Over the years, we’ve learned that one of the most complicated parts of traveling is figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B. It can be a lot to try to organize transportation, entry fees, restaurants, and tour guides, let-alone trying to figure out how to put gas in the car and get a license to drive in a foreign country! So instead of stressing ourselves out, we just book day trips from a central location so that we can see everything while staying in one hotel. It makes things so much easier. Not to mention, when we were in Italy, we were traveling with our parents, husbands, and siblings. It was a lot of people to satisfy and a lot of personalities to navigate.
As a photographer, I knew that I had to plan a day trip from Rome to see the Amalfi coast. When I found this tour – The Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour – I knew right away it was the perfect tour for our family. It included a 2 hour visit to the ruins of Pompeii (which I knew would make the history buffs in our group happy) as well as 2 hours in the coastal town of Positano for lunch and a 1 hour visit in the town of Amalfi. My sister and her new husband were actually honey-mooning in Positano at the time too, so it was absolutely perfect! We had all just spent a week in Tuscany for their wedding at the stunning hotel, Borgo Tre Rose, and then parted ways after a group day in Florence. You can actually watch our full wedding week in Tuscany on my YouTube channel here!
Our tour started bright and early at 7:00 am, but this specific tour included hotel pick-ups and drop-offs which makes such a difference that early in the morning. We didn’t have to waste time hunting for the meeting point, like we’ve had to do for some other tours we’ve taken in the past. It was a bit of a drive to Pompeii but we made a pit stop for espresso which broke up the journey a bit. As soon as we got to Pompeii, our tour guide handled the tickets and we were in right away. We were led throughout the ruins by an extremely knowledgeable guide who explained everything in exciting detail. Personally, I’m not a huge history fan, but this tour actually kept my interest, which is saying a lot! Pompeii is truly a fascinating place and the structures are beautiful. It’s incredibly amazing that there is still so much left of the ancient city after being buried under ash for over 1500 years!
After about 2 hours at Pompeii, we hopped back in the van to head to the coast. We stopped for gorgeous views and photo ops along the way, which helped those of us who were a little carsick from the winding roads along the coast. I always make sure to take Bonine, a motion sickness medication, that I prefer over Dramamine. It’s less drowsy and can be found on Amazon here. This tour wasn’t as bad as some of the ones I’ve taken in the past, like the Road to Hana in Hawaii or the winding roads in the highlands of Scotland on the way to Loch Ness!
When we got to Positano, our driver had to park at the top of the hill with the other tour buses, just because the roads are too tiny for cars to go down. The walk down the hill was charming though, with souvenir shops, gelato, clothing stores, and all kinds of things to keep our interest. We met my sister and her now-husband for light lunch at Ristorante La Pergola and then spent the rest of our time taking photos on the beach! Positano was so quaint and charming, we never wanted to leave! I made a promise to myself that if I ever get back to Italy, I’ll definitely spend a few days lying on the beach in Positano.
After stopping for a quick gelato on our way back up to the van, we made our way to the town of Amalfi. The sun was beginning to set and the town was absolutely glowing in the golden lighting. We watched sailboats coming in and strolled along the marina where our driver dropped us off. After taking a million photos, we headed into the town square, the Piazza Duomo, for a round of limoncello shots and a gander at the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea. We only had about an hour and a half in Amalfi, but honestly, it felt like plenty of time because the town is actually quite small. We were even able to pop into a few stores for souvenirs before it was time to jump back in the van.
On the way back to Rome, we stopped for one last view of the coastline and were able to catch gorgeous sunset colors over the coastal towns. The drive back to Rome felt a little long, but almost everyone fell asleep after our long day. We made it back to Rome around 7:00 pm, with just enough time left in the day for wine and pasta. It was a perfectly Italian day and was exactly what I was looking for when we were planning our trip.
I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to take a day trip to the Amalfi coast from Rome. We saw so much in a single day and made so many memories. It wasn’t necessarily on my list to visit Pompeii, but many of the people in our group found it to be the highlight of their day, learning the history of the ancient, buried city. It was a perfect tour for our large group and was absolutely way easier than trying to figure out a full day like this myself. If you’re interested in taking this same tour, you can find it here! Or you can check out all of the tours I recommend in Italy here!
I hope this post inspires you to take a trip to Italy or plan a day trip to the Amalfi coast if you’re staying in Rome. I promise you, you’ll never regret visiting Italy. It’s truly a magical, delicious, inspiring place! You can see more photos from our trip on my photography blog here!
If you’re still on the hunt for a hotel in Rome, I’d recommend the Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon if you’re a budget traveler, or the Pantheon Iconic Hotel if you don’t mind spending a little extra for luxury. If you’d prefer not to waste time planning out all of the details, check out some of the package deals to Rome on Expedia that include airfare & hotels all in one!
Happy travels!
❤ Myles Katherine
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