The Amalfi Coast is 50km long but lives feel infinite. The tight hairpin road, the vertical villages, and the sheer density of beauty mean you can't rush it. 2 days: a taste. 3 days: the essentials. 5 days: the full experience. 7 days: the slow version (you'll return). The honest truth: 3 full days is the sweet spot for most travelers — enough for Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, a boat trip, and the Path of the Gods, without the expense of a full week at Amalfi Coast prices.
Plan my Amalfi trip →Day 1: Positano (morning — walk down, beach, gelato, the photogenic streets) → ferry or bus to Amalfi (afternoon — Duomo, the paper mill museum, limoncello tasting). Day 2: Ravello (morning — Villa Rufolo + Villa Cimbrone gardens, the Terrazza dell'Infinito) → afternoon: private boat trip (3-4h, split among 4-6 people = €100-150/person — swim stops, Prosecco, the coast from the water). This covers the 3 main towns + the boat. It's fast but complete.
Day 1: Positano (full morning + lunch, then beach afternoon). Day 2: Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) — hike from Agerola to Nocelle (7.8km, 2-3h, moderate — the most spectacular coastal hike in the Mediterranean). Descend to Positano by bus or the 1,700-step staircase. Day 3: Amalfi (morning) → Ravello (afternoon). Or: boat day (Amalfi→Capri→grottos→back). This pace allows one experience per day — the town, the hike, the boat — with time for lunch, gelato, and the evening passeggiata.
Days 1-3: As above. Day 4: Capri day trip (ferry from Amalfi/Positano, 40-60min) — the Blue Grotto, the Faraglioni, Via Camerelle, Anacapri chairlift. Day 5: The "hidden" coast — Praiano (sunset), Furore (the fjord), Conca dei Marini (Grotta dello Smeraldo — the Emerald Grotto), Cetara (the tuna fishing village — the colatura di alici/anchovy sauce, like Italian fish sauce). 5 days reveals the coast beyond the postcards.
Days 1-5: As above. Day 6: Beach day — pick one and DO NOTHING. Fornillo beach (Positano's quieter alternative), Marina di Praia (Praiano's cove), Duoglio beach (Amalfi — boat access). Day 7: Cooking class (pasta + limoncello, €60-80) or lemon grove tour (the Amalfi lemon — sfusato amalfitano — is DOP and different from any other lemon). 7 days is luxury pace — and the coast rewards it. Where to stay → · Best time →