Amalfi Coast Itinerary

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A good Amalfi Coast itinerary runs four days: Pompeii and Sorrento first, then Positano and Amalfi, then the Ravello gardens, and the Path of the Gods last. How you move decides the whole trip, because the coast has one narrow cliff road and every bus, boat and car shares it. Pick the transport first and the towns fall into place.

We have travelled all over Europe, and the lesson that holds in every hill town is that the transport plan matters more than the sights list. I would plan the Amalfi Coast the same way: choose the bus, the boat or the car first, then fit the towns around it. I would also pack for stairs, because a rolling suitcase on a stepped lane is a bad time.

How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast

Three things move you along this coast: the SITA Sud bus, the ferries, and your own wheels or a driver. Each has a catch, so I would mix them instead of betting on one. The train only gets you as far as Sorrento or Salerno.

Amalfi Coast Bus Tickets

SITA Sud runs the buses that link Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. Its Campania ticket page lists a COSTIERASITA pass at €10.00, valid for 24 hours from first validation. The pass is personal and non-transferable, and you write your name and date of birth on it.

Buy before you board. The Unico Campania, Mooney and Drop Ticket apps all sell bus tickets, and you validate on every bus you take. Anyone without a validated ticket faces a penalty under regional law.

Bags matter on the bus. The free carry-on limit is 50 x 30 x 25 cm, and anything bigger goes in the luggage compartment at the driver’s discretion or needs an extra ticket. On a crowded summer bus that is a real gamble with a large suitcase.

Amalfi Coast Ferry

The boat skips the traffic and gives you the cliffs from the water, a view the road cannot match. Travelmar and Alicost both serve Amalfi through the day, according to Amalfi’s own visitor site. Travelmar says its fast ferries run year-round between Salerno, Amalfi and Positano, with one carry-on included up to 45 x 35 x 20 cm.

Alicost lists routes between Salerno, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sorrento and Naples. NLG runs Sorrento–Capri and Positano–Capri and adjusts its timetable by season. Fares and sailing times change, so look up the exact leg on the operator’s booking page before you build a day around it.

Amalfi Coast Driving

I would not drive the Amalfi Coast on a first trip. The SS163 is cut into the cliff, tour buses take the bends in the middle of the road, and every town has a parking problem. Even confident drivers spend the day watching mirrors instead of the view.

Amalfi’s visitor pages warn that peak-season traffic measures include alternating license plates and vehicle size limits. They also say the historic center is a ZTL, a limited traffic zone. Check the current rules before you set out, because they move with the season.

Parking is the other cost. Amalfi’s getting-around page says Luna Rossa is the only lot that allows multi-day parking, at €40 a day in peak season and €25 off-season. Taxis and NCC (noleggio con conducente, a private car with a driver) are the other option, and I would agree the price before getting in.

Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento is the easiest base for a first trip. The Circumvesuviana line from Naples ends there, and EAV’s Campania Express tourist train lists stops at Napoli, Ercolano, Pompei and Sorrento, with eight daily trips and reserved seating. Boats to Capri leave from Sorrento, and buses carry on along the coast.

Salerno is the budget play. Travelmar and Alicost both sail from there, and it has the big rail station. It has less charm, but a night there usually costs less than one in Positano.

Amalfi sits in the middle, with the bus and the ferry in one square. The catch is the lanes: expect steps between the hotel and the harbor. Positano is steep and photogenic, and its rooms usually cost more, so I would visit it by boat for a day rather than sleep there on a first trip.

Amalfi Coast 4 Day Itinerary

Each day below swaps one big move for a short walk, so you are never fighting a bus timetable all afternoon. Fares are left to each operator’s own booking page, because they change with the season.

Day	Base	Stop	How to get there	Cost
1	Sorrento	Pompeii, then Sorrento	Circumvesuviana from Naples	€20.00 Pompeii only
2	Amalfi	Positano, then Amalfi	SITA bus or ferry	€10.00 COSTIERASITA pass
3	Amalfi	Amalfi Cathedral, Ravello	SITA bus up to Ravello	€8.00 Villa Rufolo, €10.00 Villa Cimbrone
4	Positano	Path of the Gods	Bus to Agerola, walk to Positano	Trail; bus fare per SITA

If the sea is calm on day 4, swap the hike for Capri. The ferry leaves from Sorrento or Positano, and the other days stay the same.

Amalfi Coast Towns

Things to Do in Positano

Positano is stacked up a hillside, and the main beach, Spiaggia Grande, sits at the bottom of every lane. The sand is dark and mixed with pebbles, not white, and it fills early. Going down the lanes is easy; coming back up is the workout.

I would arrive by boat to see the whole town spread up the slope, then walk the lanes instead of taking a taxi. Do the stairs and the views early, before the day heats up.

Amalfi Cathedral

Amalfi’s Duomo is the town’s main attraction, with a striped facade and a bell tower on Piazza del Duomo. The complex has four parts: the cathedral, the Basilica del Crocifisso with its sacred art museum, the Cloister of Paradise and the crypt.

Amalfi’s visitor site lists 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last entry) from September 1 to November 2. Shorter hours of 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (last entry) start on November 3. The complex is closed from January 7 to February 28.

Ravello Gardens

Ravello sits high above the coast, so it is the cooler, quieter stop. Its two garden villas are the reason to come. Take the bus up from Amalfi and walk the lanes between them.

Villa Rufolo’s own site lists a standard ticket at €8.00. It is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., last entry 6:30 p.m., on the hours posted from September 28, 2026, and tickets are sold on site only.

Villa Cimbrone is the one with the famous terrace. Its gardens page lists admission at €10.00 and says the gardens are open every day. The Terrace of Infinity, lined with stone busts, is the view you came for.

Amalfi Coast Path of the Gods

The Path of the Gods runs about 9 km from Agerola to Positano, according to Amalfi’s visitor site. It does not rate the effort, so here is my read. The path hugs the cliffs above the sea, and the walk ends with a long set of steps down into Positano.

This is a hike, not a stroll. Wear shoes with grip, carry water and skip it when the stone is wet. Travelmar’s site lists Path of the Gods shuttle connections, and you can also reach Agerola by bus.

Amalfi Coast Day Trip to Pompeii

Pompeii sits on the Circumvesuviana line between Naples and Sorrento, so do it on arrival day. The park’s ticket page, checked October 2, 2026, lists Pompeii only at €20.00 and Pompeii with the suburban villas at €25.00. It also says entry is free on the first Sunday of every month.

Winter hours start October 15, with a 9:00 a.m. opening, last entry at 3:30 p.m. and closing at 5:00 p.m. Until October 14 the last entry is 5:30 p.m. and the park closes at 7:00 p.m. That earlier closing matters, so I would be at the gate when it opens.

Tickets carry the visitor’s name, and the park caps entries at 20,000 a day. Time slots apply to entry, so book ahead online instead of counting on the ticket office. The park is closed on December 25 and January 1.

Amalfi Coast Best Time to Visit

I would aim for late spring or early autumn. Everything is open, the boats run often and the road is not at its worst. Winter is a quiet season: the Amalfi Cathedral complex closes from January 7 to February 28.

Summer is the peak. Pompeii keeps its long summer hours until October 14, Amalfi Cathedral’s last entry moves to 7:30 p.m. in July and August, and alternating license plates can apply on the SS163 in peak season. The crowds also decide how fast a bus fills.

Amalfi Coast Tourist Tax

Positano’s municipal page says its tourist tax runs from April 1 to October 31. It lists €5.00 a night at a 5-star hotel, €4.00 at a 4-star, €3.00 at a 3-star and €2.50 at lower categories, with children under 10 exempt.

Amalfi and Ravello also charge a tourist tax on overnight stays. Each town sets its own rate, so ask your hotel for the figure before you pay.

Amalfi Coast Packing

Pack small, because stairs and bus rules both punish big bags. The carry-on only packing list covers the basics, and the best travel backpack for carry-on guide helps if you want both hands free on the steps.

I would add shoes with grip, a soft daypack and a light layer for the boat. Packing cubes let you take one cube to a night stop, which is handy when the hotel is up a long flight of steps. Heading on to Italy’s cities afterwards? Our Florence itinerary and Venice itinerary pick up from here. Naples is the gateway for this trip, and Rome is the usual city to see before it, so our Rome itinerary covers the days before.

Amalfi Coast Facts

Is Sorrento a good base for the Amalfi Coast?

Yes, for a first trip. The Circumvesuviana line from Naples ends in Sorrento, boats leave for Capri, and buses run on along the coast. The trade-off is that you are a bus or boat ride from the best towns.

Can you do the Amalfi Coast without a car?

Yes. The SITA Sud bus and the ferries link Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and the COSTIERASITA pass costs €10.00 for 24 hours. Driving means narrow roads, limited parking and traffic rules that change with the season.

How do you get from Naples to Sorrento?

Take the Circumvesuviana line from Naples. EAV’s Campania Express tourist train lists stops at Napoli, Ercolano, Pompei and Sorrento, and the fare is on EAV’s booking page.

Is the Path of the Gods a difficult hike?

It is a real hike of about 9 km from Agerola to Positano, with open drops and a long set of steps at the end. Wear shoes with grip and skip it when the stone is wet.

Do you need to book Pompeii tickets in advance?

Booking ahead is the safer plan. The park says tickets carry the visitor’s name, entries are capped at 20,000 a day and time slots apply.

Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.

Published October 20, 2026.