The Amalfi Coast & Sorrento Peninsula

Explore bella Italia — this trip, which is rated moderate, shows off the best of the stunning Amalfi coast and Sorrento Peninsula. Travelling on foot means you can take things at your own pace, escaping the crowds to discover the area’s true hidden gems. Also visit the chic Isle of Capri and stylish Positano. Some of the walks are more challenging due to the elevation gains and losses and the high number of stone staircases involved, so a head for heights and walking poles to support your knees are needed. You spend several nights in Sorrento, which gives you the luxury of being able to choose which walks you do or to simple relax and take a rest day instead, and enjoy the sights and sounds of this characterful town. If you enjoy coastal trails and mountain paths with far-reaching views, fragrant local wine, and fresh seafood, then this is the trip for you!

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This holiday is graded moderate with walking days of up to 13km (8 mi) and has some more challenging walks that are optional with significant elevation gains and losses. This trip is suitable for those with a good level of fitness. On some walks, the path can be close to the cliff edges with sheer drops which would not be appropriate for people suffering with vertigo or a fear of heights. It should be noted that some sections include prolonged descents and ascents on stony stairs which can be tough on the knees, so we would strongly recommend taking walking poles and perhaps knee supports if needed. It’s best ahead of time to do some practice walks including stairs and ascents and descents like those you will experience on the trip whilst carrying your day bag. The terrain consists of footpaths, dirt tracks, stepped trails, lots of stone staircases, and some sections that are uneven underfoot. There may be some short sections of road walking, but not on busy roads or traffic routes. You will occasionally be following minor paved roads, mostly to get from the end of your walk to your hotel.

We specifically choose your hotels to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. All offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food and drink. The hotels mentioned in the itinerary are subject to availability, and early booking is highly recommended for June-September in particular, as this is a very popular area. We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed, but because of limited availability (especially June-September) we may have to accommodate you at an alternative location of the same or better standard (a supplement may be possible). Alternative details will be noted on your accommodation sheet. There are room upgrade options in the hotels used on this trip, please speak to our Sales team at the time of booking if this is something you are interested in.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This holiday is available for solo walkers but we would recommend that you are experienced in walking and navigating alone and there is a solo walker supplement payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. In Italy, this is generally a light continental breakfast with baked goods. Lunch and dinner are not included but are available from your hotel or nearby restaurants. The food of the Amalfi coast is strongly influenced by local produce. Traditional specialities include seafood and gnocchi alla sorrentina.

The routes are waymarked in some areas, but not in others. However, we provide the Macs Adventure Smartphone App making it simple to follow the route using a smartphone. Rest assured that by downloading the route maps in our app, that this will continue to work even in areas without any mobile or internet reception. For extra reassurance there are also turn-by-turn route notes within the app too for the walks.

On your arrival at the first hotel our local partner will have left an arrival information pack for you which contains a guide to the local buses. This includes information on where to catch the buses, ticket costs and the most up-to-date timetables. Please be aware that although the buses on the Amalfi Coast run frequently, they are also a very popular way to travel and are therefore often busy, especially the closer to summer you travel. If buses are full the driver won't stop or will turn you away and you will have to wait for the next bus. The buses also tend to be busier when it's raining with people cutting the walks short, so it's best to pack suitable raingear for waiting, head to a local cafe to wait out the rain or hop in a taxi instead. Taxis are more expensive in Amalfi than many other areas of Italy. On some routes you may also find it quicker to use a ferry rather than wait for the bus. More information on the ferries can be found here.

This Amalfi Coast walking holiday is available from late March to October. You can start your holiday on any date in the season apart from the period between the end of July and late August as this is the hottest time of year when it is unpleasant to walk in this area. Hotel bookings during that time are also almost impossible to secure due to it being the Italian summer holidays, and the walking routes tend to be crowded, so we feel it’s best to avoid travelling during this period.

Spring in the Amalfi Coast is sublime and April, May and June are absolutely lovely. May is when most of the wild flowers tend to be in bloom. Autumn is a perfect time of year as the landscape is made up of a gold and red pallet so September and October are unmissable.

Please note that you should ideally book 6 months in advance if you are intending on travelling in early July, at the end of August or in September. Early booking is recommended in order to secure the best choice of accommodation at this busy time of year. It is best if you have some flexibility regarding your dates and itinerary.

The Amalfi Coast is known to have long, hot summers with July and August being the hottest months. Always make sure to stay hydrated and carry plenty of water whilst out exploring. During summer it is not unlikely for the temperatures to rise above 30 degrees Celsius during the day. It can therefore be very hot for walking and isn’t a time best suited for everyone. You will have to start early to miss the heat of the day and carry a lot of water (additional weight) with you. Although the towns and villages are buzzing at this time of year which is great to see.

The months before and after the summer season will be sunny but a little cooler, which could be preferable. Spring on the Amalfi Coast is sublime with wildflowers in bloom and a more comfortable temperature; April, May and June are absolutely lovely. Autumn is a great time of year as the landscape is made up of gold and red pallet and it cools down during the night, September and October are unmissable.

Due to climate change, there are more frequent bursts of torrential rainfall, which are known to have triggered mud and landslides in the Amalfi Coast area in the past. However, our local partner keeps us informed of any geological risks i.e., a necessity to do an alternate walk due to the trail being closed. This does not happen very often but it’s good to be informed that this could potentially be the case, and we will of course inform you if this arises.

We recommend flying into Naples Airport. From there you can take a Curreri bus from outside the terminal to Sorrento which takes 1hr15. Alternatively, you can take a direct Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento which takes 1hr30. From Sorrento, take a SITA bus to Amalfi which takes around 1hr40. In total the journey from the airport will take 3-3hr30 on average.

Alternatively, we can arrange a private transfer at an additional cost, please let us know if this is of interest.

Another option when travelling between May and October between Naples Airport and Amalfi is to take the Pintour Shuttle Bus service. The journey takes about 1hr50 and timetables can be found on the Pintour website.

Coming from the Fiumicino airport in Rome you need to change trains in Roma Termini and Napoli Centrale to get to Sorrento. Total travelling time to Sorrento is about three hours. The bus from the Sorrento train station to Amalfi takes around 1hr15.

On return you would simply have to take the Curreri bus from Sorrento to Naples.

The simplest way is to take the Curreri shuttle bus from Sorrento to Naples Airport which takes 1hr30. Or you could take the Circumvesuviana train to Naples Train Station which takes 1hr30 and ALIBUS shuttle bus to Naples Airport. 

Alternatively, we can arrange a private transfer at an additional cost, please let us know if this is of interest.

Going back from Sorrento to the Fiumicino Airport in Rome you have to change trains in Napoli Afragola and Rome Termini. Total travelling time is about 4 hours.

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.