OUR 10 DAY ITALY ITINERARY

In 2017, I begged my mom to let me go on my major’s study abroad trip to France and Italy! Even though it was a financial burden, she finally agreed and it was everything I dreamed of and more. I feel like that experience gave me the the HUGE travel bug I have today! I remember exploring the Italian cities and telling myself that one day, I’d be back. Fast forward to 2025, and I still can’t believe I got to relive the magic of Italy with Bo! It was also nice to be able to splurge a little more than the first time I went! Lol.

First things first! My travel agent was Alexis Taliaferro (her IG handle is @ataliatravels) and she planned the perfect itinerary! I told her exactly what we wanted to do, and she made it happen. (I did handle our flights and all restaurant reservations) The thing I loved about Alexis is that she basically read my mind! Lol. For example, I wanted to do a boat day to Capri on a sleek wooden boat like you see on social media. (HAHA) Instead of spending a ton on a private boat or taking the ferry, we did a small, adults only group and it was SO fabulous!

Mimi e Coco – Cacio e Pepe 

Carbonara from cooking class – the BEST tomato based pasta we had!

R O M E

Friday: Our red eye flight arrived in Italy at 10am and our private transfer drove us to Donna Camilla Savelli Hotel! It’s a boutique hotel in the Trastevere neighborhood where all the best food is. Once we dropped our luggage, Bo and I started off strong with Mimi e Coco for lunch! I ordered the cacio e pepe and Bo chose the meatballs. Then, we strolled over to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and did some afternoon shopping! We freshened up at our hotel and went to dinner at Alfredo’s! Yes, THE Alfredo was invented here! SO delicious with a fresh Italian taste!

Saturday: We hit the ground running Saturday morning with a tour of the Forum and the Colosseum! I loved that we had a small group of 6. It was supposed to be 8, but one couple didn’t bring any identification! With so many scalpers and crooks, you MUST have some proof of identity for the Colosseum tour, so they know you’re a real person. (Even a photo of your passport or license works)

We finished around 12pm and a private transfer took us to lunch while we waited for our Vatican tour to start that afternoon! Random but the tour company we use operates out of a restaurant, so it was included! Lol. Like I said, my travel agent Alexis knows all the details here! The Vatican was such a cool experience, especially since the new Pope was elected the day before! But that did mean the Sistine Chapel was still closed. We had dinner back in Trastevere at Birreria La Scala and then ended the night with gelato at Gelateria Alla Scala!

Sunday: We did a private cooking class Sunday morning through InRome Cooking! Bo and I helped make the noodles and tiramisu and the chef did everything else. We got to try both the Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe. Bo and I were shocked at how amazing the Carbonara was! We said it was one of our favorite meals even after the trip was over! HIGHLY recommend with Chef Guilio!

We spent our last afternoon in Rome shopping around the Spanish Steps! I did splurge on a Celine bag and was even more excited when I realized it wasn’t in the U.S. yet. I never have the latest season first! Lol. We did a private Trastevere Evening Food Stroll that night and got to sample some pizza, apps, wine, a full pasta dish and gelato!

P O S I T A N O

Monday: Our private transfer dropped us off at the train station Monday morning, and we took an hour train ride to Naples, Italy! From Naples, private transfer #2 drove us the 1.5 hours to the Amalfi Coast. When I say Positano took my breath away, I mean it! I couldn’t believe after years of seeing photos online, I was actually there in person. A major bucket list moment! We stayed at Hotel Villa Gabrisa and it was perfection. I splurged on the junior suite with the pretty balcony and hot tub, and I’d do it again 100%! PS: When I was researching, a lot of people recommended staying in Sorrento but I am SO glad we didn’t. While I’m sure Sorrento is great, my heart was set on Positano (and a balcony view)! I would have majorly regretted it!

We grabbed a late lunch at our hotel (they have a delicious restaurant attached with great reviews) and then walked down to the shops in Positano including the famous CB store all over social media! I made reservations for dinner at Da Vincenzo which is one of the top restaurants in Positano! Go to my “Positano” highlight on Instagram for the exact food we ordered! The gelato shop down the street called Take It Easy Take It Away had some incredible strawberry ice cream. It tasted SO fresh!

Tuesday: As I’ve already said, Alexis booked us the BEST boat day! We met at the Positano port that morning and went on a water tour of Capri before the captain dropped us off there to explore. (We opted to skip the Blue Grotto since it had a 2 hour wait) Once we were on Capri, we grabbed lunch and went into all the little shops! Honestly, it was very busy, so I feel like I didn’t get to experience the true magic of Capri. I did try the famous sorbet in a lemon and loved it! Once we were back in Positano, we had dinner at Saraceno d’Oro which is another top food spot!

Wednesday: Alexis scheduled a private driver to take us on a tour of the rest of the coast! We started in the actual town of Amalfi, and headed to Ravello for lunch. We got SO lucky because I didn’t make reservations, but our driver recommended Hotel Caruso’s restaurant with a beautiful view and got us a last minute spot! And OMG was it an experience. My favorite part was grabbing a drink by the infinity pool beforehand because it was just fabulous! A top moment of the trip no doubt! We then had a delicious lunch at Caruso Grill and visited Villa Rufolo! 

Back in Positano, we had dinner at Chez Black! Now, there are mixed reviews online BUT Bo and I both loved it! Maybe we’re just basic! Lol. The location is near the Positano Port, so it does get a lot of tourists!

Thursday: Thursday was our last day in Positano with nothing on the schedule! I will say that I wished we had something planned, at least for half the day. There are a lot of great beach clubs, but most of them weren’t open yet! We probably would have went to Arienzo or One Fire, though! We grabbed brunch at Casa e Bottega, and it was SO cute. It had some American dishes too! The Iced Tiramisu Espresso is a must!

We had a reservation for dinner at Il Tridente Cocktail Bar which is in Hotel Poseidon! I tried to get one at the actual restaurant, but it’s hard if you aren’t a guest at the hotel. The cocktail bar still had good small dishes, and the view is gorgeous! We sat on the patio!

Viral cheese wheel pasta – Osteria Pastella 

F L O R E N C E

Friday: Our private transfer picked us up Friday morning to go to the Naples train station for our ride to Florence, Italy! (This is the closest station to the Amalfi Coast) We got there early and grabbed McDonald’s – It was SO good! Lol. Once we made it to Florence, we checked into Hotel Balestri! Again, Alexis did such a great job with our hotels. No complaints!

We grabbed a sandwich from All’Antico Vinaio that was great! People also recommended Pino’s and I wish we had time to compare the two. Our dinner at Osteria Pastella was my favorite meal of the entire trip. They have the viral cheese wheel pasta all over TikTok, and it did NOT disappoint! They make the dish table side, so you’re able to watch. I can still taste it! Lol.

Saturday: Our travel agent scheduled us a private half day tour of Florence to see the Duomo, the famous Michelangelo, and other popular city spots! Once we finished, we had lunch at Il Grand Nuti and then I HAD to go to Vivoli! (Another famous Florence spot) The line was intimidating but SO WORTH IT. I truly regret not buying two of the affogatos because they were amazing yet small! Lol.

That afternoon, I grabbed a drink from a famous wine window! So cool. (It was Buchetta Del Vino) We went to Osteria Cinghiale Bianco for our last dinner that Stanley Tucci has reviewed! The onion flan appetizer is the most popular and we loved it. And of course we had to grab gelato one last time! If you’re in the Florence area, Gelateria Della Passera is a MUST. I could tell it was made with love!

Sunday: Our final private transfer got us safely to the airport at 4:30am! We had a quick flight to London, a LONG 7 hour layover, and then finally arrived in New Orleans at 8pm! We didn’t sleep much on our last flight, so jet lag wasn’t too bad!

R A N D O M  I N F O

– I wish we would have done our currency exchange before we left because we got GOT at the Rome airport! I mean we knew we were, but we could have easily avoided it with extra preparation!

– I spent hours researching restaurants! If there was a place I wanted to eat with reservations, I booked as soon as our ideal day opened. A few places didn’t have the option, so I made sure we got there early to those spots!

– While the food in Positano was still good, Bo and I both thought the restaurants we ate at in Rome and Florence were better!

– Never buy gelato from the places where it is piled high! They do this to make it more aesthetic, but it’s basically whipped air and probably not homemade. Look for the shops with level gelato or completely covered with tin lids!

– We had a private transfer lined up to and from the airport and each train station! It made everything less stressful and the driver was always exactly where they said they’d be!

– Luckily, our hotel in Positano was on the main road, so we didn’t have to carry luggage up stairs! However, I’m sure an Airbnb would be a completely different story – be mindful when booking accommodations! Haha.

– The Italy weather was SO perfect when we went mid May! I don’t think I broke a sweat once. Some nights were actually chilly, especially in Positano! I recommend going in May or September to beat the crowds and heat!

– While it’s totally doable to plan a trip like this on your own, I have to plug my travel agent, Alexis again! Lol. Someone asked how much I paid her, and I’m honestly not sure. I gave her our budget and I’m assuming her rate was within that? Or maybe she makes commission from booking through her work platform? Not sure! Hahah. I found her through the Traveling Toasters Facebook group, so I knew she’d be fabulous!

PS: PLEASE let me know if I missed anything about Italy! I’m happy to edit the post!

XO

Kels

The post OUR 10 DAY ITALY ITINERARY appeared first on Sassy Southern Blonde.