Around the Amalfi Coast like a local | One week unforgettable itinerary trip
Introduction
The Amalfi Coast is one of these places where your trip experience will depend a lot on how well you have planned the trip and the transportation to move around. It's a pretty common mistake to assume that taxis and Uber are fairly available throughout the coast, or that it's not too important to worry in advance about parking and traffic situations... Well it is!! There is only one main road on the coast (SS 163), and during peak season (mainly July and August) the traffic can be very heavy and the parking is extremely limited. Here some of the things to consider:
- As in many other Italian cities, Uber is not available on the Amalfi Coast
- Taxis are extremely expensive anywhere on the coast, even only for few km/miles. They can cost between 50-150 Euro one way
- Buses are available, cheap, and there are many bus stops (even if at times not super visible when located just on the SS 163 road). However, in July and August some fares cannot accommodate all the demand, and you might end up in a situation where the bus is so full that is not letting more people in. Also, traffic can be bad
Unless you have the budget to hire a private driver taking you around the places for the whole trip, your best way to discover the coast is by having a mix and match of day trips by ferry/boat/bus starting from Salerno, the first city on the southern side of the Amalfi Coast and also the biggest city among the ones on the coast.
Salerno It’s very easy to reach from either Napoli (NAP) or Roma (FCO) airports, and it’s very well connected to the Amalfi Coast. For several reasons I don't recommend choosing Napoli or Sorrento over Salerno if the main goal is visiting the Amalfi Coast. Many people don't even realize until they get there that these two cities are actually located on another coast, the Sorrentina Coast.
📍 Why starting in Salerno and not Napoli or Sorrento?
- Salerno is closer than Napoli to the Amalfi Coast, and better to reach from the airport then Sorrento
- Salerno is a big city, entirely walkable and with less tourists than Sorrento and less chaos than Napoli
- Compared to Sorrento, Salerno has more activities to offer since it’s a bigger city. Compared to Napoli, it’s way easier to move around and safe
- In Salerno there are way more trains (high-speed and regional) compared to Sorrento
- In Salerno you can find accommodations that are more affordable than Sorrento (and also cheaper than on the Amalfi Coast)
👉 About this 1 week itinerary trip...
This is an itinerary that can work for any budget, you can pick between options given in a day and decide to have a more luxury experience or not.
If budget is not an issue, this itinerary still works great, but why not adding a private boat day to hop across the towns and beaches of the Amalfi coast?!
Even if you are not on a budget, I am always a bit hesitant in suggesting getting private driver transportation everywhere, just because I find the prices really excessive compared to the service offered. I would rather spend that money to experience a private boat experience.
If you have less than a week, you can still tailor this itinerary by cutting something that doesn't interest you much (for example, if you don't like a beach day, skip the beach hopping suggestion, or if you are not into history, skip Pompei, etc). Something I wouldn't skip is the hike of the path of Gods. It's a truly unique scenic hike; I would personally rather cut a day trip to Capri.
Day 1 - Arrival in Salerno. Brief exploration of the city. Overnight stay in Salerno
📝 Summary of Day 1 - Fly into Napoli or Roma airport and go to Salerno. Briefly visit the city, exploring at least the seafront promenade, the old town and the Duomo. Enjoy your first meal of the trip in one of the typical restaurants of the city. Stay overnight in Salerno.
Depending on what time you get to Salerno, you might have only little time the first day to explore this beautiful city.
📌If it's still daylight, start your exploration from the Lungomare, the seafront promenade that runs along the entire city. To have a true local experience, start your walk from the square Piazza della Concordia, have a gelato on the way at the Nettuno bar. It's a must for every local, famous for the brioche filled with gelato, open during the day or nighttime.
📌 Stop for an aperitivo on the only rooftop bar of the city, the Embarcadero bar on the Lungomare, and continue your walk until Spiaggia Santa Teresa, or better known by locals as Salifornia.
📌 Right next to Salifornia, you will find the newly built Piazza della Liberta’, considered the largest square by the sea in Europe.
📌Right behind Piazza della Liberta’, there are the lovely municipal gardens of the city, known as Villa Comunale, an urban lung with a great variety of plants and trees.
📌Continue your walk around the narrow medieval streets in cobblestone of the historical center and feel the history of the city. Walk on Via dei Mercanti all the way until the end (the whole historical center goes from Piazza Portanova to Largo Campo square, the real heart of the city).
📌Don't miss passing by the main cathedral of the city "Duomo di San Matteo".
📌Another spot not to be missed in the old town is the church of San Pietro a Corte, very pretty inside and outside.
If you have time left only for a quick dinner and walk, don't miss having a nice glass of wine at the Domo wine bar by the Duomo cathedral before enjoying a local dinner at a typical restaurant with cuisine from the Campania region. Or you can also start off your trip with a delicious Italian pizza (keep in mind that on the Amalfi Coast there aren’t many great pizzeria [pizza restaurants], and the dishes are more seafood oriented).
I recommend the following places:
🍕 Pizza
🌀Pizza at the historical pizza place downtown Trianon
🌀Another great pizza is at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It’s the same owner of the famous location in Napoli where Julia Roberts eat a pizza in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. It’s worth the hype. Same family, same recipe, less wait time than Napoli
🌀Have a small pizza to go at Sabatino or Charlotte: these two small take-out places are like a hole in the wall, but have mouthwatering pizza squares, calzone and crocche'
🍽️ Restaurants
🌀 Cicirinella (also called Maialino Rosso, next door and same owner), famous for pasta scarpariello. It's behind the Duomo of Salerno.
🌀 Trattoria da Sasa', not fancy, but considered in our tradition the best seafood restaurant in town, And still cheap. It's in a narrow street of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the heart of downtown.
🍝 Eat like a local
These are the food items typical from Salerno:
- Buffalo mozzarella, Salerno is famous for having the best quality worldwide
- Pasta scarpariello, pasta with fresh tomato sauce and a lot of parmesan cheese made it creamy
- Pasta mussels and beans
- Parmigiana (note that in Italy we don't have chicken parmigiana but only eggplant parmigiana)
- Cuoppo: it’s fried street food, with either seafood or "crocche’" (small potato croquette), pizza "montanara" (fried small pizzas with tomatoes and grated cheese), "alghe fritte" (fried algi)
- Seafood such as cod ("baccala'") or anchovies and tuna from the town of Cetara
✈️ How to get to Salerno from the airport
1. The closest airport is Napoli Capodichino (NAP), about 50 min drive from Salerno. You can get to Salerno by:
- Taking a direct bus from the airport (info are available on the Unico Campania app or on the Busitalia Campania website)
- Taking a shuttle to the train station downtown of Napoli and take a train (regional or high-speed train) to Salerno from there. The train station (Napoli Centrale station) is only 15 min drive away from the airport. A taxi from the airport to the station will cost around 10/15 euro, or the shuttle bus Alibus is only 5 euro and usually runs every 15 minutes from 5.30 am till midnight. The Alibus tickets can be bought directly at the airport from an automatic machine located right at the arrivals lounge.
2. Alternatively, fly into Roma Fiumicino (FCO). Take the high-speed train (Leonardo express) from the airport to the Roma Termini train station, from where trains (regional and high-speed) depart to Salerno (either Trenitalia or Italo). It will take about 2.5 hours. The Leonardo express train tickets are available to purchase directly at the train station inside the airport (or online on the Trenitalia website). I don’t recommend flying into Roma Ciampino as it’s not as well connected as Fiumicino.
👉 PRO tip from a local
If you don’t book the train in advance, the train ride costs up to 45/50 USD per person from Roma Termini train station or up to 20 USD from Napoli Centrale train station. You can book your ride in advance and save some money, but make sure to choose the flexible ticket options in case your flight schedule changes. You will be able to change easily your train ticket through the train operator apps.
🔎 Useful links
[Italo is a private railway company providing only high-speed trains service]
[Trenitalia is the national railway company, with regional trains, intercity trains, and high-speed trains called "Frecce" - Frecciarossa, Frecciargento and Frecciabianca].
Day 2 - Amalfi, Atrani & Ravello. Overnight stay in Amalfi
📝 Summary of Day 2 - From Salerno, take a 30 min ferry to Amalfi. Spend one or two hour in Amalfi making sure to check out the beautiful cathedral. Leave few hours during day light to take a 20 min bus to Ravello, and visit Villa Cimbrone or Villa Rufolo. Hike back downhill for an hour to Amalfi. Have dinner in the little town of Atrani, 15 min walk from Amalfi. Stay overnight in Amalfi.
📌 After a nice breakfast in Salerno with espresso coffee and cornetto (the Italian version of the croissant), take a early morning ferry to Amalfi. It takes only 35 minutes to get right in the heart of Amalfi.
🛳️ TAKING A FERRY
The ferries heading from Salerno to the coasts (Amalfi, Cilento, Sorrento coasts) leave from 3 ports, all located on different spots of the Lungomare
1. Molo Manfredi and Stazione Marittima harbors, right next to each other (sometimes online they are shown as one harbor)
2. Molo Concordia or also called Porto Masuccio Salernitano
The most popular ferry (traghetto) operators for the coasts & islands are Travelmar, Positano Jet, Alicost, NLG, Grassi Junior. Instead of looking into each single ferry operator website, you can also search on the website Ferryhopper: it’s a convenient website for timetables and buying tickets that shows all ferry operator options at once.
🔎 Useful links
📌 In Amalfi, wander around the town, check-out any of the cute little stores selling handmade objects and pottery with colorful lemon prints, try any lemon-based delicacy. Keep in mind that as most of the towns on the coast, it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to entirely walk around the whole town. Admire the charming architecture of the Duomo Sant'Andrea, the main cathedral of the town.
👉 PRO tip from a local
Don't miss in Amalfi the famous delicious Delizia al Limone at the pastry place Pansa. It's right by the Duomo of Amalfi.
📌 After having spent some time in Amalfi, take a 20 min bus to head to Ravello. It's time to visit one of my favorite spots on the Amalfi Coast, that offers incredible views being the highest view point of the coast.
Ferries or boats cannot reach Ravello, but it’s only about 8 km from Amalfi. You can simply hop on a bus SITA SUD, it's the second stop of the bus Amalfi - Scala (the other stop before Ravello is called Castiglione).
Taxi is an option, but the fare is about 50 euro so it’s extremely expensive compared to the distance. For the way back, I would definitely hike from Ravello to Amalfi, it’s about one hour walk and all downhill - so not too hard and surely enjoyable!
🔎 Useful links
👉 PRO tip from a local
Download the app Unico Campania upfront, create an account and setup a payment method. In this way you can buy the bus ticket easily online. This app works for all transportation in the Campania region (only trains are not included).
📸In Ravello, a must do is a visit to Villa Cimbrone, and the beautiful terrace downhill overlooking the coast (Terrazza dell’infinito).
Another beautiful villa to check out in Ravello is Villa Rufolo and the views are equally gorgeous. Another beautiful view point of Ravello (and with no entry fee to pay) is Belvedere Principessa del Piemonte.
📌 Once in Amalfi, I wouldn’t miss the 15 min stroll to the near town Atrani, still very unspoiled compared to the rest of the towns on the coast, and known for being the tiniest town in Italy in terms of surface.
It’s incredible to see how many churches have been built in a town this small! One of the churches worth to visit is the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, located on a cliff overlooking the town and offering truly pretty views of the coast. The church displays a painting from one of the most important Renaissance painters of the South of Italy, Andrea Da Salerno.
Finally, check out La Piazzetta in Atrani and the striking views from the beach.
🍽️ Restaurants
Here a list of places where to have the best food experiences for all budgets in Amalfi, Atrani and Ravello:
Fine dining, great views, high budget
🌀Glicine in Amalfi (Michelin Star)
🌀Sensi in Amalfi (Michelin Star)
🌀Il Flauto di Pan in Ravello (Michelin Star)
🌀Rossellinis in Ravello (Michelin Star)
Great views, medium budget
🌀Le Arcate in Atrani
🌀Ristorante Bella Vista Sul Mare in Ravello
🌀Mimi in Ravello for pizza
Great views, medium-low budget (more casual spots)
🌀Lido Azzurro in Amalfi
Unique experiences by taxi boat
🌀Lido degli Artisti on the Duoglio beach, in Amalfi. The taxi boat starts from Amalfi port
🌀Ristorante Da Teresa on the Santa Croce beach in Amalfi. Taxi boat from the Il Pontile Il Faro of Amalfi
🍝 Eat like a local
- Limoncello, best if home-made
- Pastries with lemon cream, with lemons from the Amalfi Coast. Try delizia al limone, millefoglie, sfogliatella, cannoli crema limone. If you can, eat pastries made at the world-famous bakery 'Sal De Riso' located on the Amalfi Coast (in Minori)
- Pasta with seafood (like mussels), called pasta e cozze and pasta e vongole
- Seafood and fish such as cod (baccala’), anchovies and tuna from Cetara
- Gnocchi alla sorrentina, typically from Sorrento, but very popular in Salerno too (baked gnocchi with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella on top)
👉 PRO tip from a local
Before booking your stay or packing your luggage, check with the accommodation if you need to walk uphill or take any stairs to reach the lodging. In fact, most of the towns on the Amalfi Coast extend uphill and are perched on cliffs; it’s better to know upfront whether you will have to carry a heavy luggage up the stairs.
Make sure also to check if there is any free shuttle service available to the most popular destinations, or if not free, inquire about pricing. Sometimes it might be convenient!
Day 3 - Hike the Path of the Gods and visit Positano. Overnight stay in Amalfi
📝 Summary of Day 3 - From Amalfi, early in the morning head to the Bomerano (Agerola) to hike the marvelous Path of the Gods. You can get there by bus (there won't be traffic on that route and early in the morning, or you can opt for a private tour with pickup included). After hiking the path, you will end up in Positano. Relax in Positano, have lunch, and stroll around the town and the main beach Spiaggia Grande, At night, take the 15 min ride by ferry back to Amalfi and stay overnight in Amalfi.
📌There are many places or experiences that I wouldn’t miss once on the Amalfi Coast. Above all, hiking the famous Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei), a truly unique place in the world where the sea meets the mountains.
Throughout the hike it’s impossible not to feel a deep and mystic connection with the sea and the mountains, and it becomes apparent why this path was called the path of the gods in the ancient myths.
Overall, it’s an easy hike, unless you are very scared of heights. It's about 6 km/4 miles, and it's mostly flat.
If you don't have a private tour or transportation arranged, Amalfi is the best spot to start your experience. The hike starts from Piazza Paolo Capasso 7, in the town of Bomerano (Agerola), located outside of the coast and more in the inland. Bomerano is well connected with Amalfi via bus. It's only one bus to take. If you were to leave from anywhere else on the Amalfi Coast, you would likely need to get to Amalfi first and then take a bus from there. From Amalfi, you have two options to get to Bomerano:
🚌 1) Take a bus
SITA SUD number 5080 with direction Napoli, ride till the bus stop called Agerola – Bomerano. Note that there are two Agerola stops, make sure to get down at the one Agerola – Bomerano. In the morning the traffic is not bad, and the ride should take about 40 min. If you are one of these people scared of missing the bus stop, just get on the bus and tell the driver "Bomerano". They are used to have tourists afraid of missing their stop, so the driver will likely yell the name of the stop when getting there!
🔎 Useful links
👉 PRO tip from a local
Download the app Unico Campania upfront, create an account and setup a payment method. In this way you can buy the bus ticket easily online. This app works for all transportation in the Campania region (only trains are not included).
🚗2) Book a tour online
You could book it with pickup from your hotel. There are several options available online, there are some on Viators website that cost about 130 USD and include private transportation to the start of the path, guided hike till the end, and a ferry ticket from Positano (where the path ends) to Amalfi or Maiori. Even with a tour, you will still have time to relax in Positano for the whole afternoon till the time of the last ferry to Amalfi or Maiori.
I would say that the main difference between hiking on your own or with a tour (apart from the considerable price difference!) it's the walking until the town of Positano. In fact, the hiking path ends in Nocelle and not right in the heart of Positano. From Nocelle, you need to walk all the way down 1700 steps, then walk 20 min to Positano on the main road (SS 163). I really enjoy the walk Nocelle - Positano, the views are incredibly beautiful, but it can be tiring for some people to walk more after the hike on the path of gods. With a tour, they will likely pick you up in Nocelle and drive you to Positano.
📌 Whether you have chosen to hike on your own or booked a tour, after the hike enjoy some time in Positano and visit this colorful gem of the coast.
📌 Relax at the main beach Spiaggia di Positano Marina Grande.
Remember that Positano is the most popular town on the coast, so food and drinks can be expectedly pricey, and the quality not always excellent; I personally would rather spend the money in the famous hand made stylish Positano style sandals.
📌 After spending all the day hiking and in Positano, go back to Amalfi and spend the night there, so you don't have to change hotel again. Take a very convenient ferry - only 15/20 min ride - from Positano to Amalfi. The last ferry is usually at 6.45 pm with Positano Jet, and it costs about 10 USD. But there are many other ferry operators, just check the links I included previously to check the ferry schedule.
🍽️ Restaurants
Here a list of places where to have the best food experiences for all budgets in Positano:
Fine dining, great views, high budget
🌀Terrazza Cele’ in Positano
🌀Le Sirenuse, Positano
🌀Gabrisa in Positano
🌀Zass in Positano
🌀La Serra in Positano (Michelin Star)
🌀La Sponda in Positano
🌀Li Galli in Positano (Michelin Star)
Great views, medium budget
🌀Donna Rosa in Montepertuso (uphill Positano)
🌀La Tagliata in Montepertuso (uphill Positano)
🌀Bruno in Positano
Great views, medium-low budget (more casual spots)
🌀Il Grottino Azzurro in Positano
🌀Bagni da Ferdinando in Positano
🌀Casa e Bottega in Positano
Unique experiences by taxi boat
🌀Ristorante da Adolfo, in Positano. You can also take the long flight of stairs from the square where is the Hotel San Pietro. But the taxi boat service is a unique experience. Every 20 min from the Positano port
🌀Arienzo Beach Club, in Positano, reachable with a taxi boat from Positano
👉 PRO tip from a local
Download WhatsApp app on your phone while you are in Italy: its’ the preferred way for lots of businesses and tour operators to communicate & make reservations
Day 4 - Beach day and Furore. Overnight stay in Salerno
📝 Summary of Day 4 - Plan some time to explore some of the beautiful beaches of the Amalfi Coast. My recommendation is to book a tour from Amalfi: either do a kayak tour from Amalfi until the gorgeous fjord of Furore, or book a boat day from Amalfi to explore different beaches along the coast, some of them reachable only by water. At night, take the ferry back to Salerno and stay overnight in Salerno.
🏖️ Everything you need to know about a beach day
There are four preliminary things to know if you want to opt for a beach vacation on the Amalfi Coast:
1. Prices of umbrella and sunbeds vary depending on how exclusive the beach club is; a 30 Euro charge per day for an umbrella and two sun beds is a very typical price there
2. The beaches with free access get crowded very quickly, so make sure to get there early in the morning
3. While a typical Italian beach day would go from 11 am till 7 / 8 pm, the shade comes early on the coast. The latest you will have sun exposure is around 5 pm
4. Some of the best beaches are secluded and in between caves, only reachable by boat
Here some of the finest beaches on the Amalfi Coast:
- Spiaggia del Cavallo Morto (or Cava Bellavia), one of the prettiest for sure. It’s reachable only by water
- Spiaggia Lama ‘a Secca, small but very cute. Best by boat
- Spiaggia di Conca dei Marini. It’s reachable from the main road SS 163, between Amalfi and Positano. The access through a path of 300 steps is where the Hotel Belvedere is. Some restaurants offers taxi water service from Amalfi
- Spiaggia di Sovrano, also known as Sgarrupo. It's easier to get there by boat, but some locals go down from the main road via a steep and rugged path
- Spiaggia dei Limoni, easier to reach by boat from Erchie
For more info on the beaches on the Amalfi Coast, I suggest checking out this website where they do a pretty good job in summarizing all the relevant info for the best beaches:
Lastly, there is also an option, available on most of the beaches, to rent a typical pedal boat called pedalo’, very popular among locals. You can rent it for an hour or two, and paddle around the water to find some nice secluded beaches reachable only by water. One place where is convenient to rent is in Marina di Albori, along the main road SS 163. Here, the Chiosco bar Mirra Giuseppina rents out both sunbeds and pedal boats that you can ride towards Erchie and discover few tiny beautiful beaches.
🛶 Booking a kayak tour
This is a great alternative to explore some secluded beaches, caves, and enjoy the views of the beautiful Amalfi Coast from the water without spending a fortune renting a boat.
There are different options available online for booking a kayak experience, but I recommend picking one that allows you explore also the fjord of Furore. This is a small tiny rocky beach of approximately 25 meters tucked away under the high road bridge which links the cliffs.
I found one kayak tour starting from Amalfi that has a great route, paddling by Duoglio and Santa Croce beaches, the "Arc of Lovers" (a natural rock arch created millions of years ago by the erosion of the sea whose shape recalls two elephants in the act of kissing), Conca dei Marini, passing near the villa of Sophia Loren and the historic hotel “Il Saraceno”, the Santa Rosa Monastery (a former convent now converted into a luxury hotel, once home of the Dominican nuns). And finally also stopping in Furore and Runghetiello Grotto.
🔎 Useful links
⛵ Renting a boat
Finding a private boat to rent is very easy anywhere on the Amalfi Coast, either online or by also just walking up to an harbor to find all the boat operators. If you are not based out on the coast, the largest number of alternatives is available from Salerno, from any of these ports:
- Molo Manfredi and Stazione Marittima harbors, right next to each other (sometimes online they are shown as one harbor)
- Molo Concordia or also called Porto Masuccio Salernitano
Instead of renting a private boat with or without a skipper, there are also other options mostly chosen by the locals:
- Taxi boat - One of the many options available to contact is Sea Sun Cetara, providing a taxi service from anywhere on the coast. Available to contact them through their website or using their Whatsapp number listed online
- Hopping on a small fisherman boat, mainly starting from the ports of less famous towns (for example, Marina di Vietri and Cetara). These are not official boat operators, but simply fishermen who offers a boat ride for few Euros. It’s likely that you need to ask around before finding one, but it is an option that locals use a lot in the summer
Also, don’t be surprised if you see a Barca Bar in the sea, a boat in the water trying to sell you coffee or wine/spirits. It’s very common!
👉 PRO tip from a local
While it is true that there are many boat options available to book online for a day trip, I recommend one option extremely convenient for the type of packages offered: a sailboat on Airbnb that can host up to 10 people. You can customize your experience as you like, use the sailboat for a day trip to sail around the Amalfi Coast or also use it as your accommodation for multiple nights instead of booking an overpriced hotel on the Amalfi Coats. Having an experience like this would definitely make your vacation memorable!
📌 At night, take a ferry from Amalfi to Salerno to sleep there for the rest of your trip.
Day 5 - From Salerno, head to Raito for wine tasting and cooking class with a view. Explore Vietri sul Mare. Overnight stay in Salerno.
📝 Summary of Day 5 - To fully experience the Amalfi Coast and the south of Italy like a local, rent a moto-scooter/moped for a day and cruise around few towns nearby Salerno. With the moped, head to Raito for a wine tasting and/or a cooking class with stunning views, and on the way back stop in Vietri sul Mare to explore another cute town on the Amalfi Coast. Spend one more night in Salerno.
🛵 Renting a moto-scooter/moped
Renting a moto-scooter/moped for a day is a great way to experience the local culture and have a lot of fun. It's not very expensive - it won't cost more than 40/50 USD for a full day - and it's easy to drive.
For where to rent the mot-scooter/moped, I recommend to just browse online depending on the price and availability. I have personally used only one website and I could easily reserve my moped online. The location of the office (it’s actually an office within a parking garage) is not super central, but still walking distance from downtown (about 10 min walk from the Lungomare).
I don't recommend driving the moped for long distances on the Amalfi Coast unless you are a very good driver. From Salerno, the best spots to hit with a moto-scooter are Raito and Vietri Sul Mare, two small towns next to each other located at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast on the southern side, just 10/15 min away from Salerno. Not only they are close by Salerno, but they are really pretty and with very few tourists, which certainly increases the charm of the atmosphere.
📌After renting the scooter, head to Raito first.
In Raito, I wouldn't miss booking an experience at Vigne di Raito. It's a beautiful vineyard family owned with amazing views on the coast.
👉 PRO tip from a local
Between Raito and Vietri sul Mare there is a tiny granita kiosk on the right side of SS 163 road (the side by the sea) called 'Da Gigino'. Having a lemon authentic granita here is a must. It's one of these placed that you would call a "hole in the wall" in the US. It doesn't have an official name on Google, neither a location on Google maps, but it simply doesn't need one. Every local would know where is it (only 2 min walk away from the pottery shop Ceramiche Sara).
📌 On the way back from Raito to Salerno, make another stop at Vietri Sul Mare, a small gem right at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast, mainly known for its hand-crafted colorful ceramic tiles sold in every artisanal shop of the town. There is an upper side (Vietri sul Mare) and a lower side by the sea (Marina di Vietri), walkable distance from each other.
Don’t miss the Villa Comunale for a beautiful viewpoint, resembling the Villa Gaudi in Barcelona.
📌At night, stay again in Salerno.
Day 6 - Day trip to Capri or Pompei from Salerno. Overnight stay in Salerno.
📝 Summary of Day 6 - There are plenty of day trips that you can take from Salerno. It wouldn't be possible to explore the whole area in a month! And by day 6 of your vacation, you have already done and seen a lot, and you probably just want to rest. But, if you are un insatiable traveler like me who can never take a break, then keep exploring!
If I have to to narrow down the the options, I would suggest taking a day trip to Pompei or Capri. They offer very different experiences, so pick the one that fits the best your personal preference - whether you love more history or experiencing the Italian "dolce vita".
📌Day trip option 1: Pompei by train
Pompei is an incredible historic site of ruins of an ancient roman city buried for centuries under ashes and volcanic debris after a volcano eruption (the Vesuvio volcano). The city of Pompei that emerged in the recent centuries became an extraordinary example of the ancient roman daily life. It’s a place unique in the world and worth to visit.
🚆 How to get there from Salerno
It takes only 30 min ride on a regional train to get to Pompei. Right in front of the train station of Pompei, there is a bus called Pompei link that in 10 minutes will take you to the archeological site of Pompei (called Pompei Scavi). The bus and train are synchronized, and you can also buy both tickets (train and bus) at the same time.
👉 PRO tip from a local
Don't skip buying an audio guide at the entrance or getting a private tour guide for the day. There are many tour guides at the entrance of the site. The archeological site does make it available a free app that you could download to read the history of the main spots as you walk through the site, but the Wi-Fi doesn't work well, and it makes it very difficult to browse in the app and look up information (at least that was the case last time I went there in 2023). That's why I recommend you rent a portable audio-guide at the entrance, or a tour guide.
The ruins are incredible and rich of history, and the site is very large, so I would highly recommend having a guide of any sort to get the best out if this visit.
📌Day trip option 2: Capri by ferry
Capri is certainly a great option for a day trip if you want to experience some iconic glamour, chic restaurants, without missing out on great blue water views and nice walks.
When you arrive to the island, you will need to take a cable car to reach the heart of Capri: La Piazzetta di Capri.
👉 PRO tip from a local
As soon as you land in Capri at the harbor of Marina Grande, try to get out as fast as possible to be in the front of the line for buying the cable car tickets. The cable-car station is right in front of the ferry station, under a arch. It gets very crowded in the summer, and you don't want to do a long line under the sun!
Once in Capri, don’t miss:
- the famous ice cream at Buonocore (there will be a line outside, it's fast and the gelato is worth the hype)
- the views from Belvedere Cannone
- the views from the Giardini di Augusto.
If you decide to stay there overnight, go watch the the sunset at the Faro di Punta Carena in Anacapri. Staying overnight would be the only way to see the sunset, as usually the last ferry to Salerno leaves before sunset. I once watched the sunset from the ferry, and I loved it.
Also, check out this website to read about some pretty and less toursity walk itineraries in Capri:
⛴️ How to get there from Salerno
Day 7 - Visit the Graffiti area of Salerno and hike to the Arechi Castle before flying back home
📝 Summary of Day 7 - This is the last day of your unforgettable trip on the Amalfi Coast. Get ready to head to the airport and head back home. If you have some day time left, use it to finish the exploration of the beautiful city of Salerno and specifically two icon spots of the city: the graffiti area in the historical center and the Arechi castle, overlooking the city and the coast.
📌In Salerno, explore the graffiti art of the city in Rione Fornelle: it’s one of the poorest area of the city, yet trying to emerge and show some authentic charm through mural art. It goes from Vicolo San Trofimena 12 until Vicolo delle Fornelle, passing by Piazza Matteo D'Aiello.
Once you are in the graffiti area, have breakfast in one of the bars beloved by the locals: Bar Umberto, located in via Roma.
📌 Another landmark of the city of Salerno is the Arechi castle, constantly protecting the city from the top.
📌 After all this travelling, it's time to head back home! Look at the info and links included in the Day 1 section of this guide on how to travel between Salerno and the airports of Napoli or Roma.
Conclusions
I hope you found my guide helpful!
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Do you still have any questions, concerns on your trip on the Amalfi Coast? Do you need more restaurant or nightlife tips on Amalfi Coast or Salerno? Do you need any other help travelling around Italy in general?
Don't hesitate to send me an email to marti.polo@outlook.com
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