Naples To Amalfi Coast Day Trip

Welcome back to another Italy guide! I think Italy is one of my favorite countries in the world to visit, but also to write about! I lived here for 4 months in college when I studied abroad in Florence and have been lucky to revisit again several times since, so you can find tons of other Italy blog posts on my site. Today’s guide is going to focus on the Amalfi Coast! I’ve always wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast, but also tend to travel on a budget — and these two things don’t really go well together. The Amalfi Coast can be quite expensive to stay in, but I believe I’ve hacked the system when I planned a full day trip to visit from Naples. This travel guide is going to cover all the information you need to plan a Naples to Amalfi Coast day trip of your own!

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Don’t have time to read the full guide? This full-day tour is the BEST way to visit Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi all in one day from Naples (and for less than $100 USD… including lunch!!!).

Where Is The Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most desirable regions to visit in Italy. The entire 50-kilometer stretch of coastline has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The coast is located along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in the Campania region. It stretches from Punta Campanella to Vietri Sul Mare.

There are 13 villages located along the Amalfi Coast: Amalfi, Atrani, Cetara, Conca de’ Marini, Furore, Maiori, Minori, Positano, Praiano, Ravello, Scala, Tramonti, and Vietri sul Mare.

Almost all the coastal towns are located along the SS163 (Amalfitana) highway. The town of Amalfi, one of the most popular villages (more on this below!) is located about halfway along the highway. It takes about 90 minutes to drive from one end of the coastline to the other — that is of course, if you aren’t stopping for photos or town visits… which I don’t recommend skipping!

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Best Time To Visit Naples & The Amalfi Coast

The two shoulder seasons in southern Italy and the Amalfi Coast are from April – May and September – October. Not only are these months sunny and warm with minimal rain, they are also MUCH less crowded! With school vacation time and bustling cruising schedules, the summer months bring with them FLEETS of tourists.

Not only are accommodations so much more expensive during this time, the narrow streets get so packed. There’s already a lot of stairs to climb along the Amalfi Coast, so save yourself some stress, and visit during a low period. Also, it gets HOT here during the summertime… almost too hot!

I visited Positano and the Amalfi Coast this past April and LOVED it! It was warm enough to walk around in a sun dress, but not too hot. It was actually still quite busy too, so I just can’t imagine these small streets during the summertime.

How Far Is Naples From The Amalfi Coast

The coast is located 50 kilometers south of Naples. It takes just about an hour to drive from Naples to Sorrento. Once you pass Sorrento and round the coast, the first town you’ll hit is Positano. The ride from Sorrento to Positano is about 30 minutes. From Naples to Positano is about 1.5 hours, although it can take up to 3 hours with traffic.

Another option is to take a ferry from Naples to Positano. These tickets cost around 35 Euro and takes 1.5 hours each way. The ferries travel daily, several times a day, and is an efficient way to travel to the Amalfi Coast from Naples without traffic concerns.

The next section covers all of your options for traveling from Naples to the Amalfi Coast!

How To Get To The Amalfi Coast From Naples

By Bus / Car

The most direct way to get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples is by bus or car. As mentioned above, the coast is about 1 hour from Naples, but can take longer if there’s traffic. Luckily, most full-day tours via bus leave very early in the morning, so traffic shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Pro-tip: The full-day bus tour that I recommend the most is GetYourGuide’s From Naples: Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi full-day tour! This 9 hour tour will bring you to several towns within the Amalfi Coast, including on a scenic Amalfi boat ride!

As for public bus, there is the Curreri bus to Sorrento, which leaves from the Naples airport. This bus can be boarded directly outside of Terminal 1 at the Naples Airport. Tickets cost about 10 Euro and can be purchased directly from the driver.

By Train

The only railway station within the Amalfi Coast is located in Vietri Sul Mare, which is linked to train stations within Naples and Salerno. Unfortunately, there is no direct public transportation / trains between Naples and Positano. If you want to take the train, you’ll have to get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples by first taking a train from Naples to Vietri Sul Mare, and then taking a taxi or car to Positano. This isn’t the most direct way to visit the area, so I would recommend a car.

By Plane

The Naples Airport is the closest to the Amalfi Coast, but most international visitors will arrive to Italy through Rome Fiumicino Airport. If you’re flying into Rome, just note it will take about 4 hours to reach the Amalfi Coast by public transportation (train and bus). It’s much easier to visit from Naples.

Where To Stay In Naples, Italy

While Naples has a reputation for being “dangerous” and “dirty”, please don’t let these stereotypes deter you from visiting! Yes, Naples definitely has a different vibe from other Italian cities. It’s a bit louder, more chaotic, has more motorbikes and hanging laundry, a bit more street art and street food — it actually reminded me a lot of Southeast Asia! And I LOVED IT! Maybe just avoid going out at night or in the dark alone, but I definitely recommend staying here and exploring this southern Italy gem.

Budget ($): Naples Experience Hostel

If you’re looking for an accommodation to stay in on a backpacker-friendly budget, I can’t recommend the Naples Experience Hostel more! Now take this recommendation with a grain of salt, this place isn’t modern at all. Like old-ish bunkbeds, communal showers with plastic sliding doors, etc. HOWEVER, this hostel has one of the best community vibes I’ve ever seen! And I’ve stayed at a lot of hostels!

Each night, this hostel serves family-style pasta dinner. Since there’s not too many restaurants in this part of the city, most of the guests take advantage of this! Not only is it free, but everyone eats together at a giant communal table in the garden. There’s also free house wine! Once dinner is over, most people hang out here and chat, drink more wine, and play games.

I met several people here who I still talk to from Canada, Germany, and Morocco. I also may or may not have won the beer pong tournament, proudly representing Team USA.

Pro-tip: Most tours in Naples will meet in the historic city center or by the central train station. Although this hostel is a bit isolated (40ish minute walk), there is a free shuttle / van that constantly drives guests to and from the station. Just send a message on WhatsApp the night before to reserve a seat. I rode this shuttle like 5x during my 2-3 day stay here!

Mid-range ($$): Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel

Set in Naples, a 5-minute walk from San Gregorio Armeno, Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel is a top-rated, 4 star hotel located in the historic city center of Naples. It has a bar, sun terrace, free WiFi throughout, and air conditioning.

Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel offers a continental or Italian breakfast. Speaking German, English, Spanish and French at the 24-hour front desk, staff are always at hand to help. The Santa Chiara is right next to the Dante Metro stop and 0.9 mi from Piazza Plebiscito square. The nearest airport is Naples International Airport, which is a 20-minute drive from the property.

Luxury ($$$): Relais Della Porta

Featuring a shared lounge, Relais Della Porta is located in Naples, a 9-minute walk from Maschio Angioino. This property is set a short distance from attractions such as San Carlo Theater, Molo Beverello, San Gregorio Armeno, and Palazzo Reale Napoli.

At the hotel, every room is equipped with a private bathroom with free toiletries and a hairdryer. The rooms in Relais Della Porta feature a flat-screen TV. A buffet breakfast is available each morning at the property. The nearest airport is Naples International Airport, which is only 3.1 mi from Relais Della Porta.

Naples To Amalfi Coast: The Logistics

As mentioned above, the easiest way to visit the Amalfi Coast is from Naples! I would recommend basing yourself in the Naples area for 2-3 days and taking a full day tour to the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is very expensive to stay in over night, so this full-day tour option will allow you to see the highlights on a budget!

Most full-day tours will leave very early in the morning (7/8 am) and return around 5/6 pm. There are several pick up location options within central Naples, including right by the train station.

If you book a full day tour, this will include transportation from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, along with rides between the towns. This definitely will maximize your time in the area! I would make sure your tour includes stops in Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi, as these are the 3 main tourist towns!

Amalfi Coast Trip From Naples: What To Do & See

Now that you know where to stay in Naples and how to get from Naples to the Amalfi Coast (again — I recommend this guided tour!), let’s hop into the must-see’s along the coast!

Amalfi Coast Best Towns

In total there are thirteen Amalfi Coast towns: Positano, Praiano, Furore, Conca dei Marini, Amalfi, Atrani, Scala, Ravello, Minori, Tramonti, Maiori, Cetara, and Vietri sul Mare. The most popular towns along the Amalfi Coast are Amalfi and Positano. Sorrento is also extremely popular to visit. It’s technically around the corner on another coastline, BUT it’s right there, so I’ll mention it.

The Amalfi Coast towns are only accessible via one route: the 25 mile long Amalfi Drive. This road runs from Positano (the first town on the Amalfi Coast) all the way to Vietri sul Mare (the last Amalfi Coast town). It’s windy, but it is SO beautiful. Keep your cameras handy from the bus!

If you book a guided tour, you’ll be able to visit several towns in one day. Here’s what my itinerary looked like:

Naples — Sorrento — Positano — Amalfi — Naples

In Sorrento, you have to walk through the main square. There are so many beautiful boutiques here, and this tour will bring you to a little shop where you can taste limoncello. In Positano, we had about an hour to stroll the narrow streets and go down to the beach. More on this below!

After Positano, we drove along the curvy highway for more photos and ate a delicious pasta lunch! The lunch came with salads, homemade pasta, wine, and our choice of dessert — all included in the cost of this tour.

Next, we had free time in Amalfi to visit the famous Amalfi Cathedral, take a boat tour along the coast to see the towns of Ravello, Atrani, Scala and more. Here, I also treated myself to the famous (and slightly overpriced) lemon gelato dessert that I saw everyone with. Honestly, it was delicious, refreshing, and VERY photogenic so I recommend you get it during your Naples to Amalfi Coast day trip!

We drove 1.5 hours back from Amalfi along the main highway (not the windy road) back to Naples, arriving at about 6 pm.

Amalfi Coast Beaches

Positano Beach

The Amalfi Coast is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, if not the world. The most popular beach, which you’ve definitely seen on dozens of postcards, is Positano’s main beach. Spiaggia Di Positano Marina Grande (Positano), or just Spiaggia Grande, is a tourist hotspot due to its proximity from the town (just keep walking down from the top of the city to the very bottom and you’ll hit it!), and for its amenities. Tourists can rent chairs, umbrellas, and be served from some of the waterfront restaurants located here.

The entire beach is about 300 meters in length. There are rentable sun beds here and also a free section. The beach is known for its colorful umbrellas and of course, its colorful, cliffside homes!

Amalfi Beach

Amalfi also has a famous beach located right behind the main square, cathedral, and boat docks. It’s called Marina Grande, and has very soft sand. There are charming seaside resorts located here that attract tourists from all over the world. There’s also amenities on this beach, such as public showers and clean bathrooms.

Pro-tip: This beach also had picturesque colorful umbrellas. Grab your fancy overpriced lemon dessert and bring it here for a pic like I did on your day trip from Naples to the Amalfi Coast.

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour

The best way to see the Amalfi Coast is most definitely from the sea! Although the beaches are stunning, you can really get a feel for the vastness of the coastline from a boat. The cliffs are so ginormous and green here! There are so many tiny little, no name villages scattered across the cliffs. Since the towns are all adjacent to one another, you can see several different towns on just a 45 minute cruise. I believe we saw like 5 from Amalfi! If you choose to book the day tour to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast from Naples, you will have the option to pay an extra ~15 Euro for the cruise. I HIGHLY recommend you do it!

The most beautiful town, in my opinion, was Atrani. Have your camera in hand and listen to the narration to learn more about the area!

Bonus: Highlights Of Naples

The main focus of this blog was the Amalfi Coast from Naples, but I did want to mention 1-2 recommendations for the city! Although this city doesn’t have the best reputation, and is often just passed through by tourists on their way from Pompeii to Capri, I think you should sightsee here for a day or two.

Pro-tip: I didn’t cover Capri in this guide, since I visited on a separate trip in 2014, but it is one of the top places in Italy to visit!

Two experiences that really stood out to me were a street food tour around Naples and the Naples Underground. This guided food tour was actually my first food tour I’ve ever taken while traveling, and now I plan to do 100 more.

Guided Food Tour

I ate enough to keep me full for two meals AND walked through most of the historic district AND learned over 300 years of history in just a few hours for the same cost as one meal. I can’t recommend this exact tour enough — you’ll be able to sample Apertivo classics (like cheese and olives), fried pizza, the best pizza ever (fun fact: it was invented in Naples!) from the restaurant where Eat, Pray, Love was filmed, sweet treats, gelato, and even coffee during this 3 hour food and history tour. BOOK THIS!

Underground History Tour

This Naples Underground tour was also fantastic! Here, your guide will take you through 2,400 years of history, from the ancient Greeks to modern times, unveiling the “womb” of Naples from an archaeological, historical, anthropological, and geological point of view. The tour includes a visit to the Greek-Roman Aqueduct, the remains of the Roman Theater, and the Summa Cavea, a new fragment of the Roman theater just brought back to life. I was amazed at what I saw down here — and couldn’t believe I was walking over all this history unknowingly the past few days!

Those are my top recommendations for Naples, along with all the information I can provide about traveling from Naples to the Amalfi Coast for a day trip! I hope this post covers all your questions and encourages you to book one of the tour experiences I linked here. I always recommend my personal favorite travel experiences in my blog posts, and this day tour, food tour, and underground tour all exceeded my expectations. Ciao!

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