In the Shadow of Vesuvius

Fly London to Naples or make your own arrangements to join the tour at the airport. Drive to our four-star hotel for six nights. Welcome drink and dinner. (B, D)

Spend the day exploring the heart of the ancient city of Poseidonia. The most dramatic sights are the three Doric temples; roofless, but still standing, these are among the greatest archaeological monuments in Italy. In the afternoon we visit the Museum which contains paintings and grave goods from tombs in and around Paestum. The most famous of these is the fresco from the 'Tomb of the Diver', the only extant painting from a Greek tomb in Italy. (B,D)

A day exploring the area west of Naples known as The Phlegraean Fields. Cumae, the epicentre of the Greek colonization of the 8th Century BC; Baiae, the home of pleasure palaces of Roman emperors; the Castello Aragonese which now houses the Archaeological Museum of the Campi Flegrei; and Pozzuoli, with its impressive amphitheatre begun by Roman Emperor Nero and finished by Vespasian. (B,D)

Ancient Stabiae, founded between the 7th and 6th Centuries BC, was one of the places chosen by the aristocracy of Rome to build their large luxury villas in a panoramic position on the edge of Varano Hill. It was here that Pliny the Elder met his death, probably during the last fatal surge of the pyroclastic cloud. We visit three impressive houses today - Villa San Marco, the Villa of Poppaea at Oplontis - a grand residential building on an imperial scale, with a huge pool, and cleverly designed gardens - and the Villa Maritima di Pollio Felice, a luxury 1st century BC villa built on Cape Sorrento. (B,D)

A whole day in Pompeii exploring the public monuments and private residences that best illustrate what life was like in this bustling port and market town. The fountains in the street, worn where thousands of people have rested to take a drink, the stepping stones, wheel ruts, corner shrines, bakeries, public baths, the brothel, street cafés and ancient graffiti – all of human life in AD 79 is visible here, if you know where to look. Dinner at your own expense this evening. (B)

During the eruption of Vesuvius, the buildings of Herculaneum were engulfed by toxic gas and boiling mud which, as it solidified, prevented their collapse. Subsequently sealed under an airtight layer of volcanic rock, the partially excavated town now offers a unique insight into Roman life, with many buildings still with upper storeys intact and frescoes and mosaics in an excellent state of preservation. In the afternoon we visit a fragment of Roman Naples: beneath the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, we see part of the macellum, the municipal food market. (B,D)

On our last morning we visit The National Archaeological Museum, great treasure trove of the Bay of Naples and home of one of the most important collections of classical archaeology in the world. Its collections notably feature the material from the Villa of the Papyri of Herculaneum and the over-life-size sculptures from the Farnese collection. Transfer to Naples for return flights home or perhaps extend your stay in Italy. (B)