One Week Amalfi Coast Itinerary: How to Spend 5 to 7 days on the Amalfi Coast
Wondering what to do for 5 to 7 days on the Amalfi Coast in Italy? This one week Amalfi Coast itinerary shows you the best activities and viewpoints on the Amalfi Coast as well as other practical information.
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Italy and should be on any Italy itinerary! Its beauty draws honeymooners, couples, families and friends alike.
I always wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast after seeing photos of it and I am glad to say it is not hyped up. Amalfi Coast indeed is beautiful and fun, with its wide array of things to do and see.
From the historical Naples and Pompeii to the beaches of Positano to the hillside of Ravello, Amalfi Coast offers a little bit of everything to everyone. While many people know Amalfi Coast as Positano, there is a lot more to the area!
This 1 week Amalfi Coast itinerary is perfect for someone who is intending on spending 5 days to 7 days in the area and someone who just wants to relax, see the beautiful sites, and eat great food. This itinerary is based on our personal experience, so you bet you can find some useful tips throughout this blog.
This blog contains occasional affiliate links, where I receive a small commission on sales of the products/hotels that are linked at no additional cost to you. In addition, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amalfi Coast Travel General Information
- Currency in Italy: Euros
- Language: Italian, but you can get by with English since it’s so touristy
- Power Adapter: 220V electric sockets with converter C (2 holes), some older sockets also have 3 holes (type L). If you are from the EU, you don’t need to buy a new converter. But if you are traveling from outside of the EU, you should buy a converter.
- Best Time to Visit: May, September & October
- Best Way to Get Around: Public bus, train, ferry, private driver.
- Most Famous Towns on the Amalfi Coast: Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Sorrento, Atrani, Capri
- Credit Cards are widely accepted on the Amalfi Coast. But you should always have cash with you to pay for buses and other miscellaneous things.
- How to get internet on the Amalfi Coast: I recommend this eSim (so you don’t have to swap out your physical sim card)
- Best Italy train booking sites: Omio, Trainline, and Trenitalia.
- Best Italy tour booking sites: GetyourGuide, Viator
A Week in Amalfi Coast: Itinerary Overview
This one week Amalfi Coast itinerary includes some of the most popular cities and towns and it is an exact copy of what I did personally.
This itinerary starts in Naples, with day trips to Capri and other towns before moving onto Sorrento, with trips to other famous towns on the Amalfi Coast.
Day 1: Arrival in Naples, half day trip to Caserta
Day 2: Day Trip to Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius
Day 3: Day Trip to Ischia and train to Sorrento
Day 4: Explore Capri
Day 5: Ravello & Amalfi
Day 6-7: Positano
If you only have 5 days on the Amalfi Coast, you will need to take off a day trip from Naples and only spend one day in Positano. If you have 7 days then you can do everything on this itinerary.
How to Get to the Amalfi Coast
The closest airport to the Amalfi Coast is Naples Capodichino International Airport (NAP). Although there is a smaller airport in Salerno, that is opening in July of 2024, with limited airlines flying into there. But for the sake of summer travel to Amalfi Coast in 2024, most likely you will have to fly into Naples.
From Naples, you will need to take a train to the large town of Sorrento, which takes about an hour only. You can also take a private transfer from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. In my eyes, Sorrento is the true gateway to the Amalfi Coast and a great base to explore the different towns on the coast.
How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast for a Week
Regardless of where you are based on the Amalfi Coast, you will still need transportation to go from town or town as this Amalfi Coast itinerary covers a number of different places.
The best ways to get around the Amalfi Coast include: public bus, ferry, tours, private driver.
You can also rent a car and drive around the Amalfi Coast yourself, but I generally do not recommend doing this as parking is difficult to find and very expensive. The road between towns can be narrow, with often very bad traffic and aggressive locals, making the drive more challenging than needed to be.
There are no train rails on the Amalfi Coast after Sorrento, therefore you cannot take trains to the towns of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, etc.
Public SITA bus
The public SITA bus is a cheap way to get around the Amalfi Coast. Departing from Sorrento train station, the SITA bus usually costs between 1 to 3 Euros one way, starting around 6:30 am, and can take you directly to Amalfi, Positano and other towns. You can also switch buses at Amalfi to get to Ravello.
Keep in mind that if you are traveling during peak summer months to the Amalfi Coast, the SITA bus can often be delayed due to heavy traffic, and it can be full.
If the bus is full and the driver refuses to take you, you will need to wait for the next bus, which can take any time from 30 minutes to an hour. My advice would be to try to catch a very early bus for your day trip on the Amalfi Coast if you can, and be prepared to wait.
Amalfi Coast Ferries
Ferry rides are the best way to get to islands such as Capri on the Amalfi Coast. Keep in mind that ferry schedules are seasonal, with many ferries suspended in the winter months.
You can buy at the ferry terminal or online ahead of time, but you cannot buy tickets on the ferries themselves. The most reputable ferry companies that operate in the Amalfi Coast include TravelMar, AliCost or NGL. Avoid buying ferry tickets from random sellers on the streets as many are scams or charge way higher prices.
If you do not want to take public transportation on the Amalfi Coast, your other options would be to take a tour, hire a driver (very expensive, like 80 – 120 Euro one way), or rent a car yourself.
If you really want to rent a car and drive around yourself, I suggest looking at Discover Cars. I used them for car rentals all over Europe and really liked the selections.
Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast for 1 Week
This is a quick summary of all the places we stayed on the Amalfi Coast for 5-6 nights. Since we did a lot of day trips, we stayed in Naples and Sorrento.
You don’t necessarily need to stay in Positano since it’s super expensive. Sorrento is a good base to explore the towns on the Amalfi Coast while Naples is a good base to explore Capri, Pompeii and other day trips nearby.
Naples: South Hands in the historical center near the train station
Sorrento: The Night Guest House, within walking distance to the train station and restaurants. It’s a more budget option but rooms were clean and spacious.
We didn’t stay in Positano since it was so expensive, but if you are going to the Amalfi Coast on honeymoon or just want to splurge on a hotel in Positano, then you should check out Villa Yiara (9.6 rating on Booking), Il Barilotto (9.4 rating on Booking), Hotel Poseidon (9.3 rating on Booking).
Best Tours for the Amalfi Coast
Outside of taking public transportation, the best option to visit Amalfi Coast is to take tours.
These tours would take care of all logistic problems, so all you need to worry about is to show up and enjoy your time. I normally don’t like taking tours but I do think some tours on the Amalfi Coast during peak season are worth it.
- Capri & Blue Grotto Tour: This full day tour picks you up from either Naples or Sorrento, takes you around the island of Capri and takes you on the water to see the blue Grotto. If you want to see all of Capri in one day, this would be your best option. Otherwise, you will need to find your own way to Anacapri and hire a separate boat to go on the water. Book the tour here.
- Path of the Gods Hiking Tour: Path of the Gods is the best hike on the Amalfi Coast and takes you to different viewpoints along the beautiful coast. The logistics of getting to the trailhead can be complex and requires buses, but with this tour pickups are included. The guide will also tell you a lot on the hike, making this a really fun experience. Book the tour here. Alternatively if you rather hike by yourself but want transfer to the trailhead, you can book a private transfer instead.
- Amalfi Coast Photoshoot with Fiat: If you love those cute photos on Instagram with a small Fiat 500, then you cannot miss this photoshoot opportunity. The photographer will pick you up, take you to good photo spots, help you pose and take your photos for you. If you are an influencer or simply looking for some photoshoots, you definitely don’t want to miss this. Book the photoshoot here.
- Positano Boat Rental: If you are into photos, another fun option is to rent a private boat for 90 minutes around sunset. This allows you to cruise around the Amalfi Coast, admire the view from water, and take the best photos. Book your boat rental here.
- Amalfi Coast Highlights Tour: If you are short on time and only have one day to see the most famous towns on the Amalfi Coast, then this is the tour for you. This small group tour provides transportation to Amalfi, Positano and Ravello and gives you a few hours to explore each place. Book the tour here (or this option from Naples).
One Week (5 to 7 days) on the Amalfi Coast: Itinerary in Detail
Now let’s dive right into this super detailed Amalfi Coast itinerary for 5 to 7 days. The reason I put 5 to 7 days is because there are a number of day trips you can take on the Amalfi Coast, especially from Naples.
So depending on how much time you have for your trip, you can choose to do all the suggested day trips or just do one or two.
This one week itinerary for the Amalfi Coast is super flexible since you can certainly customize this to your liking. This itinerary is also family friendly, since it is mostly sightseeing with little hiking.
Day 1 of 1 week on the Amalfi Coast: Naples + Caserta Afternoon Trip
Arriving in Naples
Today is travel day! If you are arriving on the Amalfi Coast anytime before noon, this itinerary would work for you. If not, you can always push back the Caserta half day trip to the next day, since it is super close to Naples.
Assuming you landed in Naples by noon and are able to make it to your hotel in the Naples Historic Center (close to the train station), drop off your luggage, freshen up and get some food.
Where to stay in Naples:
There are several areas you can stay in Naples, with the best ones being Chiaia, Vomero and the historic center.
We stayed at the historic center in a cute B&B called South Hands. It had an excellent view of the city, but the main reason we chose this place is because of its proximity to the train station. It’s also only a few minutes walk to the piers for day trips to the islands.
Pizza Lunch in Naples
In case you didn’t know, Naples is where pizza was born! So you can imagine that you can get the best pizza in Naples. If you are staying near the train station like we did, then I would highly recommend pizza from Pizzeria Pellone. We were recommended to this restaurant by our hotel and we are super glad they told us about it. The portion is big and there are a lot of options.
Another pizza place you can try is Insolito, but it was kinda far for us so we didn’t get to go.
After getting a taste of Napoli pizza, it is time to do your half day trip to Caserta.
Afternoon Trip to Caserta
What’s in Caserta? That is probably the first question that crosses your mind. Caserta is not a super well known day trip, especially when everyone focuses on Pompeii (don’t get me wrong, Pompeii is important and famous for a reason).
Caserta is a city about 40 km (24 miles) north of Naples, and it only takes about 40 minutes to get to Caserta from Naples by train.
Caserta is famous for its royal palace, a former royal residence for Charles VII of Naples (even though he never actually stayed there). The construction of the royal residence started in 1752, and it was actually modeled after the world renowned Palace of Versailles outside of Paris.
Although it doesn’t exactly look like the Palace of Versailles, there are definitely elements of it that reminded me of Versailles, especially with its beautiful gardens and fountains.
Unlike Versailles, the Royal Palace of Caserta is not overrun by tourists; in fact it was super empty when we visited on a July afternoon.
Tickets only cost 18 Euros and you can just buy it on site or online ahead of time. If you want to fully explore the palace and the garden, you will need at least 3 to 4 hours, making it the perfect half day trip from Naples. The great thing about this palace is that it also opens till 7:30pm, so you have plenty of time to explore even if you arrive in Naples that same day.
Keep in mind that the Royal Palace of Caserta is closed every Tuesday.
Dinner in Naples
After you come back to Naples, it’s time for dinner. Since you already had pizza for lunch, I would recommend trying some other food for dinner.
If you are staying in the historical center, then consider Vesuvio Roof Bar & Restaurant (with a nice rooftop) or Mimì alla Ferrovia, a more traditional Italian restaurant.
Day 2 on the Amalfi Coast: Day Trip to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius <Optional>
Pompeii
Pompeii is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Italy and the top day trip from Naples due to its proximity.
Located only about 25 km (15 miles) from Naples, Pompeii is a must-visit site for anyone interested in history and seeing the ruins of an ancient Roman town.
The history of Pompeii is a tragic one, with thousands of people perishing almost overnight due to the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD. Pompeii was a thriving city before the eruption, and although most people evacuated Pompeii, many decided to stay and died.
The Pompeii archaeological site provides you with a fascinating insight into the various aspects of ancient Roman lives as you walk through the ruined town.
Some of the most noteworthy sites you should not miss in Pompeii include the Amphitheatre, the House of the Tragic Poet, the House of Venus, the Stabian Baths, the Garden of the Fugitives, the House of Lovers, etc.
Do You Need a Tour for Pompeii
While you can totally visit Pompeii by yourself (take a local train and walk around the ruin by yourself), I would highly recommend taking at least a guided tour with an archaeologist, which is what we did.
There aren’t many signs that explain the story and history behind everything you see in Pompeii and the area is quite large. A guided tour with an archaeologist can give you a lot of insights into what you are seeing, making the visit a lot more meaningful.
This tour also includes tickets, so you don’t have to worry about waiting in line for tickets under the burning sun. In addition there are a lot of scammers trying to sell you tickets and tours once you get off the train, so you can avoid all that with a tour already booked.
A visit to Pompeii takes at least 2-3 hours, depending on how much you want to see and wander.
This means you still have the afternoon to explore somewhere else. You can always go back to Naples and explore more of Naples, but another cool option is to go to Mount Vesuvius.
Mount Vesuvius
Located at the Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano (yes still active) that is responsible for destroying Pompeii and killing tens of thousands of people in the Bay of Naples area. The most recent eruption was in 1944.
Although active, there hasn’t been too much activity so tourists are allowed to visit the ridge of its craters. Given its history and its proximity to Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius is often visited together with Pompeii.
How to get to Mount Vesuvius
There are public buses that take you from Pompeii to Mount Vesuvius, but you will need to really watch out for the return time and sometimes public buses leave earlier than their scheduled time.
Other options to visit Mt. Vesuvius include:
- Tour bus transfer from Pompeii <– you need to buy your own tickets to enter Mt. Vesuvius
- Hire private transfer
- Rent a car and drive to Mt. Vesuvius. From the parking lot you can take a shuttle (cost 3 Euros) to the ticket office or you can walk 30 minutes.
Keep in mind that tickets do get sold out, so if you are planning to visit Mt. Vesuvius by yourself (without a tour), you should definitely buy tickets online ahead of time. This is the official site for purchasing tickets. There are also other third party sellers if you have a coupon or something.
Things to do at Mount Vesuvius
You don’t need that long to visit the rim of the crater, as there is an established trail that takes 20 minutes from the entrance.
From that point you can follow the Gran Cono trail to walk along the rim. Know that currently (as of 2024) this trail does not loop around the entire crater, you can only go around 1/3 of the way before turning back.
If you are planning to visit Mt. Vesuvius, you should wear proper footwear as the trail can be slippery and steep at parts. Do not wear sandals and bring water and a hat since there is no shade.
Day 3 Amalfi Coast Itinerary: Naples Day Trip to Ischia and train to Sorrento
Ischia Island
There are two small islands in the Gulf of Naples, Ischia and Procida. Both of these islands can be reached by ferry from Naples, making them ideal for a half day trip.
Ischia is the bigger of the two islands, and that’s the one I visited during my trip to the Amalfi Coast. But if you like, you can visit Procida instead (or together with Ischia), as it is smaller and less crowded.
You may have never heard of Ischia Island and that’s ok! Ischia Island remains off radar for most international tourists as most people just visit Pompeii and Capri instead. This means the island is way less crowded and a lot more authentic.
You can either visit Ischia island by yourself or do a boat tour that serves food and shows you many different spots of the island from the sea. The advantage of the boat tour is that you can see a lot more, especially from water, than if you were to visit on your own.
If you were to visit Ischia by yourself, you can take the slow ferry or a faster (and more expensive) hydrofoils from Naples. There are 3 ports in Naples that you can take the ferry from:
- Porto di Pozzuoli: slow ferries only (1.5 hours)
- Calata Porta di Massa: slow ferries only (1.5 hours)
- Molo Beverello: hydrofoils only (1 hour)
Both Calata Porta di Massa and Molo Beverello are about 20-35 minute walk from the train station.
Things to do on Ischia Island
The most significant structure on Ischia that you cannot miss is Castello Aragonese, a castle that dates back to 474 BC and it was a fortress by the Byzantines and other cultures. The castle does not sit on Ischia itself, but it is on a rocky islet, connected to Ischia only by a stone bridge.
To get to the castle you will need to walk 20-30 minutes from Porto di Ischia or take the No.7 bus. You can spend an hour or two at the castle, exploring its grounds or even do a guided tour.
After visiting the castle, you can grab an early lunch (depending on the time), and head to the beach! The two closest beaches to Aragonese Castle include Miramare e Castello and Spiaggia dei Pescatori.
Spiaggia di San Pietro is another beach that’s very close to the port (Porto d’Ischia) if you want to do that before you head back to Naples. If you do plan on going to the beach, be sure to bring a beach towel and bathing suit!
Other things you can do on Ischia include a kayaking tour, vineyard tour, distillery tour, and even a tour to the island of Procida.
Personally, we only went to the castle and the beach, grabbed lunch and headed back to Naples because we wanted to get to Sorrento in the afternoon.
Naples to Sorrento
After getting back to Naples and getting your luggage, it’s time to head to Sorrento, the gateway of Amalfi Coast.
What’s so special about Sorrento you may ask. Well, Sorrento is actually technically not even on the Amalfi Coast, but it’s a large city that is used as the base to explore the various towns of the Amalfi Coast.
Compared to the famous towns of Positano on the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento is a lot bigger and a lot cheaper. It is also super well connected to the rest of Italy as well as the towns on the Amalfi Coast.
I used Sorrento as a base for our Amalfi Coast trip and did different day trips, and it worked out well. It saved us quite a lot of money, and there were so many restaurants and places to shop at, making it a very convenient place to stay.
The train from Naples (Napoli) to Sorrento takes about an hour and there are multiple trains everyday. You can use Omio, Trainline, and Trenitalia to book the train tickets ahead of time, or you can just buy them at the station. We went in July and there were no issues getting train tickets in person.
Once you arrive at Sorrento, you can literally walk to your hotel. We stayed at The Night Guest House and it was about a 13 minute walk (1 km) from the train station. But you can stay even closer!
Dinner in Sorrento
There are a ton of restaurants and shops in Sorrento, since it is quite a large city. The area towards the north near the water is lively at night, with a ton of bars, restaurants, and shops.
We ate at Trattoria Da Emilia by the water, and it was very tasty. There was a bit of a wait when we went since we didn’t have any reservations but we finally got a table. But there are a ton of other restaurants there, such as Porta Marina Seafood, O’ Puledrone, Ristorante, Nonna Emilia, etc.
After dinner, grab some gelato and just walk around the streets north of Corso Italia and you will be pleasantly surprised by how lively and happening the area is.
Day 4 on the Amalfi Coast: Ravello & Amalfi
Ravello and Amalfi are two of the most popular villages on the actual Amalfi Coast and luckily there are buses from Sorrento that will take you there.
I would recommend visiting Ravello first as it is the furthest, then visit Amalfi after since it is on the way back to Sorrento.
There is no direct bus or ferry to Ravello, so first you will need to take either a SITA bus or a ferry to Amalfi, then switch to another bus from Amalfi to Ravello.
It takes about 2 hours from Sorrento to Ravello by bus, and I highly suggest you go as early as possible to avoid traffic. The earliest bus from Sorrento is at 6:30am (check the time as it may change during different seasons).
What to do in Ravello
Ravello is about 360 meters above sea level. Since it is high up, you can get sweeping views of the Amalfi Coast and Tyrrhenian Sea from the various viewpoints in Ravello.
Because it does take some time to get to Ravello, it is not nearly as crowded as Amalfi or Positano, making it the perfect romantic getaway.
You can spend half a day in Ravello since it really is a tiny town. Based on our experience, you would need at least 2-3 hours (if not more) in Ravello to explore the various villas and eat lunch.
Villa Cimbrone
Villa Cimbrone is the most famous villa (now a hotel) in Ravello. It used to be private property but has been converted to a hotel. You can stay there and as you can expect, it is very expensive. Even though it’s a hotel, you can pay to visit the garden (open from 9 to 6), the best part of the villa grounds in my opinion.
The best view of Ravello is no other than the view from the villa’s Terrace of Infinity (Terrazza dell’Infinito). This terrace has many statues, making them a signature feature of the villa.
Besides the terrace, you can also explore the garden, take photos of the main walkway and see other statues and sculptures while you are there.
Villa Rufolo
Another beautiful villa and garden that you need to see in Ravello is Villa Rufolo. It was once the most expensive villa on the Amalfi Coast so you can imagine how grand the place is.
Its garden is beautifully groomed, with tons of flower arrangement. There is also a cloister at the villa as well as many other structures. Some of the towers actually remind me of the buildings in Andalusia in Spain.
You can also get a beautiful view of the coastline and the rugged cliffs from Villa Rufolo and believe it or not, my favorite photo of the Amalfi Coast is from this villa.
Besides these two villas, you can check out Giardini Principessa di Piemonte, a community garden, Duomo di Ravello, the town square, do a cooking class, and just explore the beautiful side streets.
Things to do in Amalfi
After you grab lunch in Ravello and finish exploring, take the bus back down to Amalfi.
Amalfi is a very busy town and as the name Amalfi Coast takes after Amalfi, it’s not hard to guess that this town is popular with lots to do, eat, and buy.
Once a powerful maritime republic during the Middle Ages, Amalfi retains remnants of its glorious past in its quaint streets, ancient architecture, and historic landmarks.
Depending on what time you get to Amalfi and what time you want to take the bus back to Sorrento, you may only have a couple of hours in Amalfi.
The main sight in Amalfi is Duomo di Amalfi, the famous church right in the middle of town. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate this cathedral, as its beauty can be seen even from the outside, and of course the interior also does not disappoint.
Right outside of the steps of the Amalfi Cathedral is Saint Andrew’s Fountain, built in 1760. There are a ton of cafes surrounding the fountain, and you will see many people hanging around the fountain.
You can spend the rest of the afternoon walking around Amalfi, check out the shops, stop by the Antico Arsenale della Repubblica di Amalfi museum if you have time and just enjoy the atmosphere of this lively town.
When you take the bus back to Sorrento, expect the bus to be very crowded and you might even need to wait for the next bus. Another option is to take a ferry, so be sure to check the ferry time.
Day 5 of One Week on the Amalfi Coast: Capri Day Trip From Sorrento
Capri is one of the most visited islands on the Amalfi Coast and it is not hard to see why. Only a short ferry ride from Sorrento, Capri offers amazing views, fun activities, beautiful gardens, cute towns and nice hiking trails.
You can spend a day or two (and overnight) on Capri but for the purpose of this 7 day Amalfi Coast itinerary, you will just do a day trip to Capri from Sorrento.
It is super easy to get to Capri from Sorrento, as there are numerous ferries daily and the ride only takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
I would recommend booking the ferry tickets online ahead of time, especially during peak summer months since they could potentially sell out. You can use this or this website to book (and compare prices).
Things to do in Capri
There are a lot of things to do in Capri, and there are two major towns on this large island: Capri and Anacapri, separated by Monte Solaro in the middle. With only one day in Capri, your itinerary will probably look something like this:
- Take the earliest boat from Sorrento and arrive at the port in Marina Grande
- Take the bus from Marina Grande to Monte Solaro Chair Lift in Anacapri (opens at 9:30am)
- Take photos from the top then go back down and explore Anacapri
- Walk down from Anacapri to the port for a boat tour (and potentially see the blue grotto)
- Take the bus to Capri to explore, then bus back to the port and go back to Sorrento
I always recommend people to go to the Monte Solaro Chair Lift first because it is the single most popular thing to do in Capri. We got there really early so we didn’t really need to wait, but I heard from friends that if you go mid day in the summer, you will have to wait 2 hours to get on, so people end up walking up in the heat.
Since the chair lift is not near the port, you will need to take a bus to get there. From the top of the chair lift there are several viewpoints, with the most classic postcard view of Capri that you see everywhere.
You can take the chair lift back down, check out the small town, especially the beautiful Villa San Michele, and walk down the Scala Fenicia stairway back to the port for a boat tour.
We enjoyed this walk a lot because we really got to see a lot of Anacapri and explored a bit. But if you don’t want to walk, you can always take the bus back to the port at Marina Grande for your boat tour.
There are a couple of boat tour companies at the port, and you don’t really need to book tickets ahead of time. The boat tours will take you around Capri, see the Faraglioni Rocks and the Blue Grotto.
Blue Grotto is not always accessible. The boat tour people will check every morning at 9am to see if the water is calm enough to enter the Blue Grotto. If you were to go to the Blue Grotto, you need to transfer to a small row boat to enter the cave, and the wait can be long for a short visit to the grotto.
Unfortunately when we visited we did not get to go to the Blue Grotto, but fortunately I had seen a similar blue grotto in Croatia before so it wasn’t a big loss for me.
If you have time after the boat tour, take the bus to the town of Capri and explore more.
In Capri, instead of chairlifts, there is a funicular (Funicolare di Capri) that can take you to the top for a nice view. You can also walk along Via Camerelle, a luxury shopping street, visit the beautiful Giardini di Augusto for a view of Via Krupp and the south side of Capri.
Day 6 & 7 on the Amalfi Coast: Positano
On the last day or 2 of your week long Amalfi Coast trip, you will be visiting Positano, the most famous town on the Amalfi Coast.
I always like to save the best for last and in this case, Positano!
Positano is a postcard perfect hillside village that almost everyone knows about when they think of Positano. From the beaches to the colorful seaside buildings on the hills to the fancy hotels and restaurants, Positano is the perfect place for honeymoons, babymoons, and a romantic vacation.
If you are limited on time, you can just spend a day in Positano as a day trip from Sorrento and explore the town itself. But if you have the full week on the Amalfi Coast, then you can do more around Positano, like hiking and a cooking class.
If you do plan to hike, you should spend the night in Positano or in Amalfi, otherwise it would take you way too long to get to the trailhead from Sorrento.
Traveling to and from Positano
In terms of logistics and geography, Positano is closer to Sorrento than Amalfi or Ravello, and there are buses that will take you to Positano in the morning.
There are 2 bus stops in Positano, Chiesa Nuova and Sponda. Chiesa Nuova is more west and Sponda is more east. I would highly recommend that you get off at Sponda as this is where you can get that postcard view of Positano.
If you want to get on the bus from Positano to go back to Sorrento, you need to walk east to the next stop, Orticelli-via Arienzo, to get on the bus. Otherwise, you will be stuck waiting for that bus in Positano with 50 other people for hours because the bus gets so packed.
Things to do in Positano
Before I get into what you can do in Positano, keep in mind that Positano is very hilly! There are stairs everywhere and you probably will end up hiking up the hills just to eat at specific restaurants (like the ones with the views).
If you are only planning to spend one day in Positano (without hiking), then you can just do the following:
- Check out Positano Spiaggia, the “main” beach of Positano against the backdrop of colorful houses on the hill
- Chill on Fornillo Beach, a more quiet beach west of Positano Spiaggia
- Walk around the hilly steps and make your way to the main town center, see Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, the Catholic church in Positano and check out all the shops.
- Have a romantic meal at La Sponda, the instagram famous restaurant in the luxury hotel, Le Sirenuse. Another option is Il Tridente, located in Hotel Poseidon.
- Do a kayaking tour and see Positano from the water or do a photoshoot session in a Fiat.
If you have two days in Positano, you can add the following to your itinerary:
You won’t have time to do both things, so depending on your preference (and also your ability to get a reservation for the cooking class), these will be something you can do on your second day in Positano.
- Hiking the Path of Gods: Sentiero degli Dei is the best hike in Positano. It’s a 5-6 km (3-4 mile) walk that gives you an amazing view of the coast. The trail starts in Bomerano, and you will need to take a bus to get there. You can always hire a private transfer to avoid taking the bus.
- Do the cooking class at La Tagliata and have a meal there. You need to make a reservation for the cooking class monthS in advance. They have a shuttle that would take you from Positano to the restaurant, but also need to be arranged ahead of time. The class is from 10am to 3pm.
Once you are done with Positano, you will need to travel back to Sorrento and from there, you can take a train back to Naples and that will conclude your 5 to 7 days on the Amalfi Coast!
Best (and Worst) Months to Visit the Amalfi Coast
Late April, May, late September and October are the best months to visit the Amalfi Coast. The weather is warm but not insanely hot during these shoulder seasons, making the experience of visiting the Amalfi Coast a lot more pleasant. You will also see fewer visitors during these months, so hotel prices are cheaper and buses won’t be as crowded.
June, July, and August are peak summer months on the Amalfi Coast, with temperatures as high as the 90s F (33 C) during the day and high humidity. I visited in July and I was drenched in sweat everyday under the burning sun.
Unless you are planning to just lie on the beach all day everyday, I would not recommend visiting the Amalfi Coast during the peak summer months.
November to March are when many hotels and restaurants are closed on the Amalfi Coast, therefore I would not recommend visiting during these months.
Read My Other Italy Blogs
- 10 Days in Italy: 4 Alternative Itineraries
- 1 Day in Florence
- 3 Days in the Dolomites
- Things to do at Lago di Braies
- Best Rome Attraction Pass
- Things to do in Trapani
- Things to do in Marsala
- Other Dolomites Blogs
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