How to Explore Italy’s Campania in 7 Days
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The Campania region of southern Italy is packed with swoon-worthy sites. A week in Campania is just about long enough to get a good sense of the area.
And if you have even more time, you won’t run out of things to see!
In this post, I present a suggested itinerary that includes two nights in Naples, three nights in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast, and two nights in off-the-beaten-track Paestum.
If you have more time and you’re driving, you could throw in a night or two in Positano south of Sorrento on the Amalfi coast.
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 & 2: Stay in Naples at Palazzorefici and explore the National Archaeological Museum and Pompeii (or Herculaneum)
- Day 3, 4, 5: Stay in Sorrent at the Hotel Eden and explore Capri & and Amalfi Coast
- Day 6 & 7: Venture south to Paestum and stay at the Hotel Savoy on the coast
Overview
The Campania region of southern Italy is anchored by the sprawling, crazy, fascinating city of Naples. This is where I suggest you start your exploration of the region. Use it as a home base for the first two days, devoting your first day to exploring Naples and then your full day to exploring Pompeii, Herculaneum, and/or Vesuvius.
Then, set off for Sorrento where you’ll home base for three days and take day trips down the Amalfi Coast. Then, scoot back to the highway and tootle south to Paestum.
While the Amalfi coast is extremely tight and can be mobbed. Paestum is relatively peaceful with expansive beaches and the most awesome Greek ruins you’ll find anywhere in the Mediterranean.
First, I provide some tips about getting around the Campania, and then I share my suggestions for what to do and see on each of your seven days in this picturesque and historic region of Italy.
Getting Around Campania
Driving in this area is not for the faint-hearted and not the best idea unless you’re coming from another region of Italy and already have a car.
If you’re flying into Naples, don’t pick up your car until you’re on your way out. Take a taxi to the airport, pick up your rental car, and then head for Sorrento.
If you’d rather not rent a car, modify the itinerary to use a combination of public transit, small group tours, and private transfers.
Another option is to spend the entire week in Sorrento, which is located between Naples and the Amalfi coast, and take day trips from there. You may need to skip Paestum, but you can spend more time on the Amalfi Coast and have a day or two free to just chill or perhaps visit the fabled Isle of Capri.
You’ll spend more time commuting, but you could save money on restaurant meals by renting an apartment for the week.
Plus, there’s something to be said for coming back every evening to the charming ambiance in the historic center of one of southern Italy’s most beguiling towns.
Highlights of your week include visits to Vesuvius and/or Pompeii, the Isle of Capri and the Blue Grotto, the towns of Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi on the stunning Amalfi Coast, and Paestum about two hours farther south on the Mediterranean coast (best with a car).
Day 1: Arrive in Naples
Naples is kind of crazy, which is part of its charm.
Take the train directly from Rome and then take a taxi from the Naples train station to your hotel.
I recommend staying in the Plebiscito area and splurging on a hotel that includes a sweeping view of the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius steaming gently in the distance.
On your first afternoon, take a taxi to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (the National Archeological Museum) which contains one of the world’s finest collections of Greco-Roman artifacts.
Read my post detailing some of the highlights of this fantastic museum: How to See the Art of Pompeii at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
A Naples Art Card offers discounted entry into the Museo Archeologico Nazionale and several other major museums in Naples.
Other things to see in Naples include the opulent Palazzo Reale located in the Piazza del Plebiscito and the nearby Castel Nuovo. From the top of the castle ramparts, you’ll enjoy stunning views of Naples and the harbor.
In the evening, stroll through the atmospheric Santa Lucia district–a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets winding from just west of the Piazza del Plebiscito down to the sea.
Stroll along the waterfront overlooking the Gulf of Naples, then dine at one of the many seafood restaurants on the harbor. Here’s Gregg with Mount Vesuvius in the background.
Safety in Naples
Are you safe in Naples? The city has a reputation for petty crime, but how dangerous is it for the tourist? This article gives you the lowdown, but the short answer is yes, you’re safe in Naples.
I never felt unsafe, although I did occasionally get ripped off by taxi drivers. But by and large, I found the people in Naples friendly and enthusiastic.
Day 2: Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii
You could probably “do” Vesuvius, Pompeii, and Herculaneum on a day trip from Naples, but I don’t recommend it. Instead, choose two of the three sites and enjoy them at a relatively leisurely pace.
I suggest Pompeii and Vesuvius or Vesuvius and Herculaneum. If you’d prefer to skip the mountain, then find a small group tour that goes to both Pompeii and Herculaneum for a thoroughly ruinous day.
The key is to save yourself stress by taking guided tours to these incredible sites. It’s possible to see them via public transit, but unless your budget is really tight, I suggest you give your day over to an experienced guide and then sit back and soak up the landscape and the history.
And if the weather is super hot, I seriously suggest you skip Pompeii and instead enjoy the art of Pompeii at the Naples Archeological Museum in air-conditioned comfort. Touring the Pompeii ruins, where there is no shade and a lot of bare stone, can become too much of an ordeal for this artsy traveler!
Vesuvius
I first scaled Vesuvius in a chair lift on a bitterly cold December day. The views were spectacular as was the proximity to the smoking crater.
Nowadays, you’ll have to hike uphill for a steep 30 minutes to reach the summit. From there, circumnavigate the crater’s lip to enjoy jaw-dropping views of Naples, the Mediterranean, and Pompeii.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash and lava. For eighteen hours, the mountain spewed ash, dust and rocks twelve miles into the sky. The poor folks in Pompeii and Herculaneum didn’t have a chance.
Here’s a tour from Naples that includes Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius:
Pompeii
The most poignant thing about Pompeii’s ancient ruins is their frozen-in-time quality. Volcanic ash has preserved the bodies of people and animals twisted in the final throes of death.
You also get a remarkable look at everyday life. You’ll see electoral propaganda messages painted on walls, elegant villas, modest houses, peasant dwellings, and even squalid brothels.
Walk through narrow lanes to see the remains of workshops complete with furniture, tools, lamps, and foodstuffs. One of my favorite things was seeing the ruts cut into the stone roads by chariot wheels.
You need to spend at least an afternoon in Pompeii. If you’re a big fan of Roman ruins, choose a day tour that gives you plenty of time to explore the ancient ruins.
If you have the energy, walk to the Villa of the Mysteries where you’ll find some of the best-preserved frescoes still in situ in Pompeii.
Frescoes from most of the other villas in the city have long since been removed to the Naples Archeological Museum.
Herculaneum
Allow yourself time to visit Herculaneum. Although smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum is richer, with larger houses, more impressive mosaics, and better-preserved ruins.
More complete houses remain because the ash from Vesuvius destroyed Herculaneum in a different way than it did Pompeii. In Pompeii, falling ash collapsed many of the roofs, whereas the ash fell more slowly over Herculaneum, covering and preserving wood and other organic objects.
Herculaneum is less crowded than Pompeii and much smaller, with better frescoes and mosaics. However, much of the city is yet to be excavated.
Second Evening in Naples – Pizza!
In the evening, find a pizza place and enjoy Naples’s most famous food export. The pizza in Naples really is amazing!
And if you have time, why not combine dinner with a pizza-making cooking class! Here’s an option on GetYourGuide:
Day 3: Onwards to Sorrento
Take the train from Naple to the charming town of Sorrento or catch the ferry from Naples. Or, as noted earlier, pick up your rental car from the airport and drive to Sorrento.
On a recent visit to Campania, I parked on the outskirts of Naples rather than risk driving into the city (wise move!). At the end of my Naples stay, I took a taxi to the parking lot and then carried on to Sorrento.
On another trip, I took a taxi to Sorrento from our hotel in Naples and got into trouble when the driver demanded payment upon our arrival at the hotel in Sorrento. I’d already paid the manager of the hotel in Naples for the taxi. Unfortunately, we’d mistakenly taken the wrong taxi at the Naples hotel.
The driver spoke only Italian and was very angry with the stupid tourists who didn’t want to pay twice for the ride. Fortunately, the manager of the hotel in Sorrento called the Naples manager, and, after much yelling and gesticulating, during which time I was sure blows would be traded, everything was sorted out. The taxi driver grudgingly shook our hands and presumably drove back to Naples to get his money.
I haven’t taken the ferry to Sorrento, but it seems like a great option. The ride is scenic and takes only 45 minutes. Purchase tickets here.
Hanging Out in Sorrento
Lemon trees and palm trees, houses clinging to cliffs, stunning views of the coast and the turquoise Mediterranean–this area of southern Italy is postcard-perfect.
And Sorrento makes the perfect home base to explore the area.
The whole point of Sorrento is to slow down and relax. Amble along the small streets and enjoy la dolce vita. If you’re into shopping, Sorrento is the place to buy inlaid wooden boxes. I still have the wooden music box I bought on my first trip to Sorrento in the 1970s.
Sorrento is also a good place to buy cameos. Unfortunately, I lost the pink cameo I bought there. I still miss that cameo.
In the early evening, join the locals for the passeggiata. Families and couples dress up and stroll the shady streets, talking and laughing, gelatos in hand. The bars are full, and everything seems right with the world.
Day 4: Visit Capri
If the weather is fine, book a boat tour to the fabled island of Capri and its Blue Grotto. Yes, Capri can get crowded, but it’s drop-dead gorgeous, with its white limestone cliffs, azure views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and tumbling gardens.
Catch an early hydrofoil from Sorrento to avoid the cruise-ship crowds that clog the streets by midday.
A visit to Capri’s Blue Grotto is worth the time and effort required to get there, even if you’re only in the grotto soaking up the blue for a few minutes.
The Blue Grotto is a sea cave famous for its luminous blue light and shimmering waters accessible only in a tiny dinghy through a narrow entranceway.
Duck!
A boat you catch on Capri stops at the grotto and waits while you board the dinghy and are rowed into the grotto. If you’re prone to seasickness, pop a Gravol before leaving the dock in Capri.
Scrambling into the little dingy from the larger boat can be either entertaining or terrifying, depending on your fitness level and tolerance for danger.
I didn’t ask the guide how many people fall into the water every year. I suspect he wouldn’t have wanted to tell me.
The Blue Grotto is open year round, weather permitting. I visited on a sunny day in late December. Here’s a tour from Sorrento with GetYourGuide:
Day 5: Explore the Amalfi Coast
Continue home-basing in Sorrento and take a day trip to visit the Amalfi coast, or pull up stakes and make Positano your home for two nights. I suggest the latter to give you a more intimate feel for this charming town that tumbles down the cliff to the Mediterranean.
Devote an afternoon to visiting the town of Amalfi to view its colorful houses and stroll the beach.
Positano and romance go hand in hand. Did you ever see Only You with Marisa Tomei? The scenes in Positano are some of the movie’s most beautiful. If you have a lot of money, stay at the Sirenuse Hotel where scenes from the movie were shot.
Visit Positano to steep yourself in beauty. Wander the tiny streets, gaze out at the views, snap hundreds of photos, eat great food, and just relax.
If you’re home-basing in Sorrento, consider a boat trip down the Amalfi Coast:
Day 6: Go to Paestum
If you’re driving, backtrack to Sorrento and get back out to the highway connecting Naples to the south, and head farther south to marvelous Paestum.
You can also keep driving along the coast, but the road is very winding and the trip will take longer.
In Paestum, you’ll find some of the best preserved Greek temples in the world (including in Greece!). I really enjoyed spending a few days in this lovely area of southern Italy.
Paestum feels off the beaten track, although in the summer months, the beaches can get crowded, mostly with Europeans on vacation.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore the three Greek temples at Paestum and the charming archeological museum. The temples are incredibly well-preserved, with columns that must be seen to be appreciated.
Photos can’t capture the sheer enormity of these columns that were built to hold up the temples 2,500 years ago.
Consider a small group guided tour of the temples and the archeological museum. You’ll learn a great deal about this amazing archeological site.
Day 7: Relax on the Beach
Stay in a hotel near the beach and take a day off from your vacation. Some of the hotels, such as the Hotel Savoy where I stayed for two nights have beach clubs overlooking the sea where you can relax on a sun lounger while sipping a limoncello.
Where to Stay in Campania
Naples
Here are two options, both of which I’ve stayed in and recommend:
The Hotel Paradiso is located on Posillipo Hill, the hotel has a commanding view across the Bay of Naples to Mount Vesuvius. Relax on the terrace and enjoy! The hotel is comfortable and reasonably priced.
The Palazzorefici is a stylish apartment deep in the heart of Naples on a tiny side street. It’s close to a main street where you can easily get taxis to where you want to go in Naples.
Sorrento
The Hotel Eden has a central location in Sorrento, with rooms on the upper floors overlooking the stunning view of the Bay of Naples. Lush gardens and a pool provide a welcome oasis. This is a good choice for Sorrento, although not budget-friendly.
Positano
Prices are high in this holiday mecca, so if Positano is above your price range, consider staying longer in Sorrento and taking a day tour down the Amalfi coast.
In Positano, the über posh Sirenuse Hotel is über expensive, but if you’re budget runs to it – wowee! Scenes from Only You were filmed there.
A more budget-friendly option is the Villa Antonietta that still has sea views but is much more modestly appointed.
Paestum
The Hotel Savoy, steps from the beach near Paestum is an awesome place to stay. It’s super luxurious and yet surprisingly affordable.
Here’s the view of the reflecting pool from our room.
Conclusion
Have you visited the Campania? Add your suggestions in the comments below. For more posts about Italy, check out: