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The outline of Vesuvius above the blue water of the Bay of Naples

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Campania, from the streets of Naples to the Path of the Gods

Naples, Pompeii & Herculaneum, Sorrento, Ravello & Procida

Photo: Fabio Fistarol / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many travellers know the Amalfi Coast from photographs and Naples only as an airport on the way. This journey begins in Naples and gives it three nights, because without it the region is hard to understand. Old-town streets with laundry hanging above the scooters, Baroque chapels, the city beneath the city and the National Archaeological Museum, home to the frescoes and mosaics of Pompeii: all of it prepares you for a day at Pompeii itself and at smaller, better-preserved Herculaneum.

Then the Sorrento peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, but not their main streets at midday. We stay in Ravello, high above the sea among gardens and villas; one morning we walk the Path of the Gods along the mountainside above Positano, and another we take a boat along the cliffs. To finish, Procida, a small island in the Bay of Naples that still lives by its own rhythm. The journey suits couples who love history and a good table alike, and the stays, from a family-run palazzo in Naples to a hotel with a terrace above the sea, would be chosen to suit you.

The route

The journey

  1. Naples
  2. Herculaneum
  3. Pompeii
  4. Sorrento
  5. Ravello & the Amalfi Coast
  6. Path of the Gods & Positano
  7. Procida
  8. Naples
  1. A narrow street in Naples with laundry strung between the balconies

    01Days 1–3 · Naples

    A city that doesn't apologise

    Three nights in the old centre of Naples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first walk, with a local guide, follows Spaccanapoli, the straight street that splits the old town, and Via San Gregorio Armeno, where Christmas nativity figures are made all year round. In the Sansevero Chapel is the marble Veiled Christ, whose shroud seems transparent; visits are at a reserved time. The next day, the National Archaeological Museum: frescoes, mosaics and everyday objects from Pompeii and Herculaneum, well worth seeing before you visit the towns themselves. In the afternoon, a descent into the underground city of ancient cisterns and tunnels beneath the streets, and in the evening pizza where it was born and a walk along the seafront to Chiaia as Vesuvius sharpens against the sky across the bay.

  2. The ruins of Pompeii and an arch, with Vesuvius beyond under a blue sky

    02Days 4–5 · Herculaneum, Pompeii & Sorrento

    The towns beneath the ash

    On day four, the road south along the foot of Vesuvius with a guide and driver. First Herculaneum: smaller than Pompeii but better preserved, with timber beams, two-storey houses and frescoes still vivid. Then Pompeii, where the guide chooses a route through streets, bakeries, baths and villas so the day doesn't become an endless walk in the heat. In the evening, Sorrento and two nights on the cliffs above the Bay of Naples. Day five is slower: lemon gardens, the little fishing harbour of Marina Grande and dinner of the day's catch. If you like, the morning can begin with a walk up to the crater of Vesuvius: a short but steep trail that depends on the weather and current visiting rules.

  3. The view from Villa Rufolo in Ravello down to a coastal village and the blue sea

    03Days 6–8 · Ravello & the Amalfi Coast

    Gardens above the sea

    Along the winding coast road to Ravello, a village set around 350 metres above the sea, from which the Amalfi Coast looks like a map. Three nights here. Ravello is calmer than the coastal towns: the gardens of Villa Rufolo, with terraces above the sea where concerts are held in summer, and the park of Villa Cimbrone, with a belvedere from which the horizon seems to have no end. One day is spent by boat along the coast: Amalfi with its cathedral and old paper mills, sea grottoes and swims in coves you can reach only from the water. Another day belongs to the Path of the Gods, which has a chapter of its own. Evenings are on terraces among lemon trees, with limoncello and local fish. At midday the coast roads and lanes are crowded, so we move early or by sea.

  4. Positano seen from the Path of the Gods, its houses clinging to the slope above the sea

    04Day 7 · The Path of the Gods

    A path between the sky and Positano

    An early start for Bomerano, a mountain village near Agerola where the Path of the Gods begins. For about seven kilometres it runs along the mountainside hundreds of metres above the sea, past old stone terraces, goat pastures and rock niches, with Positano and the Li Galli islets opening up below again and again. With a local guide it usually takes about three hours with stops; the gradients are modest, but the stony surface and sun call for good shoes and water. The path ends in the hamlet of Nocelle, from where you can descend to Positano by well over a thousand steps or take the bus. The afternoon is in Positano, after the first wave of the day has left, and back to Ravello by boat if one is running that day, or by car with a driver.

  5. Procida's colourful harbour, crowded with small boats

    05Days 9–11 · Procida & Naples

    An island that doesn't dress up for visitors

    From the Amalfi Coast by car or, in season, by boat to Naples and then the ferry to Procida, the smallest of the three main islands in the Bay of Naples. The last two nights are here. Procida is smaller and quieter than Capri: the harbour of Marina Corricella, its pastel houses curving around the fishing boats; Terra Murata, the old fortified village at the island's summit, with its former prison and a view across the whole bay; lemon gardens and little coves for swimming. This is a place simply to be: dinner by the water, watching fishermen mend their nets, and Vesuvius across the bay in the evening. If you'd like Capri, it can be reached in a day from Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast. On the last day, a short ferry to Naples and the flight home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The archaeological museum in Naples

    The frescoes and mosaics of Pompeii, best seen before visiting the buried towns themselves.

  2. 02

    Herculaneum and Pompeii

    Two towns buried by Vesuvius in a single day, with a guide who chooses the route.

  3. 03

    The Path of the Gods

    A morning walk along the mountainside hundreds of metres above the sea, with Positano below.

  4. 04

    Procida

    A pastel fishing harbour and an island that still lives at its own pace.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • At a slower pace

    A fourth night in Ravello leaves a day just for gardens and the terrace, and Pompeii and Herculaneum can be split over two days.

  • For a honeymoon

    A hotel with a terrace above the sea in Ravello, a private boat along the coast at sunset and quiet final nights on Procida.

  • In another season

    May, June and September to early October are usually the most pleasant; in winter Naples is lively, but some coastal hotels and boats close.

  • With Sicily or Puglia

    From Naples an overnight ferry or a flight continues to Sicily, while train and car lead on to Matera and Puglia.

Practical considerations

  • The most pleasant time is spring and autumn (roughly late April to June and September to October). July and August are hot and at their busiest on the coast; many boats and some hotels operate roughly from April to October.
  • The Amalfi coast road is narrow and winding, and in the high season traffic restrictions apply to visitors' cars, so we don't self-drive: we choose a driver, the bus or the boat. We check the rules before you travel.
  • Visiting arrangements and ticketing for Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Sansevero Chapel and the crater of Vesuvius change, and some limit visitor numbers, so we reserve times in advance.
  • The Path of the Gods needs good shoes, water and a head for heights; on hot days we walk it early in the morning.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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