Rome to Pompeii & Amalfi Coast: Early Entry, Small Group Day Trip

4.58

(1932 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the sound—my shoes crunching on ancient stones in Pompeii, with only our small group and the morning air for company. Our archaeologist guide, Marco, waved us over to a faded mosaic. “This was a bakery,” he said, grinning like he’d found it himself. The air still smelled a bit like wet earth and old dust, not unpleasant. It was strangely quiet—no big crowds yet—so you could actually hear your own thoughts echoing around those ruined walls. I got goosebumps when we peeked into the old brothel (Marco’s stories were… vivid), and I kept thinking about all those lives just paused mid-step by Vesuvius. Still can’t shake that feeling.

After that, back on the bus—honestly, I napped a bit—and then suddenly we were winding along the Amalfi Coast. That drive is something else: cliffs dropping straight down to this wild blue sea, little lemon trees clinging on for dear life. Our driver honked at every blind curve (I counted eight in five minutes), and someone up front started singing “Volare.” In Positano, our guide pointed out a bakery where she gets her sfogliatella; I tried one and powdered sugar went everywhere (no regrets). If you’re there in low season like we were, they swap Positano for Sorrento—more locals than tourists, which felt right somehow.

I wandered off for an espresso in a tiny bar where two old men argued about football in rapid-fire Italian. Didn’t understand much but it made me smile anyway. The sunlight bounced off all those pastel buildings and for a second I forgot how far we’d come from Rome that morning. On the ride back, everyone was quiet—tired but happy—and I watched the hills fade out of the window until it got dark. Not sure why that sticks with me most.