Amalfi Coast 5-Day — Villages, Capri & Pompeii

Activities

1. 09:30 Duomo di Sant'Andrea + Cloister of Paradise 1h30

   Climb the dramatic staircase to Amalfi's cathedral, with its striped Arab-Norman façade and 11th-century bronze doors from Constantinople. Inside, visit the Cloister of Paradise (Chiostro del Paradiso), the diocesan museum, and the crypt holding the relics of St. Andrew.

   Cost: ~€3 TIP: Go early before the square fills and the heat builds. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) to enter the cathedral. The cloister's interlacing Moorish-style arches are the photo highlight. The clearest reminder of Amalfi's maritime-republic past.
2. 11:30 Paper Museum (Museo della Carta) 1h

   Walk up the Valle dei Mulini to the Museo della Carta, set in a 13th-century former paper mill, where guides demonstrate Amalfi's centuries-old hand-papermaking with working water-powered machinery — the craft that made the town an early European paper center.

   Cost: ~€4.50 (guided) TIP: A short uphill walk from the cathedral square. A good cool, shaded stop on a hot day. You can buy handmade Amalfi paper at the end. The guided demonstration is the point — check the next tour time on arrival.
3. 13:00 Lunch + Marina Grande beachfront 2h

   Lunch on classic coast seafood. Marina Grande sits right on the Spiaggia Grande beach (mussels in San Marzano sauce, clam spaghetti); Lido Azzurro by the port is a fair-value alternative. Then relax on the main beach.

   Cost: €20-35 per person TIP: Book a sea-view terrace table in season. After lunch, the Spiaggia Grande is the easy place to swim from June onward; beach-club umbrellas run €25-50. Step a street back for cheaper options like Trattoria San Giuseppe.
4. 16:00 Walk to Atrani 1h30

   Stroll the seafront path and short tunnel/stairway to Atrani, the tiny village 10 minutes away — a cluster of white houses around a piazza and a small beach, with the Church of San Salvatore de' Birecto where the Amalfi Republic's doges were once crowned.

   Cost: Free TIP: Atrani is far quieter than Amalfi and a lovely, easy outing. Wander the stairways and arches and have a drink in the little piazza. It's also a calmer, cheaper place to come back for dinner.
5. 20:00 Dinner — Da Gemma or dinner in Atrani 2h

   For a special evening, Da Gemma (since 1872, above the cathedral square) does refined seafood and the coast's signature scialatielli ai frutti di mare. For local value, walk back to Atrani for A' Paranza's scampi-cream risotto.

   Cost: €35-65 per person TIP: Italians eat late (dinner from 7:30-8pm); reserve a terrace table in season. Da Gemma is smart-casual and a splurge; Atrani is cheaper and quieter. Finish with a delizia al limone or limoncello.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 SITA bus up to Ravello 40min

   Take the small local SITA bus from Amalfi's seafront up the mountain switchbacks to Ravello, about 350m above the coast (roughly 25 minutes). Ravello is cooler, quieter, and famously romantic.

   Cost: ~€2-3 TIP: Buses run roughly every 30-60 minutes — check the timetable and buy a ticket. A taxi (€30-50) is faster if you miss one. There's no ferry to Ravello; it's inland and uphill. Carsickness-prone travelers should sit forward.
2. 10:00 Villa Rufolo — gardens & belvedere 1h30

   Tour the medieval Villa Rufolo, its gardens spilling toward a belvedere over the coast — the setting that inspired Wagner and now the stage of the summer Ravello Festival. Around €7 entry.

   Cost: ~€7 TIP: Go in the morning before tour groups. The belvedere over the sea is the iconic photo. If you visit in July, the Ravello Festival stages concerts here over the sea — book ahead. Allow time to wander the gardens.
3. 12:30 Lunch — Cumpa' Cosimo 1h30

   Lunch on hearty Neapolitan home cooking at Cumpa' Cosimo, a friendly family-run institution in the village center known for its handmade pastas and a mixed-pasta sampler plate.

   Cost: €20-35 per person TIP: Order the mixed-pasta sampler to taste several house pastas at once. It's homey rather than fancy — a perfect Ravello lunch. Popular, so reserve. For a splurge instead, the Michelin-starred Il Flauto di Pan is at Villa Cimbrone.
4. 14:30 Villa Cimbrone — Terrace of Infinity 1h30

   Walk the stepped lane to Villa Cimbrone, whose lush gardens end at the Terrace of Infinity — a balustrade lined with marble busts above a sheer drop to the sea, one of the coast's most famous views. Around €10.

   Cost: ~€10 TIP: The Terrace of Infinity is the highlight — go for the views and the romantic gardens. It's a 10-minute walk from the village center along stepped lanes. Allow time to linger. A classic spot for couples.
5. 17:00 Ravello village + return to Amalfi 1h30

   Wander Ravello's quiet main piazza and lanes, then take the SITA bus back down to Amalfi for the evening. Ravello's cool, calm air is a contrast to the busy waterfront.

   Cost: ~€2-3 bus TIP: Check the last convenient bus down before you lose track of time. Back in Amalfi, the evening is cooler and the harbor pleasant for a stroll and dinner. (Alternative: swap today for the Path of the Gods hike — see the FAQ.)

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:30 Ferry to Positano 40min

   Take the seasonal ferry along the coast from Amalfi to Positano (about 25-40 minutes) — the most beautiful and least stressful way to travel, with cliffside views the road can't match. Positano is the coast's most photographed village, a vertical cascade of pastel houses.

   Cost: €8-18 per leg TIP: Ferries run April-October and can be cancelled in rough seas, so check the day's timetable (Travelmar, Alicost) and have a SITA bus backup. Arrive early at the dock in peak season. Buy a round trip if convenient.
2. 10:30 Positano — Spiaggia Grande & the lanes 2h30

   Explore Positano: the Spiaggia Grande beach, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its majolica dome, and the steep lanes of boutiques selling linen, sandals, and ceramics. It's gorgeous but built on relentless steps.

   Cost: Free (beach umbrella €25-50) TIP: Wear good shoes — Positano is all stairs. The famous photo is from the beach looking up at the layered houses. Browse the made-to-measure leather sandal shops. Swim from Spiaggia Grande from June. Pace yourself in the heat.
3. 13:00 Lunch in Positano — Da Vincenzo or Chez Black 2h

   Lunch on coast cooking — Da Vincenzo (since 1958, built into the cliffside) for traditional pasta and fish, or Chez Black on the waterfront by the ferry dock for clam spaghetti and seafood with a sea view.

   Cost: €30-55 per person TIP: Reserve a terrace table in season. Chez Black is right by the dock and scenic but pricey; Da Vincenzo is the long-established family classic. Beachfront dining carries a premium — that's the Positano deal.
4. 15:30 Beach time or more wandering 2h

   Spend the afternoon on the Spiaggia Grande or the quieter Fornillo beach, or keep exploring the upper lanes and viewpoints before the ferry back.

   Cost: Beach umbrella €25-50 / free TIP: Fornillo, a short walk west, is calmer than the main beach. Keep an eye on the return ferry time. In peak summer, the last ferries fill — don't leave it to the very last sailing.
5. 18:00 Ferry back to Amalfi + farewell dinner 2h30

   Take the ferry back to Amalfi in the golden evening light, then a final dinner on the coast — seafood and a glass of Campanian white, finishing with limoncello.

   Cost: Ferry €8-18 + dinner €30-50 TIP: Confirm the last ferry of the day before you settle in for the afternoon. Back in Amalfi, the harbor and cathedral square are lovely in the evening. End with a delizia al limone at Pasticceria Pansa or a gelato.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 Ferry to Capri 1h30

   Take an early seasonal ferry from Amalfi to Capri (about 50-90 minutes depending on the service), the glamorous Mediterranean island off the Sorrento peninsula. Going early beats the worst of the day-tripper crowds.

   Cost: €20-25 per leg TIP: Book ahead in peak season and take the earliest sailing you can. Ferries are weather-dependent. The Blue Grotto closes in rough seas, so build in flexibility. Bring sun protection and water for a long day out.
2. 10:30 Blue Grotto + island boat tour 2h30

   Join a boat tour that circles the island past the Faraglioni rocks, the Green Grotto, and Lover's Arch, and enter the Blue Grotto — a sea cave where sunlight turns the water an electric blue. You transfer to a small rowboat to enter, lying flat under the low cave mouth.

   Cost: €40-60 (boat tour + cave fees) TIP: Pre-book the Blue Grotto boat trip — it's the iconic Capri experience and queues are long. It closes in rough seas, so it's not guaranteed; have a plan B. The wider island circuit showing the Faraglioni is worth it on its own.
3. 13:30 Lunch + Capri town (Piazzetta) 2h

   Take the funicular up from Marina Grande to Capri town and its famous Piazzetta — designer boutiques, cafés, and people-watching — and lunch on island fare (try a caprese salad or ravioli capresi).

   Cost: €25-45 per person TIP: Capri is expensive — café and lunch prices are high. The Piazzetta is the social heart. The funicular from the port saves a steep walk. Anacapri (a bus ride higher) is quieter if you have time.
4. 16:00 Augustus Gardens + Faraglioni viewpoint 1h30

   Stroll the Gardens of Augustus (Giardini di Augusto) for the classic view down to the Faraglioni rocks and the winding Via Krupp, then enjoy the island's terraces and viewpoints before heading back.

   Cost: ~€2 gardens TIP: The Augustus Gardens viewpoint over the Faraglioni is the postcard shot — go for late-afternoon light. Keep an eye on the return ferry time; the last sailings to Amalfi fill in season.
5. 18:30 Ferry back to Amalfi + dinner 2h

   Return by ferry to Amalfi in the evening and have a relaxed dinner on the coast after the long island day.

   Cost: Ferry €20-25 + dinner €30-50 TIP: Confirm the last ferry before settling in on Capri — missing it is costly. Back in Amalfi, keep dinner easy: seafood pasta, a Campanian white, and limoncello. (Alternative base note: some travelers do Capri more easily from Sorrento.)

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Travel to Pompeii (via Sorrento) 2h

   Travel to Pompeii — the usual route is ferry or SITA bus to Sorrento, then the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi. A guided tour with transport from the coast is the simpler alternative.

   Cost: €10-20 transit (or guided tour €60-90) TIP: The Circumvesuviana is cheap but basic and can be crowded — keep valuables secure. A guided tour removes the logistics and makes the ruins make sense. Go early to beat the heat at the open-air site.
2. 10:00 Pompeii archaeological site 3h30

   Explore Pompeii, the Roman city buried by the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius and frozen in time — streets, villas, frescoes, the forum, the amphitheater, and plaster casts of victims. A vast open-air site (around €18 entry).

   Cost: ~€18 TIP: Allow at least 3-4 hours; it's huge. Wear good shoes, a hat, and sunscreen — there's little shade. A guide or audio guide hugely improves the visit. Bring water. Don't try to see everything; pick the highlights (Forum, House of the Vettii, the baths).
3. 14:00 Lunch + optional Mt. Vesuvius or Herculaneum 3h

   Lunch near the site, then optionally add Mt. Vesuvius (a bus to near the crater plus a walk for the views over the bay) or Herculaneum, a smaller, better-preserved sister site — if time and energy allow.

   Cost: €15-30 (lunch) + Vesuvius/Herculaneum extra TIP: Vesuvius and Herculaneum are both ambitious add-ons after Pompeii — pick one or save them. Herculaneum is more compact and intact; Vesuvius is about the crater and views. Watch the time for the return journey.
4. 18:00 Return to the coast + farewell dinner 2h30

   Head back via Sorrento to Amalfi and round off the trip with a final coast dinner — seafood, Campanian wine, and limoncello.

   Cost: Transit + dinner €30-50 TIP: Confirm the last convenient ferry/bus connections before you linger over the ruins. Back on the coast, a relaxed seafood dinner and a last delizia al limone make a fitting send-off.

Meal Recommendations