By Wanderlust Storytellers By Wanderlust Storytellers

6 Day Itinerary

Quick Overview: • Day 1: Explore Pompeii on the drive from to • Day 2: Explore Sorrento • Day 3: Enjoy a Cooking Tour • Day 4-5: Enjoy the stunning Ilse of • Day 6: Hike along the Path of Gods and explore • Day 7: Check out some of the best Coast beaches • Day 8: Explore the beautiful coastal towns from Positano to • Day 9: Explore the beautiful coastal towns from Ravello to • Day 10: Visit & Head back to Naples

ACCOMMODATION: • 2 Night in Sorrento • 2 Night on Capri Island • 3 Nights at either Positano or (We recommend Positano) • 1 Night at either Ravello or Amalfi (We recommend Ravello) • 1 Night at either Vietri Sul Mare or HELPFUL INFORMATION

When to Go: May – June and September – October

Try to avoid heading there in the middle of summer as it will be sweltering hot and you will find crowds everywhere!

How Long Should I Stay on the ?

We highly recommend a minimum of 3 days and 4 nights. Most travelers choose to spend 7 days on Amalfi Coast which is the optimum amount of days to fit in all the towns, walks, beaches and day trips.

Which Town Should I Stay at on the Amalfi Coast?

Our absolutely favourite town to stay in is Positano. It is truly the most beautiful out of all the towns but unfortunately it is also one of the costlier ones to stay at. Read more about Positano in our guide here.

If you need help in figuring out where to stay, you will find our detailed comparison table and review guide of the towns beneficial.

How to get from Naples to Amalfi Coast:

• Options: You have the option of catching local transport (bus, train, ferry); grabbing a private transfer (we personally love Blacklane Transfers); or Renting a Car (our personal favourite method). • Time Required to get from Naples to Positano: Around 1.30 hours (more if driving in rush hour traffic)

Day One

Pompeii

ACCOMMODATION: Sorrento

MORNING | Transfer from Naples to Pompeii

Different options are available to get to Pompeii from Naples: 1. The easiest is by rental car (around US $30-$50 per day), which should take you around 35 min via highway A3. We love renting our cars through Cheapo Air as they offer super competitive prices. It is also very easy to compare prices of the various car rental agencies on the one page. 2. Catch the train from Naples to Pompeii. Catching a train is super easy and is also the cheapest way to get to Pompeii. Whilst it is cheaper, it is less convenient and will take you longer than by rental car. Duration of the Naples to Pompeii train is around 43 min and current price is around US $4 one way. You can store your luggage at the train station whilst you explore.

Explore Pompeii: You will need a minimum of 2-3 hours to explore Pompeii. Because it is so easy to get lost in Pompeii and your time is limited, we highly recommend you join a tour so that they can show you the main highlights, leaving you to head onwards to Sorrento.

1. If you are happy to make your own way to Pompeii, you might like to grab this Skip- The-Line and 2-Hour Pompeii guided tour combo. 2. If you want to make life super easy, you can grab a tour that will pick you up in Naples and take you straight to Pompeii. You can join one of the Viator Pompeii tours from Naples, with a guide here! Follow your local guide through the ancient ruins of Pompeii. For lunch enjoy a traditional Italian pizza and then hike to the top of the notorious volcano. Brilliant for those who love more active tours. Get more info on this tour here.

For more information, you can read our extensive Pompeii Guide here.

AFTERNOON | Transfer from Pompeii to Sorrento

• If you have a rental car, the drive will take you around 45 min. • Alternatively, we suggest you catch the train. The train journey will take around 40-65 min. Pre-book your tickets here.

Sleep in Sorrento Day Two

sorrento

ACCOMMODATION: Sorrento

Sorrento isn’t really on the Amalfi Coast itself, but it is the Gateway to the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento is popular due to its stunning cliffside location, together with some fabulous tours that are based from this city. It is for this reason that we have built in a few days where you can explore Sorrento on your own for the day and join a really popular local food and farm tour.

FULL DAY | Sorrento Culinary Farm Tour (5 hours)

How can you visit this region of and not get a true taste of what is all about! Learn the secrets behind Italian family recipes and try your hand at pizza making, Neapolitan style. Stroll through olive groves and sample fresh olive oil. Visit a cheese factory and sample some homemade bread, salami and cheese. Top off your culinary tour with a limoncello liqueur whilst you listen in on the secrets behind the family recipe for the popular after-dinner drink.

This is a very popular tour that consistently gets excellent ratings. Make sure to pre-book your spot as the group size is limited.

The tour starts at 9am or 3:15pm

FOR MORE INFO ON THIS TOUR: Sorrento Farm Experience

Enjoy the rest of the day at your own leisurely pace.

Sleep in Sorrento

Day Three

sorrento

ACCOMMODATION: Capri or Anacapri

Today is all about exploring Sorrento itself, before heading over to Capri in the afternoon.

HALF DAY | Sorrento Discovery

Enjoy exploring Sorrento at your own pace. Suggestions of what to see include:

• Visit the Cathedral of Sorrento • Explore Sorrento Old Town • Grab a coffee and people watch at Piazza Tasso • Walk down to the Marina Grande and Marina Piccola for an unique perspective on Sorrento • Join on of the Hop-on hop-off bus tours • For the art lovers, make sure you put time aside for a visit to Correale di Terranova Museum

HALF DAY | Transfer to Capri

If you haven’t had time to wander around Sorrento yet, you might like to do so for a few hours before making your way to Capri.

How to get to Capri from Sorrento:

Grab one of the ferries from Sorrento's port to Capri Island, that departs around 4 in the afternoon.

Tip: Take a seat on the left side of the ferry for the best views of the coast between Sorrento and Punta Campanella.

Sleep in Capri or Anacapri

Day Four

Isle of capri & Blue grotto

ACCOMMODATION: Capri or Anacapri

FULL DAY: Capri Island & Blue Grotto

Boat tour to the Blue Grotto:

• We recommend you visit the Blue Grotto first the in the morning to avoid the rush hour when the tour boats come past later in the day. • At the Marina Grande pier, there are ticket offices for the Laser and Motoscafisti boat tour companies, which offer tours of the island by sea and boat transfers to the Blue Grotto. • If you are like us, you might like to pre-book a tour of Capri by boat. We hate wasting time standing around in queues. Our favourite way of exploring Capri is by Gozzo (typical Capri boat). They only take 6 passengers and you can stop at various points such as famous blue grotto and the lesser known sea grottoes. As well as go snorkeling. You can see our recommended tour here on Viator.

After the tour:

Explore Capri town on self-guided walking tour.

1. All the lanes in the historic center of Capri begin in La Piazzetta, so take Via Vittorio Emanuele to the historic Quisisana Hotel. 2. Check out some of the luxury boutiques along Via Camerelle. 3. Stroll its length and then pick up the picturesque Via Tragara which ends at the scenic overlook facing the Faraglioni sea stacks. 4. On your way back, take Via Cesina, Via Fuorlovado, and Via le Botteghe.

Enjoy some dinner, followed by some dancing at one of Capri’s most famous clubs - Anema e Core

Sleep in Capri or Anacapri

Day five

Isle of Capri

ACCOMMODATION: Positano

FULL DAY: Explore Capri & Anacapri

Choose from the following options to fill up your day:

Mount Solaro:

• From Piazza Vittoria in Anacapri, take the chairlift to the summit of Mount Solaro for some spectacular views • Walk down from the summit (around 30 minutes by foot), take a moment to visit the hermitage of Cetrella.

Villa San Michele:

• From Piazza Vittoria, continue straight along Via Capodimonte to Villa San Michele. Villa San Michele boasts one of the island's most panoramic views

Relax at one of the Beach Clubs:

• Pick one of the beautiful beaches and simply enjoy island life. Tip: It's a good idea to phone ahead a day or two to reserve a lounger at one of the private beach clubs

The center of Anacapri:

• Check out the majolica floor in the Church of San Michele, visit the Casa Rossa, and wander through the historic Boffe neighborhood to Piazza Caprile.

LATE AFTERNOON| Head to Positano

In the late afternoon make your way back to mainland via ferry.

You can find a schedule of the ferries here - http://www.capri.com/en/ferry-schedule

Sleep in Positano Day six

Path of the Gods & POSITANO

ACCOMMODATION: Positano

For your first day on the Amalfi Coast, we suggest you challenge yourself with a hike along the Path of the Gods. This hike has been declared by travellers as the most beautiful walk in the world and is listed as one of the most scenic day hikes in Europe. It also gives you a beautiful view over Amalfi Coast from the top.

In the afternoon, explore and relax in Positano.

MORNING | Path of the Gods (2.5+ hours + Transit Time)

Set off to enjoy one of the most famous hikes on the Amalfi Coast. You will need around 2.5+ hours for this walk. The easiest way to do this hike is from Boomerano to Nocelle. You will also enjoy magnificent views of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri in this direction.

Do the Hike by Yourself:

• Take a bus to (Boomerano) • Ask the locals to point you to the starting point of the Path of the Gods • Enjoy your walk and complete the walk in Nocelle (a fraction of Positano)

Join a Tour:

If you want to make life easier, you might like to join the Amalfi Coast Path of the Gods 3- Hour Trek. The tour is truly affordable and they will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel, saving you the drama of figuring out where the walk begins.

Click here for all the information about this tour.

Helpful information

• Duration: about 3 hrs. • Length: 7.8 km • Difficulty: easy- moderate. • The path is not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo.

AFTERNOON | Explore Positano

Enjoy some lunch after your hike. You will have the afternoon to enjoy in Positano itself.

Some recommendations:

• Rent a beach chair at the main beach Spiaggia Grande and simply enjoy your surroundings • Head down to Spiaggia Grande, turn your back on the sea and look back at the amazing view of Positano • Browse the many boutique shops that sell some of the most glamorous beachwear in the world • Get some handmade, leather sandals. Shoes that fit your feet perfectly? Well why not! • Visit the Beautiful Church, Santa Maria Assunta • Rent or Hire a boat and go out into the harbor to enjoy more unique views over the town

Sleep in Positano

Day seven

Beach Day

ACCOMMODATION: Positano

FULL DAY RELAXATION | Best Beaches of Amalfi Coast

Choose to visit one of more of the beaches from our ‘Best Beaches on Amalfi Coast’ blog post.

If you need a day of relaxation today, we suggest that you choose one beach to laze around on. Choose a beach that is in close vicinity to where you are staying to make it easy.

If you love being on the go, you might like to scout out as many of these spectacular beaches as you can. You will need to either hire a vespa, car or driver for the day as it might be tricky to find these via public transport only.

A list of our favourite beaches are:

• Castiglione di Ravello Beach – Great for those staying in Ravello

• Arienzo Beach – Great for those staying in Positano

• Tordigliano Beach – Great for those staying in Positano

• Fiordo di – Great for those staying in Praiano

Helpful information:

• The beaches on Amalfi Coast are tricky to navigate for swimming due to the large pebbles. Regardless we do recommend trying to head out for a swim simply to get a view from the ocean over the gorgeous little coastal towns. • If you wish to make use of one of the sun loungers, do expect to pay a pretty hefty fee. • Have small change on you, as you might be expected to ‘tip’ the person in charge of keeping the beach toilets tidy.

Day eight

Visiting Amalfi coast towns

ACCOMMODATION: Amalfi or Ravello

FULL DAY ACTIVITY | Praiano, Amalfi & Ravello

Set off to enjoy a full day of exploring the best towns of the Amalfi Coast. For the next few days we highly recommend hiring your own car. You can easily hire a car in either Sorrento or Positano. It will cost you around €37+ taxes + booking fees = €70 per day.

I love using Cheapoair as my booking platform for car rental (and flights), as they always find very competitive prices. You can use their search box here to find a car (http://bit.ly/CheapCarRental).

• Just double check the pickup location as it tends to pull rental companies from around the whole area. • Also, car rental companies only open from 8am and you will need to return it at 8am the next day as the car companies will be closed before you return to your hotel.

Alternatively, you can easily catch a bus between the towns, but you need to realize that you will be ‘wasting’ a lot of time by waiting for buses to arrive.

The order of your towns will depend on where you are staying. If you are staying at Positano, your day will look like this:

Positano:

• Make an early morning start from Positano and head towards Praiano.

The drive will take you around 15min.

Praiano:

• Check out Praiano’s Church of San Gennaro. • Visit the Church of San Luca Evangelista – (Spend 1 hour exploring the churches and exploring the local streets) • On your drive from Praiano to Borgo di Furore, stop at the lookout point along the main road to get a beautiful view over the Beach of Marina di Praia.

The drive to Borgo di Furore is a short one and will take less than 5 min. Borgo Di Furore:

• Find a parking spot along the road when approaching your stop at Furore. • Take a walk down the 200 meter descend to this amazing beach.

Next drive further until you get to Amalfi (20 min drive)

Amalfi:

• Paid Parking is available close to the beach area of this town. • You might like to have some lunch in Amalfi • Visit Duomo di Amalfi • Test taste the varieties of Limoncello on offer in the little stores. • Visit the Paper Museum • Enjoy strolling around the streets, make sure to hop down to the beach area for some glorious photo opportunities.

Head from Amalfi to Ravello, which will take you around 20 min by car.

Ravello:

• Visit the beautiful white marble Duomo • Explore the gardens of . Make sure to follow the pathway all the way to the Terrace of Infinity which looks out over the Mediterranean waters.

Head back to Positano. The drive will take you around 65 min.

Helpful information

• I highly recommend you have lunch in Ravello (for glorious views from the Villa Cimbrone Restaurant) or at one of the little restaurants at Amalfi. • If you hire a car, make sure to drive slowly and do fold in your mirrors whenever you park (or when you need to squeeze past someone on a narrow road). You might like to read about ‘’7 Proven Driving Tips to Keep you Alive on the Amalfi Coast Drive’’. • For loads more information, read our informative guide on the Amalfi Coast road trip.

Day nine

Visiting Amalfi coast towns

ACCOMMODATION: Vietri Sul Mare or Salerno

FULL DAY ACTIVITY | , Cetara & Vietri Sul Mare

Set off for another road trip day to explore more Amalfi Coast towns. The towns you will visit today should be less touristy and more local as few tourists venture out this far on the drive.

Departing from Amalfi (or Ravello) we will drive towards Salerno.

Amalfi:

• Make an early morning start from Amalfi and head towards Minori.

The drive will take you around 15min.

Minori:

• Pay a quick visit to Villa Marittima Romana and Minori's cathedral • Enjoy a cup of coffee and a sugar treat from the popular Salvatore De Riso's pastry shop (try the heavenly ricotta and pear filled hazelnut crumb cake).

The drive to Maiori is a short one and will take around 7 min.

Maiori:

• Stretch the legs by going for a walk on the Maiori beach. This beach happens to be one of the largest beaches on the Amalfi Coast. • Visit the Castle of San Nicola de Thoro-Plano and • see the crypts and catacombs at Santa Maria Olearia

Next drive further until you get to Cetara (25 min drive)

Cetara:

• Cetara is a gorgeous little Mediterranean fishing village and it is said that it has the best fish on the Amalfi Coast. So, this is a perfect stop for your lunch time meal. Pick from one of the three excellent restaurants: the informal "Il Convento", the classic "Il San Pietro" and the contemporary "L'Acqua Pazza". • If you are game, make sure you try the legendary Colatura di Alici, an anchovy syrup that is a famous product of Cetara.

Head from Cetara to your last stop for the day at Vietri Sul Mare (20 min drive).

Vietri Sul Mare:

• Visit the Ceramic Museum in 's Villa Guariglia to learn more about this porcelain obsessed town. • Simply enjoy strolling the streets and checking out the gorgeous little ceramic shops.

Sleep in Vietri Sul Mare or if you wish to venture future, Salerno would work well as a base too.

Day TEN

Visit paestum

Today is split up into a morning trip out to see the fabulous Greek ruins at Paestum. Enjoy lunch in Salerno, before heading back to Naples.

MORNING | Visit the Greek Ruins of Paestum

If you slept in Vietri Sul Mare, make an early morning start and head to Salerno. You can either hold on to your rental car, or if you wish you might like to return it in Salerno as it is fairly easy to get to Paestum and later to Naples.

How to get from Salerno to Paestum:

Catch the train from Salerno to Paestum. The journey will take you around 30 min. You can pre-book some tickets here.

Helpful Information:

• We recommend that you dedicate at least 1.5-2 hours to explore the Greek ruins at Paestum. • We also recommend that you make your way back to Salerno to have lunch, rather than eating Paestum itself. • Paestum is easy to explore by yourself

AFTERNOON | Head back to Naples

From Salerno to Naples

• Via fast train: Grab some tickets online to secure your seats. The train journey will only take around 1 hour.

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If you have any questions, please reach out to us! We also welcome constructive feedback about the itinerary! We hope you have a brilliant trip! Andrzej, Jolene & Kids

Website: www.wanderluststorytellers.com Mail: [email protected]