Amalfi Coast 5-Day Itinerary 2026: Leave Your Car in Sorrento and Never Drive the SS163, the SITA Bus Costs 1.60 Euros and Goes Everywhere the Taxi Boat Goes for 20 Euros, Ravello Is the Least Crowded Amalfi Town and Has the Best Views, and Cetara Makes the Best Bottarga in Italy
Autore: La Redazione di www.tourleaderpro.com
Last updated: May 2026 — verified by the editorial team of www.tourleaderpro.com
An Amalfi Coast itinerary 5 days (un itinerario di 5 giorni sulla Costiera Amalfitana) is most visitors' top Italy dream and most first-timers' biggest Italy logistics mistake. The Amalfi Coast 5-day itinerary done wrong involves renting a car in Naples, driving the SS163, spending 2 hours looking for parking in Positano, paying 35 euros for a hotel room the size of a bathroom in Amalfi, and leaving exhausted. The same 5 days done right involves arriving by train to Sorrento, leaving the car there (or not renting one at all), using the SITA bus and the ferry network to move between towns, and staying in a single base (either Praiano for central access or Sorrento for the easiest transport) while day-tripping to the coast towns. The difference is approximately 400 euros and 10 hours of recovered stress.
Amalfi Coast 5-Day Itinerary: Day by Day
Day 1: Arrival in Sorrento as the Base
Sorrento (GPS: 40.6264°N, 14.3757°E): the most specifically practical single Amalfi Coast base for the 5-day itinerary (the specific Sorrento advantages: the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi station (35 minutes, 3.30 euros — the most specifically fast and most specifically affordable single Naples-Sorrento connection); the Sorrento ferry pier with direct boats to Positano, Amalfi, and Capri; and the Sorrento piazza (the Piazza Tasso) with the most specifically abundant single Amalfi Coast area restaurant selection at the most specifically affordable single Amalfi Coast area price (a piatto unico at the Ristorante Il Buco in Sorrento: approximately 18-25 euros versus the equivalent 35-50 euros in Positano)). Do NOT drive the SS163 to Sorrento — use the Circumvesuviana from Naples. The specific Sorrento Day 1 programme: the Marina Grande (GPS: 40.6258°N, 14.3669°E — the specific small original Sorrento fishing harbour: the most specifically authentic single Sorrento experience), the Piazza Tasso aperitivo, and the Museo Correale di Terranova (GPS: 40.6302°N, 14.3828°E — the most specifically comprehensive single Sorrento art and decorative arts collection: admission 8 euros).
Day 2: Positano — The Most Photographed Town in Italy
Take the Positano ferry from Sorrento (April-October, approximately 12-15 euros — 25-minute crossing, the most specifically panoramic single Amalfi Coast arrival (approaching Positano by sea gives the most specifically cinematic single view of the specific stack of pastel-coloured houses (the case colorate — the specific pink, orange, and terracotta facades that cascade down the specific Positano cliff face to the specific Spiaggia Grande)). The Positano programme: the Spiaggia Grande (GPS: 40.6280°N, 14.4847°E — the main beach: free sunbathing area (the private sunbed rental: 20-25 euros for the beach chair and umbrella set)); the specific Positano church (the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta — GPS: 40.6282°N, 14.4852°E — free entry: the specific majolica-tiled dome (the cupola maiolicata) is the most specifically Positano-identifiable single architectural element in any Positano photograph)); the Positano boutique shopping (the specific handmade sandal (il sandalo positanese — the specific leather sandal handmade to order at approximately 50-80 euros: the most specifically Positano single authentic artisan purchase)); and the Via Positanesi dell'America (the cliff-side street from the SITA bus stop down to the beach — the most specifically vertiginous single Positano street walk). Return to Sorrento by SITA bus (1.60 euros — the most cost-efficient single Positano return).
Day 3: Amalfi and Ravello
SITA bus from Sorrento to Amalfi (1h05m, 2.50 euros — the specific SITA coastal bus that uses the SS163 but the driver's expertise converts the terror of the road into specific theatrical performance). Amalfi (GPS: 40.6340°N, 14.6025°E): the Duomo di Amalfi (the Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea — GPS: 40.6342°N, 14.6024°E: the specific 9th-century Arab-Norman cathedral (the most architecturally complex single Amalfi Coast monument) whose specific bronze doors (the porte di bronzo — cast in Constantinople in 1065 and the first single Italian medieval bronze church doors) and the specific 62-step staircase (the scalinata) are the most specifically Amalfi single architectural landmark): admission 3 euros. The Amalfi Paper Museum (the Museo della Carta — GPS: 40.6358°N, 14.6041°E: the most specifically unusual single Amalfi Coast museum (the specific 13th-century paper mill (the cartiera) that has been producing the specific Amalfi hand-laid paper (la carta amalfitana) since the medieval period — the first single paper mill in Europe outside the Arab-controlled territories): admission 4 euros). Bus or taxi up to Ravello (GPS: 40.6490°N, 14.6139°E — 6km above Amalfi: the most specifically atmospheric single Amalfi Coast hill town and the one whose specific Villa Rufolo (GPS: 40.6490°N, 14.6130°E — Richard Wagner's inspiration for the Klingsor garden in Parsifal (1880): admission 7 euros) and Villa Cimbrone (GPS: 40.6486°N, 14.6142°E — the Terrazza dell'Infinito (the "Terrace of Infinity") with the most specifically panoramic single Amalfi Coast sea view: admission 7 euros) constitute the most specifically "elevated" single Amalfi Coast programme).
Day 4: Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods)
The Sentiero degli Dei (GPS start: Bomerano, 40.6583°N, 14.5261°E — GPS end: Positano, 40.6285°N, 14.4848°E): the most spectacular single Amalfi Coast hiking trail (the 7.8km route from Bomerano (the village above the coast at 600m altitude) to Positano (sea level) traverses the specific limestone cliff face 300-600m above the Amalfi Coast sea with the most specifically continuous single panoramic view in any Italian coastal hike): 3-4 hours walking time, difficulty: moderate (the most significant challenge is the specific Positano descent (900 steps of stone stairs at the trail end — the most specifically knee-demanding single Amalfi Coast hike finale)). Access: the SITA bus from Sorrento to Bomerano via Agerola (1h30m, 2.20 euros — the most frequently missed single Amalfi Coast transport connection). End the hike at Positano and return to Sorrento by ferry.
Day 5: Cetara and the Hidden Coast
Cetara (GPS: 40.6484°N, 14.7028°E — 10km east of Amalfi on the SITA bus): the most specifically authentic single Amalfi Coast fishing village (the Cetara colatura di alici — the specific fermented anchovy sauce (the liquid amber extract from the specific fermented anchovy process that the Cetara fishing community has produced since the medieval period (the colatura di alici di Cetara is the most specifically ancient single surviving Italian fermented fish sauce — the direct descendant of the specific Roman garum)): the most specifically Cetara single food purchase: available at the Delfino shop on the main piazza at approximately 8-12 euros per 100ml bottle). The Vietri sul Mare (GPS: 40.6718°N, 14.7166°E — 3km east of Cetara): the specific ceramics capital of the Amalfi Coast and the most specifically accessible single Amalfi Coast ceramics shopping stop (the Vietri ceramics tradition — see the Italy Ceramics Shopping Guide). Return to Naples or Sorrento for departure.
Q&A: Amalfi Coast 5-Day Itinerary
Where should I stay for the Amalfi Coast 5-day itinerary?
Praiano (GPS: 40.6124°N, 14.5321°E — midway between Positano and Amalfi): the most specifically practical single Amalfi Coast base for the budget-to-mid-range visitor. The specific Praiano advantages: accommodation at 30-50% below the Positano equivalent price for the same sea-view quality; the specific Praiano ferry pier (boats to Positano, Amalfi, and Capri); the SITA bus stop on the SS163 (2-minute walk from most Praiano accommodation); and the specific Praiano restaurant (the Ristorante da Armandino — the most specifically authentic single Amalfi Coast seafood restaurant at the Praiano harbour level: approximately 20-30 euros per person including wine — half the Positano equivalent). The Sorrento base (as described in Day 1) is the most specifically practical for the visitor who values transport efficiency over "being on the Amalfi Coast itself".