# 5 Day Amalfi Coast Itinerary: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
> A practical 5-day Amalfi Coast itinerary with current 2026 fees, ferries, ZTL rules, and day trips to Capri, Ravello, and the Path of the Gods.
**URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/5-day-amalfi-coast-itinerary-positano-amalfi-ravello
**Last Updated:** 2026-05-26
**Tags:** resources, culture, listicle
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Five days is the sweet spot for the Amalfi Coast: enough to base yourself in one town, see Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello properly, and still squeeze in a day trip to Capri or the Path of the Gods. This itinerary is built around current 2026 transport rules, ferry seasons, and admission fees, with concrete numbers you can plan against.
*Last updated: May 26, 2026*
## Before You Go: Logistics That Will Shape Your Trip
The Amalfi Coast is small in distance but slow in travel time. The SS163 coastal road is narrow, often gridlocked in summer, and subject to traffic ordinances that catch first-time visitors off guard. Read this section before you book a rental car or a hotel with parking.
Where to base yourself. For a 5-day trip, pick one town and do day trips. Positano is the most photogenic and the most expensive. Amalfi is the most central and the easiest for buses and ferries. Praiano is quieter and sits roughly between the two. Ravello is up the hillside and best for travelers who want calm evenings.
SS163 alternate license-plate restrictions (2026). Italy's Distretto Costa d'Amalfi enforces alternate plate rules on SS163 from 10:00 to 18:00. The 2026 calendar covers March 30 to April 6 (Holy Week through Easter Monday), April 24 to May 2, weekends and public holidays from June 1 through July 31, and daily from August 1 through September 30. On odd-numbered calendar dates, vehicles with odd final plate digits cannot circulate; on even dates, even-ending plates are banned. Guests of accommodations with a confirmed booking are exempt, but you must carry proof. The "Friendly Roads" project also operates from April 1, 2026, between 09:00 and 19:00 with control stations along the route.
Vehicle size limit. Vehicles longer than 10.36 meters (about 34 feet), including those pulling trailers, are banned from SS163 from 6:30 a.m. to midnight year-round. This is why most coaches are smaller minibuses.
ZTL (restricted traffic zones) and parking.
| Town | ZTL window (summer) | Fine | Daily parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positano | Approx. late June to mid-September, 6:30 a.m. to midnight | From €150 | Parcheggio Mandara ~€30, Marina Grande €35–€40 |
| Amalfi | ~10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 5 p.m.–7 p.m. in summer | €150–€200 | Garage Luna €25–€30 |
| Ravello | Centre largely pedestrian | n/a | Belvedere Principessa di Piemonte €18–€25 |
If you are not driving in from elsewhere in Italy, skip the rental car. Buses, ferries, and the occasional taxi are cheaper and far less stressful.
Tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno). Italian municipalities each set their own per-person, per-night levy, typically capped between 5 and 14 consecutive nights and usually paid in cash at checkout. In Amalfi, recent rates have been around €3 per person per night for 3-star hotels, €4 for 4-star, and €5 for 5-star. Positano applies tiered rates by accommodation type from April 1 to October 31. Confirm the current figure with your hotel or the Comune when you book.
## Getting Around: Buses and Ferries
SITA Sud buses are the workhorse of the coast. A single ticket runs roughly €2.50 to €4 depending on distance and must be bought before boarding at a tabaccheria, newsstand, or bar. On-board purchase, where allowed, adds a €0.50 surcharge. Since 2024, passengers must also buy tickets for large bags or suitcases.
For a 5-day trip, two passes are worth knowing:
- COSTIERASITA 24-hour pass: €10. Unlimited rides between Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello, Salerno, and the smaller villages in between.
- Mobility Amalfi Coast 24-hour pass: €12. Same as above plus the local Positano internal buses.
A single SITA ticket from Amalfi to Ravello (route 5110) costs €1.50 and takes 25 to 30 minutes. In high season (May to September) the last bus from Ravello back to Amalfi leaves at 22:00; in low season (November to March) it leaves at 20:00.
Ferries run roughly from late March or April through October. Sample 2026 fares:
| Route | Duration | From |
|---|---|---|
| Positano–Capri | ~30 min | €22.50 |
| Amalfi–Capri | 50 min–1 hr 15 min | €23.50–€28 |
| Salerno–Capri | varies | €29.50 |
| Salerno–Amalfi (Travelmar) | ~35 min | €8–€10 |
| Short hops (Positano, Maiori, Minori) | varies | from €5 |
Luggage typically adds €2 per large bag. The Capri landing fee is included in your ticket: €5 per person from April 1 to October 31, €2.50 per person from November 1 to March 31. From Easter through early November, non-resident cars, motorcycles, and mopeds cannot circulate in Capri.
## Day 1: Arrival and Positano
Fly into Naples Capodichino, then take the Curreri Viaggi bus or train to Sorrento, where the SITA bus continues along the coast. If you're starting from Rome or Florence, see our [1 Week Italy Itinerary for First Trip](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/1-week-italy-itinerary-for-a-first-trip-rome-florence-venice) for the train segment.
Check into your hotel by early afternoon. Spend the rest of Day 1 walking Positano top to bottom. The town is essentially a single staircase. Wander down through Via Cristoforo Colombo and Viale Pasitea to Spiaggia Grande, the main beach. The free public beach occupies the side sections; sun-bed sections belong to the lidos and have separate pricing.
Dinner at one of the trattorias around Via del Mulini. Order *scialatielli ai frutti di mare* and a bottle of Falanghina.
## Day 2: Amalfi Town and the Emerald Grotto
Take the morning SITA bus from Positano to Amalfi (about 40 to 50 minutes if traffic cooperates). Sit on the right side for the views.
In Amalfi:
- Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea (Duomo). Climb the famous staircase and buy the €3 Monumental Complex ticket, which covers the Cloister of Paradise, the Crypt, the Diocesan Museum, and the Basilica of the Crucifix. Open daily 9:00 a.m.–6:45 p.m. from March to June and 9:00 a.m.–7:45 p.m. July through September.
- Paper Museum (Museo della Carta). A short walk up the valley behind town, set in a medieval paper mill.
- Lunch in Atrani. A 10-minute walk east through the tunnel, Atrani is Amalfi's quieter neighbor with a small piazza, cheaper food, and a tiny pebble beach.
In the afternoon, take the SITA bus westbound to Conca dei Marini for the Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Grotto). Entrance is €10 per person, cash only, with a guided rowboat tour of about 20 minutes. Opening hours are typically 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. Skip it if the sea is rough, since the grotto closes whenever swells make boat access unsafe.
Return to Positano or your base for dinner.
## Day 3: Ravello
Ravello sits 365 meters above the coast and feels like a different country: cooler, quieter, and built around two extraordinary villas. Take the SITA bus from Amalfi (€1.50, 25 to 30 minutes).
Villa Rufolo. Admission is €8 for adults, €7 for groups of 15 or more, and €6 for visitors over 65 and children aged 5 to 12. The gardens famously inspired Wagner and host the Ravello Festival concert stage.
Villa Cimbrone. Entrance to the gardens is €10 per person. Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, with last entrance at 7:30 p.m. and the gate closing at 8:00 p.m. Walk to the Terrazza dell'Infinito, lined with marble busts and arguably the best view on the coast.
Lunch at a family-run trattoria around Piazza Duomo. Try *crespolino al formaggio* and the local red, Tramonti DOC.
Ravello Festival 2026 runs from June through late September, with most concerts staged at Villa Rufolo's Belvedere. Standard seats start around €30; premium and headline orchestral nights run €80 to €120 or more. Concerts typically begin at 21:00. The last SITA bus down to Amalfi leaves at 22:00 in high season, so if you stay for a concert, line up a taxi or book a hotel in Ravello.
## Day 4: Day Trip to Capri or the Path of the Gods
Pick one. Both are full-day commitments.
### Option A: Capri
Catch the morning hydrofoil from Positano (~30 minutes, from €22.50) or Amalfi (50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, from €23.50). The Capri landing fee of €5 is already in your ticket from April through October.
From Marina Grande, take the funicular up to Capri town, then a local bus or taxi to Anacapri. Highlights:
- Villa San Michele in Anacapri, the home of Axel Munthe.
- Monte Solaro chairlift from Anacapri's Piazza Vittoria.
- Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) if the sea is calm. Entrance is paid separately on-site, and the queue can be brutal in July and August.
- Faraglioni viewpoint from the Giardini di Augusto.
Aim to be back at Marina Grande for an afternoon ferry. The last sailings tend to leave by 18:00 to 19:00, but verify on the day.
### Option B: Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)
The classic walk runs from Bomerano (frazione of Agerola) to Nocelle, 6.5 to 8 km of mostly downhill ridge trail with the entire coast spread below. Allow 2 to 4 hours. The trail is free, with no permits or entry fees. Paid parking near the Bomerano stadium is €5 per day; some white-lined street parking is free but limited.
Logistics: take the SITA bus from Amalfi up to Bomerano via Agerola, walk to Nocelle, then descend the roughly 1,500 steps to Positano (or catch the small local bus from Nocelle into town). Wear actual hiking shoes. Carry at least 1.5 liters of water in summer; there is no shade on long stretches.
## Day 5: Slow Morning, Beach, and Departure
Use Day 5 to revisit the spot you liked best. Some ideas:
- Fornillo Beach in Positano, quieter than Spiaggia Grande and a 10-minute walk west.
- Furore Fjord, between Praiano and Amalfi, with a tiny pebble beach under a soaring bridge.
- Cetara, a working fishing village east of Amalfi famous for *colatura di alici*, an anchovy sauce descended from Roman *garum*.
- Minori and Maiori, two flatter beach towns with a pleasant 30-minute coastal walk between them.
For the airport transfer, the simplest route is SITA bus to Sorrento, then the Curreri Viaggi coach to Naples Capodichino, or a Travelmar ferry from Amalfi to Salerno (€8–€10) and a train onward. Build in extra time for traffic on summer afternoons.
If you want to extend the trip, look at our [Classic 2 Week Italy Itinerary](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/classic-2-week-italy-itinerary-rome-to-the-amalfi-coast) or the [1 Month Italy Itinerary for Slow Travelers](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/1-month-italy-itinerary-for-slow-travelers-where-to-linger) for ideas on combining the coast with Rome, Naples, Puglia, or Sicily.
## Estimated Costs at a Glance (2026)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| SITA single ticket | €2.50–€4 |
| COSTIERASITA 24-hr pass | €10 |
| Villa Rufolo admission | €8 |
| Villa Cimbrone gardens | €10 |
| Amalfi Cathedral Monumental Complex | €3 |
| Emerald Grotto | €10 (cash) |
| Positano–Capri ferry | from €22.50 |
| Amalfi–Capri ferry | €23.50–€28 |
| Path of the Gods | free |
| Tourist tax (per person/night) | ~€2.50–€5 depending on town and category |
## Common Pitfalls
- Driving in on a banned plate day. Check the 2026 alternate-plate calendar before you arrive and have your hotel booking on your phone.
- Buying SITA bus tickets on board. Most drivers won't sell them. Find a tabaccheria first.
- Arriving at the Emerald Grotto with only a card. Cash only.
- Booking a Capri day trip in November. Many ferry routes and the Blue Grotto operate seasonally; verify before locking in a date.
- Misjudging Ravello bus times. The last bus down to Amalfi leaves at 22:00 in high season and 20:00 in low season.
- Underestimating ZTL fines. A wrong turn into Positano's centre in August can cost €150 or more.
## FAQs
Is 5 days enough for the Amalfi Coast? Yes. Five days gives you Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, one major day trip, and a slower final morning without rushing.
When is the best time to visit? Late April to mid-June and mid-September to mid-October. The weather is warm, the sea is swimmable from June, and you avoid the worst of the August traffic ordinances.
Do I need to rent a car? No, and for most travelers it's actively a bad idea. Buses, ferries, and taxis cover the entire coast.
Can I do this itinerary in low season? November through March is much quieter, but many ferries, the Emerald Grotto, and some restaurants reduce hours or close. SITA bus frequency drops, and the last Ravello bus shifts to 20:00.
How much Italian do I need? Most hotel and restaurant staff in tourist towns speak English. Basic Italian (*buongiorno*, *un caffè per favore*, *il conto*) goes a long way and is genuinely appreciated in smaller villages like Cetara, Atrani, and Furore.
If you're planning more than a single trip to Italy, picking up Italian from real menus, signs, and Italian-language videos pays off fast: [try Migaku](https://migaku.com/signup) to learn from the same content you'll actually encounter on the coast.