Italy

Positano, Capri, Catania (Sicily), Rome, Florence & Cinque Terre/Sestre Levante

Itinerary From My Trip (2017)

Positano

Where To Stay & How To Get There (Positano)

Hotel Miramare ♡* : I highly recommend this hotel. Amazing views, really good breakfast, great service & location. We got a suite with a view and balcony which I definitely recommend doing. The location is perfect and is easy to get to all of the restaurants, shops and beach within 5-15 minutes walking. Everywhere in Positano is 50-100 steps up or down the cliff so I recommend coordinating with your driver and hotel for drop off so they can bring your bags for you. The $10 euros for the porter is absolutely worth it! Also, just note, there aren’t streets so you will get off at the closest street opening to your hotel (regardless of the hotel!).

Transport from Airport : I highly recommend Mandara Car Services for an airport pickup from Naples. Apparently cabs can be a little bit sketchy / haggle with you so to avoid that, we booked Patrizio ahead of the trip. He even drove Tom Brady & Gisele which is pretty sweet! They were punctual, great with communication and have nice/clean Mercedes to pick you up in. We really liked our driver Patrizio Mandara, and also booked him for full day trip though the Amafli Coast for 6 hours (along the coast, to Amalfi and up to cliff top town Ravello) really cool & fun day. More details below in “Things To Do” section.

Where to Eat (Positano)

Cooking Class ♡♡ : I cannot recommend this cooking class enough. It is the biggest MUST DO of all time in Positano and was the absolute highlight of our trip and everyone I have sent said it was the highlight of theirs too. The owner was a Michelin star chef and its a very unique experience. The class is in the chef’s family home (overlooking the main beach in Positano) that they’ve owned forever and converted the bottom floor into a cooking school. He let us pick wines from his personal wine collection based on what we described as our favorite wines and cooked various different fresh foods (not necessarily what you’d consider typical Italian). It was very authentic & not commercial and only cooked with fresh ingredients picked or caught that day. The class caps at 8 people so BOOK AHEAD (1-2 months in advance).

Da Vincenzos ♡ : Great dinner - one of the most popular spots in Positano. Food was great along with the incredible view & food. Pricing was actually very reasonable which I was surprised by! The spring linguine was amazing. Beware of the restaurants on the beach, theyre okay but overpriced for the quality.

Restaurante Bruno : This restaurant was highly recommended to us by our cooking teacher but unfortunately we never made it - it is supposed to be decent pricing and great quality/more local.

Terazza Cele : Definitely come here for sunset and apps/wine. Their patio is breathtakingly gorgeous overlooking the water. We thought their food for dinner was ok , not our favorite - a bit more fancy and more modern than what we typically like for Italian but enjoyed being on their patio!

Chez Black : This restaurant is right on the main beach in Positano. All of the restaurants on the beach are very touristy and not necessarily the most “authentic” spots to eat at. We enjoyed the food, ambiance and decor at Chez Black for lunch. It was perfect to pop in there for a nice lunch while on the beach for the day.

Things to Do (Positano)

Cooking Class ♡♡: I am putting this in “Things to do” and “Where to Eat” so it is not missed! I cannot recommend this cooking class enough. It is the biggest MUST DO of all time in Positano and was the absolute highlight of our trip. Everyone I have sent said it was the highlight of theirs too. The owner was a Michelin star chef and its a very unique experience. The class is in the chef’s family home (overlooking the main beach in Positano) that they’ve owned forever and converted the bottom floor into a cooking school. He let us pick wines from his personal wine collection based on what we described as our favorite wines and cooked various different fresh foods (not necessarily what you’d consider typical Italian). It was very authentic & not commercial and only cooked with fresh ingredients picked or caught that day. The class caps at 8 people so BOOK AHEAD (1-2 months in advance).

Sunset Cruise : Positano offers a ton of sunset cruises that last about 1.5-2 hours. They give you proescco & apps while the sun sets, its supposed to be really nice & romantic. Ours unfortunately got cancelled due to rain but hear great things !

Day Trip To Amalfi & Ravello ♡ : We hired Mandara Car Services (Patrizio Mandara) for a full day trip though the Amafli Coast for 6 hours (along the coast, to Amalfi and up to cliff top town Ravello) really cool & fun day. Walking around Ravello was definitely the highlight of this day trip. I wish we had more time in Ravello or stayed there overnight! If I were to go again, I’d skip Amafli and go straight to Ravello. We had lunch at Villa Maria which had fantastic views and amazing food. After lunch, we toured Villa Rufolo , shopped, drank limoncello and took photos.

Bars:

Music On The Rocks : This is a club on the beach in a cave. Its outrageous and also super cool/fun. We went one night & had a blast. Don’t go before 12:00 or it’ll be dead.
Franco's ♡ : Franco’s Bar is REALLY cool, we loved it - very swanky and sceney. This is probably my favorite bar in Positano.
Le Sirenuse ♡: Le Sirenuse is technically a hotel with a beautiful bar/balcony with INCREDIBLE views. Go to their bar/restaurant for champagne on the terrace before dinner one night. This is where Tom Brady & Gisele stayed, we have some awesome photos there, it’s beautiful.
Terazza Cele : You can go here for dinner or drinks - their patio is amazing/gorgeous. Great spot to catch the sunset!

Capri

Getting There & Where To Stay (Capri)

Relais Maresca : We loved our hotel in Capri because we got the penthouse and a ridiculous patio with a bed and table, lounge chairs etc for $500/night. The problem with this hotel though, is that it is down by the port, which is busy from the day trippers/cruises. The port is not a fraction as nice as up in the main town, however the hotel is situated RIGHT next to the train that brings you up to the heart of the town. The tram comes every 5 minutes and takes only takes 2 minutes to get to the top of the cliff. A standard room up in the main part of Capri (no frills) is like $400 so its up to you where you want to stay. We loved our penthouse and massive patio over the water for the price we paid!

Capri Ferry : The only way to get to Capri is via boat/ferry. Ferries come fairly regularly from Positano (50 minute ride) and Naples. You could do a chartered boat day trip from Positano to Capri as an option too.

Where to Eat (Capri)

Il Panorama ♡ : This was definitely my favorite meal we had in Capri. Incredible views, amazing service and of course, delicious food and wine. Definitely a bit pricey (but nothing in Capri is reasonable to be honest!) so may as well have an awesome dinner with views!

Things to Do (Capri)

La Fontelina Beach Club ♡♡ : I can’t recommend La Fontelina Beach Club enough. It was our favorite day of our honeymoon. It is gorgeous & very sceney on a rocky beach with chairs/umbrellas. You have to pay for your chair (25 euro each - additional for umbrellas & towels etc) and then get full service drinks at your chairs. You are also required to eat at their restaurant for lunch. The food was actually great. Again, the restaurant/beach service is expensive but you’re paying for a fun day, great ambiance & service. Definitely worth it!

Charter A Private Boat: We had a captain take us around Capri for 2 hours. It was a really nice/gorgeous way to see the whole Island. We also swam in the caves/rock formations & jumped into the Mediterranean which was awesome! We booked directly through our hotel (Relais Maresca), I recommend doing it.

Catania, Sicily

Where To Stay (Catania)

Asmundo di Gisira : this place was a little bit quirky / artsy and the owner was awesome. Our room was beautiful and spacious with a balcony looking over the daily historic market. Location was absolutely perfect and off of the main plaza/square so super easy to get around! The hotel was super cheap and came with a pretty good breakfast daily (free). The hotel owner was super nice and helpful navigating the city. I definitely recommend if you're not looking for something overly fancy! Since its in the city, we didnt need anything luxurious since you’re never really in the room.

Where to Eat (Catania)

Restaurants : just full disclosure, we did not do any fine dining in Sicily. We had just come from Capri/Positano where every dinner was super nice/fine dining. We went to Sicily for a more "rustic" and "local" experience to even out the trip. There are definitely some phenomenal/fine dining restaurants if you do some research.

Trattoria Giglio Roso : This place was great, no frills. Definitely a locals spot. Super cheap and delicious food. We sat on the patio and we loved it. It was super rustic & old school.

Pasticceria Spinella : We went there for Arancinis & Cannolis (its just a cafe for a quick snack or lunch). We stumbled upon it after walking around the main park/garden (Giardino Bellini). Their arancinis / cannolis were unreal. I checked trip advisor after and had mediocre reviews, i have no clue why. Stick to the arancinis & cannolis and i promise they wont disappoint, they're HUGE and so delish!

Trattoria la Pentolaccia : We loved this restaurant and its back patio. Traditional/old school Sicilian food and was pretty cheap. I recommend getting seating in the back on their awesome massive patio (behind the restaurant) with live music.

Things to Do (Catania)

A Piscaria Mercato del Pesce ♡ (Vegetable, Fish, Meat & Cheese Market) : This market was right outside of our hotel and is really cool and historic. You can buy tons of awesome cheese to bring back to the states for cheap! We bought a ton of meat/cheese to bring back to the US but border patrol took all of our salami/sopresatta (cheese is fine) - we were devastated. Tip: Border patrol said meat products are not allowed unless they are certified (i guess some places can give you a certificate that its up to US regulations for diseases etc). You could technically lie and not claim it however, if they catch you, you can get fined $400. Cheese / Wine / Oil are fine to bring through though.

Anfiteatro Romano : Ancient theater with ruins from 2nd century BC. It looks like a mini Coliseum and was really cool to walk around and take pics at. I am not sure if its still functional today but it was originally an ancient greek building.

BarnAut (Bar): This bar was awesome and all outdoor. They play live music out on the patio which is all cobble stone roads. Definitely a fun and happening spot.

Giardino Bellini : Beautiful park which is nice for a casual stroll. This isn’t necessarily a “must do” but we reall

Day Trips (Outside Catania)

Vineyard Tours ♡♡ : The wine region is Mt Etna - its very cool/different and is an active volcano! We did awesome wine tours at Gambino Winery ♡♡ & Scilio Winery . Both were were great. Scilio was more of a boutique, family owned villa style vineyard. We loved their olive oil and wine was good too. Gambino was our favorite and was amazing. The views, facility and service are unreal. We are members there and still get shipments regularly.
Hikes : We met a couple that did a ton of cool guided hikes on the side of the mountain/volcano (which is currently active!) you could see lava apparently and sites where it had taken down houses etc. I wish we had done this, they loved it.
Other day trips that I wish we had time for: Syracuse (Siracusa) and Taromina are supposed to be awesome! Catania also has some nice beaches that we didn't have time to go to - wish we spent more time in Sicily altogether. I would love to go back for 10 days and just do Sicily.

Rome

Where To Stay (Rome)

Hotel Fori Imperiali Cavalieri : We stayed here for 1 night just to essentially see the Colosseum and fly out the next morning. This hotel is perfect for just that as it is a 7 minute walk from the hotel to the Colosseum and all of the other major sites. Hotel Fori is not in a great area for the best restaurants and bars but is certainly perfect for seeing the sites. Neighborhoods with great dining and bars are not too far way and easily accessible. This is a no-frills hotel, cheap pricing and easy access to what you’ll want to see.

Where to Eat (Rome)

I can’t remember where I ate in Rome either time I visited, however, there is no shortage of amazing food. Head to the Trastevre neighborhood for the “happening” spots for food & drinks.

Things to Do (Rome)

Full Disclosure: Although visiting twice, Rome is NOT my favorite city so I am not the right person to ask reviews on things to do. The only thing I truly love about Rome is the Colosseum, and would go as far to say, Rome itself is worth visiting just to see/tour it. If visiting Italy, Rome is the easiest airport to fly into/out of to start or conclude you final days in Italy. I think 36-48 hours there is plenty!

Colosseum Tour ♡♡ & The Roman Forum ♡ : I have done the Colosseum twice, once with general admission and one with an actual tour with access to the arena and underground. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing the guided tour with the additional access to the arena, it really is cool (and creepy/eerie I guess). They show you where they kept the fighters and the trap doors for the animals to come out. Its pretty wild and very interesting to see and learn more about. If you don’t decide to book a guided tour ahead, definitely buy tickets ahead or you’ll wait in line for 1-2 hours just for a ticket. Your ticket to the Colosseum will include access to the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is ancient ruins of the previous center of Rome. It is pretty surreal to see and highly recommend touring after the Colosseum.

Vatican / Sistine Chapel : This was not my favorite activity - extremely over-crowded, touristy and takes unnecessarily long to go through the galleries and tapestries etc. Once you finally get into the Sistine Chapel, you are shoulder to shoulder with 1,000+ people and aren’t allowed to take picture. I may be the minority in this however, if it were me, I’d skip!!!

Sites: There are a ton of sites and good food to eat. In one day you can walk around and see the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Altar of the Fatherland etc. All of these sites are relatively close to one another and easy to walk from one to another. You can do all of these in 1 afternoon.

Florence

Where To Stay (Florence)

Neighborhoods: Florence is pretty small and easy to walk anywhere if you’re near the main Piazza’s (for example Piazza della Signoria and/or Piazza del Duomo). If you’re within a 15 minute walk or so from these Piazza’s, you’ll be able to get to all of the sites easily!

Hotel Scoti : This hotel was basically a glorified hostel (or something between a hotel and hostel). In Italy its called a “pensione” - nicer than a hostel, not as nice as your typical hotel with all the amenities. I went to Florence in 2012, less than 1 year after graduating college so, it wouldn’t be my top lodging option now however, at that point in my life, it was cheap, safe and centrally located. If you’re traveling on a budget and want something nicer/more private than a hostel, I recommend staying here. Easy and quick access to all of the sites in Florence!

Where to Eat (Florence)

Il Porcospino Florence : Great Italian spot in the center of Florence. They had a very cute, lively and fun patio on the sidewalk which we enjoyed! I celebrated my 24th birthday here!

La Giostra ♡ : This is one of the most popular spots for dinner in Florence. If anyone has been to Florence, I am sure they have been here, or someone has suggested they go here. Great food, ambiance & service.

Antico Noe : Best panini spot in town. Great for lunch (looks like they do a great dinner as well). A little hole in the wall, hidden gem!

Things to Do (Florence)

Wine tours ♡♡ : We booked a full day (8 hours) 3 vineyard tour in Tuscany while in Florence. Definitely do a full day guided tour, its worth it. I wish I remembered the vineyards we went to because they were all amazing however, we went in 2012 and has been a while! We found great tour options through the site Viator.

Cooking Class ♡ : Definitely do a cooking class while in Italy. We did In Tavola while in Florence and we loved it. It was a bit traditional and a little commercial however, the food was awesome. You make all of the food upstairs in a large kitchen and then they serve you the food (like your at a restaurant) in their gorgeous wine cellar ! They were very generous with the food & wine! Service was great as well.

Duomo Cattedrale : The Florence Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Italy from the 13th century. It is the highest point in Florence (no building can be built higher than it) and can climb the dome to see the city from above. The structure is very impressive/beautiful and is the center of the city. Tip: Make sure your shoulders & knees are covered! I was not allowed in because I was wearing shorts and never actually got to go inside! I hear booking the tours + dome climb is worth it (lines get really long if you decide to go same day!)

Ponte Vecchio (Bridge) : Walk, shop and take pics along Florence’s oldest bridge (1345), Ponte Vecchio. The bridge takes you over the Arno River and is really beautiful. There are jewelry shops you can pop into while crossing the bridge along with great views of Florence!

Shop For Leather : One thing Florence is well-known for is their leather. There are plenty of leather markets & shops around the city and definitely worth checking some out to bring back to the states!

Gelato: There is a ton of amazing gelato all over Italy. I recall Florence being especially known for having amazing gelato!

FLO (Club/Nightlife) : Flo is a cool club for its view and outdoor club vibe, situated above the city. It is a bit of a pain to get to as you can’t walk it from downtown Florence but is a cool spot if you’re into that scene. It is near Piazzale Michelangelo which is also supposed to be a beautiful view of the city (which you could do during the day).

Leaning Tower of Pisa : If you wanted to do a day trip, Leaning Tower of Pisa is an easy trip by train from Florence (about 1.5 hours). I would say this is a fun/quirky thing to do if you have time but id say SKIP this on your trip. The town of Pisa itself isn’t great, a bit rundown. The tower was a fun/cheesy/touristy thing to do (I actually laughed when I saw it in the distance upon arriving in Pisa) however, was not our favorite thing we did.

Cinque Terre/Sestri Levante

Where To Stay (Sestri Levante)

Hotel Due Mari : If you’re considering Cinque Terre as a destination, I strongly recommend staying in Sestri Levante (30 minutes away). Sestre Levanti is a small, quiet beach town in the Italian Riviera and we absolutely loved it. We flew into Milan and took a train to Sestri. Our hotel was great, nothing overly fancy but had a great location & service. This hotel is situated right by the beach and a quick walk to the main strip of bars & restaurants. The cool thing about Sestri is that there are minimal Amerians (atleast when we went, it was mostly Italians & Germans). This hotel is just a 30 minute train ride to Cinque Terre which is great for a full day activity however, I think staying in Sestri is the way to go!

Where to Eat (Sestri Levante)

I wish I remember everywhere we ate in Sestri Levante and Cinque Terre however, the food & drinks were awesome. I’d love to go back to visit.

La Sciamadda dei Vinaccieri Ballerini : I believe this is the first place we went while in Sestri Levante. Tiny little local spot with awesome food. I remember the pesto being a major hit (even 8+ years later!).

Things to Do (Sestri Levante/Cinque Terre)

Cinque Terre ♡ : If you are in Italy, this is definitely a must-do! Cinque Terre is a region with 5 elevated towns situated on the west coast of Italy with the famous brightly colored cliff-side Italian homes & buildings. The top 3 towns to visit are Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso. They are close together so it is easy to see 3 of them in the same day via train.

Beach: Sestri Levante is a beautiful beach town so the beaches are easily accessible from the main downtown area/strip of bars & restaurants. In Cinque Terre, the best beach village of the 5 is Monterosso!

Pesto : Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy, which both Cinque Terre & Sestri Levante are part of the “metro area” of Genoa. Definitely eat tons of pesto if you’re in this part of Italy!

* ♡ = a favorite

♡♡ = a must do