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The Amalfi Coast is a short stretch of cliff road, small ports and terraced lemon groves south of Naples, and most of what you do here is outdoors: boats, gardens, footpaths and beaches. Three full days cover the first eight items on this list; with one day, stop at number three.
At a glance
- How many days: three full days for a first visit. See how many days to plan for the Amalfi Coast.
- Best months: May, June, September and early October. See the best time to visit.
- Getting around: SITA Sud buses on the coast road and Travelmar ferries between the ports. Both are explained below.
- Book ahead: very little. Ferries on summer weekends, a boat trip, a Capri crossing. The gardens, the cathedral and the footpaths do not take reservations.
- Main guide: Amalfi Coast travel guide, with bases, costs and transport in more detail.
Before you choose: buses, ferries and the road rule
The coast road is the SS163, about 40 km between Vietri sul Mare and Positano, and it is the only road along the shore.
- Buses. SITA Sud runs the public buses: Amalfi to Positano and Sorrento, Amalfi to Maiori and Salerno, Amalfi to Agerola, and Scala and Ravello to Amalfi. The COSTIERASITA ticket costs €10 and gives unlimited SITA Sud rides for 24 hours from the first validation (price on the operator's site, November 2026). Buses fill up in summer.
- Ferries. Travelmar links Salerno, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Amalfi and Positano. You can buy tickets online or at the pier ticket office up to 20 minutes before departure. There is no day pass. Boats are canceled when the sea is rough, so keep the bus as a fallback. Alicost runs the fast boats between Salerno, the coast and Capri.
- Cars. Anas, the state road agency, applies an alternating number plate rule on stretches of the SS163 on peak days: Holy Week to Easter Monday, 24 April to 2 May, summer weekends from mid-June to the end of September and the month of August, from 10:00 to 18:00. On odd dates cars with a plate ending in an odd number cannot drive those stretches, on even dates those ending in an even number. Residents, taxis and chauffeur cars are exempt. Camper vans are banned from 6:30 to midnight all year. The dates have been changed in past years, so read the current Anas notice before you rent a car.
How to arrive is covered in Naples to the Amalfi Coast and Rome to the Amalfi Coast.
The 17 best things to do, ranked
1. Take the ferry along the coast
The ferry shows the cliffs and terraces that you cannot see from a bus seat, and in summer it avoids the traffic on the road. On the Travelmar timetable Salerno to Amalfi takes about 35 minutes and Positano to Amalfi about 30. Book summer weekend sailings a day or two ahead on the Travelmar site; otherwise buy at the pier.
2. Amalfi cathedral and the Cloister of Paradise
The complex has four parts: the cathedral of Sant'Andrea, founded in 987, the crypt, the older Basilica of the Crucifix, which holds the museum, and the cloister built in 1268 as a burial ground for the town's noble families. Allow 45 minutes, no booking. It is open 9:00 to 18:30 from March to June, until 19:30 in July and August, and 10:00 to 14:30 from 3 November to 24 December. It is closed from 7 January to the end of February. See the Amalfi town guide.
3. Villa Rufolo in Ravello
A villa first laid out in the 13th century for the Rufolo family, with terraced gardens above the sea. Its lower garden is the stage of the summer Ravello Festival. Allow one hour. Tickets cost €8, or €6 for visitors over 65 and children aged 5 to 12, and are sold only at the entrance; no reservation is needed. Since 3 November 2026 the villa opens 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The bus from Amalfi is the Scala and Ravello line. See the Ravello guide.
4. Villa Cimbrone gardens
The second Ravello garden was remodeled in the early 20th century by the Englishman Ernest William Beckett and ends at the Terrace of Infinity, a belvedere on the edge of the cliff. You reach it on foot from the main square. Allow one hour. The gardens open 9:00 to 17:00 with last entrance at 16:30, and the hotel that owns them warns of extraordinary closures, so call before you walk up.
5. Walk the Path of the Gods
The Sentiero degli Dei is a public footpath with red and white CAI waymarks from Bomerano, a hamlet of Agerola, to Nocelle above Positano. Wikivoyage gives about 8 km and four hours to Positano, including the descent from Nocelle. It is free and needs no booking. Walk it from Bomerano towards Nocelle, which is the direction the shuttles are timed for. Travelmar sells a combined ferry and shuttle ticket to Bomerano: €18 from Salerno, €16 from Positano, €11 from Minori or Maiori. Carry water and wear shoes with grip. Details in the best hikes on the Amalfi Coast.
6. Positano, for half a day
Positano is a town of stairways that drops to a beach beside the church of Santa Maria Assunta. It is the western end of the ferry line and the most crowded town on the coast in the middle of the day. Arrive by ferry before 10:00 or stay for the evening, and give it three to four hours. A full list is in things to do in Positano.
7. A beach morning
Beaches here are small and in summer largely taken by paid sunbed concessions. Maiori has the longest unbroken beach on the coast, which makes it the easiest choice with children. The Fiordo di Furore is a narrow inlet cut by the Schiato stream, which comes down from Agerola; treat it as a short stop. Allow half a day. The options are compared in the best beaches on the Amalfi Coast.
8. A small-boat trip with swim stops
A shared or private boat reaches coves and sea caves that have no road access. Trips leave from the main ports. This is one of the few things worth booking a few days ahead from June to September, because boats are small. Compare formats in boat tours on the Amalfi Coast.
9. A day on Capri
Alicost lists fast boats between the Amalfi Coast and Capri, so the island works as a day trip without changing hotel. Check on the operator's site which ports are served on your dates. It takes a full day. Book the crossing ahead in July and August. Skip it on a stay of three days or less. Read how to plan a Capri day trip.
10. Atrani
Atrani is the next village east of Amalfi, a short walk away, and, at 0.12 square kilometers, the smallest municipality in Italy. Its central square opens through a passage onto the beach, and the collegiate church of Santa Maria Maddalena, founded in 1274, above it. Allow one hour. Free, no booking. More quiet corners are in the Amalfi Coast without crowds.
11. The Paper Museum in Amalfi
Amalfi has a long tradition of handmade paper, and this museum in Via delle Cartiere explains how it is made. Entry costs €4.50 and the guided visit €7 (official price list, November 2026); guides work in Italian and English. Buy at the door, since online sales close 48 hours before the visit. The museum states daily opening from 10:00 to 19:00 from 1 March. Allow 45 minutes. More in the Museo della Carta guide.
12. Valle delle Ferriere
The valley behind Amalfi is a state nature reserve in the municipality of Scala, named after the ironworks of the old Amalfi republic. A permanent stream runs through it and the rare fern Woodwardia radicans grows along the water. Paths enter from Amalfi, Pogerola and Pontone; the way down to Amalfi passes abandoned paper mills. Allow half a day.
13. Cetara
Cetara is a working fishing port at the eastern end of the coast. Its product is colatura di alici, an amber anchovy sauce aged in chestnut barrels, with protected designation of origin status since 2020. Come for lunch and an hour's walk. Ferries stop here. See the Cetara guide.
14. The Roman villa in Minori
A seaside villa of the early 1st century AD lies in the middle of Minori, with a small antiquarium attached. It is a state site, open 8:00 to 18:30 in summer and 8:00 to 17:00 in winter, closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. Entry is paid; check the price with the Campania state museums office. Allow 40 minutes, then read the Minori guide for the rest of the town.
15. Vietri sul Mare ceramics
Vietri is the eastern end of the coast road and is known for colorful handmade ceramics. The Museum of Ceramics is in the tower of Villa Guariglia at Raito, just above town. Allow two hours. Check its opening days before going up. See the Vietri sul Mare guide.
16. Lemon terraces and limoncello
The local lemon is the sfusato amalfitano, grown in terraced gardens along the coast and used for limoncello. A farm visit or a class takes about two hours and has to be booked; see the limoncello class page.
17. The Emerald Grotto
The Grotta dello Smeraldo at Conca dei Marini is a sea cave found by a fisherman, Luigi Buonocore, in 1932. A lift beside the SS163 takes visitors down to cave level, where they board small boats. The visit is short. The national tourism site lists daily opening from 9:00 to 14:40; confirm by phone on the number given there, and go only if you are already passing.
What to skip if you are short on time
- One day: the ferry, Amalfi cathedral and Ravello. See the one-day Amalfi Coast itinerary.
- Two days: add the Path of the Gods and end the walk in Positano.
- Skip first: the Emerald Grotto, Capri, and driving the road yourself. In high season the plate rule may apply and the buses and boats do the same job.
How to group them by day
- Day 1: ferry to Amalfi, cathedral, Paper Museum, walk to Atrani, bus to Ravello for both gardens in the afternoon.
- Day 2: morning shuttle or bus to Bomerano, Path of the Gods, afternoon and evening in Positano, ferry back.
- Day 3: boat trip or beach morning, then Minori and Cetara by ferry, or Valle delle Ferriere if it is hot.
Full versions: three days and five days on the Amalfi Coast. Where to sleep: where to stay on the Amalfi Coast.
What to book ahead and what not to
- Book: summer weekend ferries, the Capri crossing in July and August, small-boat trips, lemon farm visits, Ravello Festival concerts, and a private driver if you want one.
- Do not book: Villa Rufolo, Villa Cimbrone, the cathedral, the Roman villa and the footpaths. None of them takes timed reservations.
- Buy on the day: SITA bus tickets, from the Salerno ticket office and Unico Campania resellers, and validate them on board.
Questions travelers ask
What is the number one thing to do on the Amalfi Coast?
Take a ferry between Salerno, Amalfi and Positano. Travelmar runs the route, tickets are sold online or at the pier up to 20 minutes before departure, and the sea view is the one that explains why the coast has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Can you drive the Amalfi Coast road in summer?
Yes, with limits. On peak days Anas applies alternating number plates on stretches of the SS163 from 10:00 to 18:00: odd-numbered plates cannot circulate on odd dates and even-numbered plates on even dates. Residents, taxis and chauffeur cars are exempt. Check the current notice before renting.
How much is the bus on the Amalfi Coast?
The SITA Sud COSTIERASITA ticket costs €10 and allows unlimited rides for 24 hours from the first validation on SITA Sud buses in twenty municipalities from Sorrento to Salerno, including Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.
Do you need to book the Path of the Gods?
No. It is a free public footpath from Bomerano in Agerola to Nocelle above Positano, about 8 km and four hours if you continue down to Positano.
Is the Amalfi Coast worth visiting outside summer?
Yes, with shorter days for sightseeing. The plate rule on the road does not apply after 30 September. From November SITA buses run a winter timetable, Amalfi cathedral opens only 10:00 to 14:30 until 24 December, and ferries depend on the sea.
Keep planning: Where to stay in the Amalfi Coast.
Sources
- SITA Sud Campania: tickets and the COSTIERASITA 24-hour ticket
- SITA Sud: Amalfi Coast timetable from 2 November 2026 and list of lines
- Travelmar: ferry FAQ (tickets, no day pass)
- Travelmar: ferry and shuttle to the Path of the Gods, ports and prices
- Alicost: fast boats between Salerno, the Amalfi Coast and Capri
- Comune di Amalfi: traffic ordinance for the SS163 Amalfitana (alternating plates, camper ban)
- Anas: the permanent 2019 ordinances on the SS163, in force 1 April to 30 September
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Costiera Amalfitana
- Comune di Amalfi, Visit Amalfi: monumental complex of the cathedral of Sant'Andrea, opening hours
- Fondazione Ravello: Villa Rufolo hours and tickets
- Villa Cimbrone: garden opening hours
- Museo della Carta, Amalfi: ticket information
- Musei nazionali della Campania: service charter of the Roman villa of Minori (2026)
- Italia.it: Grotta dello Smeraldo
- Wikipedia: Amalfi Coast, Atrani, Furore, Colatura di alici and Grotta dello Smeraldo (geography and history); Wikivoyage: Sentiero degli Dei (length)