Arrival by sea and a first evening in Amalfi
Arrive at Naples Airport and head for the coast
Most flights land at Naples International Airport (Capodichino). This itinerary assumes a spring-to-autumn trip, roughly April to October, when the coastal ferries are running, the loveliest and least stressful way to arrive, and also the busiest time on the coast, so book beds and popular tables ahead. The simplest public route is the airport shuttle bus to Napoli Centrale station, then a regional train to Salerno (around 45 minutes); a private car transfer straight to Amalfi is easier with luggage but costs a good deal more. Book flights →
Travelmar ferry from Salerno to Amalfi
From Salerno's port, a short walk from the train station, Travelmar runs the seasonal coastal ferry to Amalfi in around 40 minutes for about €11, arriving by sea, with the cliffs rising ahead of you, beats the winding bus every time. These ferries run roughly April to October only; outside those months you would take the SITA bus or a road transfer instead.
Check in and settle in Amalfi town
Amalfi makes the calmest single base for a couple: it is the coast's ferry and bus hub, flatter and more liveable than steep Positano, with almost everything walkable. Drop the bags and let the pace slow down, you have six nights here, so there is no need to rush the first afternoon. Search hotels →
First evening in Piazza Duomo
Amalfi's main square sits at the foot of the cathedral's dramatic striped staircase, and the early-evening passeggiata is the best free show on the coast. Find an outdoor table for a spritz and a plate of local anchovies or fried seafood, and just watch the town wind down.
Amalfi's cathedral, paper mills and tiny Atrani
Duomo di Sant'Andrea and the Cloister of Paradise
Start at Amalfi's cathedral, a startling Arab-Norman confection at the top of 62 steps. The ticket for the monumental complex (around €4) takes you through the serene 13th-century Cloister of Paradise, the crypt of St Andrew and the diocesan museum; it is open daily, roughly 09:00 to 18:45 in the main season and shorter hours in winter. Modest dress with covered knees and shoulders is required.
Museo della Carta, the Paper Museum
Amalfi was a medieval paper-making centre, and this working museum sits in a 13th-century mill up the Valle dei Mulini, a ten-minute walk inland from the square. The guided visit (around €4.50, tours available in English) shows the old water-driven machinery still making paper by hand. It opens daily from around 10:00 in season and makes a cool, quiet break from the sun.
A long lunch near the harbour
Amble back down towards the seafront for an unhurried lunch. Look for a family-run trattoria on one of the lanes off the main street serving the local scialatielli ai frutti di mare, fresh pasta with seafood, the couples-pace rule for this trip is one proper sit-down meal a day, no more.
Afternoon on Marina Grande beach
Amalfi's main beach sits right in front of town, a mix of free public stretches and paid sun-lounger clubs. Rent two loungers and an umbrella for the afternoon, or simply swim off the free section, the water is clearest away from the busiest central patch.
Walk the coast path to Atrani
A ten-minute walk around the headland, on the pedestrian path and steps just east of Amalfi's port, brings you to Atrani, often called the smallest town in Italy. It feels like Amalfi did fifty years ago: a single tiny piazza, washing lines strung overhead, and almost no day-trippers.
Dinner in Atrani's Piazza Umberto I
Atrani's miniature main square, Piazza Umberto I, is tucked just back from its own little beach and ringed with unpretentious restaurants. It is one of the most quietly romantic dinner spots on the coast precisely because so few people find it.
High above the coast in Ravello
SITA bus up to Ravello
Ravello sits about 350 metres above the coast, and the SITA Sud bus climbs there from Amalfi's Piazza Flavio Gioia in around 25 to 30 minutes for about €1.50 (the AC1 ticket). Buy tickets at a tabacchi before boarding, and sit on the right for the views. This is the classic high day of an Amalfi trip, cooler, greener and calmer than the coast road below.
Villa Rufolo and its gardens
In the centre of Ravello, the medieval Villa Rufolo has terraced gardens that fall away towards the sea, the view that supposedly inspired Wagner. Entry is around €8 and it opens daily from 09:00, with later closing during the summer Ravello Festival (roughly July to September), when a concert stage is built out over the garden. Go early, before the tour groups arrive.
Lunch in Ravello's centre
The small centre around Piazza Duomo has a handful of restaurants and cafés; pick a terrace and take your time. This is a slow, view-heavy day, so there is no need to hurry between the two villas.
Villa Cimbrone and the Terrace of Infinity
A ten-minute walk through Ravello's lanes leads to Villa Cimbrone, whose gardens end at the Terrace of Infinity, a stone balustrade lined with marble busts, hanging over a sheer drop to the sea. The gardens are open to the public daily from around 09:00 until roughly sunset for a small entry fee (the villa itself is a private hotel). It is arguably the most romantic viewpoint on the whole coast.
Evening bus back to Amalfi
Take the SITA bus back down before the light goes; services run into the evening in high season, but check the return times before you set off, as they thin out earlier off-season. Have dinner back in Amalfi, or linger over an aperitivo in Ravello first.
A day in Positano and out on the water
Morning ferry to Positano
Take the Travelmar ferry from Amalfi to Positano, around 25 to 30 minutes, and seasonal (roughly April to October). Approaching Positano from the water, with its pastel houses stacked up the cliff, is the postcard view, and it saves you the sweaty bus. Buy tickets at the Amalfi dock or online.
Santa Maria Assunta and the walk down Via dei Mulini
From the harbour, wander up and then back down Via dei Mulini, the bougainvillea-shaded lane that leads to the church of Santa Maria Assunta, crowned by its majolica-tiled dome. Step inside to see the medieval Byzantine 'Black Madonna' icon above the altar; entry is free.
Beach time at Spiaggia Grande or Fornillo
Positano's main beach, Spiaggia Grande, sits right below the church, lively, with clubs and restaurants along the front. For something quieter, follow the coastal footpath west for about ten minutes to Fornillo beach, which is smaller and calmer. Rent loungers or find a free patch.
Lunch on the seafront
Have a long lunch at one of the restaurants lining Spiaggia Grande, grilled fish, a carafe of local white, and the whole beach as your view. It is touristy and it is worth it once.
Boat tour along the coast
The most romantic way to see the coast is from the water. Small-group and private boat trips leave from Positano's marina for a couple of hours along the cliffs and sea caves, usually with a swim stop and a glass of wine, a lovely slow couples' afternoon. Search boat tour in Positano on GetYourGuide →
Back to Amalfi for dinner
The last Amalfi-bound ferries wind down in the early evening, so check the final departure time when you arrive in Positano, if you miss it, the SITA bus runs later into the night (around 50 minutes back to Amalfi). Have a relaxed dinner back at base.
The Path of the Gods, at your own pace
Early SITA bus to Bomerano (Agerola)
Start early to beat the heat. Take the SITA Sud bus from Amalfi towards Agerola and get off at Bomerano (Piazza Paolo Capasso), about 40 minutes for around €2.40 (the longer AC2 fare); tell the driver 'Bomerano' or 'Sentiero degli Dei', as the stop is not always announced. Wear proper trainers or hiking shoes and carry water, sun cream and a hat.
Walk the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods)
From the brown 'Sentiero degli Dei' sign in Bomerano, the trail contours high above the sea to the hamlet of Nocelle, roughly 6 to 7 km, mostly level or downhill, taking around three hours at an easy pace with plenty of photo stops. It is not technical, but there are exposed drops in places, so it is not one for anyone very uneasy with heights; go steadily and keep to the path. Prefer company and sorted logistics? Small-group guided walks with return transport take the planning off your plate. Search Path of the Gods hike in Positano on GetYourGuide →
Lunch in Nocelle
Nocelle is a tiny cliff-hanging village at the end of the trail, with a couple of simple family-run spots serving pasta and cold drinks on terraces over the sea. A well-earned, unhurried lunch with the best view of the day.
Descend to Positano
From Nocelle you can either walk down roughly 1,700 steps to Positano (about 45 minutes, and hard on tired knees) or take the short local bus down to the coast road. Reward yourselves with a swim or a granita once you reach town.
Ferry or bus back to Amalfi
From Positano, take the seasonal Travelmar ferry back to Amalfi (25 to 30 minutes) if one is still running, or the SITA bus if the last boat has gone. A quiet evening back at base is the right end to a walking day.
A slow last morning and the journey home
A slow last morning in Amalfi
No rushing on the final day. Take a long breakfast, a last coffee in Piazza Duomo, and a wander for souvenirs, hand-made Amalfi paper, a bottle of limoncello, or ceramics from one of the small shops off the square.
Ferry from Amalfi back to Salerno
Take the Travelmar ferry back to Salerno (around 40 minutes, seasonal), then it is a short walk to the train station. Timing depends on your flight, so leave a comfortable buffer, coastal ferries can be delayed or cancelled in choppy weather, in which case the SITA bus or a road transfer is the fallback.
Train to Naples and on to the airport
From Salerno, a regional or fast train reaches Napoli Centrale in roughly 45 to 75 minutes, then the airport shuttle bus completes the trip. Outside ferry season you would do the whole journey by road transfer or bus instead. Book flights →