Love in Italy: A Romantic Getaway to Rome, Naples & Amalfi Coast

In the morning, you will find the aroma of the frothy cappuccino intoxicating. Corner cafes across the city brew fresh espresso and decadent cappuccinos for Romans en route to work. The rising sun brings the golden hues of the buildings back to light. Your guide will greet you in the hotel lobby after breakfast and whisk you away to a different Rome than what you experienced the day before. The opulent architecture of Rome comes into view en route to Campo de’ Fiori as the morning market sparks a delightful buzz around the cobblestone square.

Plump strawberries and bright zucchini flowers nearly overflow in the baskets beneath the overhangs. The scent of oranges and watermelon drift from the produce stands. Your partner buys a carnation from the stand that sells fresh and vivacious budding flowers at the corner of the piazza. The pink petals glow against the gray cobblestone streets. Rome fills with the beauty and romance of legend to turn visitors and locals into poets and romantics. In Piazza Navona, your guide will explain the history of the square as artists set out their easels to capture the beauty of the fountains and palaces.

The Baroque façade of Church of Sant’Agnese highlights the full splendor of the piazza with gables, bright windows, polished columns, and a mixture of convex and concaved surfaces. The centerpiece of Fontana dei Fiumi creates a dance of history and emotion that represent the four rivers of the major continents known to the Western World at the time, including the Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio de la Plata. The water filters from the statues into the clear pool that offers a subtle soundtrack to your enchanting exploration of Rome.

In the morning, the light golden glow of the Castel Sant’Agnelo lingers over the banks of the Tiber River. The dominant structure was built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian but was turned into a papal fortress in the 6th-century. After breakfast, your private transfer will escort you away from the endless wonder of the Eternal City and take you south to the endlessly energetic streets of Naples.   Here you will have a panoramic view of a magnificent city once the capital of the Kingdom of Naples. Your first stop will be in the harbor district of Mergellina to view the remarkable shoreline of the meandering city.

At first, the harbor was a distinctive fishing village apart from Naples, but the city overtook the shoreline in the 17th-century under Spanish expansion. The scent of the sea sweeps across the coast and blends with the aroma that emanates from the luxurious pizzerias found along the promenade. Sailboats and fishing boats moor in the marina and sway in the gentle wave of the water. The Royal Palace stands atop the Capodimonte that overlooks the cityscape. The palace was erected in the 18th-century intended as a hunting lodge for Charles VII, King of Naples and Sicily.

The lodge was quickly turned into a lavish palace and today holds the National Gallery with more than 500 paintings, including pieces by Titian, Caravaggio, and Botticelli. Antique furniture from the 18th-century decorates the royal apartments, along with porcelain and majolica collected by various members of the royal family over the years. After you stroll through the palace hall like royalty, continue to the entrance of the ancient city of Pompeii located on the Bay of Naples. Your first view of the legendary city comes with the remaining rising pillars and 32-foot tall base of the Temple of Jupiter in the Roman Forum.

The town of Sorrento fills with the aroma of lemon and orange from the citrus groves that grow around the region. Pastel colored homes rise along the craggy cliffs that reach a height of up to 180 feet above the sea, and you have an unfettered view of infamous Mount Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples.  The relaxed atmosphere fills the cobblestone streets and sweeps past the magnificent architecture that overlooks the piazzas. After breakfast, you will make your way to the Marina Grande and board a ferry to the island of Capri.

The island’s beauty is renowned around the world and has historically been a coveted site as even two Roman emperors chose to build their private villas along the landscape. The island is located less than three miles away from the mainland shores and includes precipitous cliffs that tower above of the Mediterranean Sea. The ferry moors at the Marina Grande as colorful fishermen’s homes line the promenade that watches over the boats that line against the shore. A funicular will take you and your partner up to the main town of Capri.

You will continue to the charming tiled laneways of Anacapri that are situated atop a plateau and reachable by a flight of stairs of more than 500 steps. The inconspicuous 18th-century church of San Michele was constructed with a floor plan akin to an octagonal Greek cross. Continue to Villa San Michele to view the private collections and home of a wealthy Swedish doctor who captured the island’s beauty in the architecture and placement of his private home. Vines drape along the pergolas in the garden as marble statues rise out of the blossoming flowers and dangling tree branches. It is the perfect place for a romantic stroll, hand-in-hand with your partner surrounded by the wonders of Capri.

In the morning, wander the streets of Sorrento with your partner to enjoy the relaxed ambiance of the seaside streets. The 13th-century cloister of San Francisco contains crossed arches of tufa stone and octagonal columns, and various corners of the monastery were once part of pagan temples that speckle the region. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and escort you over the mountain pass to the start of the celebrated Amalfi Coast. Pastel painted homes ascend the terraced hillsides, and verdant forests carpet the precipices. Rugged promontories protrude out into the Mediterranean Sea, and your first stop is in the town of Positano.

The scent of lemon emanates from the lemon trees that grow above the town as the winding streets meander up the steep cliffs. Peach and pink terracotta buildings overlook the quiet water that splashes at the shoreline as wisteria drapes across the facades of charming restaurants and fashionable boutiques. Positano is the Italy of golden cinema, where elegant people stroll down historical and graceful streets in an unimaginably gorgeous seaside. The 13th-century church of Santa Maria Assunta has a remarkable dome decorated with majolica tiles and legend claims that pirates brought the Byzantine-era black Madonna situated in the nave.

In the morning, Amalfi fills with the scent of fresh baked brioche accented with the citrus trees that grow along the hills. The paper mills museum in town is located in a historical mill and exhibits highlight the history of the profession’s evolution through time in the region, as Amalfi was one of the first European cities to produce paper. The paper is still sought throughout the world for wedding invitations and elegant celebrations. After breakfast, your and your partner venture to the town of Conca dei Marini to visit the stunning Emerald Cave.

Feel free to take the day out on the Mediterranean Sea and join your local guides at Plaghia Charter for an unforgettable boat excursion. Soar along the Amalfi Coast and inhale the true beautiful of its nature. Drop anchor in the most magical locations on the Amalfi Coast, and enjoy an appetizing lunch while you gaze at the breathtaking views only few will ever witness.

Travel down the stone steps to the beach to board a private rowboat that awaits you on the shore. Enter the cave to find stalactites that drip down from the ceiling as refracted sunlight causes the water to glow like a precious emerald. The volcanic activity in the region caused the cave to form around the water with a bulbous cavern and a ceiling that reaches a height of more than 90 feet tall. The unique and gorgeous scenery easily captivates you and your partner and allows you a special moment to share in the natural jade glow.

Today your private transfer will meet you and your partner at the hotel and take you on a scenic drive around the Bay of Naples. On your way back to Rome, you will stop in the town of Caserta to visit the remarkable Reggia di Caserta. An 18th-century Baroque palace erected for Charles VII, the architect was given direct orders to build grounds that would rival the French palace of Versailles. The outcome was astonishing with an edifice that includes 1,200 rooms, with nearly 1,800 windows, and an 820-foot long façade.

Upon entering the grounds, you will face the Grand Staircase with 116 steps that lead upwards to the royal apartments. The grandeur of the interior rivals the opulence of the exterior as the rooms maintain their elegant décor of lavish frescoes and tapestries that drape the walls and Baroque furniture that was designed for royalty as elegant crystal that glints in the sunlight. The gardens are as detailed as the gilded moldings of the royal apartments as the trail leads nearly two miles to a waterfall just adjacent to a fountain that is dedicated to the goddess Diana. In the tranquil blossoming flowers of the landscaped garden, you and your partner can enjoy another walk along the grounds like royalty before you continue back to Rome.

In the morning light the tree-lined hill of Gianicolo, the secluded spot along Janiculum Hill provides a perfect view of the Trastevere neighborhood. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the panoramic view and the company as you look out over the rooftops of the ancient city. At breakfast, you and your partner can indulge in the fresh brioche and frothy cappuccino while you delight in the pace of life and flavors of Rome. Your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and escort you to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for your flight home. Instead of returning, you could extend your stay in Italy and travel north to Cinque Terre or the unforgettable canals of Venice.