Study Abroad/ Group Travel
For over 15 years, Serendipity has specialized in tailored study abroad trips in Italy for US universities and colleges.
Discover the student and adult group travel experiences and view sample itineraries.
**Sample 10 day Study Abroad itinerary
Day 1 – arrival day Naples
Arrival into Naples aiport. Arrival and check - in hotel. Walking tour to get acquainted with the historic city center of Naples incldes tour of the Il lungomare (the Naples board walk); the incline funicular up to the neighborhood of Vomero; tour 12th century Castel Sant’Elmo
Dinner and overnight in Naples
Day 2 -Naples
Full day in Naples. Visit to Castel dell’Ovo, the Historic Center, the Naples Duomo, and others.
Lunch in the Pignasecca open air market
Guided tour of the Naples Underground to see Greco-Roman aqueduct of 3,000 BCE, Nero’s Roman theater and WWII bunkers buried 200 feet beneath the city.
Dinner and overnight in Naples
Day 3 –Walk of the Gods/Positano
Bus departure Walk of the Gods – Amalfi Coast
Considered one of the most beautiful trails in Europe, the Walk of the Gods offers a step back in time. It traces the “backbone” of the Amalfi Coast and is known for its sweeping views that, at times, put you above the clouds. A trail that connects the Sorrento peninsula towns to the Amalfi Coast, the Walk of the Gods was established in medieval times to transport agricultural goods to and from surrounding towns. Today, few homes and shepherds leading herds of goats can be seen along the moderate hiking trail. The walk concludes in the famous town of Positano.
Hike takes appoximately 4 hours and should be done at a walking, leisurely pace.
Dinner in Positano
Overnight in Naples
Day 4- Pompeii/Stabiae
Train to Pompeii to meet local archaeologist and Pompeii Tour Guide. Afternoon visit to the Ancient Roman villa site of Stabiae (excavation site currently underway by the University of Maryland and Cornell University).
Dinner and overnight in Naples (dinner tonight is a traditional pizza margherita Napoletana)
Day 5 - Mozzarella di Bufala, Paestum
Bus to the Unesco-protected coast of Cilento to see the earliest Greek settlement of Paestum. On our way, we will stop at one of the most renowned bufala farms, producers of DOC buffalo mozzarella that is sold to the Vatican City and several Michelin restaurants. We will tour the organic buffalo farm and sample the delights of fresh buffalo mozzarella. Afternoon will be a visit to the 3,000-year-old Greek temples that stand in the ancient marshlands of Magna Grecia, or Greater Greece.
Dinner and overnight in Naples
Day 6 –Guardia San Framondi
Bus to the medieval town of Guardia San Framondi, located east of Naples. Guardia is nicknamed the “Tuscany of the South.” Lunch and tour of the town with the Foschini family, farmers and winemakers for 3 centuries. Students will have the opportunity to prepare a traditional Neapoitan meal with Adelina Foschini.
Dinner and overnight in Naples
Day 7 – Ferry to Ischia
Ferry departs Naples for the island of Ischia. Located a few miles for the rather touristy Capri, Ischia is a lesser- known island off the coast of Naples. It is famous for Greek thermal baths, which were established in 3,000 BCE but still remain active today. The island is an archipelago of volcanoes and boasts tiny cobblestone fishing villages with blooming bouganvilla on every corner.
Overnight and dinner in Ischia
Day 8 - Ischia
Today, we’ll set sail on a private boat tour around the perimeter of Ischia Island.Students have the opportunity to fish, swim, and cook aboard the boat.
Family-style dinner in local home in Ischia and overnight in Ischia.
Day 9 - Ischia
Check out of Ischia villa and ferry back to Naples; afternoon in Naples.
Final Dinner and overnight in Naples
Day 10 – Departure Day
Departure from Naples airport back to the US
Click here to view more information per day
Adult Group Travel
**Sample 10 day Food and Wine Tour
SAMPLE ITINERARY (SUBJECT TO CHANGE ACCORDING TO GRAPE/OLIVE HARVEST)
Day 1 - Arrival into Naples airport.
Arrival and check-in hotel. Walking tour of Naples followed by dinner. Overnight Naples
Day 2 Naples /Trip to Benevento
Today we take the bus an hour east of Naples to visit a winery run by the same family for five generations. We’ll learn to make local cheese and sample the famous wines of the Sannio region: Falanghina, Fiano D’Avellino, Aglianico, and Greco di Tufo. Dinner in Naples, overnight Naples
Day 3 Naples/ Mt. Vesuvius
Visit to one of the oldest vineyards from the Ancient Roman world: Boscoreale, a rustic villa buried by Mt. Vesuvius that has been excavated and preserved by archaeologists. Afternoon lunch and tour of organic winery halfway atop the volcano, Cantina del Vesuvio to see the making and bottling of wine and sample this year’s production.
Day 4 Sorrento Coast
We’ll relocate to an “agriturismo” or family run Bed & Breakfast, nestled in the lush green hills overtop the Sorrento Coast. Day trip to the Bay of Ieranto, a protected marine reserved accessible only via a breathtaking hike. Before enjoying a beach picnic, we will see the most “extreme” way to grow olive groves.
Day 5 Amalfi Coast – Walk of the Gods, hike the Amalfi Coast.
The Sorrento and Amalfi Coast showcase the vast diversity of Mediterranean flora and fauna, where much of the food system depends on what is harvested from the land and fished out of the sea. The Walk of the Gods is a trail along the mountains over top the Amalfi Coast, and offers arguably the best views of the entire Italian peninsula. Here we will be led by a guide who will share with us ancient secrets of how to identify edible wild plants and herbs which contain medicinal benefits.
