Visiting the Amalfi Coast for the weekend and want to capture a few of the best highlights? Read on to discover the incredible three days (Friday to Sunday) we had in Sorrento, Positano, Furore Beach, Capri Island, Pompeii and more. Your Amalfi Coast weekend guide also includes links to the tours and experiences we enjoyed plus where we stayed in Sorrento. Enjoy!
How to get to Sorrento from Naples
We arrived in Italy the night before. Landing in Naples and heading straight down to Sorrento by train. We caught the AliBus from Naples International Airport to Naples Centre where the train station is. From here we caught the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Train Station all the way to Sorrento. Overall this was a very easy journey. The AliBus accepts card on board (It was €5 per person when we visited in May 2022); however, the card machine was a little broken and when we made the return journey at the end of the trip some buses didn’t have card, so best be prepared with euro cash on arrival. We could buy our Naples to Sorrento train tickets at the train station. Taking the train at 5pm on a Thursday, it was very busy and we ended up sitting on the floor for the journey.
Where to stay in Sorrento
We stayed at an excellently located AirBnb in Sorrento called William Apartments. I don’t think you could get a more centrally located room, and when we went it was super affordable. We had a bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchen. There was also a second large bedroom located above the main bedroom (via a spiral staircase) meaning you could stay with up to 3 other people if you wanted to. We were also only minutes away from this view.
While we were in Sorrento, we also had the opportunity to visit Hotel Cristina when we visited for dinner. This hotel had stunning views across Sorrento (more on this spot below!).
Suggested read: Instagrammable places on the Amalfi Coast
Day 1: Capri Island and Sorrento
We started our first day of our Amalfi Coast weekend waking up in Sorrento. We had arranged a day tour out to Capri Island, and this was a real highlight of our entire Amalfi Coast weekend. Not only because this day was my 29th birthday (woo!) but also because of how well organised the day tour was. We wanted to see the Blue Grotto, Faraglioni Stacks and spend time on the actual Capri Island and decided a tour straight from Sorrento would be the best way to do this on the day we were there. We went with Lubrense Boats and booked our tour through a third party, but you can book the exact trip directly with them here: Lubrense Boats Capri Sorrento Day Tour.
One of the best parts about this tour was that it was limited to a maximum of 12 people – this was perfect for the size of the boat, meant you weren’t squished in or trying to see the view across the heads of a million other tourists. Would definitely recommend the boat tour we did for this reason alone!
The tour started with a visit to the Blue Grotto (we had to pay €14 directly to the Blue Grotto in addition to the tour price – yes, you literally pay a boat that is there collecting money) where we were transferred into tiny boats into the Blue Grotto. Incredible experience, the water really does shine blue. It was a very quick trip in and out but accompanied with some incredible singing from the boat rowers.
After Blue Grotto we circled the island of Capri, enjoying views of the dramatic coastline and caves along the way before being dropped at Marina Piccola for four hours free time on the Capri Island. This boat port is on the opposite side of the island (not the main port) but both buses and taxis go between here and the main Capri island. The water at Marina Piccola is drop dead gorgeous.
We spent sometime in Capri town eating gelato (we had been given sandwiches on the boat tour – Tomato and Mozzarella – I don’t like tomato so removed it and I am not joking when I say this was still one of the best sandwiches I have ever had – it was soooo fresh), before taking the bus to Anacapri – the second town of the island at the very top. From Anacapri we took the chair lift up to the view point (€12 return) before returning back to our boat. To note: buses here were very full and on our return we had to wait for about 3 buses to go past before there was one empty enough to take us. Taxis are more expensive but you can see why people use them instead.
After we arrived back on our boat, we continued around Capri in the direction of Faraglioni Stacks. The water here was absolutely incredible and we pulled over for a swim stop. The tour includes two swim stops along the way, but due to the water still being quite fresh in May we opted for one and didn’t stay too long. Soon after we approached Faraglioni Stacks, and Lubrense boats were again brilliant here. They stopped the boat for everyone on the tour to take their own individual photos with the famous Capri Instagram spot. After we all had, they then offered us beer and a limoncello shot to finish the day.
After the tour finished we enjoyed dinner at Hotel Cristina rooftop lounge. This hotel is slightly out of the main centre of Sorrento on a hill, and the benefit of that is views across Sorrento. The team here were SO accommodating, and we enjoyed a sunset dinner. We ordered drinks, enjoyed appetizers before a first course of pasta and a main course of breaded steak. The hotel then surprised us with two beautiful birthday treats. It was such a fantastic way to end my birthday on the Amalfi Coast.
Day 2: Positano, Furore Beach, One Fire Beach Club and Sorrento
Getting around the Amalfi Coast
Today was our day for exploring the Amalfi Coast and there were a few places on our list. We hadn’t arranged for a tour of the Amalfi Coast so we took the public buses (SITA buses) from town to town. In hindsight, I think hiring a scooter may be the best option for transport around the Amalfi Coast. Cars would be too hectic on the very tight roads, ferries were quite expensive by comparison to buses (and didn’t stop everywhere like Furore Beach for example) and the buses were so crowded that often they were too full to stop and pick up more people (as we learnt at the end of the day when we waited for an hour and 3 buses went by before one stopped for us). I also found that Google Maps was not very accurate for bus timetables so I wouldn’t rely on Google Maps as much as normal on the Amalfi Coast.
We bought Amalfi Coast bus tickets at a small shop (although later in the day learnt you can download an App instead – Unico Campania – which was a lot better as you can’t buy tickets on the bus and places like Furore Beach didn’t have a ticket shop nearby). If leaving from Sorrento, I’d recommend getting the bus at the Sorrento Train Station (the first Amalfi Coast bus stop when we visited) as you’re more likely to get a spot on the bus. If you get car sick be warned the roads between the towns on the Amalfi Coast can be quite windy. If you can, try and get a seat on the right hand side when travelling from Sorrento and left hand side when travelling to Sorrento for the best views – or even to just admire (with slight intrepidation) the skill of the bus drivers as they navigate the busy and very tight Amalfi Coast roads.
Positano, Amalfi Coast
The bus dropped us off at the very top of Positano and we walked the (somewhat million) steps down to the beach. Our first spot was taking in the famous Positano view from below and we spent some time taking photos here (although it was a private beach the staff here didn’t seem to mind and said that it was fine for us to take the photos).
Afterwards we walked up the (again million) steps to take in the view from the other side. By 10am Positano was really busy and I can only imagine it gets even more crowded the more into summer it gets. We took in the view from above before continuing on. Positano was so beautiful, I would’ve loved to have spent the day wandering around and eating here – although I can imagine the crowds would get very overwhelming and the food is likely to be very expensive. However, seeing Positano was a real highlight of Amalfi Coast weekend.
Furore Beach (Fiordo di Furore)
From the top of Positano, we took another Amalfi Coast SITA bus to Furore Beach (also known as Fiordo di Furore). We had seen photos online of this beach and wanted to check it out in person. The bus dropped us right at the beach (basically right next to the bridge you see in photos). We spent an hour or two here relaxing on the beach – note, it’s a pebble beach not a sand beach. There was also a man selling drinks here, which was great. He was very helpful, telling us about the Unico Campania app, when we realised we had no return bus ticket and there were no shops nearby to buy one. From then on, we just booked our bus tickets online for each bus journey we wanted to take.
One Fire Beach Club
After exploring Furore Beach, our next stop for our Amalfi Coast day was One Fire Beach Club. As their food menu wasn’t quite ready, we were able to bring in food from outside and chose a takeaway pizza from a nearby restaurant. Yes, it really did come in the shape of a heart! We spent the rest of the afternoon at One Fire Beach Club, enjoying the hospitality of the beach club and another delicious Aperol Spritz. From here you can see Positano in the distance.
After leaving One Fire Beach, we opted to take the bus back to Sorrento. One Fire Beach Club does have a water taxi that would take you back to Positano; however, as we were staying in Sorrento, we thought a bus would be a better option (as it would take us directly back there). By this point it was about 530pm and it was a bit ridiculous trying to get on a bus – we waited for over an hour after about 3 buses went by that were too full to take us. Something to keep in mind when travelling the Amalfi Coast. We did eventually get back to Sorrento, and luckily just before sunset so we could see…
Valley of the Mills – Valle dei Mulini
It’s always worth doing a bit of research before travelling somewhere, because without it, you might miss little gems like this one, tucked away on the Amalfi Coast. Hard to believe but this is found in almost the centre of Sorrento, just at the back. Even on a flying visit through Sorrento, I’d recommend stopping to capture the Valle dei Mulini.
Where we ate in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast
Cafe Latino Sorrento
On our first night in Sorrento, we ate at Cafe Latino. I enjoyed this spot because it was outside in a garden, and while it was quite busy the atmosphere was relaxing. Would visit next time I’m on the Amalfi Coast.
Taverna dell’800
We ate here on our last night in Sorrento, but personally I didn’t particularly enjoy our meal.
Hotel Cristina
This was a beautiful restaurant with views across Sorrento, and a great place to enjoy sunset drinks and dinner.
A’marenna Sorrento
We bought a sandwich here to take to Pompei with us on Day 3, but unfortunately I didn’t rate it – and I thought I was going to! I don’t know if my expectations were too high after the delicious sandwich we had on our Capri day (seriously, so good) but just wasn’t up there for me.
Day 3: Pompeii and Naples
On Day 3 (Sunday) we woke up and it was time to say goodbye to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. We were flying out at 430pm that afternoon, so we opted to catch the first train from Sorrento to Pompeii at 8am. It was easy enough to get to Pompeii – we disembarked at Pompei Scavi Train Station. From there we walked directly (about 3 minutes – Google Maps directions here) to Pompei Porta Marina entrance. We arrived just before opening time and there was a small crowd out the front. However, the line to get tickets was not very long and we had tickets within 5-10 minutes of it opening. Tickets cost €16 each and you can pay by card or cash. If you are an EU citizen under 25 you get a much greater discounted rate.
Pompeii Luggage Storage
While I was getting tickets, Siobhan found luggage storage at Pompei Porta Marina entrance. The luggage storage was smallish (could fit a medium size backpack) but a major win was that it was completely free! We left our backpacks in storage and began exploring Pompeii.
Naples
After a few hours wandering around Pompeii, we opted to travel back to Naples slightly earlier than planned. We got back on the train at Pompei Scavi Train Station and continued onwards to Naples. In Naples we got a gelato and decided to head to the airport early (as in my opinion Naples isn’t a very enjoyable city to spend time in – although, if you have any recommendations do send them through, my opinion on places can always change). The Alibus from Naples centre to Naples train station was very busy and a lot of people had to stand; however, we got back to the airport with enough time – concluding one of the best weekend trips I’ve had. I hope you enjoy your Amalfi Coast weekend as much as we did!
Please Note: This Amalfi Coast weekend guide blog was created as a part of a collaboration deal with Hotel Cristina and One Fire Beach Club. For more information on my disclaimer and how you can work with me see: Work With Me
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