The Amalfi Coast: Sun, Sea & A Taste of Heaven

If there’s one destination that feels like a dream brought to life, it’s Italy’s Amalfi Coast. With its pastel-colored villages clinging to cliffs, winding coastal roads, and flavors that linger long after the last bite, this trip was nothing short of magical.

This has been a trip in the making for many years, many times delayed, and it finally happened! I purposely left the itinerary open and flexible as I wanted to go wherever the morning sunshine and scent of lemons took me! The only fixed item was a cooking class and a trip to Pompei. It was meant to be a solo trip, but it turned into a girls trip once my traveling partners in crime, Paola and Maribel joined, and we had an absolute blast!

Here’s my initial “plan” and what I feel it’s an excellent “first visit to the Amalfi Coast” schedule. As a point of reference, we used Praiano as our base, as it was located right between Positano and Amalfi.

8 Day Amalfi Coast Itinerary

• Day 1 – Travel in and visit Pompei! 
  • See: Pompei – A local tour guide is a great add-on as a way to get great insights and an expert perspective. Not having a full day in Pompei, we got a lot in during our two hour tour.
  • Eat: After Pompei visit a local winery for lunch! Bosco de Medici is fantastic; try one of the paired menus!
• Day 2 – Positano
  • See: Stroll through the winding pedestrian streets of Positano and make sure to check out the church of Santa Maria Assunta. Located just a few steps from the marina, it’s one of the most popular stops when visiting Positano.
  • Eat: Ohima in Positano serves amazing neapolitan pizza. However the octopus appetizer stole the show! Perfectly cooked and the perfect blend of flavors. 
• Day 3 – Capri and Sorrento
  • See: 
    • Capri – Once docked in Capri’s Marina Grande, you can follow the path to the waterfront with several stores and restaurants. Grab the funicular up to the top of Capri, and from there you can explore some more or take a taxi to Anacapri for magnificent views. The port also has several options for boat tours around the island, including the Blue Grotto. Entry to the Blue Grotto isn’t always possible as it is dependent on the tides.
    • Sorrento – From Capri you can hop on to Sorrento via ferry and climb up to the center of town. Like the towns in the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento offers a large variety of restaurants and shopping options. I didn’t have a lot of time in Sorrento, but will likely spend a couple days there before moving to the coast on my next trip!
  • Eat – In Capri, Bar Corallo right on the waterfront serves delicious neapolitan pizza and tasty drinks! Also fast and attentive service.
• Day 4 – Cooking School and Amalfi
  • See – After a half day cooking school in Amalfi, walk or ride the bus to Amalfi town. For me it was a 20 or so minute walk from Amalfi Heavens Garden to Amalfi. The walk is really easy on flat terrain, just be sure to walk on the side of the road that is closest to the water, as you will be walking on the road on and off. Several people called this out since day one and I finally realized why! The vehicles driving on the other side are driving within inches of the rockwall, and may not see a pedestrian as they navigate the many curves of the coast! Once in Amalfi a visit to the cathedral is a must too. The town also offers plenty of shopping and dining options. And be sure to try some of the lemon sorbet served in the hollowed out lemons. Touristy? Yes … Worth it? Absolutely!
• Day 5 – Hike the Path of the Gods
  • Unfortunately, my legs and knees were done by the time day five rolled around. However my friend Paola did the hike from the Convento di San Domenico Monastery down to Positano and described it as otherworldly. She is an avid hiker and described it as challenging at times, but absolutely worth it!
• Day 6 – Easy day – Praiano
  • See – Being that it does not have a marina, Praiano often gets overlooked as a base for visiting the Amalfi Coast. However, the town has its own small charm with plenty of great restaurants, some shops, and the worth visiting Church of San Gennaro. Praiano also has a smaller, less crowded beach, named Marina di Praia
• Day 7 – Ravello and Minori
  • See –
    • Ravello – So by day seven you think you have hit the paradise vacation lottery and it can’t possibly get better – then you go to Ravello! This heavenly gem is perched up from the coast, almost straight up from Amalfi. The 13th-century, Moorish-style Villa Rufolo, and Villa Cimbrone are the main attractions and certainly worth a visit. But strolling through the streets of Ravello is more than enough as you will find beauty in every turn! 
    • Minori  – Minori it’s just a short bus ride away once you transfer buses in Amalfi, and on the way, you will drive through another one of the Amalfi Coast towns, Atrani, which I really want to visit when I return. Once in Minori, a stroll through the town will take all of ten minutes. Since Paola wanted to take a swim in the Amalfi Coast, Maribel and I found a local bar to enjoy a couple of drinks and people watch. Really, the perfect end to the day
  • Eat – For Ravello, I recommend getting there early before the town gets busy, especially around 10:30 when the day trippers from Rome begin arriving. Il Duomo Caffe, right on the square served me what ended up being my favorite coffee of the trip! After strolling through Ravello for a couple of hours, and getting some pastas and olive oils at GustiEDelizie (that they shipped home for me!) it was time for lunch! A few minutes walk from the main square, and off the beaten path, you will find a small lively bistro named Babel. I am sure there’s a kitchen staff, but the owner seemed to be running the whole show! Another bowl of delicious pasta later, it was time to move on.

• Day 8 – Travel home  – As they say, all good things must come to an end! If flying out of Naples, you will want to allow yourself at least two hours to account for traffic. Unless you are me and have a 6 AM flight, which means a 3 AM pick up in Praiano and a 4 AM arrival at the Naples airport. Once you arrive at the airport, look at the large screen just inside the door and find your check in desk. With Naples being a relatively small airport serving many airlines, there are no airline dedicated desks, it seemed. So one must simply look at the board and go. Once you check in your bags, go upstairs for security and passport control, and once again watch the boards for your departure gate. There’s plenty of places to grab one final delicious pastry and latte before departing, so no need to linger downstairs looking for breakfast. 

It is probably worth noting that because I was based in Praiano, I don’t have dinner time meal recommendations for each of the towns in this itinerary, and over half of my dinners took place in Praiano. To that end, here are some Praiano recommendations:

Kasai – Kasai was so good that it had me going back for a second meal during the trip. Incredibly prepared seafood, the best Aperol spritzes, and tiramisu. Call ahead for a reservation if you want to be seated outside! I did this both times, and the second time, the manager was quick to offer some prosecco to help pass the time during a small wait. 

La Moressa – Perched up with gorgeous views, La Moressa serves wonderful fresh pastas and mouth watering seafood. Their website indicates that they also serve breakfast, but I didn’t get an opportunity to try it. What I did finally try here was the Limoncello Spritz and it did not disappoint!

La Posteria Praiano – Owned by the same folks who own La Moressa, La Posteria is just down the street but offers more in terms of steaks on its menu. As a matter of fact, my AirBnB hosts referred to it as “the steak house”. It is a bit smaller in size compared to other restaurants in Praiano, but it more than makes up for it in flavor. Due to the limited number of tables, a reservation is recommended.

First Impressions

Driving along the coast felt like entering a postcard. Every bend revealed a new view: turquoise waters stretching to the horizon, terraced lemon groves, and towns that seemed to tumble into the sea. Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello each had their own charm, and I quickly learned why people fall in love with this stretch of Italy.

And on the topic of driving – don’t do it! Parking is pretty much non-existent and the traffic is nightmarish! Having learned this through my research, and being very comfortable with public transportation in Europe I decided to rely on the local bus. It was crowded, but only twice did we have to wait for the next bus. And on that note, when they are full they close the door, so you could get split up. It happened to us, but it really is no big deal when you have cellular access on your phone (in my case an eSim from Airalo). You just wait for the next bus and catch the rest of your party at the next stop.

Why a Private Driver is a Great Choice

I highly recommend a private driver to take you to and from the train station or the airport in Naples to the Amalfi Coast. It was also very convenient to have one to take us back and forth to Naples on the day we did the tour of Pompei. Once again, I hit the vacation lottery and came across what has to be the best driver in the Amalfi Coast. Rosario Ruoco and his team are amazing! He patiently waited and welcomed us with a smile after a 4 hour delay coming in from Paris. Later on, drove us to Pompei utilizing a different route that took us through the hills and allowed us the opportunity to experience what most tourists don’t; local everyday life. Finally, he picked us up at 3:00 AM on our departure day to take us back to the Naples airport. I have sent a few friends his way in the last year or so and everyone has had the same experience. And no, I don’t get a kickback from him, but this is the type of service you need when you are away from home and wanting to make the most of your vacation time. On Facebook – Rosario Ruocco, Insta – @amalficoastdriver, WhatsApp +393348719903

Cooking in Paradise

One of the highlights of the trip was a cooking class at Amalfi Heavens Garden, tucked into the hillside. We toured the gardens, cooked several dishes, and the gnocchi was the star of the day. Rolling, shaping, and savoring it under the guidance of our hosts gave me a new appreciation for Italian cooking. By the end, I was swiping gnocchi across the rigagnocchi as easily as swiping my phone screen.

Amalfi Heavens Garden is perched up in one of the “terraces” that make up the Amalfi Coast landscape but it’s very easy to reach via public bus. I just entered the address in Google Maps and followed along in my phone until I reached my “fermata” and pressed the bell to alert the driver.

But What if Someone Cooked for You?

After four years working as a personal chef, I loved flipping roles and having someone cook for me. The Amalfi Coast seemed like the perfect place to make this happen, especially with a kitchen available at the AirBnB. I asked my AirBnB host for recommendations, and he delivered! Vittorio Gagliano cooked a five course meal, paired with wine, which was served on our terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Vittorio was very engaging throughout the entire evening, and I learned that he used to be a chef at my then beloved Kasai. No wonder I loved every bite of the food he made!

Beyond the Kitchen

The Amalfi Coast isn’t just about food (though that would be reason enough to visit!). Days were spent wandering narrow alleys, tasting limoncello, and soaking up the sun on pebbled beaches. Every meal — from fresh seafood to wood-fired pizza — felt like a celebration of life’s simple pleasures.

Reflections & What’s Next

The Amalfi Coast was indulgence in the best sense: beauty, flavor, and atmosphere blending together. But it also left me inspired. So much so that I’m putting together a planning guide for anyone dreaming of their own Amalfi adventure — from where to stay,when to start looking at accommodations, time to visit, travel options into the Amalfi Coast –  to tips for navigating those famous winding roads. Stay tuned for that in an upcoming post.

“Have you ever dreamed of visiting the Amalfi Coast — or maybe you’ve already been? Share your favorite memories (or must-do wish list) in the comments below!”