Where is the most romantic place to stay on the Amalfi Coast?

Ravello is the most refined and intimate - perched 350 metres above the sea, away from the crowds, with exceptional hotel gardens and views. Positano is the most photogenic and lively. For a balance of romance and access to towns, Praiano sits between the two and is quieter than either.

Is the Amalfi Coast worth it for a honeymoon?

Yes, unambiguously. The scenery is among the most dramatic in Europe, the food is exceptional, and boat life on the Tyrrhenian - anchoring in sea caves, swimming in clear water - is genuinely unforgettable. Budget and timing matter: shoulder season in May or September gives you the same experience as August for significantly less money and far fewer crowds.

How do you get around the Amalfi Coast on a honeymoon?

Ferries between towns (April–October) are the most romantic option and faster than the coastal road in high season. SITA buses cover the full SS163. For day trips to Capri or Pompeii, ferries run from Positano, Amalfi, and Sorrento. Do not hire a car for coastal driving - parking is nearly impossible and the road is stressful.

What is the best month for a honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast?

May and September are ideal. Both offer warm weather (22–26°C), full ferry services, open swimming, and prices 20–35% lower than August. Late April is quieter but some hotels and ferry routes run reduced schedules.

7-Day Amalfi Coast Honeymoon Itinerary

The Amalfi Coast does not need much selling to honeymooners - it sells itself on photographs alone. What matters is making the most of it: staying in the right town for your temperament, finding the boat experiences that define the coast at its best, and avoiding the crowds that can turn this extraordinary landscape into a queue. This 7-day itinerary is designed around couples who want romance, excellent food, and genuine discovery - not the same cliff-side selfie spot as everyone else.

The itinerary uses Sorrento as a first-night base (convenient for airport arrivals from Naples), then moves coast-side for five nights split between Positano and Ravello, with a final night back near Sorrento before departure. It works best in May, June, or September.

The Amalfi Coast is one of the four main stops on our 10–12 day Italy honeymoon itinerary, which also covers Rome, Cinque Terre, and Venice.

Getting There

Fly into Naples International Airport (NAP), then transfer to Sorrento - the most convenient base for your first night and departure point for the coast.

Private transfer Sorrento: Approximately €60–€90 from the airport, around 60–90 minutes. Book in advance through your hotel or a reliable transfer service.
Public option: Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi to Sorrento (70 minutes, around €4 per person), then taxi to your hotel. Perfectly viable but not ideal with heavy luggage.

Where to Stay: Hotels by Budget Tier

Positano

Luxury:

Il San Pietro di Positano - the benchmark Amalfi Coast hotel, built into the cliff with terraced gardens, a private beach reached by lift, and rooms with views that have no meaningful competition. Rates from approximately €900–€2,500/night depending on season and room type.
Le Sirenuse - the other classic, family-run since 1951, with 58 rooms, a rooftop pool, and the Champagne Bar with perhaps the best view in Positano. From approximately €700–€1,800/night.

Mid-range:

Hotel Poseidon - family-run with a pool, sea-view terrace, and an excellent breakfast buffet. Central Positano location. From approximately €220–€380/night in May–June.
Hotel Palazzo Murat - historic palazzo in central Positano, rooms arranged around a courtyard garden. Sea views from the upper rooms. From approximately €180–€320/night.

Budget-conscious without compromise:

Hotel Bougainville - modest but clean, central location, sea views from the terrace, genuinely helpful staff. From approximately €120–€200/night. For couples who want to spend money on experiences rather than the room.

Ravello

Luxury:

Belmond Hotel Caruso - the defining Ravello property: a restored 11th-century palazzo with an infinity pool seeming to drop into the sea 300 metres below, 50 rooms, impeccable service. From approximately €700–€1,500/night.
Palazzo Avino - pink 12th-century villa with 43 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant (Rossellinis), and access to a private boat club beach below. From approximately €500–€1,200/night.

Mid-range:

Hotel Rufolo - centrally positioned with a garden pool and terrific views. Not a luxury hotel, but comfortable, characterful, and a fraction of the Caruso’s price. From approximately €150–€280/night.

Day 1: Arrive in Sorrento

Arrive in Naples and transfer to Sorrento. After check-in and a chance to decompress from travel, explore the town on foot - the historic centre is compact, the covered markets are charming, and the clifftop views over the Bay of Naples make for an excellent first impression of the region.

Dinner: Ristorante Il Buco, a Michelin-starred restaurant in a former wine cellar beneath Sorrento’s streets. Book well in advance. Tasting menu approximately €120–€160 per person. For a more relaxed option, Trattoria da Emilia near the Marina Grande serves excellent fish at reasonable prices (€50–€80 per couple with wine).

Day 2: Transfer to Positano - First Afternoon Exploring

Take the ferry from Sorrento Marina Piccola to Positano (approximately 35 minutes, €20–€25 per person). Ferries typically run from April–October; exact schedule depends on season - confirm in advance with Gescab or Alilauro.

Check into your Positano hotel. Spend the afternoon simply being there: the beach (the main Spiaggia Grande), a cocktail at the Africana Famous Club terrace, or a walk up to the Church of Santa Maria Assunzione to see the Byzantine dome and sea views.

Dinner: La Sponda at Le Sirenuse - candlelit, formal, and one of the best tables in Positano. Smart casual dress required. Approximately €100–€140 per person including wine. Alternatively, Ristorante Bruno on the main beach road offers simpler but excellent seafood at €40–€70 per couple.

Day 3: Private Boat Day - Sea Caves, Capri, and a Swim Stop

This is the day that defines an Amalfi Coast honeymoon. Hire a private wooden gozzo for the day - a classic southern Italian motorboat - and explore the sea caves, coves, and open water between Positano and Capri.

Private boat charter from Positano:

Half-day (4 hours): approximately €350–€500 depending on boat size and season
Full day (8 hours): approximately €600–€900
Operators: most hotels can arrange this; alternatively browse private boat tours from Positano or contact local operators directly at the harbour

A typical full-day route: south along the coast to the Grotto dello Smeraldo sea cave, then across to Capri for 2–3 hours ashore (Marina Grande, the Giardini di Augusto, lunch at Il Riccio beach club - reserve ahead), then back along the coast with a swim stop at Li Galli - three small islands once owned by Rudolf Nureyev.

Lunch: On the boat or ashore on Capri. Il Riccio (Capri) has an excellent terrace directly over the water - one of the most beautiful lunch settings in Italy. Budget approximately €60–€100 per person.

Evening: Back in Positano for aperitivo. Chez Black on the beach, with tables in the sand, does a reliable Aperol spritz.

Day 4: Cooking Class - Ravello Transfer

Morning cooking class before transferring to Ravello in the afternoon.

Cooking class in Positano: Several well-regarded operators run small-group and private classes. Mamma Agata is the benchmark - her classes are held in a cliff-side kitchen above Ravello and focus on traditional Campanian recipes (pasta, limoncello, tiramisu). Prices approximately €150–€200 per person. Book months in advance. Alternatively, look at cooking classes on the Amalfi Coast for current operators and availability.

After the class, take the SITA bus or arrange a private transfer to Ravello. The road climbs 350 metres above the coast - dramatic views on the ascent.

Check into your Ravello hotel. The village itself takes about 30 minutes to walk end-to-end - spend the remainder of the afternoon doing exactly that, without a plan.

Dinner: In Ravello, Rossellinis at Palazzo Avino holds a Michelin star and overlooks the sea terrace. Approximately €90–€140 per person. For something simpler and extremely good, Ristorante Cumpa Cosimo has been serving the same traditional plates for over a century - pasta e patate, braised meats, honest local wine - at €30–€50 per couple.

Day 5: Villa Rufolo, Cimbrone Gardens & a Sunset Prosecco

Ravello’s two great gardens are Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone - both worth visiting, but plan them for morning before day-trippers arrive from the coast below.

Villa Rufolo (entry approximately €7 per person) - Norman architecture, tiered gardens, and the Belvedere Wagneriano terrace where Wagner composed parts of Parsifal in 1880. Summer Ravello Festival concerts take place on a stage seemingly suspended over the sea here.

Villa Cimbrone (entry approximately €8 per person) - the more romantic of the two, with a long path leading to the Terrazza dell’Infinito: a balustrade with a row of marble busts looking directly out over the Tyrrhenian. The view is, with no exaggeration, one of the finest in Italy.

Afternoon: walk down the path to Minori, a quieter coastal town often missed by tourists - good seafood and a small pebbly beach where locals actually swim.

Sunset aperitivo: Back in Ravello, the terrace bar at the Belmond Hotel Caruso is open to non-guests for drinks. Order a Bellini and watch the light change over the sea below.

Dinner: Ristorante Da Salvatore, on the road into Ravello, with a terrace directly over the coastline. Excellent pasta and fish, good house wine, approximately €50–€80 per couple.

Day 6: Amalfi Town & Atrani - Boat Back Along the Coast

Take the SITA bus or ferry down to Amalfi town for the morning. Explore the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea (the crypt holds relics of the apostle, the cloister is stunning), walk the main street past the ceramics shops, and climb the stairs to the municipal viewpoint above the town.

Ten minutes’ walk east brings you to Atrani - a village of fewer than 1,000 people that is often entirely overlooked, with a Baroque church, a tiny piazza, and almost no tourist infrastructure. It is one of the best-preserved small towns on the coast.

Lunch in Amalfi: Le Arcate has tables directly on the seafront and solid fish dishes. Around €50–€80 per couple.

Afternoon: take the ferry west along the coast to Positano to collect your bags (if stored there) or return to Sorrento. The coastal ferry in this direction gives you the entire cliff panorama from the sea - the best possible view of the landscape you’ve been living in.

Dinner: Final night dinner back in Sorrento. Il Buco if you didn’t go on night one, or Ristorante Caruso (named for the tenor) in the historic centre - excellent fresh pasta and local wine on a terrace above the old town, approximately €40–€70 per couple.

Day 7: Departure

Transfer from Sorrento to Naples airport. Budget at least 2 hours including the drive.

If your flight departs in the afternoon, you have time for a final coffee in Sorrento’s main square, the Piazza Tasso, before leaving.

Romantic Extras Worth Booking

Sunset gondola/water taxi: Private boat transfer at sunset from Positano to Praiano - book a sunset boat tour for approximately €80–€120. The coast lit up in the late evening light is extraordinary from the water.

Ravello Festival concert: If visiting in July or August, the Ravello Festival stages classical concerts and international acts on the Villa Rufolo terrace above the sea. Tickets from approximately €30–€60. Book directly at ravellofestival.com.

Limoncello tasting: Several producers on the coast offer small private tastings. The Amalfi Coast is the origin of limoncello - the sfusato amalfitano lemon grown here is different from anything produced elsewhere.

Private dinner on the beach: Some hotels can arrange a private table directly on the beach or on a terrace above the water for anniversary or honeymoon celebrations - ask your hotel’s concierge when booking. Additional cost varies but typically €100–€200 supplement.

Practical Notes

Best booking timeline: Reserve Amalfi Coast hotels 6–10 months ahead for May, June, and September dates. Properties like Il San Pietro and Belmond Caruso at peak dates require even earlier booking.
Dress code for dinners: Smart casual is sufficient at all but the most formal restaurants (Le Sirenuse, Rossellinis require no trainers or beachwear at dinner). Carry a light layer - coastal evenings cool quickly after sunset.
Weather: May and September average 22–26°C with occasional brief showers. June runs 25–30°C. July–August averages 30–35°C with high humidity on still days.
Cash: Most restaurants and hotels take cards, but some smaller trattorias and the SITA bus require cash. Keep €50–€100 on hand.

Book Before You Go

Amalfi Coast tours and boat trips - private boat hire, sunset tours, and coastal excursions
Car hire in Italy - essential if you plan to explore beyond the SITA bus network
Private airport transfers - door-to-door service from Naples Airport to your hotel
Travel insurance for Italy

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Tours & Activities - Browse Amalfi Coast tours on GetYourGuide

Honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast: A 7-Day Romantic Itinerary