Itineraries for Your Trip to Campania
3 Days in Campania for First Timers
Although I was born in the US, I spent my childhood in Naples, the capital of Campania. I return to my second home often, and each time I’m reminded of the region’s allure: few places in Italy combine street smarts, old-world elegance, and natural beauty like Campania does.
Over years of visiting, I’ve explored much of the region, while always making Naples my home base. After all, the most important sights are clustered around the city, glittering bay, and famous volcano. I recommend doing the same, while also planning to explore farther afield. It was the Romans who first called the region campania felix, or “happy countryside.” They were onto something, I think. After three days there, I’m certain you’ll discover the same.
Campania is temperate but warm—during summer and early fall it’s nearly always beach weather, or hotter.
If you only have time for one thing, visit the ruins of Pompeii, where you can walk through the streets of a preserved ancient Roman town.
Your trip begins in Naples, with breakfast at Gran Caffè Gambrinus near Piazza del Plebiscito. Spend the morning walking up Via Toledo and through the historic center. Walking tours are useful for getting oriented and seeing as much as possible, including the artisan shops on Via San Gregorio Armeno.
In the interest of saving time, I recommend taking a hop-on hop-off bus tour. You’ll see much of the city in a few hours or less, and can disembark at the National Archeological Museum. After seeing the museum’s excavated treasures from Pompeii, head to L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele on Via Cesare Sersale for an early dinner.
About one-sixth of Italy’s UNESCO-listed sites are in Campania, a hefty proportion for just one of Italy’s 20 regions. On your second day, visit two of the most popular. Start with Pompeii, the archeological site under Mount Vesuvius. To reach it, catch the Circumvesuviana rail from the central train station in Naples. Guided tours are essential for understanding Pompeii’s dramatic history.
In the afternoon, visit the Amalfi Coast as far as Positano. Take the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento; convenient SITA buses run from the station there to Amalfi and back well into the night. Alternatively, try a tour with transportation from Naples to both Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, which has the added benefit of exploring farther down the Amalfi Coast.
On your final day, explore farther outside of Naples. The Royal Palace of Caserta, another UNESCO-listed site, lies roughly one hour north of the city. Trains depart for Caserta dozens of times daily. Check out everything from the opulent gardens to the interiors, used for filming parts of recent Star Wars films.
Alternatively, travelers with a car can explore Campania’s wilder sides down south. The Greek ruins of Paestum are less popular than Pompeii, but also less crowded—and often seen in tandem with buffalo farms that produce Campania’s most famous export: mozzarella. Farther still, the Cilento area is home to some of the best hiking trails in Campania.
