Campania in 7 days = Naples (2 days — the city that eats and creates and screams), Pompeii + Herculaneum (1 day — the cities Vesuvius froze), the Amalfi Coast (2 days — Positano, Amalfi, Ravello), and Capri or Ischia (1 day). The most dense concentration of beauty, history, food, chaos, and volcanoes in the Mediterranean.
Each day is a logical geographic loop. Mornings for sights, afternoons for food, evenings for aperitivo.
Days 1-2: Naples. Spaccanapoli (the street that splits the city). Museo Archeologico Nazionale (the Pompeii artifacts — Alexander Mosaic, Secret Cabinet). Naples Underground. Cappella Sansevero (the Veiled Christ — the most astonishing sculpture you will ever see). Pizza at Sorbillo or Da Michele. Day 3: Pompeii + Herculaneum. Circumvesuviana from Napoli. Herculaneum morning (smaller, wooden doors intact). Pompeii afternoon (3h essential route). Vesuvius summit at sunset if energy remains. Days 4-5: Amalfi Coast. Ferry Napoli/Sorrento to Positano. Positano (the vertical town). Bus to Amalfi (Duomo + Chiostro del Paradiso). Ravello (Villa Cimbrone Terrazza dell'Infinito + Villa Rufolo gardens). Sentiero degli Dei hike (3-4h Bomerano to Nocelle — the view down to Positano). Day 6: Capri. Ferry from Positano/Amalfi (30-40 min). Capri town + Giardini di Augusto. Chairlift to Monte Solaro (the view). Villa Jovis (Tiberius' palace). Blue Grotto if sea is calm. Day 7: Paestum or Procida. Paestum (1.5h from Amalfi — 3 Greek temples standing in a field, 2,500 years old, better preserved than anything in Greece). OR Procida (the colorful fishing island — 2024 Italian Capital of Culture).
Best time: April-June, September-October. Book skip-the-line tickets for major attractions.