This is the Italy trip we love for families, multigenerational groups and couples who want more than the usual Rome-Florence-Venice loop. It starts in Sicily, with a volcano, ancient theatres and a turquoise coast, then crosses to the Amalfi Coast for lemon groves, hand-painted ceramics and villages stacked on the cliffs. Travel with a small group and expert local guides, or make it fully private. Then, if you can, stay on a few extra nights on the coast.

Sicily: Taormina, Mt. Etna & Ortigia

Taormina sits high above the sea, with an ancient Greek theatre that looks straight out at Mt. Etna. Head up the volcano itself, over old lava flows and into a lava cave, then slow down over lunch at a vineyard on its slopes. Take a boat along the coast to Isola Bella, and spend a day in Ortigia, the old island heart of Syracuse.

The Amalfi Coast

Across the strait, the pace changes. Step back to AD 79 at Herculaneum, the Roman town buried by Vesuvius in the same eruption as Pompeii. Make pasta in the town that’s famous for it, browse the hand-painted ceramics the coast is known for, and taste limoncello where the lemons grow. Ravello’s cliff-top gardens might be the prettiest view in Italy.

Stay on: where to go after

• Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, Ravello: a former palace on the cliffs with a heated infinity pool over the sea; families welcome
• Il San Pietro di Positano: built into the cliff with its own beach club below; best for couples or families with teens

The route

1. Sicily: Taormina, Mt. Etna and the coast
2. Across to the Amalfi Coast
3. Optional: stay on in Ravello or Positano

Before you go

• Best time: May–June or September
• Watch: Luca, for a summer on the Italian seaside
• Taste: Amalfi lemon pasta and limoncello
• Fun fact: Mt. Etna is Europe’s tallest active volcano

What we take care of

We’ll match you to the right small-group departure or design it fully private, hold the rooms at Caruso or Il San Pietro (both are small and fill early), arrange every transfer from Sicily to your last night on the coast, and handle the details in between. Summer 2027 departures are already filling. You just show up.

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