South Italy would be an ideal place to go on holiday all year if it were not that many places of hospitality, bars and restaurants close for fear of not seeing much sun … but the real winter is another thing!
If you want to plan your holidays, without a doubt the best time for walking the Amalfi Coast is from April to June, when the spring flowers are in bloom, the weather is quite hot, and the sea allows the first dives of the season.
Traveling in the late spring or early summer, you will not have the tourist crush in July and August and the overly hot temperatures later in the year.
Sleeping villages come back to life after winter, people come back to the streets, cafes and restaurants reopen their doors to let the sun in, and along the winding streets, the scent of citrus and jasmine charms the first visitors of the season.
The tourist season officially begins from Easter weekend and runs through October: during May and June prices are generally lower than during July and August and also in the first months of autumn, when the temperatures are still mild and the majority of tourists have left.
Self guided 
Walking
Walking the Amalfi Coast
CampaniaDifficulty path:Highlights
As the Italian novelist and poet Quasimodo, other poets, writers and travelers have been enchanted by one of the most beautiful coastline in the world, which offers breathtaking natural landscapes. One of the most famous tourist destinations in southern Italy is still incredibly fascinating.
An itinerary that will take you from Salerno to Amalfi, to discover the eastern part of the Amalfi coast and, moving away from the coast time to time, to admire still authentic places, scented with Mediterranean scrub and kissed by the sun and the sea.
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Terraced lemon and olive groves, orchards and vineyards
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Walks among mountains and green valleys
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Local craft: fine Ceramics and ancient Paper Mills
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The ancient path from Agerola to Amalfi
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Hidden Medieval rocky settlements
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Fresh seafood and innumerable local flavours
→ Find interesting Travel tips at the bottom of this page ↓↓
Program
Salerno
The ancient Roman Salernum is today a modern town dominated by the medieval Castle of Arechi and protected by a prestigious commercial port.
We recommend that you arrive early in the city to arrange your first urban trekking to discover the historic centre and its lively promenade.
Along the long Ruga Nova Mercatorum (Via dei Mercanti) you can easily orient yourself reaching the Provincial Art Gallery and, later, the Cathedral of Salerno, which in its crypt houses the remains of San Matteo.
From here a nice walk along the promenade, to catch a glimpse of the paths that go up and down from the Amalfi coast and to enjoy the blue of its marina. If you fancy a bit of greenery, you can walk inside the Municipal Villa, the green lung of Salerno, or visit the Minerva’s Garden, the first Botanical Garden of Europe for the cultivation of plants for medical purposes.
Overnight in Salerno.
From Salerno to Vietri sul Mare
5km, +120m -290m
A short private transfer will take you to Vietri sul Mare, the eastern gate of the Amalfi Coast, famous for the production of fine handmade pottery.
With this first excursion you will discover the small towns within the municipality of Vietri sul Mare and you will immerse yourself in scenic spots of great beauty. After crossing the hilltop village of Benincasa with its folkloric wayside shrines spreads in its narrow streets, you will continue uphill to Dragonea. Here you can breathe the fresh air coming from the Lattari Mounts, which in the hot summer days goes down to the sea, refreshing the many tourists.
Following the loop you can make a short detour to the pretty village of Albori and its labyrinths of stairs that branch off around the church of Santa Margherita D’Antiochia.
Downhill towards the Marina di Vietri the last detour takes you to reach Villa Guariglia, an historic building that now houses the interesting Museum of Ceramics.
And finally you will reach the Marina di Vietri and its long beach. For lovers of small things, it will be possible to reach the beauty Marina di Albori.
Overnight in Vietri sul Mare.
Walk on the Lemon Trail
6km, +260m -380m
Early in the morning a short transfer will take you to the starting point of your daily itinerary on the Amalfi Coast.
The trail, after a steep ascent, follows the route of the aqueduct and of the Amalfi coast to remain halfway up the hill walking between typical cultivations and Mediterranean vegetation.
The first part of the route will end in Maiori, with its wide and long beach which is crowned by the characteristic terraces planted with citrus.
Leaving Maiori behind continue on the so-called path of the Lemons up to the lovely Minori, where you will be inebriated by the smell of orange blossoms and the taste of the sea. Here, if you haven't already done so, sip a nice limoncello and go to the Sal De Riso pastry shop to try its specialties.
Overnight in Minori.
From Minori to Amalfi via Ravello
10km, +450m -590m
From Minori a long staircase, today’s most challenging stretch, leads to Ravello, a town perched on the coast, an authentic pearl in this coastline.
Among the many attractions of Ravello, do not miss the magnificent Gardens of Villa Cimbrone, adorned with rare species of plants, statues and fountains. The paths in the garden lead to the Belvedere, from where you can admire the most spectacular view of the Amalfi Coast.
The route continues in the direction of Scala, the oldest village in this part of the coast, a fortified stronghold that was part of the complex defense system of the Amalfi territory. From the picturesque hillside village of Pontone the path will lead you to the Valle dei Mulini reserve, from where you will continue in the direction of Amalfi through a smooth and fragrant trail, rich in water and dense vegetation made unique by the presence of a fern that dates back to the age of glaciation.
Overnight in Amalfi.
From Amalfi to Agerola
9km, +800m -200m
The route connects Amalfi with the village of Pogerola - 700 steps in a pleasant and shady climb - as well as with the wooded part of that village, known for its chestnut groves.
Then walk along a nice stretch of the high path of Valle delle Ferriere and turn off towards Mount Murillo: the paths are mostly easy, but always proceed with great care as these are mountain paths!
Transfer back by public bus and overnight in Amalfi.
Trek on the Path of Gods
14km, +330m -940m
Using the local buses, this morning you will reach Bomerano in Agerola.
And, last but not least, today you will walk the most famous pedestrian-naturalistic path of the Amalfi Coast: the Path of the Gods. You will immediately realize why this path has this name, enchanted by the marvelous views of the sea that lead up to Positano, the jewel of the Amalfi Coast. Here you can spend the last hours of the day walking through its narrow streets, and visiting the Church of Santa Maria Assunta whose majolica dome dominates the view over the city.
After a nice refreshing bath, you return to Amalfi again by bus for the last overnight stay.
Amalfi
After breakfast end of services.
Try to don’t miss a visit to the Paper Museum, an authentic old paper mill, to discover the history and evolution of the production process through a careful guided tour, demonstrating the use of ancient machinery that transformed rags into paper.
Tour programme variations
Due to organizational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
Along the way you may find temporary deviations (for example road works) which cannot be foreseen; in this case each walker can decide autonomously how to deal with these stretches.
What's included
Our offer includes
- 6 nights with breakfast in shared double/twin room
- Private transfers day 2 and day 3
- Travel App (maps, tracks, route notes)
- Luggage transportation hotel to hotel
- Phone assistance 08:00-20:00
Not included
- Transfer IN and Transfer OUT
- Meals and drinks
- Entrance fees and tips
- Public transports
- Hotel tourist taxes
- Insurance and what's not listed as “Included”
Departures and prices
Supplements per person
Other Information
The walking tour on the Amalfi coast winds mainly through dirt paths and country lanes; rarely, and only when strictly necessary, on busy roads.
The morphological conformation of the Amalfi coast provides considerable differences in level to be tackled daily, so the tour is suitable for anyone with good walking training. The length of a walking day ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 14km, with travel times between 2 and 4 hours.
We recommend to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring with you a hat, trekking poles (strongly recommended), drinking water, sun cream, swimsuit and a waterproof jacket in case of rain.
The short public and private transfers included in the program are an important part of the journey, as they contribute to a perfect balance between slowness and comfort; operated by the SITA SUD lines they enrich the journey making it more authentic by living contact with the locals.
The tour offers accommodation in pretty B&B and selected 3* hotels.
All rooms are ensuite.
- 1 night in Salerno
- 1 night in Vietri
- 1 night in Minori
- 3 nights in Amalfi
7 breakfasts included.
→ We will take care of your luggage while you are walking.
For the whole duration of your tour, you can contact our assistance numbers.
A few days before departure you will receive by email the Service List with instructions for using the Travel App.
Upon your arrival, ask at reception for the info pack with:
- updated Service List;
- luggage Labels.
Getting there
Salerno is well connected to Naples and its airport.
BY TRAIN. From Napoli Central Station or Piazza Garibaldi you can easily reach Salerno by train. The regional trains ticket to Salerno costs around 3-4 € and it’s called U-5 Unico Campania. Other trains are more expensive and cost around 7-10 euros. To research schedules and purchase the tickets please go to the following websites www.trenitalia.com e www.italotreno.it
BY AIR. The international airport of Napoli-Capodichino is located about 60km from Salerno. From Naples airport there are several ways to reach the city of Salerno.
There is the bus service of ALIBUS, at a cost of € 3 if purchased from outside the airport (near the bus stop about 20 meters from the terminal) or with a surcharge of € 1 if purchased directly on board . You can reach the Naples Central Station to take one of the regional trains that connect Naples to Salerno, or choose one of the high-speed trains. The ALIBUS bus also stops in Piazza Municipio (Molo Beverello), from which you can find the SITA bus (ticket € 4.30) to Salerno, 5 minutes’ walk away. NB: SITA races are carried out 4 times a day, except Sunday.
BY BUS. You can reach Salerno by the bus service operated by SITA. Always check the destination written on the bus, or you can ask for “Salerno”. The journey should take an hour so so. The ticket should cost between 3€ and 4€ per person.
BY CAR. If you arrive from the north, take the A1 highway Napoli-Salerno, then Salerno A30 Caserta-Roma, exit Fratte/Salerno centro. If you arrive from the south take the A3 highway Salento -Reggio Calabria, exit Fratte/Salerno.
Back to Salerno
Amalfi is well connected to Salerno by SITA SUD direct bus line. The ticket price is around 4 €; travel time is approximately 75 minutes. Timetable updated on the website.
In the period from April to November there are operational connections by boat with the Amalfi coast (harbors of Amalfi and Positano), with the islands of the Gulf of Naples (Capri and Ischia) and the Sorrento coast (Port of Sorrento). The service is provided by the companies Travelmar and Gescab.
Ask for a quote
Travel tips
When do you fancy leaving?
Why choose this tour for your holidays?
In southern Italy the sun almost never fails and the Amalfi Coast offers all the ingredients for a perfect one-week walking holiday – great food, wonderful landscapes, Italian culture, typical family run hotels and a bit of ancient history.
You will walk along an incredibly beautiful coastline, as well as through the contemplative hinterland, always overlooking the sea. Our new itinerary and the right travel tools will allow you to explore this spectacular land at your own pace.
Local specialties
The cuisine of this land is abundant in fish, seafood and fruit and vegetables grown from the Mediterranean sun and, for meat eaters and cheese lovers, the Lattari mounts offer many protein-packed delicacies.
Lemons are part of the landscapes of the Amalfi Coast and they are used in many local recipes of sweets, pasta sauces and the world famous limoncello!
A must for sea flavours are the scialatielli ai frutti di mare, a dish made with sea food and the fresh pasta typical of the Amalfi Coast, as well as the “divine” anchovies used to make the superb Cetara’s Colatura di Alici: few drops can transform the most simple of pasta dishes in an explosion of flavour.
Among the mountains a lot of small, family-run dairies carry on the cheese making tradition: ricotta, fiordilatte and provola cheeses here are laced with the scent of herbs.
Fresh ricotta is one of the principal ingredients in “ndunderi“: a type of gnocchi declared from UNESCO one of the oldest pastas in the world.
The Amalfi Coast proposes also fabulous recipes for cakes and desserts: in Minori you can find chocolate coated aubergine, custard filled aragostelle pastries, and the hazelnut crumb cake, filled with ricotta and pears.
In Amalfi, yummy Amalfi biscuits and over-sized Zeppole of San Giuseppe…there is even a temple dedicated to chocolate!
Authentic experiences
Taking the bus on the Amalfi coast in the middle of summer requires a good deal of patience: in July and for most of August, it may be a problem finding a seat on the bus, unless you choose the less traveled days and times. In all the other months traveling is more quiet, but it is still a picturesque way to get in touch with locals!
And if while walking you meet some little dog without owner, don’t be scared, they are very friendly and they will probably follow you from village to village … it’s their way of spending time!
