Ultimate Two-Week Family Vacation to Southern Italy

Discover Sicily and its bustling capital, Palermo.

What to expect on this itinerary

From scaling the heights of a dormant volcano to exploring the depths of a royal escape route, this luxurious, 14-day tour of Southern Italy provides destinations and activities that will be treasured by your whole family. Across three major regions, this journey focuses on providing a balanced approach to travel with curated tours and activities that have been combined with plenty of time to relax on a beach with a good book. No matter what your family’s travel style is, the city of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula, and the exotic city of Palermo will bring you closer together and provide memories to last a lifetime.

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Palermo, Sicily

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Naples – Getting Your Bearings in Campania

Stretching far into the Mediterranean, Southern Italy enjoys a unique vantage point at the juncture of three continents at the heart of the Ancient World. Antiquity saw it settled by Greeks and Romans who added their artwork and sophisticated engineering skills to the cities they left behind. Later, the region was invaded and influenced by other European powers, including the Byzantines, Lombards, and Normans who competed with local kingdoms over control of trading privileges and economic dominance. This constantly shifting cocktail of geopolitics, culture, and history contributes greatly to the Southern Italy that awaits you today. From the cuisine to the architecture, everywhere one looks in this region lies evidence of a past that has only recently departed.

Naples was originally a Greek settlement on the protected shores of the Gulf of Naples, which is the bay that shares the city’s name. It boasts a cornucopia of artistic, cultural, and ancient treasures, and its old city center enjoys the status of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not to be outdone by its history, the city also claims to be the birthplace of pizza and offers plenty of opportunities to try some during your stay.

Upon landing at Naples International Airport in the nearby suburb of San Pietro a Patierno, you will be greeted by a friendly guide who will lead you on a tour of the city center. Scooters and fiats will wiz about you as your seasoned driver leads you past the towering housing blocks near the outskirts of town and toward the more modestly sized, but older city center. Buildings that were commissioned by 20th-century dictators will be replaced by buildings that were commissioned by 10th-century kings as you enter the city center of Naples. Soon, your tour will conclude, and you will be returned to your luxurious hotel. As your head hits the pillow for some well-earned rest, your mind will be filled with the adventures that are waiting for you tomorrow and the remainder of your stay in this unique corner of Europe.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Breakfast
Day 2

Naples – Conquer the Slopes of a Dormant Volcano

Day 3

Naples – Savor an Authentic Gelato-Making Course

Day 4

Naples – Explore the Subterranean History of the City Center

Day 5

Sorrento – Survey the Shops and Sweets of Sorrento’s Centro Storico

Day 6

Sorrento – Uncover the Maritime Treasures of the Bay of Naples

Day 7

Capri – Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Capri and Surrounding Seascape

Day 8

Capri – Ride the Gentle Waves of the Blue Grotto

Day 9

Amalfi – Explore Amalfi’s Dramatic History of Natural Disasters

Day 10

Amalfi – Stretch Your Legs in the Footsteps of the Gods

Day 11

Amalfi – Bask in the Rays of the Mediterranean Sun

Day 12

Palermo – Introduce Yourself to the Vibrant Character of Sicily

Day 13

Palermo – Tour the Colorful Stalls of Palermo’s Open-Air Markets

Day 14

Palermo – A Sicilian Goodbye

Trip Highlights

  • Wander the narrow alleys and artisanal shops of the city center of Naples
  • Traverse the crumbling volcanic slopes of Mt. Vesuvius and visit the site of one of the worst natural disasters of the ancient world at Pompeii
  • Experience an authentic gelato-making course and savor the finished product of an ageless delicacy
  • Delight in a guided tour of an underground passageway that was used to ferry kings and other VIPs to safety under the cobbled streets of Naples
  • Sample the lemon-based refreshments that can be found in abundance on the Sorrentine Peninsula
  • Luxuriate on a guided boat tour of the Bay of Naples with a guide to instruct you on the region’s proud maritime past
  • Experience the highs and the lows of the elegant isle of Capri through a visit to Mount Solaro and the Blue Grotto
  • Walk in the footsteps of the gods on the Sentiero degli Dei, which is a meandering path through the luscious foliage, orchards, and gardens of the Amalfi Coast
  • Uncover the largest island of the Mediterranean through a visit to the always vibrant of Sicily and its bustling capital of Palermo

Detailed Description

Southern Italy has long enchanted and enticed travelers who are in need of relaxation and restful luxury. Contemporary celebrities and past Roman emperors have frequented the shores of the Mediterranean, and this 14-day tour is designed to furnish these same experiences along with the option for excitement should your family desire a more active approach to travel.

Starting in Naples, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, your arrival in this classic Italian destination will be marked with ancient, artistic, and culinary features, demonstrating why it is one of the top attractions for travelers around the world. A day trip to the nearby slopes of Mt. Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii will provide a graphic introduction to not just the abundance of ancient history but also the power of nature to remind civilization of its place. The soothing notes and flavors of a gelato-making course will provide a tasty glimpse into the proud history of Neapolitan gastronomy, and a dive beneath the cobbled streets of this region’s capital will remind you how ubiquitous the history of this city is.

The second leg of your tour will explore the Sorrentine peninsula to the south in addition to the rugged mountains, beaches, and gorgeous views that have attracted Roman emperors and various VIPs over the centuries. Visits to Sorrento, Amalfi, and Capri will ensure that your exposure to much of the best of these rural communities while offering fun-filled experiences for your family regardless of their age. As summer represents the warmest and most crowded time for these locales, the best time to indulge in this convenient tour is in the late Spring or early Fall. This will ensure your enjoyment of relatively empty beaches and roomy restaurants before the annual crowds of day-trippers and sun-worshippers in August.

Consider learning more about our travelers’ favorite Italy travel activities by reading their Italy travel reviews.

Starting Price

$6,300 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 5653 reviews

Grace B.
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My husband and I went through Zicasso to plan our honeymoon to Italy and Greece. This was the best decision ever! We worked closely with our travel specialist to plan our trip and she was absolutely phenomenal. This was our first international trip outside of the US, so we were a bit nervous at first! However, our specialist ensured every aspect of the trip was organized and that we were taken care of every step of the way.

The biggest relief was transportation. We did not have to give a second thought as to how we were getting places; we had drivers set up at every destination and for nearly every activity. Also, we had 24/7 support if anything were to go wrong, which gave us peace of mind.

If you are hesitant to use Zicasso for your next trip, I want you to know that I was too, but it was the best decision! We were able to personalize and tailor our trip to our needs without the hassle of dealing with the details.

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I was very pleased with the entire planning of the trip. The communication with Zicasso's tour company was excellent. The meals that were pre-arranged by them were fantastic and we probably would not have found them on our own.

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The trip was amazing all around. Incredible. The service and itinerary were perfect. We highly recommend Zicasso's travel company.

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Our trip was absolutely amazing! This was the trip of a lifetime. Zicasso and our trip planner were incredible. He was repeatedly helpful, offering personalized attention to our needs. He booked amazing tours for us and seemed to really grasp what we wanted. Everything was incredible.

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Robert K.
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It was a great pleasure working with Zicasso's tour agency. Our travel designer and her staff were attentive to the kind of trip we wanted and planned a great itinerary. The hotels, restaurants, and drivers were all top-notch. For us, the acid test was the quality of the guides, and they excelled there as well. We would happily have them plan another trip for us.

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My husband and I had a great time on our trip to the northeast Adriatic Coast of Italy. We have very specific tastes as far as where we like to stay and the private tours we like to have during the trip. Zicasso's travel company did a great job, giving us fantastic hotels, and all of our tour guides were top-notch.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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