Arrive and check into our downtown boutique hotel. We’ll gather in the late afternoon for a stroll, aperitivo and introduction to Naples and our week together, all while enjoying sweeping views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. After our welcome drinks, we’ll continue with a passeggiata walk to dinner, settling into a cozy local spot for a relaxed meal rooted in Neapolitan tradition. Expect seasonal specialties, seafood, produce from the slopes of Vesuvius and classic local desserts.

After breakfast at the hotel, we set out for a kind of culinary immersion only Neapolitans know how to provide. Get ready to eat! We’ll get back-kitchen access to bakeries, restaurants and street market stalls to sample babà au rum, sfogliatelle, pizza (of course), caponata, regional cheeses and more. Happily satiated, we’ll take a break from snacking to visit the city’s last market sign painter. Naples is a city that holds tight to its traditions, including hand-painted market signs, nearly all of which are painted by the man you’ll get to meet.

To end our day, we head to San Giuseppe delle Scalze, a Baroque masterpiece of a church. There we’ll enjoy local small bites and an exclusive tasting of Campanian wines before settling in for an intimate live theater performance rooted in local community, creativity and storytelling, a chance to experience Naples’ dramatic soul in one of the city’s most atmospheric historic settings.

After breakfast in the city, we say goodbye to Naples and head to our base on the Sorrento Peninsula in southern Campania via a stop in the Phlegraean Fields. The home of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, this volcanic zone is a netherworld of crater lakes, ancient waterways, thriving viticulture and seafood farming. To learn more, we’ll visit a family farm located within Cuma Archaeological Park and eat at Le Cantine dell’Averno, a winery on the shores of Lago d’Averno that sources its food from nearby producers.

After lunch, we’ll drive south and settle into our new home, Astapiana Villa Giusso. There, Viola will welcome us with a meal her mother always made after long days of travel: a warming chicken soup studded with homemade pasta and salsa verde. You can jump in to help with final preparation or enjoy a restful early evening to prepare for days of producer visits and cooking ahead.

On our first full day in the countryside, we’ll take it easy to enjoy our accommodations and the beautiful land surrounding them. Breakfast will be leisurely. We will then spend time walking the estate – which is also a working farm – visiting its gardens, cantina and even an on-site museum. There will be a light lunch made by Viola, outdoors if the weather permits, followed by a tasting of the estate’s prized olive oil. Late in the afternoon we’ll gather in the kitchen to make a festive dinner with Viola.

 We will devote the day to the tradition of fior di latte, one of Campania’s most beloved expressions of milk and land. We will drive up into the hills above the coast to visit the cows of Agerola, whose rich milk gives this cheese its character. On the farm, we will meet a local producer, walk through his barns and pastures, and see how daily life is organized around the animals and the seasons. From there, we will step into his smokehouse and learn how he preserves and enhances local products, then watch as he prepares taralli by hand. We will pause up the hill to take in sweeping views of the Amalfi Coast, a reminder of how closely the landscape and the local table are connected. We will conclude the excursion with a generous, traditional lunch at a local osteria, featuring fior di latte, cured meats, seasonal vegetables, and regional wines. With our bellies full, we will continue to Sorrento for a relaxed afternoon stroll through the historic streets before closing the day with a well-deserved gelato. 

After a breakfast of fresh fruits, breads, cheeses, marmalades, eggs, espressos and more in our hotel’s communal and beautiful kitchen, we’ll head to Gragnano, the birthplace of Italian dried pasta. But we start in the tomato fields with Sabatino Abagnale to learn about his famous tomatoes, the rare Piennolo, one of only three tomato varieties allowed in true Neapolitan pizza. Thanks to the mineral-rich volcanic soil, hot sun and minimal water, these tomatoes are small and intensely sweet. Viola again has arranged special access for us; normally Sabatino does not allow anyone into his fields, but for Viola’s students he’ll make this exception.

Our next stop is a tour at Pastificio Faella, widely considered the region’s top pasta producer. Viola has arranged special access for us to tour the facility, learn about the history of pasta in the Sorrento region, and hold a cooking lesson in their kitchen. After lunch we’ll walk around Gragnano, a beautiful small hillside town just miles from the famous Amalfi coast and visit its art-filled church dating to 1571. Back at the villa and after a rest, we’ll join Viola for a cooking lesson featuring the pastas, cheeses and vegetables we’ve gathered throughout the week. We’ll celebrate our time together in charming Sorrento in the large dining room or outside on the hotel patio under the stars. Tomorrow, we return to the vibrant bustle of Naples.

We’ll have one more slow-tempo breakfast at the villa before heading back to Naples. There, you’ll have free time to explore the city on your own, shop or visit a museum before we reconvene for our farewell dinner. This last meal takes place in a private home within the Palazzo dello Spagnolo, one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Our local host will treat you to course after course of Neapolitan staples accompanied by local wines. As we eat, we’ll experience one final Neapolitan tradition: a live concert of traditional songs sung in the local dialect.

Depart for home or extend your stay in Naples. Until the next adventure!