August 11, 2019

5 days in Sorrento – Amalfi coast

A few weeks earlier I had the chance to spend 5 days in Sorrento and Amalfi on the Italian coast.

Italy has always been, to me, one of the best destinations thanks to its amazing culture, friendly people and of course delicious food.

So far, all of my trips have taken me to the northern part of this country, such as Gemona, Trieste, Venezia, and Rome. This was the first time I get to discover the southern part after having heard a lot about its beauty.

My journey has taken me to Amalfi, Ravello, Positano and also Naples. I had chosen to take Sorrento as a base as it is an amazing city with easy transportations to all neighboring areas.

How did I make the most out of my 5 days in Sorrento? check out all my detailed itinerary below!

First I would encourage you to check my complete Vlog where I detail all the Itinerary and the amazing moments we had during our trip. You can access it by clicking here: 5 amazing days on the Italian coast!

Day 1: Arriving at Sorrento

As I am based in Bordeaux I took a plane the first day along with my two sisters who joined me from Lebanon to go to Naples in Italy.

We landed in Naples at around 9 a.m. and then took a bus directly from the airport to go to Sorrento. It took us about 1h30 minutes to reach Sorrento and headed directly to Tirrenia Hotel in which we had booked 5 nights. We decided to spend the first afternoon discovering Sorrento and wandering in its streets.

Sorrento is a very small city and can be visited on foot. Make sure to get lost in its small and scenic streets. You will find lots of small shops and restaurants full of Italians and tourists. On every corner, a new surprise awaits you. They are very well known for ‘Limoncello’ or Lemonade, so make sure to grab one and drink it while walking around!

The must-see places in Sorrento are the Church of St. Francesco, The Terrace of which you have a breathtaking view towards Naples and Vesuvius Volcano, the Vallone Dei Mulini where you will find ancient ruined mills, Marina Grande, Marina Piccola, and Piazza Tasso.

Practical information:

The buses that leave from the airport to Sorrento are very frequent and cost 10 Euros per person

Make sure to stay in a hotel that is close to Corso Italia, like Tirrenia hotel, so you can reach the center and small streets easily

If you go down to visit Marina Grande or Marina Piccola, you do not need to walk all the road up again. There are always buses that will take you back to the main road. They pass by every 15 minutes so just wait for them.

“While taking the bus from Sorrento, Make sure to sit on the right side as the views are breathtaking!!“

Day 2: Finalizing Sorrento

On our day 2 of our 5 days in Sorrento, we decided to stay in the city and discover all the places we still hadn’t visited and also go for a swim.

In order to get to the beach in Sorrento, you need to take a lift that costs about 1.5 Euros. You can find the lift just behind Hotel Imperial Tramontano on the big terrace. When you go down, you will notice that there are parts of the beach that are private and others are public.

We chose to stay in the public area, which was relatively small but since there were not many people on that day, we enjoyed our time. The water was very clean, the sun was hot, and the view towards the volcano and Napoli was amazing!

At night, we went for a visit to Marina Grande. It is a very nice walk, especially at sunset. When you arrive there, you will be astonished by the old buildings and balconies where old locals sit and watch all the tourists posing and taking pictures.

Day 2 ended with us having a glass of wine on the terrace of hotel Tirrenia with a view towards the sunset, the sea, and Vesuvius.

Practical information:

There are always buses going up from Marina Grande up to the main street, so you do not need to walk all the way up. These buses cost 1.5 Euros per person.

If you are going to the beach, make sure to bring anything you want to drink with you before arriving there. At the beach, the prices of drinks and food are very high

For all pizza and pasta lovers, I would recommend ‘Ristorante S. Antonino‘: they have a big diverse menu, the food was delicious and I really liked the terrace where you can sit with a view towards small Sorrento streets!

“Make the most out of Sorrento by foot. Get lost in its streets, talk to people, sit on the stairs watching the life in this city. Pretty amazing!”

Day 3: Amalfi Coast and Ravello

On our third day of the 5 days in Sorrento, we decided to begin visiting the rest of the Italian coast.

We went to the central bus station of Sorrento, where there are buses that leave every 30 minutes and stop at Positano and Amalfi.

Needless to say that the trip was amazing! It took us about one hour and a half to reach Amalfi. We passed by amazing and breathtaking natural sceneries where the mountains and the sea meet to create beautiful beaches!

On arrival at Amalfi, we chose to visit Ravello directly so we took a bus that got us there in about 30 minutes.

Ravello is a place that connects the mountains and the sea. From there, you will find amazing sceneries and natural landscapes. Go for a walk through the beautiful villas, the small shops, surrounded by nature and the sea. It is priceless!

In the afternoon, we came back to Amalfi and went for a swim. The beach was crowded but it was worth it.

At sunset, we began wandering around the city. The streets were full of locals and tourists. I found it very charming to be walking between shops and restaurants while locals looked at us from their balconies and windows. It is a place where you can really feel the Italian way of living.

It is also important to visit the huge cathedral that surrounds the main piazza of Amalfi. Walk up the stairs and enjoy the view.

At around 10 PM, we took the bus back to Sorrento, ready to sleep and wake up for day 4.

Practical information:

The buses that leave to Positano and Amalfi are often full. If you do not arrive early, it is very possible that you should stand during the trip. Otherwise, the best option would be to wait 30 minutes for the next bus.

You can buy a ticket for 10 Euros that gives you unlimited rides for 24 hours. It is very practical.

When you arrive in Ravello, there are lots of amazing sceneries. There are also Villas from which you can take nice pictures however bear in mind that the entrance to the terrace of these villas is not free.

If you want to eat a delicious meal, I’d recommend ‘Ristorante Il Chiostro‘ just next to the big Cathedral. I enjoyed their salads and pizzas a lot. The service and prices were also great!

Day 4: Positano

Our 5 days in Sorrento continue with a visit to Positano. It was possible for us to add Positano to the Amalfi and Ravello day. However, we wanted to take our time and make the most out of every destination.

So, again, here we were, at the central station, taking the bus to Positano. An hour later, we arrived there.

The bus drops you on the main road from which you have a view toward all the small colored streets going down all the way to the beach. Along with other tourists, we began our descent.

The streets are amazingly beautiful. There are some that are empty and others filled with touristic shops. Anywhere you go, you can have a beautiful view of the amazing beach!

As it was very hot that day, we went directly for a swim. Positano beach is divided into many parts.

There is the public area that is completely free, the private area where you should pay for the chairs you rent, and there is the part dedicated for the boat excursions where only people going on boat tours are allowed.

After a few hours of swimming, enjoying the incredible views and beautiful sun, we took the bus back to Sorrento where there was a big fireworks show at night.

Practical information:

The buses to go from Sorrento to Positano are the same that go to Amalfi. However, if you are planning to only visit Positano and go back to Sorrento from there, you can a ticket a for only 4 Euros both ways.

When you finish your visit to the beach, you do not need to walk all the way up to the main street. There are buses leaving every 15 minutes next to the beach that will take you up to the bus stop.

“Take your time while walking through the streets of Positano, enjoy every moment during the descent. “

“While swimming, take a moment and look back at the amazing colored mountains filled with villas and tourists!”

Day 5: Capri Island

On our last day in Sorrento, we were ready to visit what is called ‘the jewel of the Italian Coast’: Capri.

We headed to Marina Piccola and from there bought tickets for a boat that took us in a 30 minutes ride to the island.

On arrival, we booked a boat tour all around the island with explanations on its history and most important parts. The boat tour is a must to discover all of Capri as it is a huge island.

Upon our return to the port, we took a cable car that took us up the mountains where you have the best view of the sea. From there we wandered in the streets of the island, discovering its beauty. We visited old monasteries and amazing gardens with breathtaking views and sceneries.

Capri island is a good place to visit, however, you should be aware that it can be relatively expensive.

The Blue Grotto is one of the most known touristic attractions of Capri, however, we did not visit it as there were at least 2 hours wait time to enter because of the big number of tourists.

On our return to Sorrento, and as it was our last night there, we went for a drink in the amazing Chaplin’s Irish bar in Corso Italia. They offer a large variety of drinks, with good prices and amazing atmosphere! A must visit you are in Sorrento!

Practical information:

You do not need to book your tickets to go to Capri or the boat tour in advance. You can easily get them in Marina Piccola and Marina Grande in Capri.

One way from Sorrento to Capri costs about 15 Euros. The island boat tour is about 18 euros per person.

This was the end of our 5 days in Sorrento, however, it was not the end of our trip.

From Sorrento, we took a train to Naples where we stayed for 2 days and visited Pompei city that was destroyed by a volcano about 2000 years ago.

As we were exhausted, we did not have enough time to discover all of Naples so I will surely be back there sometime soon!

From Naples, we also took another train to amazing Rome, where we spent our very last day before I head back to Bordeaux and my sisters to Lebanon.

This trip was amazing on so many levels. The Italian coast is very rich, diverse and amazing! Even though I usually like solo traveling, however, I enjoyed this trip a lot and most importantly because I shared it with my sisters!