The Most Romantic 10 Day Italy Itinerary

Planning a romantic trip to Italy and just have 10 days? I went for my honeymoon and it couldn’t have been the more perfect trip! Follow along for my top recommendations on the most romantic 10 Day Italy itinerary.

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Is 10 Days enough time?

There’s truthfully never enough time to explore Italy! The country has so many incredible spots to visit that it’s hard to say any time is ever enough. However, you can still have an incredible trip in 10 days as long as you don’t try to see everything at once. You want to relax, enjoy and take it all in, not be running from place to place!

How to structure your itinerary: 

I recommend staying at least 3 nights in each place so that you aren’t constantly having to check in and out of hotels and to allow you time to really take in where you are. With 10 days this gives you enough time for about 3 main locations. 

For the most romantic 10 day Italy itinerary I recommend Sicily, Amalfi Coast, and Florence. These 3 cities allow you to enjoy a good mix of adventure, relaxation, and local culture. 

Where to start and end your trip: 

You want to spend the least amount of time traveling when you are limited in days, so I recommend:

• Fly into Catania airport and take the train to Taormina
• Train back to Catania airport and fly to the Naples airport, take the train to Sorrento
• Take the train from Sorrento to Florence
• Fly out of the Florence airport home

How to get around Italy: 

For the most part renting a car is the best way to get around Italy since it gives you the ultimate flexibility. However, for this 10 day Italy Itinerary, I do think you would be fine taking taxis and relying on tour groups for excursions if you really don’t want to drive. Since you will have a home base in each city and you are only there for 3 days, you can easily just book tour guides for anything that is driving distance away, you just don’t get the same control over the schedule and stops. Just depends on how you like to do your trips. There’s also a great system of public busses and trains in Italy so you can rely on those as well. 

The most romantic 10 day Italy Itinerary: 

Days 1-3: Sicily

Sicily is an incredibly beautiful and diverse island that you could easily spend weeks exploring! But with just 3 days I recommend staying in the breathtaking Taormina and doing day trip to Mt. Etna. 

What to do in Taormina: (fun fact, this is where they filmed season 2 of the White Lotus!)

• Visit the Teatro Antico di Taormina, the remains of an ancient Greco-Roman theatre. If you  time it right, you can even see a show there!
• Go shopping along the cobblestone streets and stop for a gelato or aperol (or limoncello spritz!)
• Take the cable car down to Mazzaro Beach and relax at Isola Bella, a small island that you cross a causeway to get to. Rent some beach chairs and spend the day soaking in the sun!
• Take a day trip to Mt. Etna for a hike along the volcano and wine tasting! For more advice on the best wineries to visit, click here.
• Grab drinks somewhere with an incredible view of the sunset like Hotel Belmond Grand Timeo or Villa Carlotta’s rooftop. 
• Stay or grab a drink at the location of Season 2 White Lotus, the San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel.

Days 4-7: Sorrento (Amalfi Coast)

Take a train back to Catania airport and catch a flight to Naples. The flight is about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then take a train from Naples to Sorrento which is about another hour and 15 minutes. I recommend basing yourself in Sorrento for the next 3 days as you explore the Amalfi Coast!

We stayed at Hotel Grand Vesuvio which had a beautiful pool, ocean view, and very convenient shuttle into the main town. 

What to do in Sorrento:

• Explore and go shopping in the town of Sorrento, enjoy all the delicious restaurants and bars. We loved Ristorante Zi Ntonio for a traditional Italian meal and ambience.
• Grab a drink at sunset at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria and listen to live piano for a super romantic evening
• Take a ferry to Capri and then book a boat to take you on an island tour and to the famous Blue Grotto. Take the chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro and grab lunch.
• Hop on a bus to explore other local towns like Positano, Amalfi or Ravello
• Day trip to explore the ruins of Pompeii
• Hike the “Path of the Gods” hike from Bomerano to Positano for the most breathtaking views!

How to get around Amalfi Coast: 

• The most affordable way to get around is by bus. Public busses run constantly from town to town and are very convenient when not busy, but be aware that in the peak of tourist season the busses can get so packed that they won’t stop for you and you can end up waiting over an hour for a bus.
• Taxis are readily available, but they price gouge like crazy. Think 50 euro for 10 minutes! So these are very convenient, but very expensive way to get around
• Renting a car or scooter will allow you the most flexibility and will be more affordable than taxis, but beware that the roads are extremely narrow and curvy right above huge cliffs so you have to be an extremely confident driver to brave the roads. 
• Trains are available between the bigger cities like Naples and Sorrento and are a comfortable, nice ride.

Days 8-10: Florence

• Travel from Sorrento to Florence. We took the train that was about 4 and a half hours, but you can also drive, take a bus, or fly from Naples airport. 
• Check into your hotel. We stayed at Hotel Relais Il Castello and it was a great hotel with a location close to the city center, but still in a fun more local neighborhood

What to do in Florence: 

• Eat a Florentine Steak. We went to Fuoco Matto and it was to die for!
• Visit Michaelangelo’s David Statue, the Duomo, and the Uffizi Gallery
• Shop along the Ponte Vecchio
• Visit Il Santino wine bar for incredible wine, meat and cheese!
• Drive or book a tour guide to take you wine tasting in the Chianti region right outside of Florence in Tuscany

After enjoying a whirlwind 10 day Italy Itinerary it’s now time to say goodbye and head back to the Florence airport to go home! Soak up every moment of the romance and beauty until next time!

Have more time? Check out my 3 week Italy Itinerary below!

3 Week Italy Itinerary