7 Scenic Days Hiking the Amalfi Coast

Fly into Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli (NAP), where Intrepid Travel staff greet you and help with your transfer to the Culture Hotel Centro Storico (or similar). This four-star property is located in the historic town center, near the port and several metro stations, making an afternoon of self-guided exploration easy.

Marvel at the famous cathedral, Duomo di Napoli, with its neo-Gothic façade and gilded baroque interior featuring frescoes. A strongbox under the altar contains the skull of San Gennaro, the city’s third-century patron saint, and two phials of his blood, said to liquefy twice a year.

Other recommended highlights include the Cappella Sansevero and its museum, the Palazzo Reale di Napoli, and the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, a park featuring lakes, a forest grove, and 18th-century buildings, including a museum celebrated for its ceramics.

Back at the hotel, admire its art gallery, parquet floors, and elegant modern rooms, or simply take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. Then attend the tour’s welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Before bed, set your clock so you don’t miss the hotel’s gourmet breakfast, which features champagne and smoked salmon.

Hike Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in a catastrophic 79 C.E. eruption. Find your walking groove on the national park’s 2.5-mile trail Il Gran Cono, a moderate route. This guided hike ascends 718 feet to the crater’s rim and summit. Afterwards, enjoy lunch on a farm dedicated to limoncello, southern Italy’s signature liqueur made from lemons.

Later, hop a 20-minute ferry to Capri, an island punctuated by sea stacks, coastal coves, sapphire grottos, and ancient Roman ruins. The town of Capri is renowned for its high-end restaurants and shopping, but your tour ventures off the beaten path to Anacapri for a more authentic and nature-filled experience.

You’ll stay at the Hotel San Michele, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Sorrentine Peninsula. Built in 1880, the villa once drew royalty, politicians, artists, and literary lions. Today, it hosts all kinds of travelers, drawn by the large pool and La Lanterna Verde (Green Lantern), a club-restaurant with traditional island architecture, built entirely from Capri’s white limestone.

Join your local guide on the Sentiero dei Fortini Borbonici (Path of the Bourbon Forts). This cliffside trail follows the island’s ruggedly beautiful western side, beginning at a sea cave with shimmering, azure waters.

The route winds through a pine forest to the ruins of Villa Damecuta, one of 12 imperial villas that the Roman Emperor Tiberius built on the island of Capri. Only traces remain now, but later fortifications still make for an atmospheric stop with stunning vistas. The path cuts through fragrant chaparral, where lizards skitter among wildflowers, rosemary, prickly pears, and fig trees.

You’ll pass three forts pivotal in the Napoleonic Wars before emerging onto the beach below Capri’s iconic white-and-coral lighthouse, Faro di Punta Carena. Cool down with an ocean dip—conditions permitting—after finishing this four-mile trail with 656 feet of elevation gain.

Then, enjoy an afternoon at leisure, perhaps circling back to revel in the Grotta Azzurra (entrance fee not included). Or simply enjoy la dolce vita with a golden-hour glass of wine at the hotel, watching the sun kiss Anacapri until it sets over the sea.

Take the ferry from Capri to the Amalfi Coast in the morning, then check into your featured stay at the cliffside hotel La Lucertola, where room balconies overlook the Gulf of Salerno. Head to the seaside town of Maiori to trek the Sentiero dei Limoni (Path of Lemons), a 2.5-mile route. With many stairs and a total elevation gain of 1,312 feet, hiking poles are strongly recommended.

Sample homemade lemonade from citrus orchards along the way to Ravello, the charming “city of music” that’s home to the historic Villa Cimbrone hotel and garden. Consider adding on the spectacular Villa Rufolo here, where romantic-era landscaping inspired the opera composer Richard Wagner in the 19th century, as well as botany buffs and photographers today.

The next morning, your group will drive along the coastline to Bomerano, an alpine-like village nicknamed “Little Switzerland.” Hike the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), an undulating mountain path that reveals panoramic views, hidden coves, and terraced villages. This celebrated route was once a mule trail for hauling the upland valley’s fior di latte mozzarella down to the coast and supplies, such as fish and lemons, back up.

Today, it makes for a spectacular approach to Positano, a cliffside town with steep winding streets and a pebbled beach. Once the guided hike ends, you’re at leisure to lunch, browse boutiques, or hit the beach before returning to La Lucertola in the afternoon. Expect to log around 5.5 miles today with an elevation gain of 1,214 feet.

Bid the Costiera Amalfitana arrivederci in the morning, then peer into the past at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city destroyed by the 79 C.E. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Ash and pumice fell there for two days and piled 19–23 feet deep. The debris buried bars, brothels, temples, public baths, a forum, an amphitheater, an aqueduct system, and even an ornate ceremonial chariot.

After some initial looting and recovery of possessions, Pompeii mainly lay forgotten until the late 16th century, but excavations didn’t begin until 1748. Modern archaeologists have deliberately left about a third of the site untouched for future scholars who may have more sophisticated technologies. Explore the site before enjoying a lunch of local food and wine in a family-run vineyard.

Next, you’ll head back to Napoli and the Culture Hotel Centro Storico. Then, join the group for a farewell dinner, before the trip ends on day seven.