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Naples Capri Amalfi
We are going to Naples, Capri and Amalfi in September. We will have a day and a half in Naples prior to the start of the tour. Looking for recommendations of things to do as there are also some free afternoons there during the tour. Also looking for restaurant recommendations in Naples Capri and Amalfi as dinners are not included most nights. Thanks in advance!
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Hello, we were going to take this trip last month but unfortunately had to cancel due to a family emergency. It would have been our second trip to Napoli. On our first trip, we went to the places that you will cover on your walking tour with Tauck (Spaccanapoli, Archeology museum). However, our guide also took us to the Quartieri Spagnoli, which I loved. Napoli is not for everyone. There are some struggling neighborhoods. But you will also find a lot of resilience and soul, and that is what I felt in the Quartieri Spagnoli. But I would definitely hire a guide. We also went to the Chiesa Santa Chiara, which was pretty and peaceful, and near the Spaccanapoli. We also went to the Capodimonte Museum but we are not sophisticated enough to appreciate all the paintings there.
For our cancelled trip we had hired a guide*(see below) to take us to the Museo Cappella Sansevero (advanced tickets required) to see the veiled Christ sculpture. We were also planning to tour the Royal Palace, the Teatro San Carlo (opera house), Piazza del Plebiscito, the open-air market and then take the funicular up to the Vomero (hilltop neighborhood) to visit Castel Sant’Elmo for the view. We were also planning to spend some time walking along the Lungomare (seaside walkway) on our own (the hotel was located on the Lungomare), and planning to also spend an afternoon taking the boat to the island of Procida. We had planned to arrive 2 days early to do all this.
There are some “Underground” tours that get great reviews but husband is claustrophobic so we skipped that.
There are also tours based on Elena Ferrante’s series “My Brilliant Friend”, which I would have done had I been on a “girls trip”.
As far as meals, there is plenty of street food in Napoli, especially along the Spaccanapoli. You may find that after a few sfogliatelle (flaky pastries) or slices of pizza, you may not have room for a sit down meal!
We did have lunch after the Archeology Museum at Osteria Da Carmela which we found by accident, and it was wonderful. Just a simple little unpretentious place (no outdoor seating). Also Caffe’ Gambrinus across from the Piazza del Plebiscito is a great spot with a lovely patio that is nice for coffee and pastry or a spritz and people watching, even though it is touristy.
In Capri we had wanted to eat at Ristorante Pulalli, but they were closed for remodeling. Maybe they are open by now. Supposed to be excellent.
In Amalfi, we had wanted to eat at Da Gemma. They require a credit card for a reservation.
As it turned out, it rained the entire week we would have been there. We are hoping to reschedule for next year.
I hope you have a wonderful time and tell us all about it when you return!
(Note regarding our guide. Unfortunately, even though we had had a positive experience, my friend recently hired her and did not feel that she got an adequate tour, so I am hesitant to recommend her.)
National Archeological Museum, Naples - All the stuff from Pompeii that was too valuable to leave in place, plus the Farnese marbles and the secret cabinet (erotic Roman art). Italy's premier archeological museum.
Herculaneum - The other city destroyed by the A.D. 79 eruption. Smaller and better preserved than Pompeii, with fewer tourists.
Pulaulli is great you will need reservation and request the terrace. Da Gemma as well You will need reservation. Afterwards hand out on the cathedral steps. In Naples we ate at Umberto which is walkable from the hotel and it was delicious. The restraints along the strip adjacent to the hotel are ok but there are better choices. Some people ate at Zi Teresa and they liked it. There is some free time in the afternoons but it’s only mid afternoon on. Day three is a longer day with a return around three. The people who took the underground tours loved it. The palace Reale is also walking distance. We went to the island of Procida for the day on Day 1 prior to the welcome reception. Bring a swim suit. While in Amalfi and Capri the pools/beaches are a great end of the day. If you need sandals CE sandals desposito Capri has what you need. For linen shirts and dresses and the sort buy in sorrento.
Pardon the typo. It should be restaurants.
Thank you Ben for having previously recommended Pulalli and Da Gemma. I wanted to give you proper credit!
Another vote for the Museo Cappella Sansevero (veiled Christ sculpture and other fantastic sculptures). As noted, reserve your ticket in advance but you don't need a guide for this museum - get a cab (the street has limited access for cars) so the driver will leave you about a block away and you can spend all the time you want enjoying these sculptures - some of the finest in Italy in my opinion. I learned about this from watching a Rick Steves show so you might find more info about this on his website.
Ben,
At Da Gemma in Amalfi, did you reserve the cantina or trattoria?
Thanks,
Sharon
So sorry to jump in. This was a confusing one for me. I ended up writing the concierge at Hotel Santa Caterina for help.
info@hotelsantacaterina.it
As far as I can tell, it is all one kitchen, but they have a Cantina (Wine Cellar), Dining room and Terrace. We wanted the Terrace, and if you are on their website reserving and click 19:00, 19:15 or 19:30 or 21:00 you should get an option for the Terrace. If available, the other locations are available at all the times. I'm not sure about lunch.
Thank you Wan for the clarification and help!
Does anyone know if Tauck includes a trip to the Blue Grotto while in Capri or if there is enough free time to go on your own?
Thanks!
I'm hoping that someone who has actual knowledge will answer, but in any case the Blue Grotto is weather and ocean-dependent as you probably are aware. For our canceled trip, I was planning to wait until we got there to ask the TD if it was worth it and do-able in our free time (and also to make sure Tauck might not be planning to "surprise" us with this), then hope for optimal conditions. On a previous Capri trip in 2016, we were given one in four odds of favorable sea conditions on any given day. We were not lucky enough the day we went. In any case, it is not a high priority for us.
At Da Gemma only four of our group were able to get a last minute reservation and they really enjoyed it. I do not know which part they went to. The other 20 of us went to another restaurant the name of which escapes me. Our walk through Spaccanapoli did include at visit to Museo Sansevero. The tour in Capri did not include the Grotto. And given the logistics of getting there and the need for calmer waves it would be a challenge. The free time is in the afternoon when the wind and waves tend to pick up. The tour did include a boat ride over to the Faraglioni Rocks but it was a little too windy to go around the rest of island. You should try to take the 15 minute walk to the Augusto Gardens for the iconic picture of Faraglioni rocks. Our TD also provide some walking/hiking paths options.
We did this tour September 2022 and loved it. We also were in Naples a couple of extra days and did the Naples Street Food Tour. It’s a 2 1/2- 3 hour walking tour with plenty of stops and lots of good food and some interesting history. It was nice because our guide, Alex, would call ahead to the next stop and our food was ready and waiting for us. Everything from charcuterie trays to various pizzas, limoncello, gelato, etc. we were stuffed! As for restaurants in Naples, as you exit the Grand Hotel Vesuvio take an immediate right and just a short walk and you will find some restaurants all connected under a huge awning right across the street from the water. One name I remember was Antonio and Antonio. Very good food - fresh salads, pizzas, pasta. Once the tour started, our director always gave us great restaurant recommendations.
For those who have already done this tour, was the Museo Sansevero included in your walk through Spaccanopoli? I was planning to buy tickets on my own but won't bother if it is already included.
Thanks!
I did this tour several years ago and the Museo Sansevero was not included in the Tauck walking tour. I did this on my own time in Naples before the tour started. You can call the Tauck headquarters to find out if the Naples schedule has changed.
Our tour September 2022 did include the Museo Sansevero. Perhaps it depends on your tour guide.
Day 2 we visited both and also made pizza. It was a full day in Naples and day 3 we headed to Ischia. The Sansevero Chapel Museum is quite small so you don’t need much time there.
Upstate NY that is so funny. I already reserved a pizza making workshop which I can cancel if need be and was going to buy tickets to the sansevero museum because they only list the archaeological museum for Day 2 on the itinerary. They say the afternoon is on your own. Did you not have any free time on day 2 on your tour? It was a full day?
I looked back at my notes and photos and we were back at our hotel by 3:00 on day 2 and had the rest of the day free. It was a pretty busy day.
We are doing the September 19th tour. Thanks for the recommendations.
It was a great trip!
La dolce vita