Culinary and Cultural Discovery of Naples, Amalfi Coast and Capri

We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our Naples cooking school experience in June. Everything went well. The hotel was excellent and service from the staff and management was superb. The chef was great and the classes were lots of fun. The excursions were wonderful. The hotel graciously accommodated our requests for deviations from the itinerary and assisted us it getting them organized. We highly recommend the tour.

We had a marvelous time. The view from the little porch was beyond spectacular - part of Sorrento and Capri across the Bay, the hotel personnel were exceptionally nice and worked very hard to make things perfect, and the food was sublime. We were lucky, as there were just 3 of us "Edibles" (what all tour people referred to us as . . . "Where are the Edibles?") and we got all kinds of perks for our small numbers. All of this just to say that it was very worth waiting for. We loved our field trips, our Herculean guide (who had fallen while running from the train and had badly injured his arm but insisted that he complete his obligation and gave us a wonderful tour), our usual driver, Carmine, who thought his English was awful but who managed to tell us so many things about his country, and the staff: Benjamin, Lara, Marta, Santa (we left them both tips and many snacks). I am sending you some pictures in a separate email. If you see any other great deals, please let me know. I'm hooked! Jan

What an amazing experience I had with Epitourean and Edible Destinations! From beginning to end, I felt like a VIP. From the time of booking, I was able to speak with a representative who had attended the same trip to Italy and provided so many tips to keep in mind for the trip. Just hearing how great of a time she had got me so excited to take our trip. Unfortunately, our trip had to be postponed due to the pandemic – but the agents always kept me informed of the status and held on to our reservation for whenever we, and Italy, were ready. In the months and weeks leading up to the trip, the agents were responsive, informative, and flexible to help get my mother and I ready for the trip. Our accommodations, host, cooking classes, and excursions were out of this world. This is by far the best, and most stress-free trip I have been on – and they took care of everything for us. Each day we had free time to enjoy the breath-taking views of the gulf and enjoy all that Italy has to offer. The menu, tutorials, and excursions were tailored to the region of Napoli which gave us the chance to indulge in the culture and learn so much. I could not have asked for more from the company, the staff, or the hotel – everything was simply perfect. It was a truly lovely vacation.

We had no idea what to expect when we booked our trip with edible destinations to Naples, but all I can say after experiencing one of the best vacations we have ever had, is sign us up for the next city! We love adventure, and good food, and needed a relaxing trip away from our busy kids and every single detail was carefully taken care of so we could just relax. We got to see so much of the surrounding city, incredible tours, (Capri is how I imagine my heaven will look!), and the food was incredible. We felt like our waiters and chefs were family by the end of the week. All rides, transfers, and tickets were taken care of and there were no language barriers at all. We adored our cooking classes, and still make pizza every Sunday at home now! This was such a great way to easily travel without any worries. Come hungry and stressed, and you’ll leave completely relaxed with a belly full of the best food in the world! Thank you for an unforgettable trip.

Just wanted to let you know our Culinary Trip to Naples was no less than wonderful. The staff at the hotel – Benjamin, the chefs, the translator Lisa, the wait staff—were amazing. There was not one flaw with our trip. All the excursion were wonderful and the transfers were never a minute late to pick us up. We will be looking for another trip and will certainly recommend Edible Destinations to all.

We just had a wonderful Epitourean stay in Ercolano, just South of Naples. We stayed at the Hotel Puntaquattroventi, which was a lovely small hotel and swim club right on the Mediterranean, the island of Capri, and Naples twinkling in the distance. The staff was outstanding, the food absolutely delicious, and the tours were wonderful. We were picked up at the airport with no problem despite having missed a connecting flight (a quick phone call was all it took) and whisked off. We had 4 cooking classes, various meals, etc. The wait staff were super friendly and remembered our preferences, each meal was different, and the location is lovely. Breakfast was a plentiful buffet, served at the bar. The cooking classes were small, just 2 other people; which meant there was plenty of time for questions, help, and lively discussions. Classes were taught by the three chefs: pastry, main chef, or pizza chef. The translator was Carmella, who was just wonderful, fun and full of interesting side information about Italian life, and with good English. We cooked Panna Cotta, a salted cod dish (my favorite), homemade gnocchi, squid, typical stuffed potato croquettes (the pounds added on!) and made pizza dough which rose for 2 days before making a real Neapolitan pizza. That was quite a feat, considering we were balancing molten cheese on a disk held on a 12 foot pole in 700 degree pizza oven! But it was by far the best I ever had. The excursions included Capri (a group tour with a bunch of other people, including both on the island and around the island on a boat to see the beautiful grotto). The rest of the excursions were only for us 4, which was very special, and all with very interesting guides. The Herculaneum, which is very close to the hotel, was especially interesting; we also went to Pompeii, the top of Mt. Vesuvius (a somewhat strenuous climb but worth it!) and Naples. All in all I would highly recommend this; it was very relaxing, informative, and we got some skills as well as new friends.

Our Naples Adventure just could not have gone better. Benjamin welcomed us with Prosecco and went over the week with us. He always seemed to be on hand. We especially appreciated the way he coordinated swapping days for two events so that we had the best chance of a pretty day for our visit to Capri. We have done cooking lessons, classes and programs several times in Italy - including with Epitourean! - in China, Thailand, England, France....but working with Pascuale, Gennaro and Carlo was special. The love they have for cooking and their commitment to our learning and having a good experience came through again and again. And the food! From the welcome dinner to the farewell dinner and every meal in between, it was all just super. Every member of the staff - from our coffee baristas to our afternoon drinks waitress - was so friendly. Our room was amazing: with the terrace facing the ocean. We slept with the door open most nights and fell asleep to the sound of the waves. The owners obviously know how to treat their guests. Our site guides, Rafaello twice and Nando for Naples, were informative and easy to understand.

"We have LOVED this week of cooking and exploring at Quattroventi, here in Ercolano. Benjamin and the entire staff have been wonderful. The cooking classes could not have been more fun."