Amalfi coast 5 day itinerary: cliffs, coves, and Capri

Nearly 40 million tourists visit Italy every summer, and a staggering number of them crowd onto the same narrow stretch of cliffside road between Sorrento and Salerno. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful — and most logistically frustrating — destinations in Europe. An Amalfi Coast 5 day itinerary is the sweet spot: enough time to explore Positano's pastel staircases, Ravello's clifftop gardens, and the electric blue waters around Capri, without burning days on backtracking or missed ferries. But only if you plan the routing right.

This guide breaks down a day-by-day Amalfi Coast itinerary covering where to stay, how to move between towns, what each day should look like, and how to avoid the transport headaches that ruin most trips to this UNESCO World Heritage coastline.

Why five days is the ideal length for the Amalfi Coast

Five days on the Amalfi Coast gives you enough time to visit three to four towns, take a day trip to Capri, hike at least one coastal trail, and still have room for long lunches and unplanned gelato stops. Fewer than five days forces you to rush between highlights, and more than a week means you're likely doubling back or filling time in less interesting spots.

The key challenge is transport timing. Ferries run on seasonal schedules (April through October), the single coastal road — the SS163 — is notoriously gridlocked in peak season, and SITA buses are standing-room-only by mid-morning. A well-structured 5-day plan clusters activities geographically so you're not losing hours in transit.

Here's the day-by-day breakdown.

Day 1: arrive and explore Positano

Start your trip in Positano, the most iconic town on the coast. If you're arriving from Naples or Rome, the most reliable route is a train to Sorrento (about 70 minutes from Naples Centrale on the Circumvesuviana line, roughly €4), then a SITA bus or ferry to Positano.

What to do in Positano

Walk the steep lanes from the upper town down to Spiaggia Grande, the main beach. The descent alone is one of the best first impressions in all of Mediterranean travel.
Visit the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its famous majolica-tiled dome.
Browse the boutiques along Via dei Mulini — Positano is known for handmade leather sandals and linen clothing.
End the day with an aperitivo at a cliffside bar overlooking the sea. Franco's Bar and Music on the Rocks are both excellent choices.

Where to eat: Try Da Vincenzo for classic Amalfi seafood or Chez Black right on the beach for grilled catch of the day. Expect to spend €25–45 per person for a full meal with wine.

Positano hotel strategy

Positano is the most expensive base on the coast. Budget hotels start around €150–200 per night in shoulder season (May or September) and climb past €400 in July and August. Mid-range gems like Hotel Savoia or Hotel Palazzo Murat offer excellent locations without five-star prices. Book cliffside rooms facing the sea — the view is half the reason you're here.

Pro tip: If you want the Positano experience on a smaller budget, stay in nearby Praiano (one bus stop away). It's quieter, cheaper, and has equally stunning views.

Day 2: Amalfi town and Ravello

Catch the morning ferry from Positano to Amalfi (about 25 minutes, roughly €10). Alternatively, the SITA bus takes about 40 minutes and costs €1.80–2.40 depending on the route.

Morning in Amalfi town

Amalfi town is more compact and walkable than Positano. Start with the Duomo di Sant'Andrea, a 9th-century cathedral with an ornate Arab-Norman facade and a stunning crypt. The attached Cloister of Paradise is worth the small entry fee for its Moorish arches and peaceful gardens.

Walk through the covered alleyways of the old town, sample sfogliatella (a local pastry) from a bakery on the main piazza, and stop at the Paper Museum — Amalfi was once Europe's leading paper producer.

Afternoon in Ravello

From Amalfi, take the SITA bus up to Ravello (25 minutes, roughly €1.80). This hilltop town sits 350 meters above the sea and feels like an entirely different world — quieter, greener, and more refined.

The two must-visit sites are:

Villa Rufolo — a 13th-century estate with terraced gardens overlooking the coastline. The views from the Belvedere Terrace are among the most photographed on the Amalfi Coast.
Villa Cimbrone — a longer walk from the town center, but the Terrace of Infinity at the end is one of Italy's most unforgettable viewpoints.

Ravello is also home to the annual Ravello Festival (June through September), with classical music concerts held on an open-air stage overlooking the sea. If your dates align, book tickets in advance — this is one of the most magical live music settings in Europe.

Where to eat: Try Cumpa Cosimo in Ravello for generous family-style pasta dishes (around €15–20 per plate), or Trattoria Il Mulino for terrace dining with a view.

Day 3: Capri day trip

This is the day that requires the most planning. Ferries from Positano to Capri run from early April through early November, with high-speed hydrofoils taking about 40–50 minutes and costing €22–29 one way. From Amalfi, the crossing is about 50 minutes at a similar price. Book tickets in advance during peak months — boats fill up fast, and rough seas can cancel afternoon departures without warning.

What to do on Capri

Take the funicular from Marina Grande up to Capri town (€2.20) and start at the famous Piazzetta — a tiny square surrounded by cafés with views that stretch across the Bay of Naples.
Walk to Villa Jovis, Emperor Tiberius's ancient clifftop palace. The 45-minute hike from the Piazzetta is a highlight in itself, passing through lemon groves and quiet residential lanes.
Visit the Arco Naturale, a dramatic limestone arch on the eastern coast, and continue down the path to Grotta di Matermania.
If time permits, take a bus to Anacapri and ride the chairlift to Monte Solaro (€12 round trip) for 360-degree views of the island and the coast.

Should you visit the Blue Grotto?

The Grotta Azzurra is Capri's most famous attraction — and its most divisive. Entry involves transferring to a tiny rowboat (€18 plus €15 for the boat ride), waiting in a queue that can stretch over an hour, and spending roughly five minutes inside the cave. The blue light effect is genuinely stunning, but many travelers feel the experience isn't worth the wait and cost. If seas are calm and the line is short, go for it. Otherwise, a boat tour around the island (€20–40 per person) offers equally impressive sea caves, hidden beaches, and the famous Faraglioni rock formations.

Budget note: Capri is one of Italy's most expensive islands. A simple lunch runs €20–30 per person. Bring snacks and water from the mainland to save money.

Day 4: hike the Path of the Gods and explore hidden coves

Day 4 is for the Amalfi Coast's best-kept secret — the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), a dramatic cliffside hiking trail that rivals anything in Cinque Terre.

The Path of the Gods

The classic route runs from Bomerano to Nocelle (about 7.8 km, 2–3 hours one way), with jaw-dropping views of the coastline, the island of Capri, and the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea the entire way. The trail is well-marked but exposed — wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and start early (before 9 AM) to beat the heat and the crowds.

How to get there: Take the SITA bus from Amalfi to Bomerano (about 50 minutes). After finishing the hike in Nocelle, descend the 1,700 steps to Positano or take the local bus down to Arienzo beach.

Afternoon beach time

After the hike, reward yourself with a swim. Some of the coast's best beaches are tucked below the trail:

Arienzo Beach — accessible by boat or a long staircase, quieter than Positano's main beach.
Fornillo Beach — a short walk west of Spiaggia Grande in Positano, with a more local feel and lower prices for sunbeds (around €15–25 for two chairs and an umbrella).
Marina di Praia in Praiano — a tiny cove between cliffs, excellent for swimming and snorkeling in crystal-clear water.

Day 5: Sorrento and departure

End your trip in Sorrento, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and one of the most charming towns in Campania. If you're heading to Naples airport, Rome, or anywhere north, Sorrento is the natural departure point thanks to its direct Circumvesuviana train connection to Naples.

Morning in Sorrento

Walk through the historic center and browse the shops along Corso Italia.
Visit the Sedile Dominova, a 15th-century open-air loggia with beautiful frescoed ceilings — one of the last surviving examples of its kind in southern Italy.
Head to Marina Grande, Sorrento's old fishing village, for a final coastal lunch. Lo Stuzzichino and Trattoria da Emilia are local favorites.
If you have extra time, stop in at a local lemon grove for a limoncello tasting — the Amalfi Coast produces some of Italy's best lemons, and the locally made limoncello is leagues ahead of the supermarket version.

Where to eat: Don Alfonso 1890, a Michelin-starred restaurant in nearby Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, is a splurge-worthy final dinner if your budget allows. Otherwise, the trattorias around Piazza Tasso serve excellent Neapolitan pizza for under €12.

Best time to visit the Amalfi Coast

The best months to visit the Amalfi Coast are May and September. Both offer warm weather (average highs of 72°F/22°C in May, 79°F/26°C in September), ferry services in full operation, and significantly fewer crowds than the July–August peak.

Here's a quick seasonal breakdown:

April: Shoulder season begins. Some services still opening. Expect highs around 64°F/18°C and occasional rain.
May–June: Ideal conditions. Warm, sunny, manageable crowds. Prices are lower than peak summer.
July–August: Peak season. Temperatures hit 84–85°F/29°C. Beaches are packed, roads are gridlocked, and hotel prices double. Book everything months in advance.
September–October: Warm water, thinning crowds, lower prices. Late October sees some closures.
November–March: Most hotels, restaurants, and ferry routes shut down. Beautiful for solitude, but limited services.

Amalfi Coast ferry logistics made simple

How do you get between towns on the Amalfi Coast? The most efficient way to travel between Amalfi Coast towns is by ferry. Ferries run from April through October, connecting Positano, Amalfi, Minori, Maiori, Salerno, Sorrento, and Capri. The SITA bus network provides a cheaper but slower alternative, and private boats or taxis are available for those with bigger budgets.

Here's what you need to know:

Ferry season: Late March through late October. Full service from mid-April.
Key ferry routes and approximate costs: Positano to Amalfi (€5–10), Positano to Capri (€22–29), Amalfi to Capri (€22–29), Amalfi to Salerno (€10–14), Positano to Sorrento (€15–18).
Crossing times: Positano to Amalfi is about 25 minutes. Positano to Capri is 40–50 minutes.
SITA buses: Single rides cost €1.80–6.80 depending on the distance. A 24-hour unlimited pass costs €10–12.
Book early: In July and August, ferry tickets sell out. Purchase online through Travelmar, NLG, or Alicost to guarantee your spot.
Weather cancellations: Hydrofoil routes are frequently suspended in rough seas. Always have a backup plan (the bus) for your Capri day trip.

TripFlame, an AI-powered travel planner, automatically routes your Amalfi Coast itinerary around real ferry schedules and bus connections, so you don't have to piece together timetables from five different websites. It also flags weather-dependent routes and suggests alternatives so you're never stranded.

Budget breakdown: 5 days on the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is not a budget destination, but smart planning keeps costs reasonable. Here's a realistic per-person estimate for five days:

Accommodation (mid-range): €120–250 per night → €600–1,250 total
Food (mix of restaurants and casual meals): €50–80 per day → €250–400 total
Transport (ferries, buses, Circumvesuviana): €80–150 total
Activities (museums, gardens, boat tours): €50–100 total
Capri day trip extras (ferry + lunch + activities): €80–120 total

Total estimated range: €1,060–2,020 per person for 5 days, excluding international flights.

You can cut costs by staying in Praiano or Minori instead of Positano, eating lunch from bakeries and delis, and using buses instead of ferries where possible. At the luxury end, five-star hotels in Positano or Ravello can push accommodation costs past €600 per night alone.

How to plan your Amalfi Coast itinerary without the stress

The Amalfi Coast looks deceptively simple on a map, but the logistics underneath — ferry timetables that change weekly, bus routes that stop running after dark, hotel availability that vanishes months in advance — can turn a dream trip into a spreadsheet nightmare.

This is exactly the kind of trip where AI travel planning tools earn their keep. TripFlame builds your entire Amalfi Coast itinerary in minutes based on your travel dates, pace preferences, and budget. It clusters activities by location to minimize backtracking, surfaces hotel options matched to your price range and preferred neighborhoods, and adjusts the plan in real time if something changes. Instead of cross-referencing ferry schedules, Google Maps, and hotel booking sites in separate tabs, you get one coherent plan — personalized to how you actually travel.

Whether you're a couple planning a romantic getaway along the cliffs, a family figuring out how to keep kids entertained between Positano and Capri, or a solo traveler squeezing the most out of five days on Italy's most famous coastline, a well-structured itinerary is the difference between a trip you remember and a trip you survive. Build yours with TripFlame and spend your energy on the views, not the logistics.