Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi Day Trip: What to Expect
What a Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi day trip from Naples looks like hour by hour, how six tours differ, lunch, the €15 boat ride and what reviewers flag.
A Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi day trip from Naples takes about 8 to 9.5 hours. You spend roughly an hour on the road between each stop, get 70 to 90 minutes in most towns and are back in Naples around 5 p.m. Prices for the six tours compared here run from $62 to $101 per person without lunch (checked October 2026). The model for this page is the Worldtours From Naples: Sorrento, Positano & Amalfi Premium Tour, the most-reviewed tour on this site at 4.8 from 18,989 GetYourGuide reviews, from $71.
One thing to know before you book: Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast. On this route you see two Amalfi Coast towns, Positano and Amalfi, plus Sorrento on the way.
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The route, and where Sorrento fits
Sorrento sits on the north side of the Sorrentine Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Naples, in the Metropolitan City of Naples. Positano and Amalfi are on the peninsula’s southern shore, in the Province of Salerno, and they are the Amalfi Coast towns. Every list of the coast’s municipalities leaves Sorrento out. It still earns its place on the day: it is on the road from Naples, it has a walkable historic center, and most of these tours include a limoncello tasting there.
The classic order is Sorrento first, then over the ridge to Positano, then east along the coast road to Amalfi, and back to Naples. Positano is the steep one, with staircases between the upper village and Spiaggia Grande, its main beach, and the majolica-tiled dome of Santa Maria Assunta. Amalfi’s landmark is the 11th-century Duomo di Sant’Andrea, the cathedral most tours point you to.
The tours on this route are small-group minivan or minibus days with a tour leader on board. The leader gives commentary on the drive and points you in the right direction, but in each town you are mostly on your own. If you want a guide walking you round, look at the Giromondo Premium Tour of Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, which lists a guided walk in Sorrento, or the Naples Official Tour with boat ride, which includes a guided walking tour through Sorrento’s historic center.
If you would trade Sorrento for Ravello, the Positano, Amalfi and Ravello guide covers that day, and the itineraries page puts the two routes side by side.
The classic day, hour by hour
This is the Worldtours day from its itinerary. Clock times depend on your pickup, so the hours below count from when you board.
- Hour 0: pickup at one of 11 points in Naples, including hotels near Piazza Garibaldi, the National Archaeological Museum and, for cruise passengers only, the Stazione Marittima. The driver waits up to 10 minutes.
- Hour 0 to 1: about an hour’s drive to Sorrento.
- Hour 1 to 2: 70 minutes free in Sorrento, time for the old town, a lemon shop or a coffee with a view of the bay.
- Hour 2 to 3: an hour over to the Amalfi Coast side.
- Hour 3 to 4.5: a 15-minute photo stop above Positano, then 75 minutes in the town. Pick one: the walk down to the beach and back, or lunch.
- Hour 4.5 to 5.5: an hour along the coast road to Amalfi.
- Hour 5.5 to 7: 1.5 hours in Amalfi, which is where the optional boat ride leaves.
- Hour 7 to 8.5: about 75 minutes back to your drop-off in Naples.
That adds up to about 3 hours 50 minutes in the towns and about 4 hours 15 minutes of driving. Bring comfortable shoes, and expect the coast road to be slow in traffic. The minimum is 2 people from April to October and 4 from November to March.
How the other tours change the day
| Tour | Order | Sorrento | Positano | Amalfi | Extras | Hours | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldtours classic | S, P, A | 70 min | Photo stop + 75 min | 1.5 h | Lunch or boat options | 8.5 | $71 | 4.8 (18,989) |
| Giromondo premium tour | S, P, A | 75 min | 75 min | 2 h | Viewpoint stop, limoncello, lunch option | 8.5 | $101 | 4.8 (5,186) |
| Giromondo exclusive tour | S, P, A, Ravello | 1.5 h | 15-min panoramic stop | 1.5 h | 1.5 h in Ravello | 9.5 | $95 | 4.8 (6,283) |
| Worldtours tour with boat | S, P, A | 80 min | Photo stop + 75 min | 1.5 h | Boat cruise in Amalfi | 8.5 | $94 | 4.8 (1,577) |
| HP Travel small group | A, P, S | 1 h | 1 h | 2.5 h | Up to 13 people | 9 | $62 | 4.8 (713) |
| NapoliCityVision small tour | S, P, A | Free time | Visit if parking allows | 1 h free | Ravello if Positano is skipped | 8 | $81 | 4.7 (411) |
Prices are per person on GetYourGuide, without lunch, checked October 2026. Each name links to our breakdown.
HP Travel’s Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento Small Group Tour is the lowest-priced of the 24 tours with a page on this site at $62, and it runs the route backwards: Amalfi first for 2.5 hours, then an hour each in Positano and Sorrento. It meets at Starhotels Terminus, with no hotel pickup. One reviewer reported getting about an hour per stop in practice, despite the 2.5 hours listed for Amalfi.
The Giromondo Exclusive Tour of Amalfi Coast adds Ravello but turns Positano into a 15-minute stop outside the town, so you see it only from above. NapoliCityVision’s Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi Small Luxury Tour goes into Positano only if traffic and parking allow; otherwise you get a panoramic stop and a visit to Ravello instead.
On the Worldtours tour with the Amalfi boat cruise, capped at 20 people, the boat option cost $94 on the date checked, less than the $101 option without it. Look at both options for your date before you book.
Lunch: book it or find your own
Two tours sell a lunch option. On the Worldtours classic day, lunch adds $28 ($99 against $71) for a pre-arranged meal at a local restaurant. On the Giromondo premium tour it adds $34 ($135 against $101). Every other tour in the table leaves lunch to you.
A booked lunch saves you hunting for a table in a busy town, but it also fixes where you spend part of your free time. Skipping it gives you more time to explore and the choice of a quick bite. Amalfi has the longest stop on most of these days, so it is the easiest place for a sit-down meal.
Lunch comes up in the reviews too. One Worldtours couple took the boat ride, had not eaten properly earlier, and spent their last minutes in Amalfi searching the crowded streets for food. A Giromondo reviewer felt the guide’s restaurant tip turned out to be an expensive tourist spot. If you are not booking lunch, eat something light in Sorrento or Positano, so you are not stuck choosing between the boat and a meal in Amalfi.
The Amalfi boat ride add-on
Most tours on this route offer a short boat ride from Amalfi to see the coast from the water. On the Worldtours classic day it costs €15 per person, paid on site, or you can book the boat option in advance for $89 against $71 without it. The Naples bay tour day sells a shared boat ride of about 30 minutes as its Classic option at $93, against $79 without; if the sea cancels it, €15 is refunded.
The ride depends on the sea. Worldtours says rough conditions can suspend it, and one Giromondo reviewer was offered a boat trip that was then cancelled because too few people signed up. Another reviewer was surprised that the boat was an extra paid in cash. Since the ride uses part of your 1.5 to 2 hours in Amalfi, decide in advance whether you want it or a sit-down lunch. If being on the water matters more to you than the towns, our boat tours page compares full days at sea.
What reviewers commonly flag
Time is the main complaint in the three-star reviews. Several reviewers on the Worldtours and Giromondo days felt an hour or so per town was not enough, especially after losing time to lunch or traffic. Some wanted more time in Amalfi and less in busy, expensive Positano, while one HP Travel reviewer found 2 hours in Amalfi too long and an hour in Sorrento too short.
The vehicle comes next. A few reviewers mentioned a cramped older minibus, weak air conditioning at the back on hot days, and in one case missing seatbelts. Others found the driving on the curves fast and uncomfortable, so take something for motion sickness if you need it.
Pickups cause stress too. One reviewer learned of a changed pickup point, because of a marathon, only that morning. Read your messages the evening before and on the morning of the tour. Rain also changes the day: an October reviewer on the HP Travel tour said wet weather made exploring hard.
Doing the route on your own
You can reach Sorrento without a tour. The Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Garibaldi takes about 70 to 75 minutes and runs roughly every 30 minutes. The reserved-seat Campania Express was suspended from 1 October 2026. Hydrofoils from Molo Beverello take about 40 to 50 minutes, from April to around mid-October.
From Sorrento, SITA buses run to Positano and Amalfi, but seats are not guaranteed and summer queues can be long. Doing all three towns and getting back to Naples in one day by public transport is a long day. Our Naples to Amalfi Coast guide compares every way to get there.
Practical checks before you book
- Cruise passengers: Giromondo does not recommend either of its tours for cruise ship guests, and Worldtours’ Stazione Marittima pickup is for cruise passengers only. See the cruise excursions page for return times.
- All six tours cancel free up to 24 hours before the start.
- Worldtours and Naples bay tour days may run in two languages.
- Most of these tours are not suitable for wheelchair users, and Worldtours does not allow large bags or strollers that do not fold.
- Giromondo returns to Naples around 4:30 to 5 p.m.; NapoliCityVision says around 5 p.m., traffic permitting.
When you have chosen a tour, check availability for your date.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you get in each town?
On the Worldtours classic day, 70 minutes in Sorrento, 75 minutes in Positano after a 15-minute photo stop, and 1.5 hours in Amalfi. Other tours give 60 to 90 minutes in Sorrento and Positano and 1 to 2.5 hours in Amalfi.
Is Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast?
No. Sorrento is on the Sorrentine Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Naples, while the Amalfi Coast towns are on the southern shore in the Province of Salerno. A Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi day gives you two Amalfi Coast towns plus Sorrento.
What does a Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi day trip from Naples include?
Usually round-trip transport by minivan or minibus from Naples, a tour leader on board, free time in each town and often a limoncello tasting. Lunch and the Amalfi boat ride are extras on most tours.
How long from Naples to Sorrento?
On a tour, about an hour by road. By Circumvesuviana train, about 70 to 75 minutes from Napoli Garibaldi.
Related reading:
Pick Your Day on the Coast
Road tours run all year; boats and ferries mainly from spring to early November. Book a few days ahead in summer.
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