EXCURSIONS TERRESTRES

Mainly a fishing village, Herculaneum was most appreciated for its position overlooking the Bay of Naples. It became very rich as it was chosen as a summer resort by wealthy Romans who built wonderful villas adorned with frescoes, mosaics and great sculptures. There's a feeling about Herculaneum that's quite different from what one feels in other ancient world centers brought to light so far, including Pompeii. Les coulées de boue dévalant le volcan ont apporté pendant des siècles la meilleure protection possible contre les agents atmosphériques et les excavations illégales. See the houses, shops, and baths, including wooden elements, foodstuffs and fabrics that are preserved intact, thus offering a unique vision of their lives long ago. En route, visit a cameo factory nearby to see how the famous jewelry is made and then have some time to browse the store.

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Naples by visiting Spaccanapoli, the street that divides the city, and by savoring folded pizza, a classic Neapolitan treat.

After departing from the pier, you will begin a panoramic drive around Naples, taking in the views from locales such as Posillipo Hill in one of the city’s most affluent areas. Along the way, you will pass the imposing Castle Nuovo.

While parts of it date to the 13th century, it is still known as the new castle to distinguish it from the famed Egg Castle, which began as a 1st-century Roman villa. Castle Nuovo’s five towers make it one of Naples’ most recognizable landmarks. You will also see the Egg Castle, which holds a commanding position on the sea.

In time, you will reach Spaccanapoli, a long street whose name means “Naples splitter,” a reference to it seeming to divide the city in two. Here, you will visit the Jesuit church Gesú Nuovo and the Church of Santa Chiara, which was founded in 1310 and features an austere Provencal-Gothic style. Much of Santa Chiara had to be rebuilt after World War II.

For an even more authentic glimpse into daily life, you will walk through the narrow streets of Old Town, which UNESCO has declared a Cultural Heritage site. As you will discover, there is no better setting to eat portafoglio or folded pizza, as the dish was invented in Naples. A cup of fresh espresso at a nearby café standing at the counter as Neapolitan does will top off the experience.

This walking tour introduces you to some of Naples' best kept secrets, including castles dating back to the 13th century, an underground tunnel built by order of Ferdinand II of Bourbon and the most monumental square of the city. Leaving the port on foot, your first view of the city takes you back to the 13th century with the Castle Nuovo, a grim and gloomy fortress that served as the residence of the kings of Anjou, Aragon, and the Spanish Viceroys. Your walk continues to Piazza Plebiscito, a noble piazza, undoubtedly the most famous square in Naples. Enjoy some free time here for shopping or taking in the views.

You'll walk through the Bourbon Tunnel designed by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and his architect some 150 years ago. Here in the underground, discover the aqueduct of Carmignano, a military path of the XIX Century, the bomb shelters used during the Second World War and buried vintage cars and motorbikes. As you reach street level again, continue along the seaside and you'll see Castle of the Egg in Santa Lucia with its spectacular waterfront views.

Enjoy the rare opportunity to drive through a still-active volcanic landscape and recount the experience while dining at an estate in the surrounding countryside. The Campi Flegrei or “burning fields” is an intriguingly hellish landscape within a massive volcanic caldera. While traveling through this incredibly picturesque area, you can expect to see steaming fumaroles, thermal pools and an archaeological site where an ancient Greek settlement was excavated. Stops along the way will allow time to snap photos of the hauntingly beautiful terrain and Casina Vanvitelliana, an 18th-century royal hunting lodge situated in the middle of Fusaro Lake. You will also see Lake Avernus, which was considered to be an entrance to the underworld in ancient times. After settling in at an estate nearby, you will be served a lunch of Neapolitan specialties made with ingredients grown in the area’s fertile volcanic soil.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Explore the active Campi Flegrei caldera with its steaming vents and thermal pools.
• Visit ancient ruins, Lake Avernus, and the elegant Casina Vanvitelliana.
• Enjoy a Neapolitan meal made from local, volcanic soil-grown ingredients.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Admire the most breathtaking views of Naples from high above the city in historical San Martino, from which you will descend on foot and by funicular.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a picturesque drive to Vomero, one of the more prosperous and fashionable districts of Naples. From this elevated plateau, you will enjoy sweeping views of the city that only improve as you hike up to San Martino.

The highest point in Vomero, San Martino exudes a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. You might think of it as an oasis from the urban sprawl below. During free time, you will enjoy spectacular views of its star-shaped fortress Castel Sant’Elmo and the former 14th-century Carthusian monastery that now houses the esteemed National Museum of San Martino.

More fabulous vistas await you while walking downhill along the Pedamentina, a set of several hundred steps dating to the 1500s. Although outdoor staircases and steps are abundant in hilly Naples, few compare to the Pedamentina for being scenic.

In time, you will reach Corso Vitttorio Emanuele, a charming street where you will hop aboard a funicular and continue your descent.

You will disembark in Piazza Augusteo, where you will have the option of returning to the cruise ship with the guide or remaining in Naples and returning later on your own.

A fabled resort for pleasure seekers even in ancient Rome, Capri has earned a legendary reputation as the "Island of Love". A speedy ride across the Bay of Naples takes you to the Marina Grande Harbor on Capri. Here, a minibus will take you to Anacapri where you'll enjoy the beautiful scenic views. Visit Villa San Michele, and then have some free time before you continue to the town of Capri for lunch. Enjoy a stroll to the piazzetta, along old cobblestone streets and to the Augustus Gardens. From here, you'll enjoy stunning panoramic views and have time to look around on your own before taking the minibus down for the return ride to Naples.

Make the most of your time in Naples with this one-of-a-kind Attraction Pass that includes entrance to the most emblematic and historical sites with art treasures while you enjoy a curated path designed with the best Naples has to offer. A special shuttle bus will take you to your first attraction, the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, one of the most famous and visited museums in Italy with impressive architecture and collections, a true journey into the world of antiquity. Then explore the city center of Naples by taking a Walking Tour around the must-see attractions while you learn about the culture and experience the day-to-day first-hand. Pass through the Basilique San Francesco de Paola, Palazzo Reale di Napoli, the Castel Nuovo. After that, you will enjoy leisure time to explore and enter the attraction you choose from three listed such as Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo, Napoli Soterranea and the Royal Palace. If you are interested in the history of Naples, the Royal Palace is for you, this museum includes rooms dating back to the Spanish and bourbon periods and important paintings and frescoes by artists of the time, if you are a treasure hunter you might choose walking through the ancient passageway in the Napoli Soterranea while discovering the fascinating half-light of the tunnel and underground passages. If you are passionate about architecture, then you delight in visiting the Museo civico di Castel Nuovo. Take home the best memories of Naples with this exclusive tour!

HIGHLIGHTS
• Use the Attraction Pass to see Naples’s best attractions at no additional cost.
• Ride a bus around town, stopping at the attractions included in our curate path. The must-see of the city!
• Discover the city center by the hand of your guide in a walking tour.
• Visit the attraction that interests you most in your leisure time.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore two UNESCO World Heritage sites that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. destroyed and buried in volcanic ash and pumice and come away with a deeper understanding of ancient Roman life. In the Pompeii suburb of Oplontis, you will explore luxurious villas now beneath street level that feature some of the best-preserved frescoes and mosaics of that time period. National Geographic funded the excavation of the villas and an expert archaeologist will describe their historical and cultural importance in fascinating detail. The ruins in nearby Pompeii will reveal other sides of ancient life as it was a bigger city with a forum, theater, shops and bath house. While walking along the cobblestone streets, you can expect to see the once lavish and large House of Faun and Casa della Regina Carolina and the Thermopolium, a retail snack bar of sorts that could be likened to ancient fast-food restaurant.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit Pompeii and Oplontis, two sites that Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption destroyed in 79 A.D.
• Be awed by the frescoes and murals that adorn the villas of the wealthy in Oplontis.
• Gain insight into National Geographic’s role funding the excavations.
• See a broader range of excavated sites in Pompeii, including a forum and bath house.
• Recognize the reasons UNESCO declared Pompeii and Oplontis World Heritage sites.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Découvrez des coins cachés, des trésors artistiques et l'histoire tumultueuse de la ville de Naples en pédalant d'une rue à l'autre, avec quelques arrêts en chemin. You'll join your local escort on a short walk through the city center to the bicycle pick-up point, where you'll meet your bike leader and start your ride. You'll feel the unique atmosphere of the city, as you pass through the shopping area of Naples. Continue to the seaside and ride on a dedicated bike path while admiring the popular promenade before stopping at Borgo Marinari to see the famous Castle of the Egg with its spectacular waterfront views.

You'll stop for a refreshment at a local cafe, before proceeding to Piazza del Plebiscito. This noble piazza is one of the most famous square in Naples - flanked by the Royal Palace, San Carlo Opera House and the Church of St. Francis. Pedal onto Piazza Municipio and see the Maschio Angioino with the Castle Nuovo, a grim and gloomy fortress that served as the residence of the kings of Anjou, Aragon, and the Spanish Viceroys.

Settle in for an immensely scenic drive, where you will enjoy an inspired wine tasting and a traditional Campanian lunch. While driving through the bucolic countryside, you will gaze out over one breathtaking landscape after another, punctuated with vineyards blanketing the hills. Upon reaching Tufo, within the district of Irpinia, you will sample a selection of locally produced wines. One in particular – made from the white grape Greco di Tufo – is revered over the others. It may be the centerpiece of your tasting as this Protected Designation of Origin wine is so characteristic of the local terroir. Wine will also be served with the lunch. Although the menu changes seasonally, it may include fusilli topped with sausage and aubergine or tagliatelle with a hearty wild boar sauce.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Sample a selection characteristic Irpinia district wines such as the revered Greco di Tufo.
• Learn about the terroir that produces many Protected Designation of Origin wines.
• Enjoy a traditional Campanian lunch in a restaurant near Tufo Castle.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Sample a selection of signature products from the Sorrento Peninsula, culminating with a lunch of local specialties. The mode of transportation will be just as unique at times, as you will approach a farmhouse cheese factory by Ape Calessino, an iconic Italian vehicle that resembles a three-wheel golf cart. After seeing how the dairy cows are fed, you will sample several organic cheeses, including a distinctive mozzarella and ricotta. A tour of a nearby citrus farm and a demonstration of Limoncello liqueur-making, will add another dimension to your understanding of Sorrentine gastronomy. Afterwards, you will indulge in a traditional lunch that will likely include bruschetta and cold meats such as those found on a charcuterie board. All the ingredients will be from the surrounding area. Another stop at a canteen on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius will present a sampling of organic wines from grapes that thrive in the volcanic soil. Taralli crackers, salami and cheeses will complement the tasting.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy tastings of organic foods and wines produced on the Sorrento Peninsula.
• See how the products are made using traditional methods that respect the land.
• Settle in for a hearty lunch of traditional dishes and local specialties.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Become immersed in the world of pasta through a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Italy’s pasta factories, followed by a delightful pasta lunch. The venue for this enlightening experience will be Gragnano, an ancient city where durum wheat and semolina have been cultivated for thousands of years. It also has the ideal climate for air-drying pasta, a practice that is still observed to ensure quality. As you will learn while browsing a museum, pasta-making is a complex process that can’t be rushed. In fact, to achieve its Protected Designation of Origin status, Gragnano pasta must dry gradually for as many as four days and be extruded through a bronze die that imparts a rough texture that helps the pasta sauce cling to the noodle. The results are well worth the effort as you will discover while savoring a lunch of Gragnano pasta and locally made accompaniments.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Learn more than you ever imagined about pasta in Gragnano, a city synonymous with it.
• See how Gragnano pasta must be made to retain a Protected Designation of Origin status.
• Savor lunch that includes a Gragnano pasta dish and other Italian specialties.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.