Here is the honest tour-leader take: Sorrento isn't really a sight, it is the smartest base on the whole bay. It has the train to Pompeii, ferries to Capri and the Amalfi Coast, lemon groves and limoncello, and a calmer, cheaper, far better-connected feel than staying on the Amalfi Coast itself. The single best decision you can make for this trip is to not drive the Amalfi road yourself - it is white-knuckle and there is nowhere to park - and let the ferries and buses do it from here.
Practical reality first: arrive by the Circumvesuviana train from Naples or by ferry, and skip the rental car. From Sorrento's port, fast ferries reach Capri and the Amalfi Coast in well under an hour, and the train runs straight to Pompeii. Three days lets you give one to each big outing, with the town itself as the easy evening anchor.
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3-Day Sorrento Itinerary
Day 1: Sorrento and Pompeii
Get your bearings in Sorrento: Piazza Tasso, the cliff-top Villa Comunale view over the bay, the lemon groves, and a tasting of the limoncello made from them. With the morning free, hop the short train to Pompeii first, then come back for sunset over the water from Marina Grande.
Day 2: The Amalfi Coast
Take the ferry or the SITA bus along the Amalfi Coast to Positano, stacked vertically above its beach, and the cathedral town of Amalfi. Going by sea spares you the hairpin road and gives you the coastline as it is meant to be seen. A boat tour is the relaxed way to do it.
Day 3: Capri
Ferry across to Capri for the day: the Piazzetta, the Gardens of Augustus and the Faraglioni sea stacks, the chairlift up Monte Solaro in Anacapri, and the Blue Grotto if the sea is calm. Get an early boat to beat the day-trip crush, and you'll still be back in Sorrento for dinner.
Q&A: Sorrento in 3 Days
Why base in Sorrento instead of the Amalfi Coast?
Connections and value. Sorrento has the train to Pompeii and Naples and fast ferries to Capri and the Amalfi Coast, plus more hotels at saner prices and far easier arrival than the cliff-clinging Amalfi towns. You get the whole region within reach from one comfortable base.
Should I drive the Amalfi Coast?
No, if you can avoid it - the coast road is narrow, relentlessly winding, and parking is scarce and expensive. Use the ferries and the SITA buses, or take a boat tour. You'll enjoy the views instead of gripping the wheel, and skip the worst of the traffic.
Capri or the Amalfi Coast if I only have one day?
Both fit in three days, but if forced to choose, the Amalfi Coast for the dramatic drive-and-villages and Positano, Capri for the island glamour and the Blue Grotto. Either way, go early to get ahead of the day-trippers who arrive mid-morning.
What should I eat and drink?
Lemons are the theme: limoncello, lemon-laden desserts like delizia al limone, and the big Sorrento lemons themselves. Add gnocchi alla sorrentina, fresh seafood, and the local fior di latte mozzarella, with a coastal white wine.
When should I go?
Late spring and September are perfect - warm and swimmable, ferries on full schedules, and fewer crowds than peak summer. July and August are hot and packed, and Capri in particular overflows. In winter many ferries and coast services wind down, so it is a town-only visit.
