even better preserved than the bigger Pompeii. You might instead choose to take a ferry to the chic island of Capri and the funicular through lemon groves up to Capri town. Furthermore, Sorrento or the National Archaeological Museum of Naples are also possible.
Please note, all these optional excursions are subject to availability and payable locally (activity prices are dependent on the number of people joining). The tour leader will assist you with bookings and arrangements. Alternatively, spend the day by the pool or in true Italian style in a cafe, sipping espresso and watching the world pass.
We take one of the finest walks on the planet. Leaving the hotel, it’s a short stroll through quiet Bomerano before we join the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), which provides some of the most evocative views in the world: ragged cliffs speckled with tiny villages and extensive vistas of the sparkling Mediterranean. The route follows rolling hills, the contours of the land and the coast. The trail is broken by insights into local life, passing shepherd huts and ancient stone houses carved into the limestone before we descend a long series of steps to colourful Positano, an almost vertical town clinging to the rockface of a sheltered bay. Take time to explore the alleyways lined with wisteria and designer boutiques or have a dip in the sea before returning to Bomerano by boat and bus (seasonal) in the late afternoon. Before dinner, we can see how the local smoked mozzarella is made and taste the mouth-wateringly fresh final product.
This morning marks our last breakfast at the hotel. We transfer to Naples and fly back to London.
This morning is our last at the hotel, which may feel more like a second home by now. If your flight leaves later this evening, you’re welcome to make use of the hotel facilities after check-out and enjoy an optional lunch here.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, join our post-trip extension to Rome, where you can explore with a ‘hop on, hop off’ guided bus tour that visits icons of the city, including the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.
Extend your adventure with a pre- or post-tour exploration of Rome. The Eternal City, with history and culture at every turn, offers the perfect introduction to Italy. Speak to your sales representative to check the availability of your chosen package.
1. Comfort Rome city extension
Package includes:
2. Deluxe Rome city extension:
Package includes:
Single supplements are available on request for both extensions.
Please note: It is possible the order of the itinerary listed above will be changed to ensure the best possible conditions for each activity during the trip. All listed activities and services will be included. Your leader will inform you of any changes locally after assessing conditions.
Ascents, descents and distances: All ascents, descents and distances listed in the daily itinerary have been measured by our local partners or tour leaders, in many cases with satellite-based mapping software. However, different GPS measuring devices can give differing results, particularly on winding paths or in mountainous terrain. Measurements stated throughout these Trips Notes are given to help you understand the types of terrain and distances you will encounter. Timings stated will vary depending on the pace of your group.
We spend seven nights at Hotel Due Torri, a mid-sized hotel run by the welcoming Acampora family, who turn out authentic Campanian dishes in the restaurant and put on a show with their fun pizza-making demonstrations.
It sits in Bomerano, a peaceful village that forms part of the Agerola municipality, up in the hills and away from the often-bustling Amalfi Coast.
Being higher up, the hotel benefits from cooler nights, although beaches are not too far away. There is a small heated outdoor pool (usually open from mid-April to mid-October) and energy is generated by a solar panel system.
The 41 rooms vary in style and size and are spread across two main buildings and two cosy apartments a short walk from the main hotel. A limited number of upgraded rooms, which include a hot tub, power shower and fridge, are also available for a supplement payable before departure. Please ask your sales representative for further information.
Amenities
Worth knowing
Single supplement from £ 295
Take the opportunity to ease into the trip, adjusting to the time zone and atmosphere at a more leisurely pace before the official tour begins. The following options are usually available on this trip:
Speak to your sales representative for a tailor-made quote and to confirm availability of your chosen package.
Take the opportunity to ease into the trip, adjusting to the time zone and atmosphere at a more leisurely pace before the official tour begins. The following options are usually available on this trip:
Speak to your sales representative for a tailor-made quote and to confirm availability of your chosen package.
All breakfasts, four packed lunches and six dinners are included.
Breakfast is continental style with a choice of cereals, bread, eggs, ham, cheese, fruits, pastries, yoghurt, orange juice and milk, plus an array of teas/coffee.
Included packed lunches usually consist of a sandwich filled with a choice of cold meats, tuna, or local cheeses.
All evening meals are taken in the hotel, where the chef takes great pride in showcasing the best of regional foods, including dishes such as scialatielli all’amalfitana (homemade pasta with seafood) and branzino all’acqua pazza (sea bass in crazy water). Dinners usually consist of four courses, commencing with antipasti, followed by soup and/or pasta, a main meat dish with salad or vegetables, and dessert.
On certain evenings, there is the opportunity to learn how to make Neapolitan pizza. Please note, drinks are not included with meals but available to purchase.
Several dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free and gluten-free, are also well catered for. Please advise us of any dietary requirement on booking.
Transfers to and from the airport are in a private vehicle (normally a minibus or coach). On other days, private buses and boats are used.
Southern Italy has a hot, dry climate in summer and cooler but sometimes wet spring and autumn periods. Unseasonable cold spells and rain are possible at any time of year, so we recommend bringing some warm clothes, especially useful in Bomerano where evening temperatures can be lower than expected. Summer can be very hot with daytime temperatures in July and August reaching up to 34C-37C (93F-99F) on the coast.
What to expect in the low season (October to March)
Autumn and winter may be cooler than you’d expect; average temperatures in December, January and February are 8C-17C (46F-63F). Prepare for periods of colder weather (with temperatures sometimes dropping to 2C/36F) especially at higher elevations – there may even be snow atop the Lattari Mountains and sometimes in Bomerano itself.
During the winter up to early spring, there is also more rain than usual (with an average of one day in four affected) but there are still plenty of enjoyable crisp sunny days. Overall, the Amalfi Coast is still a great destination in winter as the coastline is beautiful year-round and you have the chance to visit the sights without the summer crowds and traffic.
Key information
Start hotel: Hotel Due Torri, Via Divina Costiera, 9, 80051 Agerola NA
Phone: +39 081 879 1257
Recommended arrival time: Between 4pm and 6pm at Hotel Due Torri. However, if you have any special requests, you can contact your sales representative
Airport: Naples International Airport (NAP)
Getting to Hotel Due Torri
Hotel Due Torri is approximately a one-hour drive from the airport. Your options for this journey are:
Take an Exodus transfer
Make your own way
It’s possible to reach the start hotel by public transport, but the journey is complicated. We therefore recommend joining the group transfers where possible. If not, contact your sales representative before departure to arrange a private pick-up on arrival. This costs between €80 and €160 depending on the number of people sharing the vehicle. For more information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
If the departure transfers do not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange a private transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Bomerano (Agerola)
Location end: Bomerano (Agerola)
Remember to check the expiration date of your passport if travelling internationally. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date of your scheduled return.
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html
Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.
There are no required vaccinations. However, ticks are known to be present in this region and can carry Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis and other diseases. Please take care to protect yourself. You can read more about ticks here.
Italy's time zone: Europe/Rome (UTC +01:00)
Italy's electricity: Plug types C (two round pins, European standard), F (two round pins), and L (three round pins in a row) – 230V, 50Hz
Italy's currency: Euros (EUR)
The nearest ATM and bank to our accommodation is a short walk away. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most shops and restaurants although cash is generally easier. Therefore, we recommend obtaining some cash in euros before travelling or on arrival at Naples airport.
For lunches not included, budget €15-€25, depending on whether you choose a set menu in a cafe or restaurant. Approximately €30-€40 should be enough for an evening meal including drinks.
Local taxes: Many Italian cities have a tourist tax for non-residents. This is collected by the accommodation provider at check-in or check-out. For this trip, please allow €14. Children and people aged 75 or over are exempt from this tax.
Optional activities payable locally:
Although optional, a tip for the tour leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline, we recommend a contribution of €20 per client per tour leader. We also recommend a minimum of €10 per group for local guides at Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. It is also customary to tip private bus drivers (please allow approximately €10 per person for the week). Groups normally like to show their appreciation for hotel staff by leaving a tip at the end of their stay. We recommend a contribution of approximately €15 per person for the local staff at the hotel.
At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.
As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.
Learn more about our Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan, including our commitment to rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller
Read about the work of the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation.
Find out how you can travel more sustainably here.
Water safety
This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.
Your safe participation
When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call the Exodus office and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.
By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
When you’re ready to book, go to our website for online bookings, book over the phone or you can complete a booking form (available online or on request by calling us). We accept all major credit and debit cards, or you can pay be cheque.
After booking
You will receive your booking confirmation letter and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements.
Full joining instructions, including local emergency numbers and details of how to reach the start point, will be sent to you approximately two to three weeks prior to departure. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier, please contact our office or your travel agent.
Trip Note validity
These Trip Notes are valid from the “Current as” date on page one. They will occasionally be updated after booking and before departure; if there are any updates that significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary, customers will be written to separately. They will also receive a link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes with their Final Joining Instructions before travelling.
The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. Where differences exist between the Trip Notes and our current brochure or website, the Trip Notes supersede the brochure and website. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes; to enjoy them you should be prepared to be flexible where necessary. Occasionally, it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. This may be for a variety of reasons – climatic, political, physical or other. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.
Licensing
Exodus is fully licensed and bonded as a tour operator. We hold Air Traffic Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2582, issued and bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). We are also bonded to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and we are members of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) and ABTA – The Travel Association. This means you can book your Exodus holiday with confidence, as all money paid to us for your trip is fully protected.