My husband and I prefer traveling over gift-giving. We rarely exchange gifts on birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmas. Instead, once a year, my husband and I take a vacation without our children, giving us a chance to recharge, relax, and reconnect. We cannot fill the cups of those around us if we do not fill our own, so we take this time for self-care and to focus on our relationship.
We are fortunate to have two sets of incredibly helpful and loving parents who take care of our children while we are away. My husband's parents, who live in another state, come to stay with our kids every year while we are on our trip. This year was the first year that we ventured out of the country on our annual trip. We have left the country with our children previously, but this was a big step leaving them at home and heading abroad. It was also a special trip because while we were in Italy we celebrated ten years since we had our first date in October of 2013. It's still hard for me to believe we have already been together for ten years, and I can't wait to continue making memories in future years to come!
We were gone from Saturday to Saturday, so we spent 6 days total in Italy. We flew into Rome, then grabbed our rental car and made our way down to the scenic Amalfi Coast. We spent three days on the Amalfi coast exploring its breathtaking towns, then made our way back up to Rome. On the way back to Rome, we made a stop in Pompeii so that we could see the Ancient City. Then once we got to Rome, we spent three days seeing as much of Rome as we could. Now let's go ahead and break down each of the places we went, where we stayed, what we did, where we ate, and any other advice I have for anyone looking to replicate this trip!
Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello are three beautiful towns situated on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. Each of these towns has its own unique history and attractions that draw visitors from all over the world. We made Positano our home base and spent most of our time there, with short visits to both Amalfi and Ravello.
Positano is a picturesque town that was once a small fishing village. It is known for its colorful buildings and narrow streets that wind their way down to the beach. One of the top attractions in Positano is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which features a stunning dome and Byzantine-style mosaics. This church is beautiful and it's right in the heart of town.
Visitors can also take a boat tour of the coastline or hike the Path of the Gods, a scenic trail that offers breathtaking views of the sea. We opted for a private boat tour and it was AMAZING. We did not plan the boat tour ahead of time because we did not think that we wanted to spend the money on it. Once we were in Positano, we realized we really wanted to do it, so we started inquiring with the boat companies that had information stands down by the water. Unfortunately, they were all booked or way too expensive, so we decided to spend a few minutes looking online. I ended up finding an amazing private boat tour with Sealiving Positano and it was 200 euros less than we would've paid booking it ahead of time. We ended up booking it for the next day and it was worth every penny of the 400 Euros we spent. They took us along the whole Amalfi coast
and our Skipper Massimo gave us the history and showed us the main sights. We even got to see the Fiordo di Furore, a deep fjord located on the Amalfi Coast between Praiano and Conca dei Marini. This fjord is famous for its bridge, which is the site of the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The bridge is suspended 30 meters above the sea and the cliffs below, providing the perfect platform for the world's best cliff divers to showcase their skills. The fjord also has a small beach at the bottom, which can be accessed by a narrow staircase. While the beach is quite small, it's a beautiful spot to relax and take in the stunning views of the fjord and the surrounding cliffs. Massimo was even able to maneuver our boat under the bridge and into this fjord for us to see this famous little beach as you can see in the picture above!
We had the opportunity to get in the water and swim while on the boat tour. I was nervous about the temperature of the water, being it was the end of October, however, it wasn't bad once I got used to it! We then stopped in Amalfi and got off the boat for about 50 minutes to explore the town. The boat ride included a bottle of Prosecco, sodas, water bottles, grapes, and some traditional Taralli snack crackers. Another must in Positano is Franco's Bar. They have delicious drinks, an amazing view, good music, and they give you popcorn and olives with your drinks. The chairs closest to the water and the view had a 40 euro drink minimum per person, and the inner seats that were not on the edge had a 20 euro drink minimum per person while we were there.
While in Positano, we stayed at Hotel L'Ancora and it was amazing! We booked one of the Junior Suite rooms because it had a picturesque terracebalcony with a hot tub and a once in a lifetime view.
Brilliant tip: my husband requested the junior suite with the bigger terrace balcony because it has the better view of the two junior suites with hot tubs and it did not disappoint! Hotel L'Ancora was also very close to a small market where you could get snacks and drinks and it was not too far up from the main beach and shops. Hotel L'Ancora also has a sister hotel named Covo Dei Saraceni that has a pool that you can use if you are staying at Hotel L'Ancora. There is also a complimentary breakfast at the rooftop restaurant in the hotel and it was delicious with a great view. The best part was that we got all of this for 395 euros a night (in the Summer it is more like 840 euros a night).
We spent our time exploring Positano's streets and we grabbed pizza by the slice for 4 euros at La Zagara for lunch. At dinner time, we ate at Ristorante Max, da Vincenzo's, and Chez Black. All three restaurants were AMAZING and worth dining at if you are in Positano.
Reservations are not as necessary in the shoulder season (when we were there), however, if you go in the Summer you will definitely want to get reservations at all three places. It still wouldn't hurt to have reservations in the shoulder season as well just in case there is a small wait.
Another awesome activity with a beautiful view in Positano is to take a stroll down the romantic Via Positanesi d'America, which is a small walking road that was dedicated to all the locals who moved to the USA in search of a new life. This paved path goes from the main beach at Positano to the famous Spiaggia Grande and finally to Spiaggia di Fornillo. It had an absolutely stunning view as you walked along the cliff edge on this pathway.
If you are into shopping, then you won't be disappointed with the adorable shops that line the winding streets of Positano. There are so many stores with gorgeous linen clothing and lots of lemon items (clothes, candies, limoncello, trinkets, etc). If you love bright and colorful clothing and fun patterns then make sure you stop in one of the Antica Sartoria stores in Positano; we saw three of them so you shouldn't have a problem finding one of them! I of course ended up buying two dresses from this store because they had the cutest clothing. You can even have your own leather sandals handmade for you while in Positano at one of the local shoe shops! Obviously, you also need to try some of their famous Limoncello while on the Amalfi coast as well and you can find it almost anywhere you go at shops and restaurants.
Amalfi is another historic town that was once a major maritime power in the Middle Ages. Its most famous attraction is the Cathedral of St. Andrew, which dates back to the 11th century and features a beautiful bronze door and a bell tower that offers panoramic views of the town.
Visitors can also explore the Paper Museum, which showcases the town's rich history of paper-making. We did not spend a large amount of time in Amalfi, we visited it for about an hour during our private boat tour of the Amalfi Coast. While there we saw their main square Piazza Duomo and the Cathedral of St. Andrew. We went in some of the shops and just explored the streets. Amalfi is known for having the BEST lemons, so while there you can indulge in a lemon sorbet that is frozen in an actual lemon. We had already tried the lemon sorbet in a frozen lemon earlier in the day in Positano, so we didn't indulge while in Amalfi. I will say it was delicious though so whether you get one in Amalfi or Positano, make sure you try one!
Ravello is a charming hilltop town that is known for its stunning gardens and breathtaking views of the sea. One of the top attractions in Ravello is Villa Cimbrone, a magnificent estate that features beautiful gardens, a stunning terrace, and a panoramic view of the coastline.
Visitors can also explore the Villa Rufolo, another beautiful estate that is known for its colorful gardens and historic architecture. We stopped in Ravello on our way into the Amalfi Coast from Rome. We spent about two hours in Ravello and that was plenty of time for us, but you could definitely spend more time there. Ravello was a charming town with an incredible view of the coast and Mediterranean sea below.
Overall, these three towns offer a rich history and a wealth of attractions that make them must-see destinations for anyone traveling to the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is indeed a wonderful destination for anyone looking for a relaxing vacation with amazing food, views, and experiences, so I highly recommend you put it on your bucket list!
However, it is worth noting that there are a lot of hills and stairs, so it might be a good idea to pack some ibuprofen in case your muscles end up sore. We also loved having the hot tub to help ease our soar muscles at the end of the night! Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that the Amalfi Coast is essentially shut down from November until April during the off-season, so it's important to plan your trip accordingly. We went during the shoulder season in October; we spent three days in the Amalfi Coast and we really enjoyed it there during that time of year. Other notable places that we did not visit, but want to visit on another trip include the island of Capri and the blue grotto. We have heard amazing things about both of these places on the Amalfi Coast. You can do private boat tours (Sealiving Positano has them) that go to both the island and the grotto in one day trip, or you can even stay in Capri for a night or two.
From the Amalfi coast, we made our way back up to Rome for our remaining three days. On our way back up to Rome, we made a stop in Pompeii so that we could see the Ancient City. Pompeii was an ancient Roman city located in the region of Campania, in Southern Italy. The city was destroyed and buried under tons of ash and pumice following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Prior to the eruption, Pompeii was a thriving city that served as a commercial and agricultural hub. The city was known for its beautiful architecture, including its villas, temples, and public buildings. After the eruption, Pompeii was abandoned and remained buried for nearly 1700 years. The city was rediscovered in the 18th century, and since then it has been an important site for archaeologists and historians. There are even portions they are still working on excavating to this day. We spent two hours touring the Ancient City. We decided to skip doing a guided tour and instead, we downloaded the MyPompeii app and used that to get around and learn about things.
The myPompeii app is a mobile application that provides a virtual guide for visitors to the archaeological site of Pompeii. The app includes an interactive map that allows visitors to navigate the site and explore the various ruins and buildings. It also provides audio and video guides, as well as detailed information about the history of Pompeii and its ancient inhabitants. The app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices. You could easily do more than two hours at Pompeii, especially if you did a guided tour, but for us, two hours was plenty of time.
Once we got to Rome, we dropped our rental car back off at the airport and grabbed a taxi to head into Rome.
We then checked into our hotel, Colonna Suite del Corso, which is only a two-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain and located in a really nice area. We booked a Suite Luxury room for about 250 euros a night. With the unique Roman mosaic pool (which is like a giant Roman bath/soaking tub), Finnish sauna, and modern lighting this room gives the ultimate relaxing evening after a long day of exploring the historic capital. Fun fact: there is a Lush just a couple minutes walk from our hotel so we were able to go grab some fun bath bombs to use in the huge soaking tub. Our hotel was very centrally located to all the sites, so the walks were not bad at all. The farthest thing from our hotel was the Vatican City, which was a thirty minute walk.
Even that walk was not bad though, especially since we got to take in the city as we made our way there. While in Rome for three days, we made sure to see the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Vittoriano, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Vatican City: St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel.
We did all of our tours through Walks (the website is takewalks.com) and they each included an audio headset that made it easy to hear our guides talking even if we were not right next to them. Our first of the tours was the two-and-a-half hour tour of St. Peter's Basilica from top to bottom with the dome climb and the crypt. The maximum number of people on this tour is twenty people. It is an early morning tour to help avoid long waits in line. There is no skip-the-line access to enter into St. Peter's Basilica and it does take a little while even early in the morning to get through security.
The tour starts early in St. Peter's Square, where you'll see the Swiss Guards and learn about their unique history. Because we arrived early, we were some of the first people of the day to board the elevator up to the first level of the dome. Here we had the opportunity to be right underneath the incredible mosaics that most visitors only see from the ground. From there it's up 320 steps to the top. This part of the tour is go at your own pace as you climb to the top of the dome. The views from St. Peter's Basilica Dome need no explanation: they're some of the best in Rome, so it's important to take a moment to savor them (and snap a picture or two like this one I took of St. Peter's Square at the top of the Dome). Once we returned from the top of the dome, our tour guide continued leading us through the Basilica and then into the crypt below. She was amazing at explaining all the details and information that we would not have known otherwise. It is important to know that this tour is not well suited for people with mobility impairments, wheelchairs, or strollers however, you can contact their guest experiences to make alternative arrangements.
Our second tour was the Skip the Line: Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and it was a three hour tour. We spent an hour at the Colosseum learning its history and exploring the main levels.
We then spent the next two hours making our way across the street to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. This tour was in a small group of 16 or less people. Unfortunately, this tour is also not suitable for those who have mobility impairments, wheelchairs, or strollers, however, you can contact their guest experiences to make alternative arrangements. I really recommend this tour because I found it very fascinating not only learning about the Colosseum but also learning about Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. There was so much I did not know about them and their fascinating history.
Our third and final tour with takewalks was the most amazing tour I have ever been on and an absolute bucket list experience that everyone should do once in their life! We did the VIP Key Master's Tour: Open the Sistine Chapel. This was a two hour tour that was from 6am to 8am and had no more than 20 people.
We only had 17 people in our group, along with the key master and an amazing Vatican tour guide. Since this was an extremely early tour and the Vatican was a 30 minute walk from our hotel, we decided to schedule a taxi (through their taxi app) in Rome that morning and it went flawlessly. Also, don't let the taxi drivers try to tell you they need you to pay in cash. They ALL have the capability for you to pay via card, however, they just prefer you to pay in cash. During this tour, we had the opportunity to travel with the Key Masters as they performed their daily ritual: opening up the extensive network of galleries including the Sistine Chapel. We had the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel to ourselves during this tour and it was unbelievable! We had the opportunity to open the doors and turn on the lights within the museum one by one.
We also had the opportunity to walk up the original Bramante staircase which has long been closed to the public. The Vatican guide told us that it was a gift to us on this specific tour. It was amazing getting to see the original staircase, which is actually a ramp in a double helix pattern. The view from the top of the staircase gave us an incredible view of Rome and the Vatican City as it began to wake up and the sun began to rise. On this tour, each member of the tour got the opportunity to hold the key to the Sistine Chapel, put it in the lock, turn it, and open the door. Once inside the Sistine Chapel, we had the opportunity to enter it in the dark, look up, and watch as the key master illuminated the chapel as he turned on the lights. It was unbelievable that we got to experience all of this with such a small group of people and our Vatican guide was able to talk and explain the history to us while in the Sistine Chapel.
As a perk of this tour and this tour only, we had the exciting privilege of being allowed to take photographs and videos while in the Sistine Chapel! I seriously can't rave enough about this tour because it was a once in a lifetime experience. At one point, our tour started to move on to the next hallway, and I found myself standing alone in the Sistine Chapel taking in all its Glory alone, and that is a memory I will never forget. This was the most expensive tour/experience we did while in Italy, but I promise you that it was well worth it. Money saving tip: my husband was able to google takewalks coupon codes and he found a 10% off coupon code. He was able to apply this 10% off coupon code to this tour, which took our tickets from 599 euros a piece to 539 euros a piece. It will also save you money to make sure you choose to book paying in euros and not in US Dollars because you will get a better rate. Also, just remember these VIP Key Master ticket prices vary depending on the time of year. It is important to know that this tour is also not well suited for people with mobility impairments, wheelchairs, or strollers however, you can contact their guest experiences to make alternative arrangements.
As I said earlier, the Trevi Fountain was right by our hotel, so we saw it multiple times a day. This gave us the chance to see when it was busy and when it was not. We learned that late afternoon and evening time are definitely the busiest times at the fountain. If you are able to go in the morning, it will be a lot less crowded. If you are able to get up and go around 5am or 6am then you will really get a better experience as there were only a couple handfuls of people there at that time of day. This side by side picture is of us at 5am versus us at 8pm at the Trevi Fountain!
Make sure you get your tickets to the Pantheon ahead of time because the lines were super long. The tickets were only around $6 a piece, but it was a bit difficult due to the fact that it kept declining American credit cards. There is an option to use Paypal with your American credit card and that is what my husband ended up doing to get the payment to go through. If you wait to get your tickets there at the Pantheon, just make sure you pay attention because there is one line specifically for cash and one specifically for credit cards. and make sure you get there early if you haven't pre-bought your tickets. In between these two lines is where we found the extremely shorter line to enter the Pantheon if you already had tickets.
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem was not a place that we originally had on our must see list. However, during our St. Peter's Basilica Tour, our amazing takewalks guide referenced the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and stated that we could see amazing relics at that Basilica and it's free to enter. It is important to know that the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is closed from 12:45pm until 3:30pm each day so just plan according if you intend to visit.
It features a beautiful Baroque facade and houses important relics, including fragments of the True Cross, as well as artifacts from the Passion of Christ. Some of the other important relics the church also houses include a thorn from the Crown of Thorns and a nail from the Crucifixion. The church was built in the 4th century and was originally a palace for the sister of Emperor Constantine. It was later converted into a church in the 12th century and went through many renovations over the centuries. This was such a neat Church and seeing the relics in person and reading the history about them was wondrous.
Restaurant recommendations in Rome: We had amazing pizza at Osteria dell'Anima for lunch one day, their spicy salami was amazing!
It is located one block over from the Piazza Navona. Il Chianti Osteria Toscana had such amazing food that we ended up eating there for dinner one night and then again for lunch the next day. They were only a block or two away from the Trevi Fountain. Their pasta, steak, pizza, and wine were all amazing. There may be a short line when you get to this restaurant, but I promise it went quickly and it was worth the wait. One of the nights in Rome, we were exhausted and ready to head back to our Roman bath/soaking tub, so we decided to do takeaway. We tried Tora Sushi & Asian Cuisine and it was delicious. They were even kind enough to give my husband a complimentary glass of champagne while he waited for our order to be ready. If you eat there, make sure you get the Volcano roll. It was delicious and they said it is a best seller. Don't forget to stop at one of the many gelato shops while in Rome because you won't want to miss out on that well known Italian dessert!
Overall, this trip was amazing and full of bucket list experiences that I will cherish the memories of forever. If you only have a week to take a trip, then I highly recommend this one right here! Are there other portions of Italy we still want to see? Absolutely! However, this was an epic beginning to seeing all that Italy has to offer. We will actually be back in Italy at the end of December and the beginning of January for a trip that will take us to Milan and Lake Como. We will also do Lucerne and Lugano Switzerland and Liechtenstein on that trip as well. Italy has so much to offer so what's stopping you from booking the flight?
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Ciao for now!
Lindsay The Traveling Wordsmith
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