Positano and Amalfi Private Boat Tour from Sorrento

The coast on your own clock

On the shared boat tours the timetable is fixed: an hour in Amalfi, an hour in Positano, back on board. On a private boat you set it: an hour in the water at Nerano, lunch in Positano, Amalfi seen only from the sea or two hours ashore. The skipper knows the coast and the sea of the day and makes suggestions; you make the decisions. It is the right format for families, couples and groups of friends who want the Amalfi Coast without a schedule and without other passengers.

The route

From Sorrento the boat follows the peninsula: the Baths of Queen Giovanna, the Bay of Ieranto, Punta Campanella with Capri opposite. Round the cape the Amalfi Coast begins: the Li Galli islands, the bay of Nerano, Positano appearing suddenly behind its headland, Praiano, the Fjord of Furore, the Emerald Grotto at Conca dei Marini and Amalfi. The skipper tells you the stories of the places as you pass them.

Positano and Amalfi

In Positano you land at the jetty on the Spiaggia Grande: lanes of boutiques, ceramics, the church of Santa Maria Assunta. In Amalfi the boat comes into the harbour and you are straight onto piazza Duomo, with the staircase of the cathedral of Saint Andrew. How long you stay is up to you; lunch is not included, but the skipper knows where to eat by the water.

Swimming, snorkelling and the aperitif

Between the stops the boat anchors where the water is clearest, usually on the side sheltered from the wind and away from the crowded beaches. Masks and snorkels are on board, as are the snacks and the drinks, alcoholic and not, which come out when you ask or on the way back, with the coast going past on the other side. The limoncello is the last of them.

Port, price and booking

The meeting point is agreed when you book, according to where you are staying and the port you choose; the transfer to the port is included. The price is for the whole boat and depends on the port, the type of boat and the hours at sea, so it is quoted case by case. Bring swimsuits, towels, sunglasses and sun cream; in April and October a windproof jacket for the crossing. Entrance tickets, meals and transport on land are not included. The route and the stops can change with the sea.

Other options

For Capri on a private boat there is the Capri private boat tour, same format. If a shared boat is fine, the Amalfi Coast boat tours leave from Sorrento, Naples and the Vesuvius coast, from € 74. To see the coast from the road with a driver for the day, there is the Amalfi Coast private day trip by minivan. All private tours are on the private tours page.