About your itinerary
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Don't forget that if something isn't quite right we can make changes to the itinerary.
I am excited to present you with this fantastic gay group trip to Italy! I'm sure you will agree that the itinerary sounds and looks amazing and covers some really interesting and beautiful places.
Starting in Rome, you'll have the opportunity to arrive as early as you like and independently explore all the sculptures, fountains, and history laid out before you. You will meet the rest of the group that evening, ready to set off the next day towards the stunning Amalfi coast where your adventure will officially begin! From Amalfi you'll then spend time learning about the gay history in Capri, exploring the cave dwellings in Matera, and taking in the authentic sights of Puglia. It truly is an adventure filled with history, beauty, culture, and, of course, lots of fabulous Italian food and wine!
If you're as excited as I am and love what you are seeing, do let me know and we can get your places secured. With such a fantastic itinerary spaces get booked up quickly, and I wouldn't want you to miss out.
Any questions you have, please feel free to let me know but I will check in with you Monday to see if you want to get your spaces confirmed.
Best Wishes,
Matt Walters 
Your Itinerary In Detail
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This itinerary has been tailor-made for you. No two itineraries are the same and we are always able to make changes if something isn't quite right.
Thursday 26th September 2024
Your Gay Group Trip
Your Gay Group Trip
We are proud to offer you a unique journey to the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the enchanting regions of Basilicata and Puglia, which have been little affected by the tourism that dominates the more famous regions of Italy. In these towns to the south and east of Rome culture and art are in harmony with natural charm and great food.
Our tour starts at our classical hotel in the heart of the “Eternal City” of Rome, a stunning collection of classical antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque churches. History lives side by side with contemporary life with incredible ease. One can walk in the footsteps of Caesar, and then dance in the splendor of Italy’s most fashionable trendsetters. We can arrange additional time in Rome for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in this fascinating city.
From Rome, we will travel south to see the civilization buried under volcanic ash in Pompeii. We’ll then stay at a hotel overlooking the rugged coastline of the Amalfi Coast and witness the enchanting natural beauty and the forgotten gay history of the Isle of Capri. We will then head east to discover the unique cave dwellings in the Basilicata town of Matera. We conclude our tour by visiting authentic sights in Puglia that most visitors to Italy never get to see. Savor fine Italian cuisine, drink world-class wine from the surrounding vineyards and live the slow food experience.
Day 1: Welcome to Roma!
Day 1: Welcome to Roma!
Upon your arrival today, we will provide transfers from Rome airport to our hotel. We have selected a charming, centrally located hotel so that anyone arriving early can easily explore Rome independently. (As always, we are happy to help with travel arrangements before or after the main tour.) This evening, meet your fellow travelers for our welcome dinner and get to know each other before we embark upon our journey through southern and eastern Italy.
Friday 27th September 2024
Day 2: Pompeii
Day 2: Pompeii
After checking out of our hotel, we will head to the main train station to board the high-speed train to Naples. We’ll meet our driver and guide for an introductory tour of Naples and a stop for lunch in a historic pizzeria. Next, we will visit the archaeological site of Pompeii. It was a wealthy Roman city buried under ash after a cataclysmic eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. The incredibly preserved art and artifacts of this city give a window into the daily life of Romans nearly 2000 years ago. Pompeii has fascinated visitors and historians for centuries, and research continues to this day.
Later we will continue to our hotel in Sorrento’s old town. Sorrento offers an incredible food scene, breathtaking vistas, and the feeling of authentic southern Italian life. Its unique location offers an incredible view of the Bay of Naples and the Sorrentine Peninsula. We’ll spend three nights here exploring the region by day. Then we will relax over dinner with some of the most famous views in the world.
Saturday 28th September 2024
Day 3: The Isle of Capri
Day 3: The Isle of Capri
This morning, weather permitting, we shall walk down to the Sorrento Pier and board the fast ferry to Capri Island. Upon arrival, we will hop onto Capri Taxis for a fantastic ride to the hilltop town called ANACAPRI.
We will visit Villa San Michele, a ruined church turned into a unique home a century ago by the Swedish physician and scientist Axel Munthe. Of his home, Munthe wrote: “The soul needs more space than the body. My home shall be open for the sun and the wind and the voices of the sea – like a Greek temple – and light, light, light everywhere!”
Dr. Munthe was an advocate of LGBT causes at that time, fighting against the belief that homosexuality was to be cured. When Oscar Wilde was let out of jail for “unnatural fornication” and treated as a pariah, he and his lover Lord Alfred Douglas were welcomed at Villa San Michele. We’ll tour the villa and gardens and enjoy the outstanding view of the island in homage to this man who can still inspire us all.
Lunch will be on your own at one of the many small cafes that dot the town. Later, we will rejoin our guide to wander Capri’s main square and the public gardens. After our island sojourn, we will board our ferry back to Sorrento, then transfer to our hotel. The evening will be at leisure, perhaps to stroll through the meandering streets of old Sorrento town.
Sunday 29th September 2024
Day 4: The Dramatic Amalfi Coast
Day 4: The Dramatic Amalfi Coast
This morning, enjoy an amazing, guided tour of the Amalfi Coast. Our day will feature a stop in Positano and a luncheon overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the town of Amalfi.
This picturesque village once boasted of being a major maritime republic, with an extensive network in Egypt and Byzantium. With a population that reached 70,000 (compared with today’s 5300) and power that competed with Pisa and Genoa, Amalfitani merchants thrived as early as the 10th century.
Enjoy the evening at leisure.
Monday 30th September 2024
Day 5: Stones of Matera
Day 5: Stones of Matera
Today we leave Positano and drive inland across Southern Italy into the inland Basilicata region and the town of Matera. Long-ago residents of Matera’s Sassi district (Sassi – from the Italian word for “stones”) dug their homes and churches from the very rock itself. Some believe the Sassi to be the oldest human settlement in Italy. Here one can see several rock-hewn churches, a reproduction of a typical cave house that is open to visitors, and refurbished caves that now host hotels and restaurants.
Until recent decades our hotel was a church carved from a large cave to serve the residents. The lobby of the hotel is the main hall of the church. Each room is unique, including some that have glass covers over archeological sites right in the room!
Tuesday 1st October 2024
Day 6: Cave Dwellings of Matera
Day 6: Cave Dwellings of Matera
We will meet our Matera guide in the hotel lobby to explore the unique topography of this town. The town has a remarkable similarity to Jerusalem, with a large ravine and churches carved of soft limestone. Filmmakers have used the unique set to film several movies including Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson made this observation about Matera as a film location to the New York Daily News:
“Certain sections of the city are 2000 years old, and the architecture, the blocks of stone, the surrounding areas, and rocky terrain added a vista and backdrop that we [used] to create the backdrops for our lavish sets of Jerusalem. We relied heavily on the look that was there. In fact, the first time I saw it, I just went crazy, because it was so perfect.”
This evening we will dine together in Matera.
Wednesday 2nd October 2024
Day 7: Toward the Adriatic & Ionian Seas and Puglia
Day 7: Toward the Adriatic & Ionian Seas and Puglia
Today’s drive takes us into the Puglia region in the “high heel” of Italy’s “boot”, the Southeast Coast. As we approach the region, we will see white-washed villages and olive groves that extend to the nearby Ionian Sea that separates Italy and Greece.
Our hotel is in the coastal town of Monopoli. Its well-preserved historical old town is surrounded by the sea on one side and walls on the other. The town developed along one of the most important Roman roads, the Trajan Way.
For the next three nights we will reside in a restored historical building, one of the finest boutique hotels in the region. We’ll have the afternoon and evening to ourselves in order to independently explore the lanes and byways of the town. Our guide will be happy to provide recommendations for activities and dining experiences.
Thursday 3rd October 2024
Day 8: Visiting Castel del Monte and Trani
Day 8: Visiting Castel del Monte and Trani
Today we will drive to Castel del Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is featured on the back of the Euro pennies distributed in Italy. Built in the 13th century this was the grandest of 200 castles built by the Swabian Emperor, Frederick II, and the only octagonal castle. Castel del Monte is perched atop a hill, overlooking all of Puglia and the Adriatic. Many myths and historical accounts feature this historic site, including the legend of the Holy Grail.
From Castel del Monte we will head to the charming Romanesque fishing port of Trani. This Adriatic port was both a thriving commercial port and the departing point for some of the Crusades. Historically Trani was also home to southern Italy’s largest Jewish community, for which the impressive Scolanova synagogue was built. The first Jews of Trani likely fled persecution at the hands of Spanish rulers around 1144 A.D. The synagogue was converted to a church in 1380 but reverted to its original role in 2006. A protected fresco of the Virgin Mary remains in the area that originally held the Torah, but the portrait is now discreetly covered by a menorah.
We will conclude our touring today with a late lunch at a unique venue, then return to our hotel for the evening.
Friday 4th October 2024
Day 9: Trulli Touring
Day 9: Trulli Touring
Today we will visit nearby villages such as Alberobello that feature buildings designed in the iconic trulli (trullo) style. They are shaped like a cylinder with a cone-shaped limestone-tiled roof, which is often painted with a cross or another symbol. The walls are very thick which keeps the interiors cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Residents of this region built the first trulli many centuries ago, but the oldest ones still intact date to the 1500s (recent in Italian terms!). We’ll enjoy lunch together in a typical farmhouse in the region. Tonight we have a special farewell dinner featuring regional cuisine in an authentic setting.
Saturday 5th October 2024
Day 10: Farewell to Puglia!
Day 10: Farewell to Puglia!
Say Arrivederci to Italy as we provide a transfer to Bari Airport and you board your plane back home.
What's Included
Your itinerary includes
- 24/7 emergency concierge service
- Private room throughout
- Group transportation from Rome to the Amalfi Coast to Basilicata and to Puglia, and for local sightseeing.
- Accommodations each night by the tour itinerary, mostly in one-of-a-kind boutique hotels in classical buildings. ( Accommodation TBC)
- Breakfast each day, 4 lunches, and 5 dinners.
- Entrance fees for sightseeing, accompanied by knowledgeable guides.
- Transfer from Rome airport to our Rome hotel for those arriving on the first tour day, or earlier if lodging is reserved.
- One group transfer from our Puglia hotel to Bari airport on the final tour day.
- All hotel service charges, government taxes, porterage, and gratuities included meals.
- Complimentary Medical & Evacuation Insurance for every US Resident on our group tours who does not have other coverage.
Your itinerary excludes
- International flights
- Transportation to Rome and from Bari.
- Meals are not shown as being included.
- Gratuities for guides, drivers, and the tour director.
- Personal items including alcoholic beverages, snacks, laundry, and telephone calls.
- Travel insurance.
- Visas (if applicable)
Important Information
Travel Advice
It is important to seek independent and up-to-date advice when travelling to any foreign country. Many of our customers ask us to keep them up-to-date on the existing legal position regarding LGBT rights in the country to which they are travelling. You can find up-to-date details on our website under the country which you are travelling to. They are provided as a guide only and laws can change frequently. You should seek advice from the relevant authorities and embassies before travel (if applicable).
Travel Insurance and Terms and Conditions
It is a condition of booking with Out Of Office that you have adequate insurance cover for your trip at the time of booking. Please also ensure you have referred to our terms and conditions which can be found at www.outofoffice.com/terms-and-conditions. Please note that as each booking is tailor-made for you we only confirm the itinerary once we have received a deposit. There is a small chance that availability on some items quoted may change. If this is the case we will book similar accommodation and let you know.