Perfect 4 Day Amalfi Coast Itinerary
Updated: May 26, 2022
Amalfi Coast is known as one of the most romantic places in the world. It’s also so picturesque and incredibly beautiful. After two visits, I’ve found the perfect 4 day Amalfi Coast itinerary.
When I decided to do a road trip through Italy, I wanted Amalfi Coast to be on the itinerary. Mostly because I felt like it was a spot with lots of beaches and since it was so famous, it must be worth visiting!
I’ve officially been to Amalfi Coast twice, first in the summer, the second time in early fall (which is the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast!). Once was with a friend and once with my boyfriend. A 4 day Amalfi Coast itinerary will give you enough time to see the beauty there!
You’ll be able to find things that are fun, adventurous, and romance to fill your time, that’s for sure! I’ve gone to Santorini with friends and Paris with my mom so I guess I like making romantic places not romantic anymore. Amalfi Coast was a ton of fun with friends by the way even without the romance.
PS – I liked Cinque Terre better than Amalfi Coast. Unpopular opinion? Maybe, but it was way less crowded and a lot of fun. There are lots of cool hostels and bars all throughout the region too which makes it a great spot to go with friends.
Where to Stay
On a budget, the best option is in Sorrento. Sorrento is a really awesome city with lots to do. I was surprised by how much we loved our little hotel and place along the water. We stayed at Purple and I was so impressed!
For just $80 a night we had a great breakfast, free parking (on the street), and an awesome view from our hotel. Seriously worth staying here with everything it has to offer at the price. There are also several hostel options along the Amalfi Coast if you are looking for that as well.
For an amazing location, check out Hotel La Pergola. We paid just $180 for our two nights at a beautiful hotel just a 10-minute drive away from the town of Amalfi that included parking, breakfast, was right at a bus stop for easy transport, and a beautiful rooftop. This was a steal, you guys! In summer, the same place is that price per night.
Last summer when I went, we couldn’t even afford to stay in a place with a private bathroom for that cost and ended up staying in Sorrento instead of further away from the main cities.
On my first trip, I stayed at a spot I just wouldn’t recommend. We had no idea how remote it would be and I would not recommend it unless you are willing to climb about 15 flights of stairs to get to and from town. There is also a bus that ran up from town but we never ended up taking it. Even then, you’ll have to walk up and down 300 stairs from the top to get down to the hotel. It cost us $200 for the night. We barely slept because of loud music all night long and were woken up at sunrise by the sound of chickens with mosquitos biting us. I was shocked at how unromantic the whole thing was! Plus it was incredibly hot.
Moral of the story… it was a way less relaxing stay than expected and be prepared to pay a lot if you want an even semi-nice place. Honestly, if I could do it again, I’d either skip staying anywhere else but Sorrento and just ferry or truly splurge for a spot right in downtown. If you can’t get over this view even after knowing about mosquitos and 300 steps, you can check it out here.
Driving Amalfi Coast
I cannot say this enough, driving on Amalfi Coast is not for the newbie or unsure driver. You need to be confident and aggressive to survive the roads. This is true of any drive in Italy you might take. The roads are extremely narrow and people will fly past you a lot if you decide to go slow. You’ll be driving along cliffs most of the way and in traffic.
Be prepared and confident on these roads. With that in mind, driving is the most convenient. You can easily take buses called the Sita as well and avoid driving, but this would also involve taking a train or bus to Naples then catching the bus to Amalfi Coast.
We drove to the town of Amalfi from Rome which takes about 4 1/2 hours.
If you’re heading to Amalfi Coast and on a budget, I’d recommend staying in Sorrento. It’s a much more affordable option and accesses other towns via ferries and buses. We chose to do two nights in Sorrento to save some money and one night in Amalfi.
You can definitely stay the entire time in Amalfi and do this same itinerary. Just take advantage of the ferries and buses that are all along the coast. Your hotel can help you by giving you a printed schedule.
A lot more families and groups stay in Sorrento because it’s bigger, more accessible, and has more options for things to do. It also has fewer hills and treacherous driving involved. We stayed at an awesome hotel – Purple for just $89 a night. That’s the view from our room and I was absolutely shocked at how nice this place was for the price! The staff was awesome, parking was super easy, and we were able to walk to everything we wanted.
If you are looking for a more “picture perfect” stay, you will most likely end up paying over $200 for a night and still not be in town (during high season). Places are in high demand in towns like Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello. If you find a more affordable spot, they are typically not walkable and you will probably have to go up and down a mountainside to get into town. I recommend booking really far in advance if you are looking to do this option.
Day 1 Take a day trip to Capri
This is my favorite spot on this 4 day Amalfi Coast itinerary! We did a full day, small group boat tour here and it was so much fun. We were on a boat with 8 other people and were able to see the entire island.
It was the perfect way to meet other travelers and see everything there is on this gorgeous island. We saw all the grottos on the tour (we did not go into the blue grotto because of time) and I’ve never seen water so blue! After the grottos, we stopped to snorkel and got hours to explore the island.
We walked up to the heart of town and back down via stairs which were not as easy as we thought they would be! There’s so much to do in Capri and I’m glad we took some time to walk around and explore. The walk did lead to some great views and we got to see the adorable cabs that Capri is famous for.
Spend time at a beach club while in Capri and make sure you find some giant lemons. They are really fun to find and the seeds are a great momento to bring home! We spent some time on Capri relaxing at a beach club there where you got in for free if you ordered a drink. Worth it to avoid the crowds and enjoy our limited time there.
Day 2 Sorrento
Hang out on a restaurant pier. Sorrento has tons of restaurants that also have private piers that you can swim off of and relax on the beach chairs at. It’s the perfect set up for a relaxing day!
We hung out at Delfino’s for lunch in Sorrento and had amazing seafood. They’ll bring you drinks all day and you can relax without paying the private beach club price. Other towns have similar spots but you will pay a lot more. Sorrento did not give off the same vibe so I recommend it if you’re on a budget!
After that, we chose to rent beach chairs for the rest of the afternoon on this cheap beach. Right next to Delfino’s is a spot where you can rent a beach chair for just 3 Euros for the day. It was so cheap and a really fun little beach area.
Beach time was ending and happy hour was starting! Sorrento is known for its giant lemons so take some time to head to a Limoncello tasting. Limoncello is everywhere along the Amalfi Coast and for such good reason!
Amalfi has giant lemons that produce all different kinds of delicious products. The most famous is the pretty strong Limoncello that can be really delicious! There are spots all over for Limoncello tastings, but I Giardini di Cataldo has a really beautiful set up with tons of lemon and orange trees.
Day 3 Amalfi and Positano
On day three, it’s time to see the best of the famous coastal towns on the Amalfi Coast, Amalfi, and Positano. I really think both are a ton of fun to visit, but Positano is overpriced.
As mentioned, we chose to stay one night right outside Amalfi. Hotel La Pergola was just a 5-minute bus ride or 15-minute walk from Amalfi which made it easy to get into town. We started the day off there taking the water taxi from Amalfi to Positano.
Taking the ferry around from town to town is really easy. Ferries are not much more expensive than the bus and offer spectacular views of the coast. It costs about 12 Euros for a round trip ticket (it does get more expensive the more stops and further you go). There was something special about seeing Positano from far off as we sailed closer. It’s worth it! Also, because it was a city ferry, not romantic!
First stop, Positano. I saw more pictures of Positano than anywhere else along the Amalfi Coast. Positano in Autumn is beautiful and I definitely think that’s the best time to visit Amalfi Coast if you’re planning this trip. I think it’s pretty popular among travel bloggers and I can see why!
Positano was a beautiful place, but we found it to be a bit overpriced. While here, eat some awesome food and enjoy the incredibly cute streets. Walking around the small streets, exploring shops, and seeing the cutest spots was worth it.
The private beach areas were much more expensive here than in other areas. There were spots almost taking up the entire beach there with chairs. You’ll pay 24 Euros for the day (compared to the free ones we had on Capri and 4 Euro chairs we had in Sorrento) and that won’t even get you an umbrella or towel. I was not impressed with the beach area here at all.
Amalfi is actually a town as well as the name of the region. This confused me when I looked it up at first! It is a really gorgeous town and has a very resort feel to it. The beaches are long and there are two large harbor areas where boats are docked.
The beach in Amalfi is much cheaper than Positano for just 20 Euros you can rent two beach chairs and an umbrella. Highly recommend. There is also an incredible cathedral located in the middle of town that you can see.
My favorite restaurant on Amalfi Coast is also in Amalfi called Il Tari. Everything we ate there was delicious. I got a whole fish and the sauce was just delicious! We also loved their Amalfi lemon cake. So delicious!
Day 4 Naples and Pompeii
On your way back from Amalfi Coast, head to Pompeii and Naples. Naples holds tons of artifacts from Pompeii that were removed from the town at the National Archaeological Museum. Naples is also home to the beginnings of pizza and there are some great spots to grab one. I’d recommend Pizzeria Brandi.
Pompeii is incredible! I went to Pompeii on my first trip to Italy back in 2005 and was absolutely in love with it. Walking the streets of the city that existed 2,000 years ago was pretty amazing and taking a tour lets you in on every detail that you are seeing. You won’t want to miss visiting Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.
Pompeii is the perfect way to end this 4 day Amalfi Coast itinerary. You get history, amazing food, and your last perfect views. There’s way more to Amalfi Coast than people think and I hope you’re able to make the most of your trip just like we did.
Now you’ve got plenty of ideas for your 4 day Amalfi Coast itinerary! I think that spending four days here is ideal and will let you see a little of everything it has to offer. Remember that Amalfi Coast is about relaxing and enjoying the views. It’s just too beautiful for words. Also, can’t forget to think about what to pack for Italy! This is a pretty detailed list if you’re looking for some inspo.