Mediterranean Cooking Experience - BEST SELLER
Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi
About the location: Sant’ Agata sui due Golfi is situated about 10 km from Sorrento. It is one of the “pearls” in the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, facing Capri. The site of your Amalfi Coast culinary vacation will be a lovely four-star relais hotel of only six rooms (and five suites) situated on one of the hills of Sant’ Agata sui due Golfi. The villa was originally built in 1892 for a rich German aristocrat as a luxurious residence. It has recently been painstakingly restored and is now a splendid hotel, complete with impeccably furnished interiors and a fine ambiance. There are also three recently completed apartments on the property. The facilities include a gorgeous 15 meter swimming pool with jacuzzi and sauna, tennis court, outdoor dining, wine bar, exercise room, and lush vegetation. Just completed is a charming cantina in the main building (complete with Cuban cigars) and an incredible wine cave with premium wines from Italy, France and Australia. The relais has also acquired a breathtaking private beach, with shuttle service from the hotel.
The Amalfi region is truly one of the most idyllic on earth. From the time of Etruscans to present movie stars, this has been area that has long enchanted travelers. Sundry excursions during this week-long Amalfi culinary vacation will take you from the posh island of Capri to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, and the cobblestoned medieval streets of Amalfi at the cliff’s base. An expanse of precarious road will take you between villages, running through lush greenery and vineyards nestled in the folds of the jagged cliffs.
About the cooking lessons: Your cooking classes will be held in the large teaching kitchen built specifically for your culinary vacation with The International Kitchen. It features spacious granite counters, a large professional range and an outdoor veranda, where you can enjoy a break between courses. Your Mediterranean cooking classes will be led by Chef Carmen. Carmen will teach you such typical southern Italian dishes as Sorrento-style gnocchi, stuffed calamari, and Neapolitan-style artichokes. All dishes use the freshest ingredients and recipes that have been passed down for many generations. Your final cooking lesson of the week will teach you the essentials of preparing true Neapolitan style pizza! After your cooking lesson you will feast on what you have made, so be prepared to cook, eat, drink and laugh!
For information on the Mediterranean Cooking Experience Women Only Week, click here.
Price Per Person
This program requires a deposit of US$1000 per person.
2013
6 night program:
High season: May through September
US$3500 per person based on double occupancy
US$3250 non-cook based on double occupancy
Low season: March, April, October, and November (excluding holiday periods)
US$2950 per person based on double occupancy
US$2700 non-cook based on double occupancy
+US$550 (use of a double room by 1 person) single occupancy
+US$625 per person upgrade to junior suite
+US$1000 per person upgrade to penthouse suite
4 night program:
High season: May through September
US$2950 per person based on double occupancy
(No non-cook rate available for 4-night program)
Low season: March, April, October, and November (excluding holiday periods)
US$2550 per person based on double occupancy
+US$400 (use of a double room by 1 person) single occupancy
+US$500 per person upgrade to junior suite
+US$850 per person upgrade to penthouse suite
Women Only Week Rates:
April 9-15 & October 6-12, 2013
US$2450 per person based on double occupancy (minimum of 6 people)
+US$250 per person (2-5 person supplement)
+US$350 (use of a double room by one person) single occupancy
Cooking & Italian Language Rates:
May 12-18: US$3800 per person based on double occupancy
October 20-26: US$3300 per person based on double occupancy
Single supplement: please inquire
Tour Dates
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST ANY OTHER WEEK MARCH THROUGH OCTOBER.
†Join a week others have confirmed OR ANY OTHER WEEK ON REQUEST.
Summer 2013
June 7-8 (SOLD OUT)
June 9-15†
June 15-21†
June 23-29†
July 20-27 (SOLD OUT)
August 4-10† (2 rooms left)
Fall 2013
September 8-14†
October 6-12† (Women Only Week)
October 13-19†
October 19-25†
What's Included
- Six nights accommodations double occupancy with ensuite bathroom
- Arrival transfer from Naples airport around 12:00 noon and from Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) around 2:30 pm (transfer times may vary slightly week to week, please contact us before you finalize your travel itinerary).* If you cannot make the regular transfer times, a special transfer can be arranged at the cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Eu per car if after 6:00 pm), payable directly to the hotel. Please inquire for details.
- Return transfer to Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) or airport around 10 am the day of departure. If you need to schedule an earlier transfer, it will be at an additional cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Euro per car if pickup is before 8:00 am), payable directly to the hotel. Please inquire for details.
- Daily breakfast
- Five dinners
- Two lunches, including one tasting lunch after the cheese demonstration
- Local wine, water and coffee with all included meals (Please note that other beverages and drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
- Three hands-on cooking lessons plus a pizza making class.
- Excursions and food artisan visits
- Transportation
- Taxes and service charges
4-night itinerary includes everything on day one through day four, with a morning departure on day five.
During Low Season itinerary items may be switched to take advantage of daylight hours.
*Should you wish to take a scenic helicopter ride from Naples, passing over Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, the hotel has a helicopter pad on which to land. Please inquire for prices and details.
Optional excursion to Pompeii can be arranged and paid for locally in cash Euros.
145 E per person: 2 people with private car/driver and private guide
16 E per person: round-trip train tickets to Pompeii (You can join a group tour on site, approximately 10 E per person).
11 E per person: entrance tickets to Pompeii
Other Regions in Italy
Mediterranean Cooking Experience - BEST SELLER Itinerary
Day One Of Four - Or Six - Night Program
- Pickup from the Naples airport (around 12:00 noon) or train station (around 2:30 pm).
- Arrival at the charming Oasi Olimpia Relais where you check in to your deluxe room.
- Time on your own. If you are not jet-lagged, you may wish to take a short walk into Sant’Agata to do a little exploring. This is a charming little town; perhaps stop with the locals for a coffee and one of the pastry specialties of the region, or just stroll along the old streets.
- Welcome dinner at the hotel’s elegant restaurant, Villa Oasi, enjoying a superb dinner of local cuisine.
Day 2
- A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you.
- In the morning you will head to a local farm, where they have been producing top quality olive oil for years, and where the matriarch has been making mozzarella cheese by hand for six decades; she is one of the true local food artisans. If you like, you can try your hand with the preparation. A light lunch including this wonderfully fresh cheese follows, along with a tasting of olive oil and the tasty limoncello liqueur.
- Return to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation. If weather permits, you might want to take a dip in the pool. You can also schedule a massage in the massage room (advance reservations of at least 48 hours is required).
- This evening at 5:00 PM, your first cooking lesson with Chef Carmen, followed by dinner based on your culinary efforts with wine.
Day 3
- Buffet Breakfast.
- Today will be a full-day visit to the enchanting isle of Capri, weathering permitting. (Traditionally the hydrofoils to Capri run approximately mid-May to mid-October, and during the winter only if the temperature is mild and the water calm.) You can visit the magical Blue Grotto, walk private paths past secluded villas, and gaze across the aqua water from the harbors.
- Today’s lunch will be on your own.
- Return to the hotel mid-afternoon, and begin your next cooking class followed by dinner with wine.
- (Please note that in the event of bad weather, Capri excursion will be replaced by an alternate excursion.)
Day 4
- Fantastic buffet breakfast followed by an excursion to the enchanting Amalfi Coast.
- Amalfi is a town that seems to have climbed up from the sea like froth and crystallized onto the land. The town is dominated by the impressive Duomo, rivaling in size the cliffs that rise up behind it. You can sit and observe in the Piazza Duomo or wind upwards through the cobblestone streets, exploring the little shops along the way. And Ravello is a charming town also perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea. It is home not only to the best Amalfi ceramics, but also the lovely gardens of the historic Villa Cimbrone.
- Free time for shopping and leisure.
- Today’s lunch will be on your own.
- Return to the hotel for a bit of relaxation before dinner out tonight at a charming restaurant.
Day 5
- Breakfast. For those on the four-night program, transfer back to Naples.
- Third cooking class with lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- Afternoon on your own. Perhaps take an optional tour to Pompeii (for an additional transportation cost)
- Dinner on your own.
Day 6
- Breakfast.
- In the morning, learn how to make pizza dough for your pizza dinner in the evening!
- Depart for a pasta factory tour and lunch. You will also stop at the chocolate factory.
- Time on your own in the afternoon.
- Pizza dinner tonight at the hotel.
Day 7
- Breakfast and departure from the hotel to the Naples airport or train station for those ending the six-night program.
