Sorrento Guide: How to Spend The PERFECT 3 Days in Sorrento

Are you planning a trip to Italy and want to know how to spend the perfect 3 days in Sorrento?

We have visited Sorrento twice over the last few years and it is our favourite place to stay when exploring the Amalfi Coast. This guide will cover everything you need to spend 3 days in Sorrento: including where to stay, best things to do and the best bars and restaurants in Sorrento. We will also cover the best day trips from Sorrento including iconic locations like Positano and Capri.

3 Days in Sorrento – summary

Where to Stay

• Hotel Conca Park
• Romantic Relais Sorrento
• Hotel Leone
• Grand Hotel Capodimonte

When to Visit

The best time to visit Sorrento is June and September due to the good climate and reduced crowds

Must do Activities

• Day Trip to Capri & Blue Grotto
• Day Trip to Pompeii
• Amalfi Coast Guided Tour

How to get from Naples Airport to Sorrento

The main airport you will use to get to your final destination on the Amalfi Coast is in Naples. Naples is around 50-60km North and there are two main ways to get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples airport depending on where you are staying – Bus or Ferry.

You can also get the train but we found the other two methods more enjoyable, particularly if you want to admire the view along the journey. In our experience, if you are staying in Sorrento, the bus is the better option and if you are staying further down the coast, the ferry is more practical.

Bus

The bus from Naples to Sorrento is run by Curreri Viaggi and is the easiest way to get to Sorrento from Naples Airport. The journey takes around 90 minutes total and costs €13pp for a return ticket. The bus can be a little bit tricky to find when you leave the terminal but you can get instructions here. This journey also has some stunning views of the coast, as well as phone charging ports on board. You can get tickets for this bus service here.

Ferry

Alternatively, a great way to get a first impression of the region is to travel to Sorrento by Ferry. The ferry port in Naples

There are two main operators of ferries for this route, Lucibello, which has a high speed ferry that takes around an hour and NGL, whose options typically take 1.5 hours.

Prices for the ferries vary based on the demand and time of the year but usually cost around €30pp each way. The Positano Jet services numerous other options throughout the coast including ferries to Capri so you will likely use their ferries at some point on your trip.

Private Transfer

Naturally, a private transfer is more expensive but saves a lot of the hassle of navigating public transport etc. If you do want to arrange a transfer, we would suggest Welcome Pickups, who have really strong reviews for reliability online.

Book Flights to Naples

Read Our Other Italy Posts

– Rome Travel Guide
– How to spend a day in Florence
– Ultimate Amalfi Coast Itinerary

Is 3 days in Sorrento enough time?

In our view, 3 days in Sorrento is enough time to see Sorrento itself but not enough time if you want to fully experience everything the Amalfi Coast region has to offer. Sorrento is a great base to use for exploring different parts of Italy, with Rome, Pompeii, Positano, Capri, Amalfi and other great locations all within 2.5 hours.

With that in mind, we would suggest spending at least a week here if you want to explore the region ore broadly. That being said, if you only have 3 days in Sorrento, our suggestion would be to use 1-2 days in Sorrento itself and use the other days to take a day trip to either Pompeii, Capri or Positano.

By taking that approach, you will get to enjoy the best of Sorrento, while not completely missing out on some of the regions most iconic locations nearby. There are a number of great tours you can take, such as the best of the Amalfi Coast or a trip to the incredible Blue Grotto in Capri.

Where to stay in Sorrento?

Hotels in Sorrento have become increasingly expensive in recent years – make it more difficult to visit during peak season. The hotels recommended below are based on off peak prices (excluding June-August) but prices can be much more depending on when you intend to visit.

Our favourite hotel in Sorrento to stay at is Hotel Conca Park – we stayed here on a mini-moon trip just after our wedding and loved it.

featured hotel in Sorrento

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Swimming Pool

Breakfast On-Site

€150+ per night

Hotel Conca Park

If you only have 3 days in Sorrento, we would really recommend Hotel Conca Park. The hotel is located really centrally, just a short walk to the main centre of Sorrento and has a beautiful private swimming pool. The rooms are well equipped and clean and the staff at the hotel were very helpful throughout our stay.

rices at this hotel will be fluctuate quite a lot throughout the year but we would suggest contacting them directly to try to negotiate the best rate.

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3 Days in Sorrento – Itinerary

Day One

While Sorrento is a beautiful place in its own right, one of the main advantages of Sorrento is that it is a hub that connects you to amazing places near by. With that in mind, our suggestion for your trip to Sorrento is to spend day one in Sorrento and the other two days visiting two iconic places nearby.

Morning – Breakfast and Exploring the Town

Start your day off with breakfast at Radical Sorrento, a beautiful sport serving Acai Bowls, Smoothies, Pancakes and Granola bowls etc.

Once you have had breakfast, it’s time to get familiar with your surroundings. We would recommend starting our morning by exploring the streets around Corso Italia and the boutique shops along the way before heading down by the port.

When you get to the Marina area there is an elevator that you can take down to the beach clubs that costs around €1.20 each way and saves you having to navigate a lot of stairs. The beach clubs can be quite expensive at times but they do have nice areas to swim and sunbathe if you would like to do that in the morning.

Alternatively, there are also some nice cafe’s etc. along the port at the higher level where you could just sit and admire the view while taking in your new surroundings.

Afternoon – Lunch and a Swimming Hole

For lunch, there was one place we always visited when we were in Sorrento – Azz. The menu here is very simple with a lot of classic Italian dishes, there was no big queue and it is so well priced, particularly for a quick lunch. A lot of the pasta dishes here are between €12-€15 which is extremely reasonable for this part of Italy.

One alternative option if you want something a little bit lighter is A Marenna, they do incredible sandwiches that we would suggest trying out anyway if you get a chance!

After lunch, we’re taking you to a lesser known place – Bagni Regina Giovanna. This is a secluded swimming hole a little bit outside of Sorrento centre. To get there you can take the bus to Capo Sorrento and then it is a short walk from there down to the swimming area. Even if you would prefer not to swim, there are some nice walking trails in the area too so its a nice place to spend the afternoon.

One thing to consider with this swimming spot is that there is no lifeguard and there can be a fairly strong current at times so we would not recommend unless you are a comfortable swimmer. Other than that it is quite rocky so make sure to wear good sandals but it is a really beautiful place if you want something a little different do in Sorrento.

Evening – Dinner and Drinks

For dinner, we would recommend trying la Catinaccia del Popolo, it is reasonable priced and has every pasta dish you can think of, as well as a great seafood selection.

After dinner you could go for a drink at either D’Anton or Cornelia…or both. D’Anton has a really stylish interior and actually is a home design store as well but a really nice place to start your evening. Cornelia has a very cool, laidback vibe with a great cocktail menu.

Day Two

For Day Two, we would suggest taking your first day trip to an iconic location – Capri.

Afternoon – Anacapri and Monte Solaro

There are ferries running throughout the day from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno and the price is typically around €23 each way for an adult ticket and children under 2 go free. Once you get to the port in Capri, you can take the cable car up the main square.

One of our favourite things that we did when we were in Capri was the boat tour around the island that included a trip to the Blue Grotto. You get to go snorkelling as part of this, as well as a stop off at the famous blue grotto caves, which has the most stunning crystal clear water, you really have to see it to believe it. If you only get to spend one day in Capri, we would highly recommend including this as your way to explore the island.

Another area that you should definitely visit when you are here is Anacapri. Once you are there, take the chair lift to Monte Solaro which will bring you high up over Capri and offer incredible 360 views of the area. Just be careful if you are wearing sandals etc. on the chair lift, they can easily end up in the trees down below.

Restaurants in Capri

• Ristorante Panorama
• Da Paolino
• Ristorante il Geranio
• Ziqu

Evening – Dinner in Sorrento

Once you return to Sorrento, you will be more than ready for some dinner. One of the most renowned restaurants in Sorrento is O’Parruchiano – a beautiful restaurant filled with lemon trees that has a great atmosphere.

If you want to really feel like you are in the heart of Italy, this is a great choice. That being said, we have visited twice and I personally think there are better options in Sorrento in terms of the food itself but it is extremely popular so that is more likely to be a personal preference issue.

If you want to have dinner with a beautiful view, our suggestion would be the restaurant at the Hotel Bellevue Syrene – a 5* hotel with a terrace restaurant overlooking the sea, a really beautiful place.

Day Three

Finally, if you only have 3 days in Sorrento, one of them has to include a trip to Positano.

How to get from Sorrento to Positano

There are two main ways you can enjoy a day in Positano – public bus or guided tour. We have done both options and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. The major advantage of the public bus network is cost, with tickets each way from as little as €2. The major disadvantage with this option are the queues, which can be stressful, especially during peak season

With the guided tour, the major advantage is everything is laid out for you and you can relax knowing you will get to see the best of Positano, without worrying about the logistics. The disadvantage is that naturally it is more expensive and you have slightly less flexibility on time. That being said, we would still recommend taking the guided tour and everything below can still be done using this approach.

Morning – Breakfast and the Old Town

Once you arrive in Positano, our suggestion would be get some breakfast to set yourself up for the day. There is a beautiful place just as you arrive in Positano called Casa e Bottega, this place is such a nice way to start your day in Positano. As well as being a bistrot, they also have a great shop selling ceramics and homewares so you can pick up a nice souvenir here as well.

After breakfast, it’s time to take a walk through the old town of Positano and admire the boutique shops. The streets in Positano are quite narrow but it’s a really nice way to familiarise yourself with the area before making your way down to the famous beach.

Afternoon – Lunch and The Beach

If you are making your way down to the beach and want to get lunch along the way, you could try out Ristorante Le Tre Sorelle Positano, which has some great seafood options as well as pizza and pasta etc.

Positano beach is where you will get to see beautiful views of the pastel houses built into the mountains behind. The beach has both a free part and an area for beach clubs which require paid entry but you can enjoy the surroundings just as much at both options.

Evening – Dinner and Sunset Views

One of the great things about Positano, is that a lot of the bars and restaurants that line the hilltop streets have picture perfect views of the pastel houses perched over the seafront. This means that not only will you get to enjoy a beautiful meal, you can combine that with one of the best sunset views in all of Europe.

For dinner, we would suggest trying either La Scogliera or else Bruno’s, which has incredible views overlooking the water. Where possible, try to book your table in advance to make sure you can go there at the best time in the evening.

If you would prefer to have dinner earlier and then enjoy the amazing sunset with a drink, we would really recommend Franco’s Bar. This bar does not take reservations so there is likely to be a queue but if you only have one day in Positano, it is worth the wait.

Alternative Option – Hike the Path of the Gods

We didn’t include this as the main itinerary option as not everyone loves a hike, especially on their holiday. But if you enjoy the outdoors and want to get a spectacular view overlooking Positano, the ‘Path of the Gods’ is a must.

And that is it, what a perfect way to spend 3 days in Sorrento. You can obviously cary this based on your preference but in our experience, this is the best way to enjoy the area as a whole. Have a great time on your trip to Sorrento!