The Amalfi Coast is one of the most magical places in Italy, a definite bucket-list destination. It is made up of 13 different towns, so it can be hard to plan your trip. In this blog post I will share the top things to do on the Amalfi Coast, as well as how to get around and where to stay, so you can easily plan your trip. If you want to know what to include on your Amalfi Coast itinerary keep reading!
Top things to do on the Amalfi Coast (list)
- Visit the Villa Rufolo
- Walk around the gardens at Villa Cimbrone
- Atrani
- Admire the Duomo di Amalfi
- Amalfi beach
- Eat at Donna Emma La Cucina restaurant
- Try a lemon sorbet
- Swim in the Fiordo di Furore
- Go on a boat tour
- Hire a vintage car
- Relax at a beach club
- Spend the day at Positano beach
- Hike the Path of the Gods
- Day trip to Capri
Top things to do in Ravello
One of the best places to visit in Amalfi Coast is the beautiful town of Ravello. Located in the mountain above Amalfi Town it offers sweeping views of the coastline, and is a very quaint and charming place that should definitely be on your Amalfi Coast itinerary.
You can easily get to Ravello with the local SITA bus from Amalfi for €2. Make sure to buy this ticket in advance from a local shop. Alternatively you can hire a scooter for the day (from €70). The roads are well paved and not too steep so it’s easy to go up and come back down.
1) Visit the Villa Rufolo
The Villa Rufolo is one of two villas you must visit in Ravello. Built by a wealthy merchant family in the 13th century, it was one of the largest and most expensive villas on the Amalfi Coast.
It’s perfectly placed on the mountain top over looking the coastline so it a great photo spot in Ravello. Entry fee for both the gardens and villa is €7 per person.
As the garden faces east I recommend going around midday / early afternoon in order to have the best light to appreciate the views and take photos.
2) Walk around the gardens at Villa Cimbrone
The second must visit villa in Ravello is the Villa Cimbrone. From here you can access the infinity gardens, where you will find some of the best views of the Amalfi Coast as well as the iconic statues. It’s easily one of the most instagrammable photo spots on the Amalfi Coast.
The Villa is actually a private 5 star hotel but the gardens are open to the public for €10 per person.
I recommend going for opening at 9am in order to avoid the crowds at the viewpoint. A few tours arrive from 10:30am onwards. If you’d like to access the gardens and viewpoint at sunrise or sunset then you will need to stay at the Hotel Villa Cimbrone.
Amalfi coast hotels – Where to stay in Ravello
Budget (from €100 a night)
Residence Le Villette
La Gemma di Ravello
Midrange (from €220 a night)
Luxury: (from €1500 a night)
Hotel Villa Cimbrone
Palazzo Avino
3) Visit Atrani
Atrani is the smallest town on the Amalfi Coast with a population of under 1000. However it is well worth a visit and definitely one of the best places to visit in Amalfi Coast.
Atrani used to have one of the most iconic beaches, with beautiful parasols framing an arched wall and colourful buildings. However I was there in both September 2020 and June 2022 and I didn’t see any parasols. However at least this means that the beach is public so you can just go with your towel for free and not have to pay for a sun lounger.
Best things to do in Amalfi Town
One of the best places to visit on the Amalfi Coast is;, of course, Amalfi Town itself. It’s also one of the most popular places to stay. However this does mean that during the high season it gets super busy. Amalfi Town is rustic but beautiful and bursting with character.
4) Admire the Duomo di Amalfi
If you come to Amalfi then you just have to visit the Duomo di Amalfi. The most iconic cathedral on the Amalfi Coast. Which I’m certain that you will instantly recognise with it’s unique white, black and gold arches.
The cathedral is only €4.50 to enter however please make sure that you’re wearing appropriate clothing, or you might be denied entry. This means shoulders and knees covered for women.
I recommend grabbing a drink or a bite to eat in the main square, so you can people watch whilst admiring the unique architecture of the Duomo di Amalfi.
5) Chill on Amalfi Beach (Tonino ò beach)
One of the best beaches on the Amalfi Coast is the Tonino ò beach in Amalfi. The vast majority of this is private, so you’ll find lots of colourful and photogenic parasols here. You can rent a sun bed for €10 and a parasol for €10. However you can still find a small free area at the end.
6) Eat at the Donna Emma La Cucina
The best meal I had on the Amalfi Coast (if not this year!) was the Donna Emma La Cucina restaurant at the Hotel Miramalfi. They offer a mix or traditional and contemporary dishes from the region, and you can even ask for their sommelier to do a wine pairing for you. It’s a real gastronomic experience. Plus you can enjoy incredible views of Amalfi whilst the sunsets! It’s a must try restaurant on the Amalfi Coast.
7) Try a lemon sorbet
Lemons are a core part of Italian culture and one of the top things to do in the Amalfi Coast is have a limoncello spritz or lemon sorbet in a lemon. In Amalfi you can find humongous lemon sorbets which will set you back about €7 however it’s well worth it as they are extremely refreshing and tasty. Just make sure to eat it in the shade so you don’t have ice cream dripping all down your arm.
Another great place to try lemon sorbet it is in Positano, they aren’t as big as the ones in Amalfi however I recommend trying the ones at Collina’s bakery.
Amalfi coast hotels – Where to stay in Amalfi
Budget (from €150 a night)
Mid-range (from €500)
Hotel Marina Riviera
Villa Bossa
Luxury (from €1000)
Hotel Miramalfi
Borgo Santandrea
8) Swim at Fiordo di Furore
If you’re looking for an incredible and unique place to swim then make sure to stop in the Fiordo di Furore, located between Amalfi and Praiano. The 30 meter high stone bridge makes it one of the most instagrammable photo spots and you should definitely add it to your Amalfi Coast itinerary. It’s also a great place to jump off the cliffs and have a good time (just please don’t jump from too high). There are sun chairs available that you can rent for a fee. But there’s also plenty of free beach space to lie down on your towels.
The beach is down some steps just off the road, so it isn’t very accessible. I also don’t recommend driving here unless you have a scooter as there isn’t really anywhere to park. The bus from Amalfi to Sorrento stops on the bridge so that’s probably the easiest way to get here.
Top Things to in Positano
9) Go on a boat tour
One of the best ways to explore the Amalfi Coast is by boat. You can do this either from Amalfi or Positano. I hired a private boat with Bluestar Positano, a family run business in Positano. I went on a sunset boat tour which starts at €250 for 1.5 hours. You can also rent a boat for half a day or a whole day.
10) Hire a vintage car
If you’re looking for a unique experience to capture some epic photos on the Amalfi Coast, then you might want to hire a vintage car. Positano Vintage Dream have eight different vintage cars (all varying colours), so you can capture some amazing photos to remember your trip by. Packages start from €270 for 2 hours.
11) Relax at a beach club
One of the top things to do on the Amalfi coast, and something that was high on my bucket list, was spending the day at a private beach club.
There are a number of different ones along the Amalfi coast but I opted for Arienzo beach club which has really cute orange and white parasols. Their packages include sun bed, parasols, towels, food & drinks, as well as a boat transfer from Positano. Prices start from 180€ for two people, and go up depending on what row you want to be on.
I recommend booking at least two weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. You don’t pay to reserve, and you can cancel up to 24 hours before free of charge.
12) Spend the day on Positano Beach
The most Instagrammable photo spot on the Amalfi coast is Positano beach. I highly recommend spending a day chilling out on Positano beach. You can do this for free by lying on the public beach, however please note that it’s a small area so there is not much space. Alternatively you can hire a sun bed and parasol at L’Incanto beach club, this is around €50-70 for two people (without towels). You can book this in advance or on the day, however I recommend going before 11am to avoid the long queue.
Amalfi coast hotels – Where to stay in Positano
Budget (from €150 a night)
Pensione Maria Luisa
Casa Pietro
Hotel Bougainville
Mid-range (from €500 a night)
Luxury (from €1000 a night)
Le Sireneuse
Villa Boheme
Hotel Villa Franca
13) Hike the path of the Gods
If you love hiking then you need to check out the most famous hiking trail in all of the Amalfi Coast, the Path of the Gods. The path stretches for 8km (5 miles) along the side of the Lattari Mountains from Bomerano to Nocelle. It will give you the most incredible sweeping views of the coastline. You can even choose to continue walking down the Positano and finish the trail there.
14) Day trip to Capri
Capri is less than a 40 minute ferry ride from Positano. It’s easy to do a day trip here from the Amalfi coast. Capri is a relatively small island and thanks to buses and taxis it’s easy to get around and you can see the main sites in one day. If you have more time I recommend spending at least one night in Capri.
If you only have one day in Capri I recommend walking around Capri town going to the Giardini do Augusto and heading down to Marina Piccola. Depending on how you like to travel and what do you like to do you might also be interested in booking to visit the iconic la Fontelina beach club. You will need to book at least one month in advance for this, as it sells out fast!
A great way to see the highlights is by booking a day trip to Capri from the Amalfi Coast, this starts from €90 per person.
How to get to the Amalfi Coast
Naples is the closest city to the Amalfi Coast, so this is the best city to fly or get the train to.
From Naples the you can get to the Amalfi coast is by ferry or you can book private taxi from Naples airport, this starts from around €150 for up to 3 people.
If you’re feeling brave, and aren’t travelling during the high season, you can also get to the Amalfi Coast via car. However be warned that parking is limited and expensive.
How to get around the Amalfi Coast
There are four different ways to get around the Amalfi Coast: by bus, taxi, boat and car/scooter hire.
By bus
The SITA bus runs from Sorrento to Amalfi every 30-60 minutes. This stops in all the main towns, as well as places in between, like the Fiordo di Furore. Tickets are only €2 a journey, you can buy these in the local tabac shops. Some buses also allow you do buy these onboard (but it’ll be €2.50), however not all buses accept this, so I would buy tickets in advance just in case.
The buses have storage underneath for large suitcases, so if you need to change hotels along the Amalfi coast, you can take the bus even with your bags.
During the summer season the bus might be packed and unable to stop and pick up more passengers. So I would have this in mind when planning your travels as it might take longer to get from A to B.
By taxi
The most comfortable way to get around the Amalfi Coast is by taxi. However, as I’m sure you can imagine, this is the most expensive way to travel. A taxi from Positano to Amalfi will cost you around €100. In order to get the best deal I recommend booking these in advance.
By boat
If you want a more reliable way to travel around the Amalfi Coast, and not have to worry about packed buses, I would take the ferry.
Ferry’s run between Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Positano and Amalfi. Tickets cost around €9 – €30 a journey depending on where you’re going.
Hire a car or scooter
The final way to get around the Amalfi Coast is by hiring a car or scooter. In general I do not recommend driving a car around the Amalfi coast. Parking is limited and expensive. The roads are also a lot more congested during the summer months.
A scooter is a much easier way to travel around. You can hire a scooter for the day for around €50-100. The price will depend on the season and where you hire it from. Scooter hire in Sorrento is much more affordable than Positano.
Amalfi Coast on a budget
The Amalfi Coast is a perfect place to visit if you are a luxury traveller, however it’s also possible to do on a smaller budget.
If you want to enjoy the Amalfi Coast on a budget then I recommend avoiding staying in Positano and Amalfi, and opting for cheaper locations like Naples, Sorrento, Minori and Ravello. You can then book a tour to explore the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento, you can even do a boat tour from Naples.
You can also cut costs by renting apartments so you don’t need to eat out for every meal.
The best way to visit the Amalfi Coast on a budget is to travel during the low season, ideally May, early June, September and early October.
How much to budget for the Amalfi Coast
- Hotels: €100-1000 a night for a double room (price depends on where you’re staying)
- Food: €8-30 a meal. From takeaway pizza to a sit down meal.
- Drinks: €10-30 a cocktail
- Transport: Around €50-200 depending on how much you want to travel around and if you want to hire a scooter / take ferrys
- Activities: €100-500 this will depend on what you want to do (Capri day trip, boat trip, vintage car hire) and how big your travel group is.
I spent €1630 per person (€3260 for 2 people, not including flights) for 10 nights on the Amalfi Coast (2 nights Capri, 2 nights Praiano, 2 nights Ravello, 1 night Amalfi, 2 nights Positano and 1 night Naples). Check out my Instagram story highlights for more information.
I hope this guide on the top things to do on the Amalfi Coast helps you to plan the perfect trip, from relaxing on Positano beach, to visiting the gardens in Ravello. The Amalfi Coast is a bucket list destination for so many and there are so many amazing places to visit! I recommend spending at least 3 whole days here to make sure you visit all the best spots.,
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