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
The Sicily tour was incredible! After touring with David, I felt that I had truly seen all that this special island has to offer: terrific historical sights, vibrant cities, incredible museums, majestic land and seascapes, as well as a delectable cuisine. Throughout the tour David was informative, hospitable and open to suggestions and adjustments. He has a very pleasant and accommodating persona and we were fortunate to have him as our escort. The guides he hires are excellent and really enhanced our experience. The only recommendation I have is to have a guide for EVERY excursion! Our driver, Paolo, was exceptional.
I have longed to go on safari since I was a teenager! When I learned about David's explorations BEYOND Europe, I couldn't wait to secure my spot! The Serengeti Safari was the first trip on my retirement agenda! I had high expectations, and this trip EXCEEDED every one of them. David has a network of skilled professionals at every bend in the road. I highly recommend this trip for anyone hoping to experience the beauty of Tanzania, its abundant wildlife, its rich cultural heritage, and its beautiful people!
This trip truly was a trip of a lifetime. The ability to see all of the animals in their natural habitat was really something so hard to describe in words. In so many ways it seemed surreal. I have visited over 50 of our US National Parks, so being able to visit and stay inside the Serengeti National Park made the trip even more special to me. Our guides were simply outstanding. They were knowledgeable and always made sure we had the best experience possible. Our accommodations were top of the line- even our safari tents were exceptional. If going on an African Safari is on your bucket list I highly recommend traveling with David!
This was our first of what I hope are many tours with David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe. We chose The Best of Scotland and Wales in 11 Days tour from 9/24/25 - 10/4/25. Our tour guide, David Gray, made this tour very special. He is very knowledgeable about the destinations on the tour but was also very personable……which made for a very relaxing tour experience. He’s just a nice man! Our driver, Ian, has a beautiful coach and really made us comfortable. He and David make a good team. We were able to go to places that I never thought I’d see because of them. The drive through The Highlands was breathtaking and something we will never forget. All of our hotels were very comfortable and close to the town centers they were in. We really liked our travel mates which also made for a very positive experience. This tour is very well thought out and planned. There was ample free time as well. My husband and I had a very memorable trip and we highly recommend David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe.
I have traveled with David for over a quarter of a century on 22 trips soon to be 23. I’ve traveled with as few as 3 total people and as many as an entire high school marching band. No matter where the destination or the adventure David has researched it and will have all the details taken care of before you ever get there. I often joke that on his trips all I ever worry about is getting to the airport on time- he takes care of all of the rest! I highly recommend David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe— I trust him explicitly and would never consider traveling abroad with anyone else. Knowing David and his wife Charlotte is a blessing in my life and traveling with them is always a pleasure.
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