Enjoy a guided walk and taste some of Naples' most delicious foods. Fun, historic, and definitely a mouth-watering excursion!
Italy's third-largest city is one of its oldest, most artistic, and most appetizing. Naples' historic center is a Unesco World Heritage Site, its archaeological treasures are among the world's most important, and its swag of glorious palaces, castles, and churches makes Rome look positively rustic. Blessed with rich volcanic soils, a bountiful sea, and centuries of culinary tradition, the Naples region is one of Italy's epicurean heavyweights, serving up the country's best food, and many of its most celebrated seafood dishes, street snacks, and sweet treats. Certainly, Naples' urban sprawl can feel anarchic, tattered, and unloved. But look beyond the grime, graffiti, and occasional gruffness and you'll uncover a city of breathtaking frescoes, sculptures, and panoramas, of unexpected elegance, spontaneous conversations, and profound humanity.
You will meet your professional, English-speaking guide at a local plaza, just a short taxi drive from your Naples cruise port. It is here that you will begin your gastronomic visit to history, tradition, and passion for food and life. As you wind your way through the city blocks you will have the opportunity to indulge yourself in Baba, with its unmistakable mushroom shape, is a leavened oven-baked sweet soaked in alcohol, traditionally rum or limoncello. Another favorite is Sfogliatella, made with a soft, flaky dough, similar to puff pastry or phyllo and filled with a mixture of ricotta, semolina, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, and some candied citrus and/or other fruit.
But this excursion is not just about sweets. You will also try Pizza a Portafoglio, or pizza wallet (the street icon of Naples), a small round pizza folded in on itself and served piping hot and fresh, and accompany any one of them with a cup of world-class coffee or refreshingly famous limoncello drinks.
While your taste buds will certainly enjoy the journey, there will be plenty for your eyes and ears as well. As your guide leads you from food stop to food stop, you will wind your way through Naples beginning at Piazza Dante, a large square named for the poet. You will travel San Biagio Dei Librai, the historic street that literally splits Naples into two, and San Sebastiano, Naples' celebrated "music lane," located on the western slopes of Mount Vesuvius, the infamous volcano of ancient times.
Next up will be Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, a lively square with two churches marked by an ornate monument and statue of the Virgin Mary, and Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, surrounded by palaces and a 13th-century church. Here, students, tourists, street vendors, and musicians keep the scene interesting at almost every hour of the day. Lastly, you will wind up on Via Dei Tribunali, one of the most historic streets in the city dating back to the birth of Naples. Here you will enjoy a plethora of fried treats, tantalizing trattorias, and devilish desserts.
At the end of your gastronomic adventure, you can continue to explore at your own expense or take a taxi back to your Naples cruise port (transportation cost back is at your own leisure and expense).
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