10 Nights on the Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast has long been on my bucket list, and I finally made it a reality in September 2023 on a ten-night trip with two friends. Here’s everything you should know about our trip – where we stayed, our flights, getting around, activities, and expenses.

Despite popular belief, the Amalfi Coast is actually between the towns of Positano and Vietri sul Mare, meaning Sorrento and Capri are not technically on the Amalfi Coast. It’s more accurate to say we’ve travelled around the Campania Region – inclusive of Naples, Capri, and Sorrento – but for the sake of this article and search engines, we’re generalising with the Amalfi Coast.

This article is pretty hefty since I’ve included everything, but I have published separate articles too which you can browse here instead.

Accommodation

Sorrento (8 Nights)

For the majority of our time on the Amalfi Coast, we stayed in this Airbnb cottage just outside of Sorrento. It was located 20 minutes from Sorrento with a beautiful panoramic view, the nearest town was S’Agata. There was also a SITA bus stop right outside the gate.

We paid £659.90 total for an 8-night stay between the three of us, which worked out to around £220 each. We paid half of the booking in February, and the remainder was due in August with our trip taking place in September.

The cottage is very basic spread across two floors, but it has air conditioning and wifi. It offers the most insane panoramic views of Vesuvius and the host Claudia was so incredibly helpful.

Book Claudia’s Cottage

Naples (2 Nights)

We ended our itinerary in Naples and stayed in this Airbnb. We paid £223.62 in total which was around £75 each when split between the three of us. We paid in full at the time of booking but had the option to cancel for free up until the day before our arrival. We chose this place mainly due to its location in the Old Town, with easy access to metro lines, shops, and amenities, but the selling point for us was the private terrace.

Book Paola’s Art Terrace

Flights

To make the trip as reasonable as possible, we opted to book our flights individually. We each had cabin baggage (rucksack) each and a 23kg checked suitcase that allowed us to bring back liquids and heavier souvenirs. I was able to do this using compression packing cubes and this travel backpack that was accepted on both Wizz Air and EasyJet.

Outbound

At the time of the trip, two of us lived in Gloucester and one of us lived in North London which meant we had a bit of flexibility around which airport we used. We flew from Birmingham to Naples with EasyJet on a Wednesday morning for £37 each, this included one checked suitcase between us. The flight departed at 09:45 am and arrived in Naples at 1:35 pm. While Birmingham is only an hour’s drive from Gloucester, we opted to book this airport hotel for as little stress as possible which came to £46.30 each.

Inbound

Our return flight was on a Saturday with Wizz Air, leaving Naples at 4:20 pm and arriving in London Stansted at 6:15 pm which included one checked suitcase between us, which cost around £90 each. We then stayed in North London before the two of us from Gloucester travelled back the next day via coach.

Wednesday, Day 1: Arriving on the Amalfi Coast

Getting from Naples to Sorrento

As none of us were experienced driving on the opposite side of the road, and with the coastal roads being a little tricky we decided against hiring a car. The advice suggested there were many great options for public transport, namely buses, trains or a ferry, but due to the location of our accommodation being further inward in Sorrento, we would have had to get a taxi to the cottage which can be expensive and tricky to navigate.

Since we knew we would be tired and lugging suitcases, we pre-booked this taxi transfer in June for £45 each the payment was due 3 days before our booking with free cancellation. The provider was Blu Welcome Travel and any questions prior to the booking were quickly answered by the Get Your Guide customer service.

Our driver was already waiting for us at the promised location on arrival, and the car was clean and air-conditioned – it was just us.

Dinner at O’Parrucchiano La Favorita

After spending a few hours in the Sorrento Airbnb, soaking in the views and offloading from the day’s travel, we decided to splash out for dinner at O’Parrucchiano La Favorita immersed in their lemon grove. 

At the time it was doing the rounds on TikTok, but since it was also mentioned time and again in restaurant recommendations we decided to go for it. Since it had increased in popularity, bookings could only be made 15 days before via phone with a minimum purchase of €30 per person. I was able to make a reservation at 10:30 am UK time via telephone 15 days before, the server I spoke to was English-speaking, and simply took my details without the need for a deposit.

As our accommodation was a bit further out from the main areas of Sorrento, our host very kindly gave us a lift down to Sorrento and we used the recommended taxi driver provided by our accommodation host to return, it cost 50 euros for a 20-minute drive from Sorrento to near S’Agata.

Thursday, Day 2: Sorrento

Maya Beach Experience

We’ve kicked off our first full day on the Amalfi Coast at Maya Beach Experience. We booked the VIP Pool Sunbeds in advance, with payment on arrival, which cost 50€ per person and included an umbrella, sunbeds, beach towels, bottles of water, and parking. There are other places in the club you can choose from, but we wanted a prime position at the main saltwater pool.

Since none of us had any experience riding mopeds or scooters, we decided against hiring them for our own safety. So, we arrived around 11 a.m. after taking a 45-minute taxi from our Airbnb that cost 20€ per person between the three of us. We enjoyed lunch and drinks at our sun lounger and spent around 55€ on food and drink at the beach club.

We stayed until around 4.30 p.m. and then took another taxi back to the Airbnb for our evening activity.

Traditional 3-Course Italian Meal with a Local Family

In the evening, we booked this Eat With experience, it cost £34 per person and included a traditional 3-course – more like 5 -Italian meal lovingly made by Barbara using organic homegrown ingredients from her garden.

You can read about my full experience here.

Friday, Day 3: Sorrento

Rested and recuperated after our day at the beach club, we set out to explore Sorrento. Our accommodation was walkable down a pedestrian path, so we set out with a 60-minute stroll down to Sorrento, starting with breakfast at Bar Ecolana.

Shopping in the Old Town

Via S. Cesareo is narrower and busier and it is filled with shops selling leather, sandals, ceramics, souvenirs, jewelry, gelato, and limoncello. Corso Italia is a wider street that is lined with clothing stores and restaurants.

Vallone Dei Mulin

Vallone Dei Mulin or The Valley of the Mills is a hidden wonder just minutes from Sorrento’s main sqaure, the Piazza Tasso. The 13th-century flour mill ruins are untouched by humans, allowing nature to reclaim the buildings owed to the humidity in the crevasse.

Lemon Grove and Limoncello Tasting

I Giardini di Cataldo is a lemon grove and limoncello factory in the heart of Sorrento. They offer different tour options, reserved 24 hours in advance and paid afterward. We opted for the 60-minute guided your and limoncello workshop, it was 32 euros each and included:

• Walk around the private lemon grove gardens
• Introducing the history and traditions of the family, learning about the lemons characteristics and properties, and explaining techniques and methods of production for liqueurs, jams, and homemade products.
• Tasting menu of sliced lemon, babà in limoncello spirit, jam, and at least four typical
  liqueurs and lemon ice cream.
• Making our own 10cl bottle of limoncello included in the price

While it was enjoyable, we didn’t feel that it was the best value for money and learned that there were free lemon grove gardens available to visit nearby – just don’t forget the mosquito spray. Perhaps stop here to stock up on some authentic limoncello products instead.

Cooking Class

We rounded off the day with a 5 pm cooking class, we opted for an evening class so we could make the most of the day, but this 4-hour class was also available from 10:45 am. We paid £83 each through Viator which allowed us to cancel for free until the day before.

The cooking class took place in an Italian villa with a sea view, the setting was so serene with the sea breeze, setting sun, and surrounding lemon and olive trees. It was around a 20-minute drive from Sorrento, so we took the arranged transport which cost 10€ p.p. per way, picking us up from a central hotel with others in the class.

We each made eggplant parmesan, fresh gnocchi in tomato sauce, and tiramisù from their grandmother’s recipes which we then enjoyed together with the other guests.

You can read about my full cooking class experience here.

Saturday, Day 4: Positano

After getting the bus from Sorrento to Positano which took around one hour, we started with brunch at Casa E Bottega before shopping our way down to the beach – of course, stopping in the famed CB Positano dress shop. We then spent the afternoon on the Spaggia Grande beach with rented sun beds before heading back to Sorrento.

You can read about my full Positano day trip here.

Sunday, Day 5: The Paths of the Gods

The Path of the Gods hike is famously one of the most spectacular hiking trails in the world. The approx. 75km hike can take anywhere between two and four hours depending on the route you choose to take. We followed the recommended route from Bomerano to Nocelle, finishing with a dip in Arienzo Beach.

You can read our full hiking experience here.

Monday, Day 6: Amalfi & Ravello

Since Ravello sits above Amalfi, it’s recommended to visit both in one day. So we caught the bus from Sorrento to Amalfi, since the queue for the minuscule bus to Ravello was too big and with a reservation to make, we had to splash out on a taxi. We enjoyed a fancy lunch at Belmond Caruso Hotel before exploring Villa Ruffalo and Villa Cimbrone, then fighting for a spot on the bus back to Amalfi. We were just in time to visit the Cathedral and its cloisters, before having an al fresco dinner and catching the bus back to Sorrento.

Tuesday, Day 7: Capri

We spent the majority of the day in Capri using this Capri boat tour that not only included a visit to the infamous Blue Grotto and transfers from Sorrento but allowed for 3 hours on the Island as well as seeing other sights along the coastline. The tour started at 7.30 am at returned to Sorrento at 2.30 pm. We spent the remainder of the day shopping in Sorrento.

You can read about our full Capri experience here.

Wednesday, Day 8: Pompeii & Vesuvius

While many suggest visiting Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius on the way to or from Naples, we had the time within our itinerary to visit as a day trip from Sorrento instead. While it is possible to visit Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius yourself, we opted for this tour with lunch that came to £114.89 each with transfers to/from Sorrento.

We arrived back in Sorrento around 4:30 p.m. and headed to Spa Ulysses for some recuperation rather than heading to and from our accommodation to get changed for an evening dinner reservation. It costs 25€ per person for 2-hour use of the facilities – jacuzzi, pool, sauna, steam room, lounge etc.

You can read about our tour experience in full here.

Bellevue Syrene

Knowing it was our final night in Sorrento and the glorious peninsula, we had one last hurrah with a luxury meal at the Bellevue Syrene. We contacted the restaurant by email on 7th August 2023 requesting an evening reservation for two possible dates, and we received an email response the next day for one of them – the 20th September 2023. Our reservation was on the ‘La Pergola’ which is the famed panoramic outdoor sea terrace that sits in front of the Piazza della Vittoria. The sparkling wine we were given as a welcome drink was so nice, we couldn’t find it during our time in Naples but I managed to order it online – it’s this one if you’re interested.

Thursday, Day 9: Naples

Train from Sorrento to Naples

After checking out of our Sorrento Airbnb, we boarded the Campania Express that departed from Sorrento at 10:20 a.m. and arrived in Napoli P. Garibaldi at 11:45 a.m. We booked the tickets online at €15,00 per person around a month before, and the tickets were electronically sent via email meaning we didn’t need to validate them. Booking in advance meant we had reserved seats, whereas others who purchased on the day did not and had to stand unless there was one available. On arrival, we checked into our accommodation and immediately set our sights on lunch.

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele a Forcella

Of course, the first thing we headed for was pizza, but not just any pizza, the famed L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele a Forcella. As Julia Roberts famously said in this exact restaurant in Eat, Pray, Love, “I’m having a relationship with my pizza”. But this isn’t just a literary hot spot (thank you Elizabeth Gilbert), this master pizzeria dates back to the Condurro family in 1870.

There still remain only three options of Neapolitan Pizza on the menu – the “Marinara”, the “Margherita” and the “Cosacca” – only made using natural ingredients and all only €5.50 each. We opted for the Marita which was half margherita and half marinara, the margherita was the best pizza I’ve ever had so I’d recommend just having that flavour by itself.

They now have locations in London, Manchester, and Amsterdam too. 

Naples Street Food Tour

Knowing we only had a couple of days in Naples, and to help us get a better lay of the land, we booked this Naples street food tour. The 2.5 tours cost £32.67 each, and we had around 6 items to eat and drink. While our guide was great, I didn’t feel that it was worthwhile and feel that we could have made a better use of our time. It didn’t feel as if we were taken anywhere particularly special or ‘off the beaten track’.

Friday, Day 10: Naples

Since this was our only full day to spend in Naples it was pretty jam-packed loosely following this itinerary from Full Suitcase. It was most logical for us to start at the National Archaeological Museum since it was the closest attraction to our accommodation, but we also packed in visits to  Galleria Umberto, Castel Sant ‘Elmo, and Cafe Gambruinus – one of the oldest and most famous cafes in Naples. We also made sure to stop at another infamous pizza spot – Da Brandi a Chiaia – where the Margherita pizza was invented.

Saturday, Day 11: Naples

Before we knew it, our time on the Amalfi Coast had come to an end and it was time to depart. We arrived at the airport early which was just as well, Naples airport was chaotic and the worst airport I’ve ever flown from. The communication was poor, so don’t rely on the screens for help – use the airline app instead if you can.

Expenses (per person)

Here’s everything I spent during my 10 nights on the Amalfi Coast, some of the figures in GBP are approximate as they were converted from euros. Being a trip of a lifetime and following some hardships, we decided to splash out at some of the more expensive restaurants with lobster and wine, and activities so it could definitely have been done more on a budget. We pre-booked a few of the activities and transport to help spread the cost.

Flight & Accommodation

• Flight from Birmingham to Naples – £37
• Flight from Naples to London Stansted – £90
• Sorrento AirB&B – £220
• Naples Air B&B – £75
• Birmingham Airport hotel – £46.30
• Tourist Tax – £14 (16€)
• Total: £468.30

Travel

• Transfer from Naples Airport to Sorrento – £45 pre-booked
• Taxi to Accommodation  – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Taxi to Maya Beach – £17.39 (20€ pp / 60€ total)
• Taxi from Maya Beach – £17.39 (20€ pp / 60€ total)
• Taxi to Accommodation – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Bus to Sorrento – £1.13 (€1.30)
• Bus to Positano – £2.78 (€3.20)
• Bus from Positano to Sorrento – £2.78 (€3.20)
• Bus Day Ticket – £8.70 (€10)
• Bus Day Ticket – £8.70 (€10)
• Taxi to Ravello – £17.39 (20€)
• Bus to Capri – £1.13 (€1.30)
• Taxi to Sorrento Harbour – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Bus to Accommodation – £1.13 (€1.30)
• Taxi to Sorrento – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Taxi to Accommodation – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Taxi to Train Station – £14.43 (16.6€ pp / 50€ total)
• Train from Sorrento to Naples – £13 (15 €) pre-booked
• Funicular Tickets Return – £2.26 (€2.60)
• Metro Ticket  – £1.13 (€1.30)
• Metro Ticket  – £1.13 (€1.30)
• Airport Bus – £4.20 (5€)
• Total: £231.82

Activities

• Maya Beach Experience – £43 (50€) reserved and paid on arrival
• Sorrento Cooking Class – £82.88  pre-booked
• I Giardini di Cataldo – £27 (32€) reserved and paid on arrival
• Capri Boat Tour – £128.10 pre-booked
• Sorrento and Capri tax – £8.70 (€10)
• Blue Grotto Entrance Fee – £15.65 (€18)
• Garden of Augustus (Giardini di Augosto), Capri -£1.30 (€1.5)
• Positano Spiaggia Grande – £37 pre-booked
• Villa Cimbrone – £9 (€10)
• Villa Rufolo – £6.91 (€8)
• Naples Cloisters – £3.48 (€4)
• Pompeii & Vesuvius £114.89 pre-booked
• Spa Ulysses – £21.74 (€25)
• Naples Street Food Tour – £32.6 pre-booked
• Castle – £3.04 (€3.50)
• Naples Archaeological Museum £19.56 (22.54€)
• Total: £553.46

Food and Drink:

• Airport Snack – £6.09 (€7 )
• Supermarket Groceries – £20.09 (€23.3pp – €70 total)
• O’Parrucchiano La Favorita, Sorrento – £40 (46€)
• Maya Beach Experience, Massa Lubrese  – £47.62 (€55)
• Eat With, Sorrento – £37
• Breakfast, Sorrento – £4.78  (€5.50)
• A’Marenna Sandwich, Sorrento – £7.40 (€8.49)
• Casa E Bottega, Positano – £17.39 (€20)
• Beach Pizza, Positano – £4.61 (€5.3  – 16€ total)
• Lemon Spritz, Positano – £12.17 (€14)
• Lemon Sorbet, Positano – £8.70 (€10)
• Coffee and Fanta, Bomerano – £4.35 (€5)
• Da Franco Pizza – £10.87 (€12.50)
• Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello – £52.17 (€60)
• Lemon Sorbet, Amalfi £8.70 (€10)
• Amalfi Dinner – £18.26 (21€)
• Cappucino, Capri – £6.09 (€7)
• Capri Pasta – £13.04 (€15)
• Restaurant Z’Intonio – £46.08 (€53)
• Cappucino, Sorrento – £2.61 (€3)
• Bellevue Syrene, Sorrento – £59.18 (€68)
• L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele a Forcella, Naples – £6.96 (€8)
• Cappucino, Naples – £2.75 (€3.16)
• Libreria Berisio, Naples –  £6.96 (€8)
• Gran Caffè Gambrinus, Naples – £12.17 (14€)
• Da Brandi a Chiaia, Naples – £20 (€23)
• Total: £478.48

Shopping and Souvenirs:

• Limoncello x 3 mini, Lemon Soap & Sweets – €19
• Wine – €30
• Perfume – €70
• Scarf – €10
• Leather Bag – €29.90
• Ceramic Vase – €90
• Ceramic Lemon – €28
• Ceramic Olive Oil Cannister – €40
• Underwear Set – €24.18
• Espresso Cup – €7
• Pistachio Biscuits – €13.50
• Air Balloon Ceramic Diffuser – €30
• Dress – €19.99
• Socks – €3.99
• Total: £361.33 (€415.56)