Amalfi Coast 7 Days Travel Guide
The Amalfi Coast is the Mediterranean at full volume: villages stacked in pastel layers above a turquoise sea, lemon terraces climbing the cliffs, and a corniche road that is equal parts scenery and adrenaline. It is also, in season, one of the busiest coastlines in Europe. The difference between a magical week and a frustrating one comes down to logistics — where you base yourself, how you move, and when you visit the famous spots. This guide covers a week that keeps the beauty and manages the crowds.
Choosing your base
Pick one or two bases and day-trip; changing hotels along the coast wastes hours. Sorrento, technically just around the peninsula, offers the best transport links and value. Positano is the most photogenic (and priciest). Amalfi town sits conveniently mid-coast, while Praiano and Minori offer the same views with fewer crowds and gentler prices. A good pattern: three or four nights around Sorrento or Amalfi, and the rest wherever your budget smiles.
Day 1: Arrival via Naples or Salerno
The coast has no airport of its own; you’ll arrive through Naples (or, cleverly, Salerno at the quieter eastern end). From Naples, options are the Circumvesuviana train or a direct bus to Sorrento, a ferry, or a private transfer. Settle in, take your first lemon-scented walk, and get the essential local skill out of the way: enjoying a coffee or spritz with a sea view while doing absolutely nothing.
Day 2: Positano and the coastal icons
See the postcard first. Positano cascades down its ravine in shades of peach and rose, best photographed from the sea or the upper road before you descend into its lanes of boutiques and beach clubs. Go early — by mid-morning in summer the crowds are real. In the afternoon, continue to Amalfi town, once a medieval maritime republic, whose striped cathedral looms over the main square with genuine grandeur. Where possible, make these hops by ferry: the coast is designed to be seen from the water.
Day 3: Ravello
High above the sea, Ravello is the coast’s balcony and its most refined town. The gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone — the latter’s “Terrace of Infinity” lined with marble busts above a sheer drop — offer the views that made Wagner and generations of writers linger. In summer, Ravello’s festival stages concerts on a platform seemingly suspended over the sea. It’s quieter, cooler, and slower than the shoreline towns; give it a full unhurried day.
Day 4: Path of the Gods
The Sentiero degli Dei (“Path of the Gods”) is one of the great walks of the Mediterranean, tracing the cliffs from Bomerano to Nocelle, high above Positano. It’s around eight kilometres, mostly downhill in that direction, with views that justify the name the whole way. Wear proper shoes, carry water, start early in warm months, and finish by descending the long staircase into Positano for a swim you’ll have earned. Non-hikers can substitute a lazy beach day at Minori or Maiori, the coast’s most relaxed strands.
Day 5: Capri
Ferries run to Capri from Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi, and yes — it’s worth it, if you play it right. Beat the day-trip surge by taking an early boat, then head up to Anacapri, the island’s quieter upper town, and ride the chairlift to Monte Solaro for a panorama over the Faraglioni rocks. The Blue Grotto is genuinely otherworldly when conditions allow; the Gardens of Augustus and the marina cafés fill the rest. By late afternoon the crowds sail home — linger if your schedule lets you.
Day 6: Pompeii or Herculaneum
You’re an hour from the most famous archaeological site on Earth. Pompeii is vast — plan a half day minimum, book tickets online, and consider a guide to bring the streets to life. Smaller Herculaneum preserves buildings, wood, and even upper floors far better, and rewards those who prefer depth to scale. Either pairs naturally with the train back through Sorrento. Vesuvius itself can be added — a bus takes you near the crater rim for a short, stark walk up.
Day 7: Your favourite, revisited
End with the coast at its best: an early swim, a boat rental or kayak along the cliffs, a return to whichever town claimed you, and a proper last lunch — seafood, lemons, and a view. Buy the limoncello, take the ferry once more just for the ride, and start negotiating with yourself about coming back.
Getting around
Skip driving in high season: the coast road is narrow, parking is scarce and expensive, and summer traffic crawls. The SITA buses connect every town cheaply (buy tickets in advance at tabaccherie); ferries are faster, cooler, and scenic from roughly April to October. Between the two — plus the occasional splurge on a boat — you can reach everything in this guide.
Practical tips
- When to go: May, June, and September are the sweet spots — swimmable sea, open ferries, and manageable crowds. August is beautiful, packed, and premium-priced; winter is peaceful but many businesses close.
- Stairs are the terrain: Every village is vertical. Pack light, wear real shoes, and check how many steps stand between your room and the road.
- Beaches: Mostly pebbles and small coves, with paid lido chairs alongside free public sections — arrive early for the latter.
- Budget note: This is one of Italy’s most expensive coastlines in season; eating your big meal at lunch and staying just off the marquee towns keeps costs sane.
The Amalfi Coast asks for a little strategy and repays it extravagantly. Base smart, ride the ferries, walk the Path of the Gods, and give Ravello its slow day — that’s the coast the postcards promise, and a week is exactly enough to fall for it.