How To Get To Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast itinerary ideas and map to help you decide how many days to stay, what to see and how best to see it.

One of the most common questions about visiting the Amalfi Coast are how many days are enough to see it and the best way to include it in a wider Italy itinerary.

The short answer is that you need 2 days on the Amalfi Coast to see its highlights and 3 days or more if you want to add a trip to Capri or Sorrento.

The long answer is that you can make the most of a stay in the Amalfi Coast no matter how much time you have, may it be one day or one week!

In this article, I am going to share Amalfi Coast itinerary ideas and insider tips that will help you plan your stay at best.

In this article, we will cover:

Amalfi Coast Map with best places to see highlights
How many days to spend on the Amalfi Coast: itinerary ideas self guided + Amalfi Coast organized trips
Best transport Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast travel tips

Amalfi Coast Map + best places to see

The most famous places on the Amalfi Coast are the towns of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello however, there are many other locations on the coast worth visiting.

Depending on the time you have and what you most want to see you, other popular destinations on the Amalfi Coast are:

Vietri – lovely small town close to Salerno famous for handmade ceramics (lovely for authentic Italian souvenir shopping)

Maiori and Minori – lesser visited, deelighful Amalfi Coast towns connected by a scenic walking path 'sentiero dei limoni' (path of lemons)

Capri island – wonderful island with stunning views, elegant shopping and a glamorous feel

Sorrento – not on the Amalfi Coast as such but wonderful town with pretty city center, lovely views and wonderful food + access to the island.

You can find our full guide to the best towns on the Amalfi Coast here.

How many days do you need in Amalfi Coast? Itinerary ideas at a glance

You need 2 days on the Amalfi Coast to see the highlights and 3 days or more if you want to also see Capri and Sorrento.

At a glance:

If you have one day on the Amalfi Coast, you can see one or two towns (see below for tips on which ones)

If you have 2 days on the Amalfi Coast, you can visit 2 towns each day and do some hiking

If you have 3 days or more, you can add a trip to the island of Capri

If you have 4 days you can add a trip to Sorrento.

This is how to best organize your time.

Please note: these itineraries foresee an overnight stay on the Amalfi coast. If you cannot stay and need to make your way back to Rome or Naples, I recommend you plan an organized tour instead which will allow to cut down on transport time. Below I share some options.

Amalfi Coast itinerary ideas for 1-5 days

1 day on the Amalfi Coast itinerary: self guided

If you only have one day on the Amalfi Coast, chances are you want to see the area highlights first, the towns of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

The tree of them are connected by ferry, bus or a combination of the two and while a day for the three of them is a rather short time to see them it is technically possible to do it.

Unless you are set on the three of them, I would recommend either to visit Positano and Amalfi or Amalfi and Ravello.

If you want to see Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in the same day without a tour, I recommend you:

Start your day in Positano, visit the city, then catch the bus/ferry to Amalfi Town and head straight to Ravello

Have lunch in Ravello, enjoy the views when the sun is still high

Head back to Amalfi for an afternoon in the city and dinner. Find our guide to Amalfi town here.

This is the best sequence in terms of transport and will bring you back to Amalfi for the evening which is convenient to then head back to your hotel, since Amalfi is one of the main transport hubs in the area.

1 day on the Amalfi Coast with an organized tour

Several organizes tours serve the Amalfi Coast. Some you may like are:

Amalfi Coast 1 day tour all inclusive from Naples – bus tour bringing you to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in one day

Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello one day tour from Naples

Amalfi Coast and Pompeii day tour from Rome – (very long day)

Top tip! if you prefer a day with only a small amount of traveling, you can also pick one town and relax there, watching life go by. For this, I highly recommend Sorrento, easy to reach and stunning!

2 days on the Amalfi Coast itinerary

If you have two days on the Amalfi Coast you can follow the same itinerary as below but spending more time in Positano or you can head to Capri.

Capri is easily reached form Amalfi and Sorrento and is a wonderful place to visit for a day.

The ferry crossing is quick and easy and will lead you close to Capri town center and from there you can easily explore the island, spend a day on the sea taking a capri island boat tour or explore Anacapri and the best view points in Capri.

You can find our guide to Capri here and a recommended Capri one day itinerary here.

3 days on the Amalfi Coast itinerary

If you have 4 days on the Amalfi Coast, you can head to Sorrento.

Technically Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast but on the Sorrento Coast (the other side of the same promontory) but it is so close to the Amalfi Coast proper and so pretty, it simply belongs in a guide to the area!

Sorrento has a lovely and historical town center, beautiful sea views and some of the best food in Italy and it is also very well connected to Capri, Naples and Rome, which makes it perfect as a last (or first) stop for your trip in the area.

Good to know! Sorrento is very well connected to Naples and the islands and it is also a brilliant getaway town to the rest of the coast. You can read how to get from Naples Airport to Sorrento here.

4 days on the Amalfi Coast itinerary

If you have 4 days on the Amalfi Coast you can explore a little off the beaten track and in this case I recommend you visit the towns of Minori and Maiori and walk the lovely path that connects the two.

Minori is the most scenic of the two towns. Small and pretty, Minori was a vacation spot during ancient Roman times and still has the ruins of an ancient Roman villa and is it is also known as the birthplace of patisserie Sal de Riso, now one of the best known in Italy!

The town of Maiori is just beside Minori and it is connected to it by a wonderful scenic walking trail called the path of lemons.

The pat of lemons is a trail among lemon grows that connects the two towns: historically it is the path that was used by lemon growers to bring the lemons from the groves to the port and now is a scenic walking path with wonderful views over the towns and the sea below.

Maiori itself is a peasant town with a family friendly vibe: you can spend the afternoon here relaxing after your walk or you can catch the ferry and head back to Salerno or maybe get to Cetara and Vietri, all easily reached from here.

5 days on the Amalfi Coast of more: what else to see

If you have 5 ore more days on the Amalfi Coast, my suggestion would be to take it easy and savor each place at a slower pace however, you can also visit additional destinations nearby.

The most popular would be Pompeii and Naples or you could stretch to the lovely islands of Procida or Ischia.

Best way to get around the Amalfi Coast

The best way to visit the Amalfi Coast on your own is by ferry, bus or far.

Amalfi Coast by ferry – regular and budget friendly ferry services connect the several Amalfi Coast towns in the good season (spring to fall).

Tickets can be bough on the day and require no previous booking – this is the best place to visit Amalfi coast towns on the coast

Amalfi Coast by Bus – the towns on the Amalfi Coast are connected by buses managed by the company SITA.

These are a great way to reach towns such as Ravello that are not on the sea and the best way to visit the Amalfi Coast when ferries are not available

Amalfi Coast by Car – The Amalfi Coast is a scenic drive so visiting by car is tempting however, a coupe of considerations.

The Amalfi Coast gets very crowded in summer and both driving and parking will have you fight with traffic jams and limited space.

I highly recommend you avoid driving here in the high season and opt for alternative transport options instead.

Amalfi Coast Travel resources

When planning a trip to this area, make sure you also check:

Amalfi Coast packing list
Tips for visiting the Amalfi Coast with kids

I hope you found this Amalfi Coast itinerary ideas useful and they helped you plan you stay and answer the question: how many days do you need on Amalfi Coast? Safe travel planning!