Positano is the most magical town on earth. There are so many things to do around this area of Southern Italy, but it is also a relaxed, laid back beach town if you’re looking to slow down while you’re here, too. This four day guide of things to do in Positano touches on the best of the Amalfi Coast. From the freshest seafood the Italian Mediterranean has to offer, a fun nightlife, history, beaches and boats to breathtaking hikes, you will find it all in this Positano itinerary.
Day 1 in Positano
For your first full day in Positano, spend the day walking through the winding, charming streets. Positano is a cliffside village, so make sure you wear good walking shoes for going up and down the streets.
Positano is known for their famous hand-made leather sandals. If you’re going to buy a souvenir, what better way to remember such a special memory than to get something you can wear for years to come? They are moderately priced, with the average being about 65 euros. This can be more or less depending on what you choose for soles and straps.
Artigianato Rallo is the place you want to go. There are dozens of shoemakers and shops, but this mother and son duo have the best selection and are so warm, welcoming and great at what they do. The shoe fitting and making process doesn’t take long, and you don’t need to reserve a time, you can just walk into the shop and design your sandals!
I recommend doing this on the first day, because as you wear them around the rest of your time in Positano, if anything is uncomfortable or needs to be adjusted, you can head back to the shop. A quick stop in and the owners will fix you right up!
Day 2: Path of the Gods & Beach
Start your day with what will end up being the most memorable hike of your life and walk the Path of the Gods (or Sentiero degli Dei in Italian). The trail is easy to follow and you don’t need a guide. However, you’ll want to start early, and beat everyone else to the trail.
To do this, you’ll need to take the local SITA bus to Bomerano. Either buy your bus ticket the day before while you’re walking around town exploring, or plan a few extra minutes in the morning to duck into a “tabaccherie” to get your ticket for that day.
Bus tickets are sold at the tobacco shops, which are generally more like a small supermarket and/or local bar or coffee shop. Two places in Positano where you can always get a bus ticket are at the bar at the top of the street Via Cristoforo Colombo, or the store right across the street from the main bus stop, Alimentari Di Giovanni De Lucia “Super Mercado”. Bonus: if you purchase it at the latter and then cross the street to wait for the bus, you’ll have an amazing view looking down on the town!
You’ll hop onto the bus going towards Agerola and get off in Bomerano. There are signs right from Bomerano piazza (the main square) to direct you to the start of the trail.
The Path of the Gods hike is 5 miles, and will take 3-4 hours depending on how often you stop for photos and to just take in the view. While it is high elevation, if you do it from Bomerano heading back down into Positano instead of the other way around, it’s mostly a downhill walk. It’s really not too challenging, and while I wore my regular Nike tennis shoes, there were people doing it in Teva sandals (not that I’d recommend it, but it’s not too tough of a walk!). It’s a moderate hike with the duration factored in, but if you’re relatively fit, you will find it easy.
Depending on the time of year it is, it could get rather hot so you’ll want to make sure you dress for the weather and bring a water bottle. There are a few sporadic fountains along the trail to refill, too. Another perk of doing it early in the morning is avoiding direct sun. The trail will take you to some of the most incredible panoramas in all of Italy, while you follow ancient mule routes that were used hundreds of years ago by the people who lived and farmed there.
I just walked right back down into town, but you can catch a bus back into the city center if you’re okay with waiting on one. Buses in this area aren’t always predictable as the day goes on and their schedules get off course, and I chose to just find the road and just walk right back down into the town to where the bus stop was that I started from.
After your hike, it’ll be about midday. Grab some lunch, change into your swimsuit and head down to the beach (Lido L’incanto) for the afternoon. The main beach in Positano has changing rooms, bathrooms and beach chairs and plenty of places to grab drinks, food or smoothies. Taking a dip in the cool Mediterranen or reading on the shore under an umbrella is the perfect way to treat yourself after your long walk!
Day 3: Pompeii & Cave Bar
While you’re in Positano, if you haven’t visited Pompeii yet, now is your chance! It’s a train ride away, making visiting Pompeii from Positano a great day trip.
There are three different ways to visit Pompeii from Positano:
- Join a group tour that will pick you up from your hotel or a central meeting point
- Hire a car or van to take you there and back (best option for large groups to split the cost)
- Take public transport
The group tour option that leave from Positano that includes your transfer to Pompeii I’d recommend is this one:
However, if you want to take public transportation, it really is easy enough to do! You’ll purchase your bus ticket the same as you did to get to Bomerano for the hike, except you’ll hop on going the opposite way to Sorrento. The bus to Sorrento from Positano is a direct bus with no stops, so you don’t have to worry about getting off at the right place.
Then, take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii Scavi station, which is a 30 minute train ride. The train stops at both Pompeii and Herculaneum, so be sure to get off at the first of the sites (Herculaneum is another 20 minutes further away). You’ll be approached by guides offering to take you on a private tour through Pompeii, which is likely worth it for the average traveler to get a full history lesson of what they’re looking at.
Pompeii is a huge site covering over 44 acres, and would be impossible to see in a day. A guide will take you to the most important and historical parts and give you a feel for what life was like back then. You’ll also see all of the remnants of preserved history that the volcanic eruption left behind in almost perfect condition. Wear good walking shoes, bring or purchase water outside the main gates, and plan for 4-5 hours of walking around. Try to get there early to both avoid crowds and the sun.
If you’re up for some Positano fun after your day in Pompeii, head back down to the main beach once the sun sets and walk towards you right (eastward) to grab some drinks at Music on the Rocks. This is a nightclub carved into a cave, with a DJ and Positano-priced (AKA overpriced) drinks. I’d go on a weeknight personally, as the weekend crowd tends to be younger people who are really there for a good time, if you know what I mean. Unless that’s you, then go on the weekend instead of weeknight!
Check the hours online before you head down because they differ based on summer season versus the off season. Even if just for a drink or two, it’s a unique experience to get your drinks from a cave bar (seriously, the bar is part of the cave), and it’s fun to be down on the beach at night looking up at the beautiful Positano city lights.
Day 4: Capri
Take a day trip to Capri. No trip to one of the most stunning places in Italy is complete without checking out it’s most beautiful island. Getting to Capri is easy, and there’s a few ways to do it depending on what kind of traveler you are.
How to Day Trip from Positano to Capri
- Take the ferry at the dock on the beach to Capri and explore on your own
- Book a private tour and guide
- Join a group tour
Once in Capri, there are a ton of things to do. Picking what to do if you only have one day may be a challenge, but if you want more of an adventure than just hanging at the beach, the top two highlights are doing a tour of the Blue Grotto, which is a cave that is naturally illuminated a bright blue and has incredible acoustics. It’s said that long ago fishermen and sailors refused to go near that part of the coast due to a belief that the cave was inhabited by monsters and witches.
The other most famous thing to do in Capri is to take the open-air chairlift to Mount Solaro for amazing views and a cool experience. Mount Solaro is the highest peak on Capri, but the chairlift will only take about 15 minutes to bring you to the top. The chairlift departs from Piazza Vittoria which is about 3 miles from where the ferry docks, so I’d recommend grabbing coffee while walking around and exploring the town and marina area of Capri first, and then taking a taxi to the Piazza to get onto the chairlift.
Other Ideas of Things to Do in Positano
Make this Positano itinerary your own by including some of these other memorable Positano experiences! This region of Italy is known for the terraces built into the mountainsides that grow some of the world’s best lemons, and, of course, make the world’s best limoncello! There are several different types of tours you can do to visit the lemon groves, see how limoncello is made, and learn the history of how Positano became synonymous with citrus fruit.
I recommend booking this Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour!
Two other tours that are worthwhile, fun experiences are the Valle Delle Ferriere Nature Reserve and snorkeling!
Where to Eat in Positano
- C’era una Volta is for you if you want to get away from the more touristy areas. The food is excellent, and the prices are much more decent than closer down to the ocean. It’s a local hangout with handmade, fresh pasta, and the pizzas are amazing. Several nights I ordered a pizza to go when I wanted something delicious without blowing my budget! The patio and view is amazing, too!
- II Tridente is on the more expensive side. They have fresh seafood that is impeccably prepared, the view is stunning, and the service is wonderful. You’ll want to stay here all night eating and staring out into the Mediterranen.
- Adamo ed Eva by Eden Roc also offers amazing, sweeping views and ultra fresh seafood, like their Mediterranen blue lobster. Try the caprese salad and ask your server to recommend local wines. Everyone who works here is awesome, and they have the food to match their wonderful hosting.
- Li Galli Bar Bistrò is perfect for a lunch meal or more affordable dinner. It’s a casual smaller cafe with outside tables that offer great views of Positano. Their pasta is incredible
How to Get to Positano From Rome
Positano is just a bit south of Naples, Italy. If you’re coming from Rome, even with Positano’s proximity to Naples, there isn’t a direct train to take you there. However, there is a direct bus and it’s the only direct way to get to Positano. While some may be opposed to bus travel, this is really the easiest way to travel there.
It’s a 4 hour bus ride through Italy, it’s affordable, and the coach bus is fairly comfortable. You can get a bus that leaves early in the morning (7am) from the main bus terminal in Rome, and be in Positano by 11am to start your day. The bus is between 13-25 euros, depending on how soon before leaving you purchase your ticket.
If you’d rather take a train, you’ll still end up on a bus at the end, and have to deal with a transfer in Naples with your luggage, which is not my favorite way to get there. Do to this, you’ll need to start at Rome’s Termini station (main train station in Rome), and get a train to Naples. Exit the train station at Naples Stazione Centrale, and then you’ll transfer to a bus to Positano.
The other option by train is to take a train from Rome to Salerno, and then take a ferry to Positano. If you are wanting to go this route, be aware that the ferries will either not run or be delayed depending on the weather or rough seas. Check the ferry schedule first, as the times they run can differ depending on the season.
When to Visit Positano
Positano is a popular summer escape, and the peak season begins in May and ends in August. The heaviest tourist traffic tends to be in June and July, so May and towards the end of August is best if you’re wanting to avoid the most of the crowds. Temperatures also continue to rise through the summer, starting with it being very nice in the 70’s in May. If you want to avoid the hottest time of the year, earlier is better.
Positano is a summer town, though, so visiting during off season may not give you the quintessential Amalfi Coast experience you’re hoping for. Many shops, restaurants and even hotels will close during the winter months, buses run slower, the Mediterranean is too cold to enjoy, and there’s generally not much going on. To get the most out of your experience, summer season really is best.
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