Suggestions for 9 Day Italy Itinerary - Florence/Rome/Amalfi

If you don't want to visit museums at all,then no reason why you can't visit a smaller town in Tuscany.

Either day trip from Florence or staying there instead of Florence.Pisa is near and easy,Siena only a little further.

How are you getting to Florence?

For Amalfi I'd take the train to Naples.Then the local train to Sorrento.Where on the coast are you staying?Which village?

Capri is very touristy.Not difficult to get to by boat,but those day trips are expensive and crowded.If you decide to go,at least try and get away from the masses of tourists...some parts of the island are beautiful.

If not there are other small,picturesque places on the mainland to visit.

I know we have a short amount of time in Florence. We are not big art people so we do not want to spend our time in museums. What are the must-see things in Florence that aren't museum related?

The whole city is a museum. If you are not interested in history then try somewhere else. Don't pick a destination because it's famous, pick it because you have found something there that meets your interests.

With only two full days for the Amalfi Coast you won't have trouble filling your time there -- if you can get out. The region along the coast will be busy, the road that hugs the coast will be packed and slow-moving, and the ferries will be busy. I would make some suggestions on what to do but most of those involve museums. There are small coves scttered along the coast that have lidos (commercial beaches) as well as some simple seafood restaurants. You could try to find your way to one of those.

Ferry services between your base at Amalfi and Capri, stopping along the way at Positano, run fairly frequently.

• https://www.capri.com/en/ferry-schedule

We are flying into Florence from Boston, landing in the morning on the 20th and flying out of Rome on the 29th.

We are definitely interested in history. "Museum" was the wrong word. What I meant was - some of the main recommendations for Florence that we've received from friends is to go to the Uffizi to see the Birth of Venus or the Accademia to see the David. I think these are amazing pieces of art, and if we were there longer I would spend the time and money to see these. However, it's not on our list of priorities, and with such limited time I think we could spend it doing something we both would enjoy more than being indoors all day looking at art. Also, one of the full days we will be there is a Monday, which I've read these galleries/museums are closed.

There are loads of great museums in Florence.You could easily spend a week just visiting them.

Or..you could just stay in the city and wander around,stay out of museums completely and take a train to Pisa for half a day...why not?

As I mentioned you could also sleep in a place like Siena instead of Florence.Its also a nice city to wander in.There is no obligation to stay in Florence itself.

Its not a bad city though.Just very focused on Renaissance art and architecture,and very full of tourists..especially in the centre.

Yes, it will be busy, but Florence is an outstanding city to wander through, without setting foot inside the Uffizi, the Galleria dell'Accademia, or any other museums. I like history, and museums too, but in moderate doses, and without too much information and sensory overload.

You have less than two full days ... I would stay in Florence the whole time.

Many museums etc throughout Italy are closed on most Mondays, however via the Ponte Vecchio, and Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens are open on Monday 21 May. From there, a walk through the Giardino Bardini (classic view of the city), and then up to the Piazzale Michelangelo ... great. Walk back to town along the river, via the Basilica Santa Croce.

The high-speed trains (Florence > Naples, Naples > Rome) - including Freccia services - are usually much cheaper bought in advance, and they can book out, so I would look at that straight away.

We did a day tour along the Amalfi Coast at the end of April - and while it was beautiful, the traffic congestion was appalling. I would stay put for my two days, or just consider using your feet, or a ferry.

Monday 28 May in Rome, things can be closed too.

But I can really recommend the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica, and St Peter's Square ... it's all sensational ... and all open Mondays. Definitely need to pre-purchase your tickets. Same for the Colosseum / Roman Forum (open essentially every day).

So, if you're not museum people (at least this time around)... are you church people?

However, it's not on our list of priorities

Oh, you have a list. Good.
What's on it?

The USA - Land of the Literal ...

Our list is to enjoy our time in Italy, eat good food, and drink good wine :)