Southern Italy Itinerary: 10 Days in Naples, Sorrento and Puglia

This southern Italy itinerary covers Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Puglia in 10 days, and it relies on trains, ferries and a few booked day trips.

Last updated: September 25, 2026

The south is where Italy slows down, and where a plan matters most: trains are fewer, some lines run by replacement bus, and fall timetables change. This southern Italy itinerary keeps to three bases and uses organized day trips where public transport is slow, so the days go to ruins, coastline and trulli rather than to connections.

Your southern Italy itinerary at a glance

Days 1 to 3: Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum

Naples is the base because the organized day trips start there. Day 1: the historic center, a Naples underground tour and a pizza making class for dinner.

On your first evening, eat your way through the old town: our Naples street food tour page compares two options. First, a tasting walk with a spritz, rated 4.8 from 2,794 reviews, from about $49. Second, an eight-plus tastings tour, rated 5.0, from about $101 (checked September 2026).

Day 2: Pompeii. The ancient city ticket costs €20; €25 adds the suburban villas and the shuttle (checked September 2026). Tickets carry the visitor’s name, entries are capped at 20,000 a day, and from October 15 to March 14 the site closes at 5 pm with last entry at 3:30 pm. Guided days from Naples are compared on our Pompeii and Amalfi Coast day trip page; read Pompeii from Rome or Naples for the trade-offs.

Prefer a guide for the day? Our Pompeii day trip from Naples page compares a guided day with Mount Vesuvius and lunch, rated 4.7 from 3,433 reviews, from about $151, with Pompeii and Herculaneum led by an archaeologist, rated 4.8, from about $74 (checked September 2026).

Day 3: Herculaneum, smaller and better preserved, costs €16; its winter hours, from October 15, are 8:30 am to 5 pm (checked September 2026). More options in the best day trips from Naples.

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Days 4 to 6: Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Capri

Sorrento sits at the end of the Circumvesuviana line from Naples. From October 17, 2026, EAV runs 68 trains a day on its new timetable, one every 30 minutes; the tourist train Campania Express is suspended from October 1, 2026 until further notice. Our guide to things to do in Sorrento covers the town itself.

From the coast, a cooking class in the hills makes a good half day: our Amalfi Coast cooking class page compares two family kitchens in Agerola, both from about $70 (checked September 2026).

• The Amalfi Coast: the coast road is slow, so the sea is the better way to see it. Compare the Amalfi Coast boat tours, one of which runs a full day from Sorrento.
• Capri: the Capri boat tours from Sorrento circle the island. The Blue Grotto entry costs €6, with the rowboat paid separately (checked September 2026), and it closes in rough sea.
• A food day: the Sorrento cooking classes include a farm day with pizza and mozzarella.

Days 7 to 9: Bari and Puglia

Go back to Naples for the direct Frecciarossa: Trenitalia’s service launched on July 1, 2026 links Napoli Afragola with Bari in about three and a half hours and continues to Lecce. Note that it uses Napoli Afragola, not Napoli Centrale. Flying home from Rome instead? Italo runs Rome to Bari in about 4 hours 15 minutes.

In Bari, spend an evening on a Bari street food tour in the old town. For the trulli of Alberobello and the cave city of Matera, the easiest option is the Alberobello and Matera day trip from Bari: the regional railway to Matera currently runs by replacement bus between Altamura and Matera, according to the FAL timetable. If you stay a night in Matera, compare the Matera Sassi walking tours. For a longer loop, see the eight-day Puglia tour and our Puglia guide.

For a baroque detour farther south, our Lecce walking tour page compares a history walk with a local guide, rated 5.0 from 346 reviews, from about $35, with a history and street food tour, rated 4.8, from about $63 (checked September 2026). On the coast south of Bari, a Polignano a Mare boat tour visits the sea caves below the town in under two hours. Our guide to things to do in Lecce covers the church pass and the bus from Brindisi airport.

How to adapt this southern Italy itinerary

• Add Paestum: the Greek temples south of Salerno cost €15 from March to November, including Velia, valid three days (checked September 2026). Naples to Salerno takes about 36 minutes by Italo.
• Add Sicily: it needs its own week; start with our guide to things to do in Sicily.
• Add Calabria: Tropea sits on a cliff above the Coast of the Gods, and the easiest way to see it is a Tropea boat tour. Our guide to things to do in Tropea has the sanctuary hours and the train from Lamezia Terme.
• Start in Rome: Rome to Naples takes about 55 minutes by Italo; see the 2-week Italy itinerary for a route that combines the north and the south.

Stopping in Puglia? Our guide to Bari street food shows what to eat in Bari Vecchia and how to add Alberobello and Matera.

For guided options, compare Puglia tours and Sicily tours by base and format.

Add Greek temples to the route with a Paestum day trip from Salerno, or weigh Herculaneum vs Pompeii for your Roman day.

For more detail on each region, see our day-by-day Amalfi Coast itinerary, Sicily itinerary and Puglia itinerary.

Naples raised its city tax in 2026; see the current rates for each stop in our Italy tourist tax guide.

Choosing hotels for this trip? See where to stay in Naples and on the Amalfi Coast and whether to book a masseria or a trullo in Puglia.

Southern Italy itinerary: frequently asked questions

What is the best southern Italy itinerary for 10 days?

Three nights in Naples, three in Sorrento and three in Bari, with day trips to Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Alberobello and Matera. Fly into Naples and out of Bari.

How do you get from Naples to Bari?

By the direct Frecciarossa launched by Trenitalia on July 1, 2026: about three and a half hours from Napoli Afragola to Bari. Check that your train leaves from Afragola, not Napoli Centrale.

How much is the ticket for Pompeii?

The ancient city ticket costs €20, and €25 adds the suburban villas and the shuttle, checked September 2026. Tickets are nominative and entries are capped at 20,000 a day.

Is Sorrento a good base for the Amalfi Coast?

Yes, for travelers without a car: it has the Circumvesuviana train to Naples, boats to Capri and the coast, and buses along the Amalfi road.

Can you visit Matera from Bari?

Yes. The simplest way is a day trip that combines Alberobello and Matera, because the regional railway currently runs by replacement bus between Altamura and Matera.