From the Cinque Terre to the Amalfi Coast

The Last Supper and the Duomo in Milan, the five villages of the Cinque Terre linked by train and the Via dell’Amore, Brunelleschi’s dome and the Uffizi in Florence, the Colosseum and the Vatican in Rome, and the Amalfi Coast, with Ravello, the Path of the Gods and Capri by boat.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Milan → Cinque Terre → Florence → Rome → Amalfi Coast · 11–17 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

ItalyMilan
Days
1–2
When
Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 150–220 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ItalyCinque Terre
Days
2–3
When
May–Jun · Sep
Per person/day
Average 170 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ItalyFlorence
Days
2–3
When
Mar–May · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 180–250 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ItalyRome
Days
3–5
When
Apr–May · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 130–190 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ItalyAmalfi Coast
Days
3–4
When
May–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 246 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants Italy’s classic cities and two coastlines, the Ligurian and the Amalfi, in a single trip without a car.

Not for anyone short on time, since there are five bases and, on both coasts, almost everything is reached by stairs, local train or boat.

The strategy

The trip runs north to south. Book the Last Supper in Milan months ahead, as it admits small groups at fixed times. From Milan to the Cinque Terre, the train runs via Genoa to La Spezia or Monterosso; stay all your nights in one place, in a village or in La Spezia, since the train links everything in under half an hour. From La Spezia to Florence it is 1h45 to 2h47 by train, usually with one change, and from Florence to Rome about 1h30 on a fast train. From Rome to the coast, take the train to Salerno and continue by boat, which runs from April to the end of October, or take the train to Naples, the Circumvesuviana from there to Sorrento in about 75 minutes, and the SITA bus from Sorrento to Amalfi. Stay in Amalfi and do not rent a car. You fly home from Naples airport at Capodichino. May and the second half of September fall in the best season at all five stops.

What you will see

Duomo di Milano, Milan. Gothic cathedral begun in 1386 in Candoglia marble, with 135 spires and about 3,400 statues; the golden Madonnina, from 1774, stands at 108.5 m.
Punta Bonfiglio, Cinque Terre. The promontory next to Manarola, with a path opened in 1968 between the Marina and the Palaedo landing and the village's small cemetery at the top, where verses by Vincenzo Cardarelli are engraved.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the dome, Florence. Begun in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio and closed by Brunelleschi's dome between 1420 and 1436: a 45.5 m span, herringbone brickwork, two shells and no wooden centering.
Colosseum, Rome. Opened in AD 80 under Titus: an ellipse 188 by 156 m, 48 m tall, with an estimated capacity of 50,000 spectators.
Duomo di Amalfi, Amalfi Coast. The Cathedral of Saint Andrew was begun in 987 by Duke Mansone I, next to a 9th-century church that is now the Basilica of the Crucifix.

Day by day