Self-Launched Food & Walking on the Amalfi Coast

Land at Naples Capodichino (NAP). Instead of the tour's 18:00 airport pickup, take the Alibus shuttle to Napoli Centrale (~£4.50, 20 min), then the Circumvesuviana local train to Sorrento (~£4) followed by a SITA bus up to Agerola (~£3). Total transit ~2.5-3 hrs for under £12 — the operator charges €160 for a private transfer. Check into a guesthouse in Agerola or Pimonte; the village of Bomerano (trailhead for the Path of the Gods) is the best base. Evening: settle in with a welcome glass of local Fiano di Avellino or a spritz at a village bar (~£6), and stock up on picnic supplies at a small alimentari.

🚌Alibus + Circumvesuviana train + SITA bus, ~£12

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola (Bomerano) — private room, ~£30

• →Arrival & village orientation walk
• →Welcome drink at a local bar

Walk the Sentiero degli Dei self-guided — the trail starts right behind Bomerano and is well-marked (allow 3-4 hrs, moderate, some steep descent). No guide needed, but a GetYourGuide guided group hike (~£30) is a good option if you want the history and geology explained. Descend the ~1,500 steps to Nocelle, then take the local SITA bus or a short walk down to Positano (~£1.30). Afternoon free in Positano: beach time at Spiaggia Grande, browse the ceramics shops. Return to Agerola by SITA bus (~£3). Dinner of fresh pasta and local wine in Bomerano (~£15).

🚌SITA buses Positano ↔ Agerola, ~£5

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Self-guided Path of the Gods hike (Bomerano → Nocelle)
• →Positano beach & old town exploration

Get an early Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompeii Scavi (~£2.50). Book a 2-hour small-group or self-guided audio tour of the ruins (~£20 entry + £15 guide via GetYourGuide — skip-the-line worth it in summer). Midday: EAV bus up to Vesuvius (~£7 return) and the 30-40 min crater walk at the summit (Vesuvius national park ticket ~£10). Lunch: a wine tasting and cold-plate lunch at a Vesuvius-region vineyard such as Cantina del Vesuvio (~£25, book direct). Evening train back and bus to Agerola. Simple dinner in the village (~£12).

🚌Circumvesuviana + EAV Vesuvius bus + SITA bus, ~£15

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Pompeii archaeological site tour
• →Mount Vesuvius crater hike
• →Vesuvius vineyard wine tasting & lunch

Bus down to Sorrento (~£3) and spend the day eating your way around: join a self-bookable Sorrento food walking tour on GetYourGuide or AirBnB Experiences (~£55, includes pizza, gelato, limoncello and cheese tastings) — or DIY it for ~£20 by hitting a friggitoria for fried pizza, a limoncello tasting room, and gelato at a historic gelateria. Afternoon: Marina Grande fishing harbour, the Villa Comunale terrace for Gulf of Naples views, and the cloister of San Francesco. Late bus back to Agerola. Dinner ~£14.

🚌SITA bus Sorrento ↔ Agerola, ~£6

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Sorrento food walking tour (pizza, gelato, limoncello)
• →Marina Grande & Villa Comunale viewpoints

Early bus to Sorrento, then the hydrofoil to Capri (~£20 each way, 20 min — book with NLG or Caremar). Funicular up to Capri Town (~£2) and a wander through the Piazzetta. Take the bus or chairlift to Anacapri for the Monte Solaro chairlift (~£10) — the best views in the Bay of Naples. Optional Blue Grotto boat trip (~£15, sea-permitting) or a swim at the free Marina Piccola beach. Pack a picnic to dodge Capri's eyewatering restaurant prices (lunch otherwise £20+). Late hydrofoil back to Sorrento, bus up to Agerola, dinner ~£12.

🚌SITA bus + return hydrofoil + island buses/funicular, ~£49

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Capri Town & Piazzetta
• →Monte Solaro chairlift in Anacapri
• →Marina Piccola swim

Bus down to Castellammare or Sorrento and take the Circumvesuviana into Naples (~£4). Walk it yourself: Castel Sant'Elmo for the panorama (~£3), then the Pedamentina staircase down through the Spanish Quarter. Loop through the monumental centre — Royal Palace exterior, San Carlo Opera House, and Spaccanapoli. Take the Toledo 'art metro' station escalator just to see it. Eat the required Neapolitan pizza (a margherita at a classic pizzeria ~£7, or join a Naples street-food tour on GetYourGuide ~£35) and finish with espresso and sfogliatella at Gran Caffè Gambrinus (~£3). Evening train/bus back to Agerola, light dinner ~£10.

🚌Bus + Circumvesuviana round trip, ~£10

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Castel Sant'Elmo & Pedamentina descent
• →Spaccanapoli & monumental centre walk
• →Toledo art metro station
• →Neapolitan pizza & Gambrinus espresso/sfogliatella

Sleep in, then spend the day in the village. Agerola is famous for Fior di Latte di Agerola and Pomodorini del Vesuvio — book a farmhouse cooking class direct (e.g. at an agriturismo in Bomerano or San Lazzaro, ~£65-75 including dinner of what you cook) via AirBnB Experiences or GetYourGuide. Alternatively, a cheese-making visit at a local dairy (~£20). Walk the village lanes, visit the Santa Maria la Manna church, and enjoy the valley views. Dinner is your own handiwork, with a glass of local wine.

🚌Local walking / short village bus, ~£3

🛏Guesthouse/B&B in Agerola — ~£30

• →Neapolitan cooking class with local Fior di Latte & Vesuvius tomatoes
• →Agerola village walk

Breakfast at the guesthouse, then retrace the public transport route: SITA bus to Sorrento, Circumvesuviana to Naples, Alibus to Capodichino (~£12 total, 2.5-3 hrs — leave generous buffer for flights). If you have a late flight, drop bags at Napoli Centrale luggage storage (~£5) and grab one last sfogliatella before heading to the airport.

🚌SITA bus + Circumvesuviana + Alibus, ~£12

• →Departure transfer via public transport