Southern Italy Itinerary Guide: Coastal Towns, Food & Hidden Gems
Going to Southern Italy? Here are the best Southern Italy itinerary ideas including Calabria, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Sicily, and hidden villages perfect for every traveler.
5/12/20265 min read
Pictured above: Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
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Southern Italy Itinerary Ideas for Every Type of Traveler
There’s something about Southern Italy that feels different the second you arrive.
Maybe it’s the slower pace. Maybe it’s the smell of freshly baked bread drifting through tiny cobblestone streets at 7 a.m. Or maybe it’s the fact that nobody seems to be in a rush to do anything except enjoy life.
While most people planning an Italy trip immediately focus on Rome, Florence, Venice, or Milan, the south is where I personally feel Italy becomes softer, more authentic, and magical.
The best part? Southern Italy is incredibly diverse. You can spend one trip exploring dramatic coastlines and glamorous beach towns, and another wandering sleepy mountain villages where English is rare and the people are warm.
So if you’re trying to plan your trip and wondering where to even begin, here are some Southern Italy itinerary ideas depending on the kind of experience you want.
1. The Classic Southern Italy Coastal Trip
Perfect for first-time visitors who want iconic scenery, beaches, and postcard-worthy towns.
Suggested Route:
Naples → Amalfi Coast → Tropea → Pizzo → Reggio Calabria
This itinerary gives you a mix of famous destinations and places that still feel local.
Start in Naples for pizza, chaos, history, and energy. Naples isn’t polished like Florence, but that’s part of why people fall in love with it. It feels alive.
From there, head toward the Amalfi Coast. Start in Sorrento and then head to Positano, which gets most of the attention, but don’t overlook smaller towns like Minori or Praiano if you want something a little less crowded. Be sure to stop in Amalfi and Ravello, too. You can read my tips for how to spend one day in the Amalfi Coast here.
After that, I’d head south into Calabria — one of the most underrated regions in all of Italy (and my favorite).
Start in Pizzo for the famous tartufo ice cream and enjoy the relaxed seaside atmosphere. Then head down to Tropea. It's one of those places that almost doesn’t look real the first time you see it. Cliffs, clear turquoise water, narrow streets, little restaurants tucked everywhere… it’s stunning without feeling overly manufactured.
Then continue to Reggio Calabria, where you can walk the long waterfront and literally see Sicily across the water.
This itinerary is ideal if you want:
Beaches
Coastal drives
Seafood
Beautiful views
A mix of famous and underrated destinations
2. The Hidden Gems Southern Italy Itinerary
Perfect for travelers who want authentic Italy and smaller towns instead of major tourist cities.
Suggested Route:
Scalea → San Nicola Arcella → Diamante → Santa Domenica Talao → Matera
You can fly into Rome or Naples and take the train down to the Riviera dei Cedri, or you can fly into Lamezia Terme. This is the kind of trip where you slow down and actually experience daily life in Italy.
Scalea has that classic Southern Italian beach town feeling without massive tourist crowds (unless you go in August, when it is at its peak tourist season). I'm partial to Scalea since that is where I bought my second home, but it's a lovely little town that has plenty of year-round shopping and restaurants, and a massive beach that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Just north of Scalea is San Nicola Arcella, one of the prettiest little towns along the coast. The views there are incredible, especially around Arcomagno.
Diamante is colorful, artistic, and famous for its murals and annual Peperoncino Festival in September. It feels creative and relaxed at the same time.
Then there’s Santa Domenica Talao — a mountain village overlooking the sea that feels completely untouched by mass tourism. Places like this are honestly what made me fall in love with Southern Italy in the first place.
Finish in Matera, which doesn’t even feel real. The ancient stone cave dwellings are unlike anywhere else in Italy.
This itinerary is perfect if you love:
Small towns
Local culture
Slow travel
Photography
Less touristy destinations
3. The Southern Italy Food Lover’s Itinerary
Because honestly… food alone is reason enough to go.
Suggested Route:
Naples → Bari → Lecce → Cosenza → Sicily
Every region in Southern Italy has its own personality when it comes to food.
Naples is obviously pizza heaven, but there’s so much more — fried seafood cones, sfogliatella, pasta dishes, espresso culture… you could spend days just eating.
In Puglia, you’ll find fresh burrata, orecchiette pasta, olive oil, and seafood everywhere.
Lecce feels almost baroque and elegant compared to other southern cities, and the food scene there is incredible.
Then head into Calabria for spicy flavors, 'nduja, fresh pasta, and some of the best simple home cooking you’ll ever have.
If you make it to Sicily, expect desserts that will ruin all other desserts for you forever. Cannoli, granita, pistachio everything… Sicily is an entire food experience on its own.
This itinerary is best for travelers who plan their vacations around restaurants — honestly, the correct way to travel in Italy!
4. The Relaxed Southern Italy Summer Itinerary
For people who don’t want to constantly move hotels every two days.
Suggested Route:
Choose one base town and take day trips.
My biggest Italy travel tip? Stop trying to see everything in one trip. Southern Italy is best experienced slowly.
Instead of rushing through ten cities in twelve days, choose one beautiful base and settle in a bit.
Some great options:
Spend your mornings at cafés. Wander without an itinerary. Take long dinners seriously. Go to the beach for a few hours and do absolutely nothing productive.
That’s the Southern Italian lifestyle people fall in love with.
A Few Things to Know Before Planning Southern Italy
Don’t underestimate travel times
Southern Italy looks small on a map, but transportation can take longer than expected, especially once you get into smaller towns.
Renting a car helps a lot
You can absolutely do parts of Southern Italy by train, but if you really want freedom to explore mountain villages and coastlines, a car makes a huge difference.
Summer gets very hot
July and August are beautiful, but they’re also crowded and extremely hot in many areas. Personally, I think May, June, and September are ideal.
The South feels very different from Northern Italy
And I mean that in the best way possible.
Things may move slower. English may be less common. Restaurants might not open exactly when Google says they will. But that’s also part of the charm.
Southern Italy feels less curated and more lived-in. You'll speak more Italian, be welcomed warmly by locals, and eat some of the best food you've ever tried.
Why Southern Italy Then?
The truth is, there’s no single “perfect” Southern Italy itinerary.
Some people will fall in love with glamorous coastal towns. Others will remember the tiny mountain village where an old man spent twenty minutes helping them order coffee.
That’s kind of the beauty of Southern Italy. The moments that stay with you usually aren’t the ones you planned for.
The South has a way of making people want to come back before they’ve even left.
Scalea, Italy in Calabria
