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1 day for Amalfi - Ravello - Minori/Maiori?

Hi everyone,

We're hoping to stay in Amalfi mid June for a few nights as a base and I am wondering if it seems advisable to do the following in 1 day: (we are both in our mid 50s and are very active so don't expect the walking to be too much for us)

  1. Take a bus to Ravello to visit the town and the villas and have lunch
  2. Walk/hike down to Minori early afternoon
  3. quickly see Minori then walk the path of lemons to Maiori for a quick visit.
  4. catch an evening bus or taxi back to Amalfi

I didn't see any later afternoon or evening ferries scheduled from Maiori to Amalfi. Will it be a problem to catch a bus in the evening?

Thanks for any suggestions/recommendations

Posted by
2301 posts

There is a public bus that runs along the Amalfi coast between these towns. It would be the cheapest and most frequent option. You can check Rome2rio to get an idea of times.

Posted by
15926 posts

I didn't explore Minori but the lemon tiramisu had there on my first jaunt along the coast was so good I went back a second time and even brought a small box of goodies back to my room (in Salerno). Treat yourselves at Sal de Riso. You won't be sorry you lingered in Minori. They also have gelati that - I'm told - are excellent.

Sunset's around 8.30 pm in mid-June. If you walk from Maiori to Minori you should have a great view of sunset.

Posted by
1301 posts

Sounds doable. Just a word of warning, those hikes down can be harder than you think. Going down a bunch of steps uses a different set of muscles than we’re used to. With the easy bus connections, it’s worth saving your energy over.

Posted by
2291 posts

Treat yourselves at Sal de Riso. You won't be sorry you lingered in
Minori. They also have gelati that - I'm told - are excellent.

Chani--

Finally got to Sal De Riso in Minori last April. Busy, but our driver just let us off so they could worry about parking--in the end they just waited for us. We pretty much got right in and each had a different pastry, which are incredible and only between 8-10 Euro apiece, which is a bargain. I don't believe they take reservations, but GKing if you are going there in June, allow yourself enough time. It is definitely not to be missed!

Posted by
8598 posts

It's not hard to download SITA bus schedules, but make sure you are looking at the high-season schedule. It may be hard to find in the winter. In general, there is little public transportation in this area at night, so don't guess about your end-time for the day out. We spent a night (pre-scheduled) before several in Sorrento, in Naples because our flight from England arrived after dark. If you can't get to Sorrento at night, you certainly can't get around the AC at night! I would expect taxis to be expensive, even for a shorter trip. This is a high cost area, and there is only one two-lane road along the AC, which is slow going.

I have not done any of this outing except for visiting Ravello, which is quite easy from Amalfi. I think you will have less time to linger than you will want. You will encounter huge crowds, and should make a reservation for lunch. We ate at Flauto de Pan, at one of the hotels in Ravello. But you can expect crowds everywhere in June, and lines for some busses. But because the bus in Maiori terminates in Amalfi (check the bus schedule), it won't be like trying to get back to Sorrento from Positano on a bus. Do not plan on the last bus of the day unless you get reliable information that this is okay. And remember that southern Italy is not as well-organized and infrastructured as is northern Italy.

I found a blog that says the Path of the Lemons is 400 steps up and 400 steps down, and takes one to two hours. This should be easy to research online. We were in Sorrento the last week of May, and it was already brutally hot and searingly sunny when out in unsheltered areas. Bring plenty of water for places where you can't readily buy more. I would not choose a hotel without air conditioning.

We didn't happen to see Lemon Tiramisu, but "Delizia al Limone" is a local specialty.

Posted by
5553 posts

Your day is doable. We did the Path of the Lemons in early May 2023 and it takes about an hour on a paved trail, a fit and active couple in their 50's should have no issues. The views are spectacular, but similar to what you'll see from Ravello. The bus back to Amalfi wasn't very crowded when we took it at about 4:00, it's the buses from Amalfi that can get crazy. One note if you haven't experienced the AC before, the transportation system will be chaotic and confusing. I remember looking for the bus stop in Minori and didn't see it. There was a bus stop across the street for the bus to Salerno and I asked the local waiting for that bus where I should stand to go to Amalfi, she pointed to where I was standing across the street. No sign indicated it was a bus stop, it just was.

Posted by
2291 posts

To Allan's point, I would say from April through October you shouldn't expect public trans on the Amalfi Coast to be anything but chaotic. I've been there three times and marvel at how people subject themselves to so much wasted time. trying to get from Point A to Point B.

Far more efficient--albeit somewhat pricey--would be the hiring of a driver more than a guide, but some can do both. Ours in April of this year took us on a 6-hour tour with pickup/dropoff in Salerno, destinations specified by us. Vietri sul Mare for ceramics shopping and walking around, then to Garden Ravello for lunch--pretty good. Then a walk to Villa Cimbrone, which included some hiking, and even that high up, there were crowds. And...it gets hot up there, even in April! Finally, back in the vehicle to rest our dogs and we were driven down to the aforementioned Sal De Riso in Minori, then finally back to our Salerno hotel--Hotel Plaza by the way, directly across from the bus/train station and a great deal around 100 Euro/night. Our guide charged, 400 Euro for 4 people, and I thought that was a little high but fair. and well worth it. Our driver was in constant traffic, even on that gnarly coastal road!

Posted by
10 posts

Thanks for the feedback, everyone and @awrzesinski the point about the strain of walking down is well taken. We'll be walking enough as is and if the Path of Lemons gives similar views maybe we opt to a bus from Ravello to Minori, and more time at Sal de Rosi for pastries

Posted by
72 posts

I will be in Amalfi for two full days in May and was just starting to think about what to do. I will be with a group and one day will be spent on a boat around Capri, etc. The other day is open and I like your itinerary - unless we decide to just sit on the beach! If anyone has other highlights to share about the area, I'd love to hear them (and expect GKing would too!).