Naples and Campania walking tour: Naples to Ravello

The Romans called Naples and region around it Campania Felix or the ‘happy lands’.  It is a stunningly beautiful area with endless surprises, beautiful scenery and the irrepressible exuberance and hospitality of southern Italy.

The tour starts with three nights in Naples is a fabulous and fascinating city: crowded, loud and hectic, its vibrant streets burst with life and hold some of the finest art and museums in Italy.  From Naples, we head east driving across the plains of Campania to the foothills of the Appenine mountains, near the border with Puglia.  Here we’ll stay for four nights in a lovely hotel in the medieval heart of a hill top town within striking distance of the Monti Picentini National Park.  Here, we'll walk, enjoy fine southern cuisine and some of the best wines in the region.

After the mountainous interior we’ll head south to the Tyrrhenian Coast, staying in a gorgeous village overlooking the Policastro Gulf, where we stay for three nights.  Although less than two hours’ drive from Amalfi, the town’s pretty square, isolated beaches and mountain walking trails remain remarkably free from the crowds that are drawn to its more famous neighbour.

For the grand finale of the tour we drive north to the Amalfi Coast, staying in stunning Ravello for the last two nights, a fitting end to this fabulous tour.

The walks on this tour are varied and fascinating, starting with a spectacular climb up Mt Vesuvius. 

We then head east into the interior of Campania with walks in the beautiful Monti Picentini National Park and the rolling foothills of the Appenine Range. 

From here we go down to the Tyrrhenian Coast for spectacular coastal walks in two other National Parks (Pollino and Cilento).  The first walk climbs up an ancient path to the ruin's of the villages medieval castle. 

For the second, we drive inland and walk up the Noce River to to a picture-perfect hilltop village, where we'll have lunch and then a guided walk around the town.  The final walk of the tour is a spectaular walk along ancient trails that lead from Ravello into the Ferriere Valley down to the town of Amalfi.

The walks on the tour vary from 10 to 14 kilometres, mostly following unsealed country lanes.  See the itinerary for details of each walk.

The accommodation is one of the highlights of the tour.  In Naples we stay in an elegant 4-star hotel in the centre of the city near th famous pedestrian street, Via Toledo.  In the Apennines, our base is an hour and a half east of Naples, well off the beaten tourist trails.  We will be staying in beautifully-restored family-run hotel in the medieval heart of a small hilltop town. 

When then head south to the border with Basilicata, staying on what som consider the most beautiful coastline in Italy.  We spend three nights in a family-run 4-star hotel in the heart of the old town, which is set in an 18th century monastery in the heart of a town with views over the Pollicastro Gulf.  Close to the village centre, the hotel has lovely gardens and a swimming pool. 

We finish in marvellous Ravello, perched above the Amalfi Coast.  Here we staying in a lovely hotel, a peaceful oasis which has breath-taking views over the sea.  It is a short walk from the mian piazza and from Villa Cimbrone.

Food and wine, of course, is one of the highlights of any tour to Italy but particularly on this one.  Our first meal in our hotel's elegant roof-top restaurant, which has views over the Bay of Naples. Of course, we will lunch the next day in a celebrated pizzeria in the heart of the old town. 

For the second leg of the tour, we stay in the district of Irpinia, which, with its altitude, cool climate and volcanic soils, is one of the premier wine and farming zones in southern Italy, sometimes called 'the new Tuscany' but in reality an important wine area in its own right. During our stay here includes a visit to one the more important vineyards to sample the local product as well as enjoying and a cooking lesson at our hosts' splendid 'osteria'. 

After leaving the mountains, the last five nights of the tour are spent on the coast of Campania, where we will be able to enjoy the regions excellent seafood.  On our way to Amalfi, we will stop for a guided visit (and tasting) of one of the region's most famous products: buffalo milk mozzarella.  

The tour will lead by Simon Tancred.  "I first went to Italy as a backpacker in 1980 and fell in love with the country.  I returned in 1983, living and working in Milan until 1988. Afterwards I worked at the Institute of Languages, University of New South Wales (Sydney) taking guided tours to Italy annually. I spent two years with my family in Prato (Florence) in 2003 and 2004, working at the Monash University (Melbourne) Centre. Since then I have dedicated myself full-time to Hidden Italy. I love photography and writing and have had articles and photographs on Italy published in most major Australian newspapers and travel magazines. I speak fluent Italian, alas with a pronounced Australian accent.  "Great Walks" magazine recently said I had the best job in the world.. there are other much more worthy jobs around but I am lucky my passion has become my profession - click here to read their interview."