Amalfi, Italy
A tender ride into one of Italy’s most famous harbors, a cathedral at the top of a grand staircase, lemon groves on the cliffs and Ravello and Positano along the coast. Here’s how to plan your day.
The coast at your feet
Amalfi was once a powerful maritime republic, trading across the Mediterranean a thousand years ago. Today it’s the town that gives the Amalfi Coast its name, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cliffside villages, terraced lemon groves and one of the most dramatic coastal roads in the world. Tenders bring you right into the harbor, so the town is there the moment you step ashore.
Guests often ask us whether the tender lands in Amalfi or Positano. It’s Amalfi, and Positano and Ravello are each a drive away on a narrow, busy coast road, so a little planning goes a long way. Below are the shore excursions we’d book, the ship tours worth knowing about and the details that keep a tender day easy.
Which pier you’ll dock at
Amalfi is a tender port for most ships, and some larger ships use Salerno as their Amalfi Coast stop. Check your itinerary to see which applies to you.
The tender ride
Ships anchor in the bay, and tenders run to the harbor beside Piazza Flavio Gioia, at the edge of the town center. The ride usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. The cathedral and Piazza del Duomo are a short walk from the landing. Guests on ship-sold tours usually go ashore first, so if you’ve booked independently, build a morning wait into your plans.
Used by: Azamara, Crystal, Explora Journeys, Ponant, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, SeaDream, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar.
Docking at Salerno
Many larger ships visit the Amalfi Coast from Salerno instead, docking at the city’s cruise terminal about 16 miles east of Amalfi. The coast road can take an hour or more in traffic, so plan the day around a ship tour or a vetted excursion. If your itinerary says Salerno, our Salerno port guide covers that day in detail.
Used by: Celebrity, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, Regent, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Viking and Virgin Voyages.
Excursions we’d book
Hand-picked shore excursions from local operators, bookable through our partner Project Expedition. Every tour here carries Project Expedition’s Back to Ship Guarantee. Prices are per person and can change; check the live price when you book.
Private: Ravello, Amalfi, Positano Tour
A private full day along the coast to hilltop Ravello and Positano, with time in Amalfi too. It offers pickup in Amalfi, and cruise guests are picked up and returned at the port. It runs about eight hours, so check it fits your all-aboard time.
View on Project ExpeditionPositano, Amalfi & Ravello Tour
Positano, Amalfi and Ravello at your own pace with a private driver, not a guide, and pickup at the port in Amalfi or Salerno. About eight hours, so match it to your time ashore.
View on Project ExpeditionPrivate Positano, Amalfi & Sorrento
A private driver day that adds Sorrento on the far side of the peninsula to Positano and Amalfi, with pickup at the port in Amalfi or Salerno. A long day of about eight hours.
View on Project ExpeditionThe Back to Ship Guarantee and refunds if your ship skips Amalfi are covered by Project Expedition’s shore excursion terms. Your advisor can walk you through them.
Cruise line favorites
Book these in your cruise planner. Ship-sold tours cost a bit more, but the ship waits for you if the tour runs late, and their guests usually tender ashore first.
- Ravello & its gardens. The hilltop town above Amalfi, with the gardens and terraces of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone and some of the best views on the coast.
- Positano by sea. A boat along the coast past cliffs, coves and grottoes to the pastel town of Positano. Seeing the coast from the water is one of the things guests ask us about most for this stop, and it skips the traffic on the coast road. It depends on the sea that day.
- Path of the Gods. A guided hike high above the coast, with huge views down to Positano. It’s rocky and uneven in places, so it suits active walkers.
- Lemons & limoncello. A visit to a terraced lemon grove with a tasting of limoncello and local specialties, or a hands-on cooking class. An easy, relaxed half day.
Exploring without a tour
Prefer to explore at your own pace? These are the highlights to know, wherever your day takes you. Keep an eye on the clock.
The Duomo & the piazza
The Cathedral of Sant’Andrea rises above Piazza del Duomo at the top of a wide staircase, with its striped facade and the Chiostro del Paradiso, its medieval cloister, next door. Entry to the cloister and museum costs extra.
The paper mills
Amalfi was famous for its handmade paper. The Paper Museum, in an old mill up the valley from the piazza, shows how it was made and still is.
Lanes, lemons & gelato
Narrow lanes and stairways climb from the main street, lined with ceramics, linen and lemon everything. Neighboring Atrani, one of the smallest villages in Italy, sits just around the point.
Before you go ashore
- All-aboard is firm. The last tender usually leaves well before all-aboard, and lines can be long late in the day. If you book independently, plan to be back at the landing at least an hour before all-aboard.
- Tenders and mobility. Getting on and off a tender means steps and a moving boat, and Amalfi, Positano and Ravello are full of stairs and steep lanes, something guests with canes or sore knees often ask us about. If you or someone in your party has mobility needs, tell your advisor when you book. Our accessibility specialist can help arrange the right support.
- The coast road is busy. The Amalfi Coast road is narrow and winding, with heavy traffic from spring through fall and extra traffic limits on some peak dates. Traffic, more than distance, is what makes the timing tricky, and it’s the concern we hear most from guests planning this day. Tours with professional drivers plan around it.
- Weather decides. Rough seas can slow or cancel tendering, and some boat tours run only in calm conditions. Your ship will announce any changes.
- Fewer stops, more time. Many guests ask us to drop a stop so the day feels less rushed, and we think that’s smart. Two towns at an easy pace, with a long lunch, often beats three in a hurry. The Duomo asks that shoulders and knees are covered, and shoes with good grip help on the steps.
Sailing to Amalfi
Smaller-ship and luxury Mediterranean itineraries call here, often sailing between Rome (Civitavecchia), Athens (Piraeus), Venice, Barcelona or Monte Carlo. Larger ships visit the coast from Salerno.Find a cruisePlan with Harr Travel
Ready for a day in Amalfi?
We’ll match you with the right Mediterranean sailing and help you plan the day ashore. There are never any booking or consultation fees.
