Sorrento & Amalifi Coast Drive
A driving tour of the Amalfi Coast is typically a full day (9.5 hour) event. You pass Mt. Vesuvius and the cliffs and villages of the Sorrento Peninsula, visit the town of Sorrento, Positano (known hang-out of artists and writers), and then visit Amalfi. In the latter, you'll see Moorish architecture, the Piazza del Duomo, and the 13th century Cathedral of St. Andrew (in which this disciple was reportedly entombed). Lunch is typically included in the price of this tour.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $145.
Booking Advice: These tours are generally regarded as easy on a person physically. Cruise line prices appear to be quite competitive, especially since these include lunch in the bargain. That said, you may still want to review excursions offered by online third party vendors native to the area.
Pompeii Scavi
Tours of Pompeii Scavi range from half day (4 hours) to full day (up to 9.5 hours). The half day tours tend just visit Pompeii Scavi, but the longer tours typically include other places and towns along the Amalfi Coast. Pompeii, once a great city, was destroyed by the Mt. Vesuvius Volcano in 79 AD, and was virtually undiscovered for roughly 1700 years. Pompeii Scavi is one of the most famous archaeological discoveries in the world, and you can see how cleverly and beautifully it was designed among the ruins of houses and city buildings.
Price: Adults expect to pay from $69 to $345, depending upon cruise length and agenda.
Booking Advice: These tours tend to be rated as physically arduous, because there are steps to ascend and uneven walking surfaces at Pompeii Scavi. From personal experience and based on reviews of others who have visited these ruins, it would easily take a week to tour Pompeii Scavi. That said, a 4 hour tour or a chunk of a day on a full day tour will likely leave some people feeling as though they just didn't have enough time. If you think you're one of those people, it might help to remember that you can travel round trip from Naples to modern Pompei for under 10 Euros. People do walk from Pompei's train station to Pompeii Scavi, and admission to the ruins costs about 11 Euros per adult. Because the ruins are only a block or two away from trattorias, it's easy enough to find a decent meal at a reasonable price. If guided tours have more appeal to you, you'll find relatively competitive prices offered for cruise line excursions, but third party vendors also have a nice variety of selections and some good deals as well.
Capri
Following your boat ride to Capri, a coach takes you to Anacapri, where you can then explore Villa S. Michele and the Axel Munthe gardens. Then, after a short visit in the town of Anacapri, you'll visit Capri Town, and experience the sights about La Piazzetta. In Capri Town, you'll have lunch at a cafe, have a guided tour of the Gardens of Augustus, have a good view of the Faraglioni rock outcroppings, and also have time to shop.
Price: Adults expect to pay from $150 to $220 through the cruise lines for full day (8 to 9 hour) tours.
Booking Advice: Cruise line prices for these excursions are OK, but you'll likely save money by booking with an online third party vendor. Because of the walking involved, tours of Capri are typically considered to be physically strenuous. During peak tourism seasons, Capri does become quite crowded; anticipate expecting wait time and lines.
Sorrento & Samples of Salami, Mozzarella, & Wine
En route to a family owned farm well recognized for its salami, olive oil, and mozzarella, you'll see romantic Sorrento and lovely countryside. Once at the farm, you'll see the processes used for meat curing, for making mozzarella, and for producing olive oil. There will be time and opportunity to taste these treats with wine.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $60 for this 3.5 hour excursion.
Booking Advice: Cruise line prices tend to be competitive, but we do recommend reviewing those offered by online third party vendors for group prices as well as for variety. Because of the walking involved, these tours are rated as moderate in terms of physical excersize.
Pompeii & Capri
A coach takes you to Pompei for a guided tour of Pompeii Scavi, the ancient city destroyed (and buried) by the Mt. Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD. After experiencing this famous archaeological site, you'll visit a cameo factory and then have lunch in modern Pompei. A jet boat will whisk you off to Capri in the afternoon, where you'll see the cliff side Gardens of Augustus, and then walk about and shop for souvenirs at La Piazzetta.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $200.
Booking Advice: Cruise line prices for this tour appear to be competitive with online third party vendors. Virtually any tours that include the ruins, Pompeii Scavi, are rated as physically strenuous because of the walking and the stairs involved. As we've mentioned, from personal experience and based upon comments from other visitors to the ruins, it is virtually impossible to explore Pompeii Scavi within the limits of a 2 to 4 hour guided tour. The admission cost to Pompeii Scavi is around 11 Euros for the day, and it's easy enough to find a decent trattoria for lunch just a few blocks away in the modern city of Pompei!