Southern Italy is where the food gets better, the prices drop, the chaos increases, and the beauty shifts from refined to raw. This 10-day itinerary covers the essential south in a logical route: Naples (the capital of the Mezzogiorno) → Amalfi Coast (the postcard coast) → Puglia (the heel — trulli, baroque, olive groves) → Matera (the cave city) → Sicily (the island that is its own world). The south rewards slow travel: miss a train, eat at a random trattoria, talk to the person at the next table, and you'll have a better experience than any guidebook can plan.
Plan my Southern Italy trip →Days 1-2: Naples. Fly into Naples Capodichino. Day 1: Spaccanapoli (the straight street bisecting the old town), MANN archaeological museum (Pompeii mosaics, Farnese collection), pizza dinner (Da Michele or Sorbillo). Day 2: Pompeii (Circumvesuviana train, 40min — book at ticketone.it). Evening: waterfront passeggiata at Lungomare. Days 3-4: Amalfi Coast. Ferry from Naples Beverello to Positano (1h). Day 3: Positano (beach + town walk). Day 4: Bus to Ravello (Villa Cimbrone terrace) + Amalfi town (Duomo, paper museum). Evening ferry to Salerno. Days 5-6: Puglia. Train Salerno→Lecce (4h Freccia). Day 5: Lecce — baroque churches, pasticciotto breakfast. Day 6: Rent car, drive to Alberobello (trulli — 1.5h) → Ostuni (white city — 30min). Stay Ostuni. Day 7: Matera. Drive Ostuni→Matera (1h). The Sassi (cave dwellings), Casa Grotta (cave house museum), the Palombaro Lungo (underground cistern). Stay in a cave hotel (the unique experience of the south). Days 8-10: Sicily. Fly Bari→Catania (1h, €30-60 Ryanair). Day 8: Catania — Pescheria fish market, Via Etnea, baroque lava city. Day 9: Syracuse day trip (1h train) — Greek theater, Ortigia island. Day 10: Taormina (1h bus) — Greek theater with Etna view, or Etna excursion. Depart from Catania airport.
Accommodation: €50-100/night × 9 nights = €450-900 (the south is cheaper than the north — cave hotels in Matera €80-150 are the splurge). Trains/ferries: ~€150-250. Internal flight Bari→Catania: €30-80. Car rental Puglia (2 days): €50-80. Food: €30-50/day × 10 = €300-500 (southern Italy is Italy's best food value). Total: €980-1,800 per person (excluding international flights). The south is 30-40% cheaper than the north for the same quality.