This guide shows how I hiked the beautiful Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei in Italian) trail from Bomerano to Positano. If you want to see some of the best views of the Amalfi Coast and you are reasonably fit, I highly recommend this hike. I’ve done it twice three times now, and will surely do it again in the future. In this post I have both a recommended plan, followed by a quick summary of how my timeline went.
Check out my recent post Essential Resources for Italy Travel to see what I like to use for booking trains, tours, and rooms.
The Trail Itself
The trail varies from flat, easy dirt to technical, roll-your-ankle rocks. Hiking shoes/boots are definitely recommended, not just because of the grip but also the stiffness of the sole and ankle support. I’ve seen people do it in tennis shoes or flat bottom street shoes, but you’re sure to slip. Full disclosure: I wore New Balance 500s both times I did the hike and they got the job done, but the narrow sole meant several rolled ankle close-calls. Do as I say and not as I do.
Getting to the Start
From the town of Amalfi, you can take SITA bus 5080 from Amalfi to Via Villani (Pianillo). The bus ride is about 40 minutes. From there, navigate through the town center to the trailhead. If you need to grab water/snacks for the trail, you can stop at this alimentari.
See the rest of my Amalfi Coast recommendations including what to do, where to stay, what to eat, and more here.
Actually navigating the trail is pretty self-explanatory. The trail is well-marked, and there are very few points where you’ll have the chance to make a wrong turn. When in doubt, just keep going in the direction of the coast (west).
The trail doesn’t actually finish in Positano. It officially ends in Nocelle, where you can grab a granita or soda and hang with the stray cats at Lemon Point.
From here, descend the nearby stairs. Get ready for about 20 minutes straight of descending stairs (something like 1700 stairs). When your legs feel like Jell-o, you will pop out on the road near Via Arienzo, 53 bus stop. Then you can walk the road (about 15-20 minutes) to Positano. When the road forks, go left and walk down to town.
If you arrive in the between lunch and dinner hours and most restaurants are closed, you can go to Delicatessen Di Cinque Emilia and get a made-to-order sandwich and a soda/beer to go.
Getting back home
From Positano, you could hike all the way back. But remember those stairs at the end? Right. I did that the first time, because we misread the bus schedules – long story. Anyway, hiking the Path of the Gods from Positano to Bomerano while racing the sunset is not recommended.
I suggest you get a ferry (I use Directferries) from Positano to whatever town you’re staying in. If there’s a lot of people in Positano (there’s always a lot of people in Positano), it will be kind of hectic and the ferry could be late – keep that in mind.
a realistic Itinerary
On the most recent trip, the itinerary (i.e. chain of events) was as follows. This was on a Monday in September. Ferry tickets were bought a couple days ahead of time. These times may be different in future seasons:
- From the AirBNB in Vietri sul Mare, we took the 9:05 am Travelmar ferry to Amalfi, scheduled to arrive at 10:05. (ferry tickets on DirectFerries)
- The plan was to take bus 5080 at 10:15 to Bomerano. As my cousin suspected, this was too optimistic. The ferry ran late and we missed the bus. Next one at 12:30.
- It worked out OK, because we had time to walk around Amalfi and have coffee and have a cuoppo d’Amalfi (fried seafood in a cone a.k.a. heaven)
- Took the bus at 12:30. It was full of kids, who got out of school at a time I would have killed for when I was in high school. I had to stand. Very windy road – keep this in mind if you get carsick easily.
- The hike took 3-3.5 hours
- Hung out in Positano for a couple hours
- Ferry back (also Travelmar), scheduled to leave at 6:05 from Postitano and arrive in Vietri sul Mare at 7:55 (with a change in Amalfi)
- The pickup point in Positano was chaos with lots of confusion – Travelmar ferry didn’t end up coming until 6:45 or 7
- Nice quiet nighttime ride to Vietri sul Mare.
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You’re a warrior Anthony. Love this blog you got going on. Looking forward to reading more
Hahaha I appreciate that, Marcia.
I loved Path of the Gods though the descent had me scooting on my butt almost all the way down because my legs were total jello. But would do it again in a heartbeat. Great photos and recommendations. Thx! ❤️🇮🇹
Thanks, Doreen! Glad it wasn’t just me haha.