Day Tour to Positano, Amalfi & Ravello from Sorrento
The three-town run with a guide all day and a boat leg between Positano and Amalfi.
From $109 per person
Check AvailabilityVisiting the Amalfi Coast
There is no gate on the Amalfi Coast and no ticket to buy. What you are really planning is when to come, where to sleep and how to move between thirteen towns strung along one cliff road — and those three decisions settle almost everything else about the trip.
When to come, and what is running
The coast is open every day of the year, but not everything on it is. The passenger ferries between Salerno, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento are seasonal, and so are most of the boat operators: their own published seasons start between mid-March and mid-April and finish between mid-October and early November. That single fact reshapes a winter visit, because from November to March the SS163 is the only way along the coast.
| Season | What is running | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| April–May | Ferries start; every boat operator is open by mid-April | Warm days, cool evenings, the terraces in flower and the road still moving |
| June–August | Everything, at full frequency | Hot, crowded, and the coast road at its slowest; book boats days ahead |
| September–October | Ferries and boats until late October | The sea is at its warmest and the crowd thins after the first week of September |
| November–March | Road tours only; ferries and most boats stopped | Quiet towns, short days, and rain peaking in November at around 171 mm |
If you can choose, choose May, June, September or early October. That is when the sea is warm enough to swim in, the boats are running and the traffic has not yet reached its August crawl. The month-by-month weather page sets out the temperature and rainfall figures behind that.
Where to base yourself: five towns compared
Where you sleep decides which tours can collect you, which ferries serve you and how far you sit from the worst of the traffic. There is no single right answer, because each of the five buys you something different.
Positano: the view everyone has seen, the widest choice of boat departures, and a town that is almost entirely steps. Best if you want to walk out of your hotel onto a boat.
Amalfi: flat by local standards, central on the coast, and the hub of the ferry network. Best if you want to move between towns without a car.
Ravello: high above the other two, quiet in the evening and slow to leave. Best for two nights rather than five.
Sorrento: not on the Amalfi Coast at all, but the best-connected base in the region and the departure point for more tours than anywhere else. Best if you also want Pompeii, Naples and Capri.
Salerno: a working city with high-speed trains and the cheapest beds within reach. Best if the budget matters more than the postcard.
The distances between them are set out on the coast map.
What a day on the coast actually costs
Do the arithmetic before you decide how to travel. A day using the SITA bus costs a few euro in fares and roughly two hours of standing and waiting. A hire car adds fuel, tolls and parking that runs to serious money in Positano and Amalfi in August, plus the alternate-plate scheme that can shut the road to your number plate altogether. A shared guided day starts at $71 for a cooking class and around $110 for a full day on the coast, and it removes the driving, the parking and the timetable at once.
Set against that, the coast itself asks for nothing. Where money does go is on the specific sights: the Grotta dello Smeraldo, the two Ravello villas, the cloister in Amalfi, and the archaeological parks at Pompeii and Herculaneum, where the 2026 adult tickets are €20 and €16 respectively. Almost every tour excludes those and you pay at the gate.
Working out which day suits you?
Every trip here is compared on price, length and what the fare actually covers, so you can see where the money goes before you commit.
Getting between the towns: road, boat, bus or driver
Four ways exist and they are genuinely different. The scheduled SITA Sud buses run the SS163 and are the cheapest option; buy the ticket before you board and expect to stand in July and August. The seasonal ferries are faster and pleasanter and stop for the winter. Driving yourself is possible and rarely enjoyable — see the Amalfi Drive for what that road is actually like. A driven day, shared or private, hands the problem to somebody who does it daily.
Arriving in the first place is a separate question, and getting to the coast answers it for Naples, Rome, the airport and a cruise berth.
How long you need
One day is enough for the classic run through Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and it is what most visitors have. Three nights lets you give one day to the water, one to the road and one to a single town at walking pace. Anything under a day means choosing one town rather than three, and the best choice for a short visit is usually Amalfi, because the ferries reach it.
| Time you have | What fits | What to skip |
|---|---|---|
| Half a day | One town, reached by ferry or bus | The three-town run — it will feel like a coach ride |
| One day | Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, guided | Driving yourself |
| Two days | One road day and one boat day | Trying to add Capri as well |
| Three or more | Both of the above plus a slow day and a walk | Nothing |
What to bring, and what you pay in cash
Shoes you can climb steps in, because every town here is built on them. On the water, a swimsuit, sunscreen, a towel where the operator does not provide one, and a layer for the ride home. Small notes matter more than usual: several boat operators collect a docking, mooring or landing fee on board in cash, and the Grotta dello Smeraldo is bought at the cave.
Two of the boat listings state their extra charges precisely — €10 per person for docking and mooring on one, €5 for snorkel gear and €10 as a destination fee on another — so read the exclusions before you compare two fares that look alike.
Access, steps and how to work around them
The towns are staircases with buildings attached, and that is the constraint rather than the tours. Some tours are described by their operators as wheelchair accessible, and one private minivan states that the vehicle itself is; two of the Sorrento venues say the same. On the boats, boarding is from a pier or a beach and every operator states its own position on mobility in the listing.
If steps are difficult, the practical shape of a day here is a private car with a driver, long stops at the two flattest places — Amalfi's seafront and Ravello's main square — and the boat left for another trip. Booking private Amalfi Coast tours is how most people solve it.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need here?
Three nights lets you do it properly: one day by boat, one by road, and one spent slowly in a single town. One day is enough for the classic run through Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and it is what most visitors actually have. Less than a day means choosing one town rather than three.
Which town should I base myself in?
Positano for looks and boat departures, Amalfi for ferries and a central position, Sorrento for transport links and the widest choice of tours, Salerno for value and train connections. Ravello is quieter and sits high above the other two, which is lovely to stay in and slow to leave. The distances between them are set out on our map page.
What is the best time of year to come?
May, June, September and early October. The sea is warm enough to swim in, the boats are running, and the road has not yet reached its August crawl. July and August are the hottest and busiest, and most boat seasons close between mid-October and early November.
Do I have to pay to enter anything?
The coast itself is free: there is no gate, no admission and no opening hour. What costs money is the specific sights — the Grotta dello Smeraldo, the two Ravello villas, the cloister in Amalfi, and the archaeological parks at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Almost every tour excludes those, and you pay at the gate.
What should I wear and bring?
Shoes you can climb steps in, because every town here is built on them. On the boats bring a swimsuit, sunscreen, a towel where the operator does not supply one, and a layer for the ride home. Small notes are worth carrying: several boats collect a mooring or landing fee on board in cash.
More of them, and the ones about booking, cancellation and seasickness, are on the frequently asked questions page.
Days that fit a first visit
Amalfi Coast & Positano: Boat Tour with Snorkeling & Drinks
The same coast from the water, with swim stops and a half-day option.
From $110 per person
Check AvailabilityAmalfi Coast Shared Small Group Tour from Sorrento
Eight seats, an early start and two full hours in Ravello.
From $112 per person
Check AvailabilityFor the full list of guided Amalfi Coast tours, and the comparison table that sets them against each other, start at Amalfi Coast Italy Tours.