THE AMALFI COAST & ISLANDS in 9 days
My Amalfi & Islands tour visits the three islands in the Bay of Naples, the excavations of ancient Pompeii, and several villages along the beautiful Amalfi coast. Slow down, relax, and unwind because we will stay in only two hotels, and both have pools, spas, grand vistas, and a seaside ambiance. Visit the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida during the first four days, then set up for three nights on the mainland, in the village of Sorrento. If you enjoy a slow pace, the seaside, and incredible scenery, this is the perfect way to experience Italy!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $3789 + air | May 14-22, 2026 |  |
Ischia Island – 4 nights
Sorrento – 3 nights
Rome – 1 night
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Single Room Additional Cost ~$600
ITINERARY
Day 1: Rome to Ischia – Meet your Exploring Europe tour guide at the Rome Airport and travel to Naples. At the port of Naples, board your ferry and cruise to the beautiful island of Ischia. Enjoy a free afternoon exploring the local village. Later, we’ll meet for a welcome dinner at our hotel. Sleep for 4 nights on Ischia. Dinner. Bus: 3 hours. Ferry: 1 hour.
Day 2: Ischia Island and La Mortella – Ischia is a paradise of thermal baths, lush forests, quaint seaside villages, and gardens. Today, enjoy a guided tour around the island and a stop at the botanical gardens, La Mortella. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening in the local town or relax in the hotel’s thermal baths.
Day 3: Capri and Anacapri – Today, we will take the ferry to Capri island! Enjoy a full-day guided tour with time to explore on your own as well. If you are feeling adventurous, hire a tour boat to visit the famous Blue Grotto. Back in Ischia, enjoy dinner with the group. Ferry: 1 hour. Dinner.
Day 4: Procida – The island of Procida is celebrating winning the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2022. The Bay of Naples’ smallest island is also its best-kept secret. A local guide will take you on a walking tour of the most beautiful sights on the island. Back in Ischia, enjoy an evening on your own. Ferry 30 minutes.
Day 5: Naples, Pompeii, and Sorrento – Ferry back to the mainland and enjoy some free time in Naples with lunch at a traditional pizzeria. Then, visit Pompeii, where a local guide will show us around this ancient city, covered for centuries with volcanic ash. Following the tour, we’ll drive to Sorrento, a charming town overlooking the Bay of Naples, and have dinner together. Sleep for 3 nights in Sorrento. Dinner. Boat: 1 hour. Bus 1.5 hours.
Day 6: Amalfi Coast Driving Tour – Its cliffs plunge steeply into the deep blue sea, broken up only by bursts of verdant vegetation and little towns clinging to the narrow roads. Star-studded resort towns like Positano and Amalfi are some of the most sought-after destinations in all of Italy. Returning to Sorrento, enjoy a free evening and dinner on your own. Bus: 5 hours with sightseeing stops.
Day 7: Sorrento and the Countryside – The historic seaside town of Sorrento hangs precariously over the Bay of Naples. Enjoy the morning and afternoon walking the tiny pedestrian streets filled with local shops, inviting restaurants, and a clifftop promenade. Later, visit a farmhouse outside Sorrento, where the owner will explain the wine cellar, the mill, and the production of local Mozzarella cheese. Then, we will sit down to a grand farewell dinner at the farmhouse table. Dinner.
Day 8: Buon giorno a Roma! – We will return to Rome today to explore the sites of this ancient city. Enjoy a walk to the Roman Colosseum, and visit the interior arena. Later, we will meet for a grand farewell dinner at a favorite restaurant. Sleep 1 night in Rome. Walking: moderate. Dinner.
Day 9: Your tour is over after breakfast. Your guide will be available to help you with travel connections and your flights back home. Bon viaggio!
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
8 nights hotel accommodation (en-suite), 4-star properties.
Breakfast daily at hotels.
5 Dinners at hotels, restaurants, and a farmhouse. Eating well is a priority, and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale offers.
Water is included with all meals. You are responsible for the cost of any additional drinks at all group dinners and while dining on your own.
All ground transportation round trip from the Rome Airport to your final home in Rome.
Entrances and admissions a mentioned in the itinerary.
A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.
All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurants, and hotel staff.
A guaranteed Small Group consisting of no more than 18 participants.
Free Exploring Europe luggage tags.
David’s drawstring backpack is designed to enhance your Exploring Europe tour experience.
David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.
Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.
Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.
$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year.
EXCLUSIONS
Anything not listed above in the “inclusions” area is not included in the cost of your tour.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.
Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.
Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.
SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST
If you do not want to sign up online:
You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.
-OR-
You may return it by:
- FAX 1-800-570-1351
- Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
- email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
- TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149
KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY
Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:
Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.
Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.
Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks. There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.
Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.
PRE-TOUR RESOURCES
Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions. Don’t worry; we are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.
DAVID’S AUDIO & E-PRINT PDF DESTINATION GUIDES
David has a complete PDF and Printable Guidebook for all destinations on his Essence and Best of Italy tours. You’ll also find downloadable AUDIO WALKING TOURS for Rome’s Colosseum and the Roman Forum. https://davidmcguffin.com/dg-italy/
DAVID’S VIDEO SERIES: THE BEST OF ITALY
David and his team have produced an episodic video series detailing many of the destinations on this tour itinerary. They are all neatly organized on his YouTube channel. Watch the complete series or view one episode at a time on his Best of Italy Playlist.
DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS
Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in Italy. Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David’s Explore Italy.
DAVID’S TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY ALMOST-WEEKLY BROADCAST AND VIDEO SERIES BLOG.
Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded. Watch them here.
DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES
David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog. But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.
PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.
We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions. tours@davidmcguffin.com or 800-570-1351.
Testimonials & Reviews of our ITALY Tours
I’m quite pleased with my first experience with David McGuffin tour company. The itinerary was spot on - from sites (expected tourist highlights to less known treasures) to hotels (especially Barr Na Straide) & restaurants (Rinuccini❣️) to planned time balanced with free time. And our guide David Grey was THE BEST! David is respectful, thorough, flexible, & a wealth of knowledge and all the while just being plain fun. As my late mother would say, “he’s a keeper.”
We were a family of 5 with three adults and two children 7 and 9. In London we had great food, site seeing and special moments like tea at Harrods, seeing Wicked live and a trip to Harry Potter WB studio experience as well as a trip to Abbey Road for a photo moment. We rode The Eye, boats, busses and the subway. John and Audra guided us expertly . On to Paris via train and more wonderful sites and food. We absolutely loved the Eiffel Tower both from the top and from the river. Spectacular experience of seeing the lights coming on at dusk. Took a cooking class and it was fantastic. The macarons were delicious. Lots of walking. This hotel was convenient to transportation but room too small for a family. All the hotels had delicious breakfasts. Flew to Rome and the hotel there was very nice. Very hot here but enjoyed all the sites and food. No water in Trevi Fountain but lots of other things to enjoy. Had a wonderful memorable time. Came home exhausted but with lots of lasting memories. Thanks to David, Leslie John and Audra for a trip of a lifetime.
The trip to Ireland was just GREAT. David McGuffin Exploring Europe really provides a very nice itinerary and very comfortable everything, very nice hotels, great food, highlighted places and experiences. The part I liked best was David the personal full time tour guide, he was exceptional. The company took care of all of the details like where to go, where to stay, all attraction payments, the beautiful motorcoach. All we had to do is relax and enjoy. And what a great group of people. It couldn't have been better!
My wife and I traveled to Italy last month for David’s “Essence of Italy” tour and we had a great time. Traveling with David and Charlotte was so much easier not having to worry about our hotel, food, and transportation arrangements.
Due to the Jubilee and the Pope’s death, Rome was extremely crowded. We missed the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica because of the Conclave. We plan on returning to Rome with David to see these sites.
The train ride to Cinque Terre was fun with a lot to see. Once there, we were able to visit a few of the five villages using local trains. The views of the mountain villages next to the ocean were fantastic.
Our next stop was to the hilltown of Volterra in Tuscany. Now I know why David calls Volterra one of his favorite places. It’s really beautiful and has a lot of history. We would never have thought of visiting some of the locations David took us.
We finished our trip visiting Siena and Florence. The museums, Cathedrals, and famous historical sites were great to see.
Traveling with David, Charlotte and our group was very enjoyable. We have already booked our next trip with David in 2026.
Essence of Italy 10 days our first David McGuffin Tour and we were thankful to have David and Charlotte with us on this tour. Rome was quite the experience 2 full days of site seeing with the Vatican, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain to name a few all so beautiful, but a little over whelming with the crowds.
Our hotels in every location were quaint and lovely! Not having A/C is some of them was an adjustment , I definitely recommend you bring the portable fan that David mentions to bring we used it.
We really enjoyed our small group 10 people including our guides it was perfect. We had so much fun at our group dinners having a guide for the restaurants was definitely a plus, as well as what food to order.
Cinque Terre- Monterosso was my favorite village and Volterra the Tuscany area was also a favorite of ours! The tour guides in Rome (Guilai was amazing) and Volterra were informative and enjoyable as well as David and Charlottes information on each area.
We packed just like David suggested and we didn’t have any issues or problems handling our own luggage but we did do laundry once while there. David’s tour prep instructions were spot on.
We had the most enjoyable time making new friends and seeing beautiful Italy our next adventure is hopefully Greece!
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