7-day Amalfi Coast self-drive itinerary

A week on the Amalfi Coast with independent cliff-town days plus Capri, Pompeii or Path of the Gods — optional hire car for Ravello loops.

A week based on the Amalfi Coast is the sweet spot for first-timers who want cliff towns, Capri, Pompeii, and one hike or beach buffer without changing hotels daily. This independent itinerary keeps nights in one base (often Sorrento or Amalfi), using ferries, buses, and an optional hire car for Ravello and inland loops. Prefer hosted packages? Switch to the companion 7-day Amalfi Coast itinerary with guided tours. Start with the Amalfi Coast destination guide for base-town picks.

How to pace a week

Alternate hard boat or ruin days with softer beach or garden days. Never schedule Capri and Pompeii back-to-back if you can help it — both demand legs, heat tolerance, and transfer patience. Use best day trips from the Amalfi Coast for ferry and train timings, and keep one flexible half-day for rough seas, strikes, or simply sitting at a lido with a spritz.

• Book Capri and Pompeii before casual ferry tickets
• Prefer boats over SS163 for Positano–Amalfi hops in summer
• Hire a car only with confirmed parking — never leave valuables visible
• Shoulder months help — shoulder-season travel wins

The coast rewards living between postcard stops: market mornings, refill bottles, and long lunches away from ferry piers. A hire car aimed at every cliff town in August costs more in stress than it saves — ferries and SITA buses handle most hops.

• Stay put all seven nights to avoid packing fatigue
• Build one rain- or rough-sea-flexible museum or garden afternoon
• Travel light for stairs and boat steps — packing tips

Where to stay for this itinerary

Sorrento for Capri/Pompeii logistics; Amalfi for coast ferries; Positano for romance and stairs. Quiet rooms off the main riva beat busy waterfront noise after long boat days.

The route at a glance

• Day 1 — Arrive; base stroll
• Day 2 — Positano
• Day 3 — Soft beach or Praiano / Atrani
• Day 4 — Amalfi and Ravello
• Day 5 — Capri
• Day 6 — Pompeii or Path of the Gods
• Day 7 — Soft finale; depart

Days 1–4 — Coast foundations

Day 1 soft landing. Day 2 Positano by ferry. Day 3 buffer: beach club, Praiano, or Atrani. Day 4 Amalfi Duomo plus Ravello gardens by bus or hire car — the classic cliff core before outer days.

• Never stack Capri and Pompeii on consecutive mornings if recovery matters
• Use day 3 as a heat or rough-sea buffer
• Screenshot all ferry QR codes the night before each boat day

Day 5 — Capri

Early ferry for Marina Grande, Piazzetta, and optional Anacapri. Book returns ahead. Blue Grotto depends on seas — have a backup walk or chairlift plan.

Day 6 — Pompeii or Path of the Gods

Pompeii by Circumvesuviana or Campania Express from Sorrento, or Sentiero degli Dei if you want cliffs and hiking instead of ruins. Paestum is possible but long — better as guided or overnight. Ischia same-day from the Amalfi side is exhausting.

• Pompeii: arrive at opening; hydrate
• Path of the Gods: proper shoes; early start
• Skip stacking Vesuvius unless energy is absurd

Day 7 — Soft finale

Limoncello tasting, unfinished beach time, transfer margin to Naples. Return any hire car before the airport.

Day-by-day practical notes

A week lets you slow down. Keep one base, use boats and buses for the coast and save the car, if you have one, for the occasional flexible trip.

• Days 1 to 4: foundations. Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and a soft beach day, with a hire car optional and parked.
• Day 5: Capri by hydrofoil. Go early, avoid the busiest midday hours and check the last return.
• Day 6: Pompeii by train from Sorrento, or the Path of the Gods hike if you are fit and the weather is clear. Do not combine them.
• Day 7: soft finale with a late breakfast and travel buffer.

Where to eat by area

Sorrento for backstreet trattorias, Positano for cliff terraces away from the beach front, Amalfi for relaxed cafes near the cathedral, Ravello for a calm long lunch, Cetara for anchovy specialities and Capri for lunch away from the Piazzetta.

Rainy-day swaps

You have spare days. Swap Capri or the hike for Pompeii or Herculaneum, a cooking class or a day on the beach when clear. Check the Path of the Gods weather the same morning, since it is exposed and slippery when wet.

Common mistakes

• Driving the coast road repeatedly in summer
• Hiking the Path of the Gods in midday heat
• Booking accommodation far from any bus or ferry stop
• Underpacking water and sun protection

Shorter plans: 3-day and 5-day self-drive itineraries. Packages: 7-day Amalfi Coast itinerary with guided tours. See also how to pack light for city breaks and the Amalfi Coast destination guide.

Who this plan suits

This plan suits slow travellers and repeat visitors who want time on the coast rather than a checklist. Hikers and swimmers will enjoy the spare days.

Best time to go

May, June and September to early October balance warm weather, sea swimming and manageable crowds. July and August are hot and extremely busy, with slow coast-road traffic and crowded ferries and buses. Many hotels, restaurants and boat services close or reduce service from November to Easter, and rough seas can cancel sailings. A week-long stay lets you wait for the best weather before choosing Capri or the hike. See shoulder-season travel wins for the trade-offs.

Self-drive vs packages

DIY wins for flexible ferry timing and lazy Atrani lunches. Packages win for Capri logistics and multi-stop cliff days without SS163 stress — see 7-day Amalfi Coast itinerary with guided tours. Shorter independent stays: 5-day Amalfi Coast self-drive itinerary.