What To Do on the AMALFI COAST If You Only Have 48 hours

The Amalfi Coast is an amazing destination that warrants up to seven days of your vacation. That said, it’s in our nature to want to see it all! I went down to the Amalfi Coast and spent 48 action-packed hours filled with adventure, beautiful views, delicious cuisine, and unforgettable tours. Here’s how to make the most of two days on the Amalfi Coast.

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Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Bookmark this post along with our guide to the Amalfi Coast for more planning resources, our best Amalfi Coast tours for a memorable trip, and the top things to do on the Amalfi Coast.

How To Spend 48 Hours on the AmalfI Coast

If you only have 48 hours on the Amalfi Coast, you may be wondering how best to spend your time. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of Italy, so you’re going to want to make the most of the time you have here.

We went to the Amalfi Coast for two days and you may be surprised by just how much you can do! Here’s an itinerary for how to spend 48 hours on the Amalfi Coast.

Amalfi Coast Itinerary: Day One

5 am—Start in Rome

We started our adventure in Rome. If you’re coming from Europe and flying into Italy, I recommend flying to Naples International Airport (NAP). If you’re coming from an international destination and staying in Italy for a longer period of time, it will likely make more sense to fly into Rome (FCO).

My mantra is to sleep less and do more, so we got up at 5 am and were on a train to Naples by 6 am. The major train company in Italy is Trenitalia, but Italotreno is normally less expensive and has good departure times. We took an Italo train, which cost about €30 per person and the journey was about an hour

We were at the rental car agency by 7:15 am at Napoli Centrale train station. I recommend renting a car unless you’re a terrible driver. There are almost no rules in Naples, which makes driving both easy and difficult at the same time.

One thing to consider is that the Amalfi Coast road is very narrow with a lot of curves. Prepare to concentrate as you drive and definitely pick up the body damage insurance just in case. I wouldn’t normally purchase insurance for a rental, but you always pick up a few scratches on the coast somehow.

9 am—Bagni della Regina Giovanna near Sorrento

We wanted to catch the 6 am train so we could jump in the Bagni della Regina Giovanna before our boat trip to Capri, which departed from the port of Sorrento at 10:30 am.

The Bagni is a fantastic spot with gorgeous views and ruins of a Roman villa. People go there to enjoy its secluded beach and it’s a very popular spot for swimming.

We arrived at the Bagni at around 9 am and parked the car. Keep in mind, there are no defined parking spots. We took some liberties here and luckily we didn’t get a ticket. We were only going to be there for 30 minutes and figured a ticket would be about €30, which is only €10 more than the parking garage a mile away.

The walk to the Bagni from where we parked was about a kilometer (0.7 miles) and it was quite nice. We passed beautiful olive groves and we had an amazing view of the coast. I’d seen pictures of the area before but I was still shocked by how amazing it was.

I got to jump off the cliff as I’d hoped and it was an exhilarating replacement for my first espresso! Next, on to the port of Sorrento.

10:30 am—Boat Trip to Capri from the Port of Sorrento

We arrived at the Porto di Sorrento aka Marina Piccola (small marina) at about 10:15. There was a parking garage right in the main Piazza. The people there were really nice and reasonably professional. We learned that parking always costs €20 on the Amalfi Coast regardless of how long you stay.

One guy even said, “Yea, I don’t wear a watch so it’s easier for me if it’s a flat €20.” You could get frustrated, but when you only have 48 hours, there’s no time to get upset. Have fun and don’t bother sweating the small stuff.

We jumped on a half-day trip to Capri with You Know Boat who are awesome! Our tour was about 4 hours and departed from Sorrento to Capri. We did a full circle around Capri with tons of stops to go snorkeling, check out different grottos, and even jump off some cliffs—my personal favorite thing to do!

They have a longer 8-hour trip to Capri, which includes a 4-hour stop, which I would recommend if you are staying on the Amalfi Coast longer. With just 48 hours, we did the 4-hour trip.

We got a Caprese sandwich for lunch, included in the cost. They also gave us wine and other snacks. All in all, the trip was really well done and we had a great time.

Popular Tours of Pompeii and Capri

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Amalfi Coast Guide for more resources.

3:30 pm—Positano

We got back to Sorrento at 2:30 pm, said goodbye to the boat people, and got our car. Next, we drove to Positano, which is where we were booked for the night at Hotel Eden Roc. They were nice enough to offer us a free stay since we featured them in this article and our video, but I have paid for rooms here in the past. It’s a great hotel!

We took a quick shower and got ready for an aperitivo at their bar. They have an amazing view and make incredible drinks. There’s even a nice-sized rooftop pool, which we didn’t have time to enjoy but I definitely will on my next stay.

Aperitivo is a quintessential part of an Italian night out and is normally a cocktail or glass of wine with some finger food. This normally happens between 6:30 pm and 8 pm. After aperitivo, we headed out for dinner.

7:30 pm—Dinner at La Tagliatta

I wanted to get to La Tagliatta before sunset because they have an incredible terrace view overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

This massive restaurant is family-run. They are quite literally farm-to-table as the restaurant is located on their cliff-side farm. It is a really cool experience!

That said, if you’re looking for seafood, this is not your place. They have a strict meat and vegetable menu, which is unlike the typical Amalfi Coast diet. I really enjoyed the meal and would definitely recommend the experience to visitors.

10 pm—Drinks at Positano Spiaggia

I was incredibly tired and didn’t make it down to town for drinks. If you’re a night owl, I would recommend getting a bottle of wine or drinks down by the beach of Positano.

There are lots of restaurants, which function as bars throughout the evening. I recommend a very cool place called Music on the Rocks.

Amalfi Coast Itinerary: Day Two

8 am—Breakfast and Go!

As usual, we got up pretty early and got going. We had a delicious breakfast at Hotel Eden Roc. Look out for a really fun waiter named Toni. He’s been there for years and is really lighthearted and fun. You can’t mistake him.

We checked out and went to the main beach in Positano to do a little exploring. Essentially, there’s only one winding road in Positano that leads to the beach so it’s difficult to miss.

We then headed to our Kayaking tour in Amalfi Town. Normally, I would recommend spending both nights in one hotel. We wanted to see a lot, so we decided to spend a night in Praiano.

10:15 am—Amalfi Kayak

We signed up for a 10:30 am Kayak tour, which departed from Il Duoglio Spiaggia (beach), which is part of Amalfi Town. The beach is below a cliff and you can reach it in two ways.

The first way is to go down 400+ stairs, which is easy on the way down but murder on the way up. The second is to take a €2 ferry that goes from beach to beach along the Amalfi Coast.

I recommend the second. However, I’m no stranger to exercise and I took the stairs. We also had the car and parked above the beach at this snack bar parking lot.

This is the parking lot where the guy said he doesn’t look at his watch and it cost €20 again. When I came back, our car had a massive scratch on it that cost me €270 to fix. I only had 48 hours and didn’t really see the local police helping much so decided to not try to fight over it and enjoy my time in paradise.

The kayak tour

The Kayak tour was epic. Our guide, who is also an owner, was Antonio. He’s a really interesting local who’s fun and exciting. He does a really good job preparing everyone and is really serious about safety. Best of all, he finds a way to make it all fun.

Antonio also does all the hard work for you other than paddling. He brings the boats in and out of the water and helps everyone get around. If you’re mildly athletic, you’ll be fine and will enjoy yourself.

He took us a few miles down the coast stopping at beaches, grottoes, and rock formations and explaining history and folklore along the way. At one point, we stopped and had some fruit and a swim, which was much needed on a very hot day in June.

I definitely recommend wearing tons of sunscreen and bringing a floppy hat or anything that provides a lot of shade. I forgot my hat and regretted it immensely. All in all, the Kayak tour was awesome. We got a unique perspective and a lot of exercise, plus we had a lot of fun.

Popular Tours of Pompeii and Capri

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Amalfi Coast Guide for more resources.

2:30 pm—Lunch at Lido Degli Artisti

After our tour, we had lunch at Lido Degli Artisti, which has a nice restaurant with a great view. We drank white table wine—an inexpensive yet refreshing wine served in a carafe. I ate Pacchheri, which is a large rigatoni with muscles and clams and it was delicious. Everything tastes better with a good view!

4 pm—Fiordo di Furore

After lunch, we decided to head to Fiordo di Furore. It’s an amazing sort of inland beach with bluffs on either side. I’m so happy we did it because it was absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, at this point, we were exhausted. But we kept pushing forward!

5:30 pm—Check In at Casa Angelina

We checked into 5-star luxury resort Casa Angelina at about 5:30 pm, which left has no time to rest. When we got there, we immediately noticed that it was nicer than we expected! We rolled up sweaty after a day of kayaking so we took showers and started to explore.

The first thing you notice is the scent that follows you around the hotel, which is the key to a luxury experience. The hotel is set high up on the mountain in Praiano so it has amazing views. Praiano faces west, unlike Positano, so you get to watch the sunset from the hotel.

They have multiple restaurants, a bar, a great pool, a gym, and other great amenities. The gym has a therapeutic bath, sauna, and personal trainer—all of which are included in your stay from what I understood.

Casa Angelina hooked us up with two free rooms but did not pay for our recommendation. We never accept money to recommend anything to travelers. We earn money by selling our tours, so you know all our recommendations are non-biased.

I must add that not every complimentary stay we get comes with a recommendation. Casa Angelina was an entirely different situation. The hotel is just so incredible that it makes our job very easy. It does come at a high cost, but if you have the budget for a very luxurious hotel, I would spend it here!

8:30 pm—Seaside Dinner in Praiano

We enjoyed a cocktail at the hotel bar, a limoncello mojito, and then went to dinner at Il Pirata in Praiano. The hotel arranged a water taxi, which is totally the way to go. The restaurant is on the water—we literally stepped off the boat and sat at our table!

Il Pirata is a cool restaurant that is family-run and has been since before Praiano was as built up as it is today. They have a lot of tables but make a reservation in advance.

They also have a cool bar that they built themselves! Ok, maybe you need more context for that to sound as impressive as it is. They used dynamite to create a cave inside the mountain and converted it into a bar. The bartenders are great and I don’t throw around these types of compliments lightly.

I can’t stand it when I ask a bartender what the best drinks are and they say, “What do you like?” These guys just said, ci penso io, which means “I’ll take care of it.” They made me an amazing rosemary gin drink that was so far from what I would normally have ordered and I was so happy when I tried it!

At dinner, we ate a ton of seafood including raw ricci (sea urchins). I’m always looking for strange new foods and was excited to see they had ricci on the menu as I had never tried them raw. Amazing!

We took a water taxi home, which might have been the highlight of the evening! We took a super fun detour into a grotto and it just shows you how proud Italians are of their incredible country.

Amalfi Coast Itinerary Bonus: Pompeii

8 am—Breakfast and Pompeii

We were absolutely committed to getting the most out of our 48 hours so we got up, ate breakfast, and headed back to Naples train station to drop off the car—but not without a stop in Pompeii.

We hooked up with one of our guides there and did a 2-hour tour of what is commonly referred to as the best-preserved archeological site on Earth.

The Pompeii tour we took starts in Pompeii, but there is also another tour that leaves from Rome, hits Pompeii, and stops in Sorrento before returning to Rome. Both are great options that I highly recommend depending on your travel plans!

And that’s how you can spend 48 hours on the Amalfi Coast experiencing a bit of everything. From scenic drives to boat cruises, idyllic beaches, Roman ruins, delicious cuisine, gorgeous hotels, kayak tour adventures, and a pitstop at Pompeii, there’s a lot you can do with two days!

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Pompeii day trip from Rome is worth it.