Italy Amalfi Four-Day Travel Guide
🍋God gave all the blues to the Mediterranean Sea but left all the sweetness to Amalfi
🛫 Day 1: Positano · Colorful Building Blocks on the Cliff
🌅 Early morning, take the train from Naples to Sorrento (1 hour), then transfer to the SITA bus heading north along the Amalfi Coast road. The first sight of Positano cascades down the cliff—pink, yellow, and white houses stacked like building blocks all the way down to the deep blue Mediterranean. Head straight to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, whose Majolica tiled dome shines under the sun.
🍽️ Lunch at La Tagliata (reservation required, about €40 per person), a family-style farm restaurant where dishes keep coming until you say stop. Must-try: Lemon spaghetti (a specialty of Amalfi) and grilled vegetable platter (fresh from their garden).
🌊 In the afternoon, hike the Path of the Gods (Il Sentiero degli Dei) from Positano to Nocelle, about 2 hours. The cliff trail has green mountains on the left and blue sea on the right, passing lemon groves, olive trees, and wildflowers. At dusk, climb above the Church of Santa Maria for the best panoramic view of Positano—the sunset gilds the houses, and the sea changes from blue to pink to purple.
🏘️ Day 2: Amalfi · The Heart of the Maritime Republic
🌞 In the morning, take a 20-minute boat ride to Amalfi, one of the four great medieval maritime republics. Head straight to the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea, a blend of Arab-Norman architecture, with bronze doors from Constantinople and the lemon-filled Cloister of Paradise below the steps.
🍽️ Lunch at Pizzeria Donna Stella, enjoying Amalfi pizza (tomato sauce + lemon + ricotta), sitting in the alley watching tourists come and go.
🌊 In the afternoon, visit the Paper Museum (Museo della Carta), as Amalfi was once Europe's paper-making center with 13th-century machinery still in operation. Then hike along Valle delle Ferriere, a valley hiding waterfalls and ferns, about 1 hour to the village of Canuto. Return by boat to Positano at dusk, watching the coastline burn in the sunset.
🏝️ Day 3: Capri Island · The Fluorescent Dream of the Blue Grotto
🌞 Must get up early! Take a fast boat from Positano to Capri Island (30 minutes), then head straight to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra, €14 + tip for the boatman). Switch to a small boat and lie flat to enter the cave; sunlight refracts to turn the water into fluorescent sapphire blue while the boatman sings Italian folk songs—5 minutes inside, a memory for a lifetime.
🍽️ Lunch at Ristorante La Capannina on the island (about €35 per person), with Capri salad (tomato + mozzarella + fresh basil) and lemon cake (Delizia al Limone).
🌊 In the afternoon, take the cable car up Monte Solaro (round trip €12) for a 360-degree view of Capri, the Bay of Naples, and Mount Vesuvius. Visit the Augustus Gardens (Giardini di Augusto), overlooking the Faraglioni rock formations from the cliff edge. Return by boat to Positano at sunset, watching the island turn golden.
🍋 Day 4: Ravello · Concert on the Balcony
🌞 In the morning, take the SITA bus to Ravello (350 meters above sea level), the "balcony" of Amalfi. The "Infinity Terrace" at Villa Cimbrone (entrance €10) is a classic photo spot—a row of marble statues lines the edge, with the entire Mediterranean Sea in the distance. Villa Rufolo (entrance €8) hosts the Ravello Music Festival every summer in its gardens.
🍽️ Lunch at Trattoria da Cumpà Cosimo (about €25 per person), pairing local white wine with a seafood platter, with mountain views outside the window.
🌊 In the afternoon, stroll through Ravello’s old town craft shops, buying lemon soap (an Amalfi specialty) and Limoncello (local lemon liqueur made from Sorrento lemons). Take the bus back down the mountain, packing the blues, yellows, and greens of Amalfi into your memory.
⛺ Must-Do Highlights
· Positano’s colorful houses: a fairy-tale town on the cliff
· Path of the Gods: cliff hiking between mountain and sea
· Cathedral of Sant'Andrea: hybrid architecture and lemon cloister
· Capri Blue Grotto: God’s fluorescent blue creation
· Ravello Infinity Terrace: a frame for the Mediterranean
· Lemon spaghetti: Amalfi’s unique sweet and sour dish
🏨 Accommodation: Stay in Positano (stunning views, expensive, many stairs) / Amalfi town (convenient transportation) / Ravello (quiet mountain views)
🚇 Transportation: Take the train from Naples Central Station to Sorrento (1 hour), then transfer to the SITA bus (about 1 hour to Positano); the coastal road is narrow and winding, so driving requires courage; boats between coastal towns are faster and avoid seasickness.
🍽️ Must-Try List: Lemon spaghetti, Amalfi pizza, Capri salad, lemon cake, Limoncello, seafood platter, local white wine
💡 Tips: Best time is April to June or September to October to avoid crowds in July and August; wear non-slip shoes as there are many stairs; bring seasickness medicine as the coastal road can cause motion sickness; book Positano accommodation 3 months in advance; check weather for the Blue Grotto as it closes when waves are high.
🌟 In Amalfi, houses are built on cliffs, lemons grow on terraces, and the sea is endlessly blue. The wind on the Path of the Gods blows over two thousand-year-old stone steps, and the statues at Villa Cimbrone stand eternal. God gave all the blues to the Mediterranean but left all the sweetness to Amalfi.