The Amalfi Coast rewards walkers who are willing to climb. Its three signature half-day routes, the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), the Valle delle Ferriere and the Path of Lemons between Maiori and Minori, all sit within a morning or afternoon, and all ask for the same thing: steady feet, a head for heights and a realistic sense of your own knees. This guide covers each route in turn, with the figures the operators and tourism authorities publish, the trailheads reachable by bus, and the downhill direction that saves the most wear.
None of these is a flat seaside promenade. Those have their own dedicated guide, Gentle Seaside Strolls and the Best Views on the Amalfi Coast, and they are a different proposition entirely. What follows assumes you already walk regularly at home and want the ridge, the forest and the lemon terraces rather than the harbour wall.
What are the best half-day walks on the Amalfi Coast?
The Path of the Gods is the signature route, a high ridge walk from Bomerano in Agerola to Nocelle above Positano. The Valle delle Ferriere offers a cooler forest circuit from Pontone back to Amalfi. The Path of Lemons links Maiori and Minori through lemon terraces in roughly three hours with breaks.
The Path of the Gods is the walk most visitors mean when they talk about hiking here. Costiera Amalfitana describes the path connecting Bomerano to Nocelle, a rural village in Positano some 400 metres above sea level, as total immersion in nature with a view of the coast difficult to put into words. The Amalfi tourism site gives the route as 7 kilometres, 3 hours, with 650 metres of elevation gain, starting at Paolo Capasso Square in Bomerano and arriving at Positano.
Those figures sit alongside others. A published guide reports the official CAI Monti Lattari trail sheet for path 327 gives 5.3 km, 184 metres of climbing and 356 metres of descent, around 2 hours each way, as set out in the Italy Amalfi Coast Tours hiking guide. The differences reflect measuring methods and whether the walk is extended down to Positano. Plan for two to three hours on the ridge itself.
AI-editedHow hard is the Path of the Gods for walkers over 50?
It is graded E by the Italian Alpine Club: no equipment or technique needed, but sure footing and ordinary hill fitness required. The terrain is rocky and uneven, sections run close to drops without railings, and the hardest part is usually the stair descent at the end rather than the ridge itself.
The Italian Alpine Club maintains and signs the route as trail 327, graded E. That grade means a walking route needing no equipment and no climbing technique, but demanding sure footing and reasonable hill fitness. Travelmar, which runs ferry and shuttle access to the trail, rates the difficulty E and describes it as suitable for most people with the right attention, while stating it is not suitable for children, people suffering from vertigo or people with motor disabilities.
One published guide calls the trail easy, adding that it is not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo. Another describes it as moderate, with about 1,500 or more steps to Positano if you continue down from Nocelle, as noted in the Amalfi Coast tours route map. A walker reporting on the Rick Steves forum after completing it at 72 described the trail as not terribly difficult but very rocky in the second half. The pattern across accounts is consistent: the ridge is manageable, the exit stairs are the sting.
Which direction should I walk it?
Walk it from Bomerano down to Nocelle. Costiera Amalfitana advises walking the path from top to bottom, starting at Bomerano at 650 metres and proceeding to Nocelle. This direction puts the climbing behind you and keeps the sea in front of you.
Several sources recommend Bomerano to Nocelle so you walk with the drop rather than against it. Travellers on the Rick Steves forum recommend starting at Bomerano because the ascent from Praiano is described as a lung-busting climb, while the ridge walk itself is comparatively level, with a little up and a little down.
There is a trade-off at the far end. A forum post warned that hiking west to east leaves not much to do at the eastern terminus, while the west-to-east finish toward Positano brings the practical problem of the steps down if you choose to descend on foot. One account puts the descent from Nocelle at roughly 1,800 cement steps to the Amalfi Drive and on to Positano; Costiera Amalfitana refers to the descent of the famous 1,700 steps beginning after Fontana Vecchia di Monte Pertuso.
If your knees are the deciding factor, finish at Nocelle and take the bus down. A couple who walked the route in October 2019 reported that the only strenuous section was the roughly 1,500 steps down from Nocelle, and that a bus down was available.
How do I reach the trailhead by bus?
From Amalfi, SITA buses leave from the terminus near Piazza Flavio Gioia and run directly to Agerola-Bomerano, where the excursion begins. The road distance from Amalfi to Bomerano is 15 km, about 15 minutes with clear roads and no stops.
Costiera Amalfitana states that the Path of the Gods can be reached by public transport, with SITA buses departing from Naples, Castellammare di Stabia and Amalfi, and that from Amalfi the departure point is the terminus near Piazza Flavio Gioia. Published guidance elsewhere puts the bus journey from Amalfi to Bomerano at about 40 minutes on one page and approximately 50 to 55 minutes on another, so allow an hour and do not build a tight connection around it.
From the Bomerano stop, one guide says the walk to the official trailhead is about 800 metres and takes around 15 minutes. A TripAdvisor note describes the trail as five minutes on foot from the sign reading Sentiero degli Dei, and advises arriving early for bus seats, because crowded buses can mean standing for a long ride.
Ferries also feed the trail. Costiera Amalfitana reports four ferries departing daily from Salerno to Amalfi, and a ferry plus shuttle combination available from Vietri sul Mare, Positano, Minori, Maiori and Cetara. For the wider picture of boats and buses, see Getting Around the Amalfi Coast by Ferry and Bus, No Car Needed.
What is the Valle delle Ferriere walk like?
A roughly 8 km circuit from Pontone, a fraction of Scala, returning to Amalfi, completable in about 4 hours and rated mild difficulty and suitable for everyone by LiveSalerno. Pontone is reachable from Amalfi or Ravello by SITA bus.
The valley is the quieter alternative, and operators market it as such. LiveSalerno describes the trekking route through the Valle delle Ferriere as about 8 km, completable in 4 hours, starting from Pontone and returning to Amalfi, of mild difficulty and suitable for everyone. The same source gives a second option from Agerola, also mild, lasting about 3 hours with 500 metres of descent and 250 metres of climbing.
For this exact place, the published material does not consistently document a single authoritative count of steps or a standardised seasonal opening rule. The Pontone to Amalfi circuit is the longer of the two and is best treated as a half-day hike. Cooler air, tree cover and running water make it a sensible pick in the warmer months, and it avoids the exposed ridge entirely.
Is the Path of Lemons easier than the Path of the Gods?
It is shorter and lower, but not flat. The Path of Lemons between Maiori and Minori runs 2.5 km with a height difference of about 150 metres either way, takes roughly 3 hours with breaks, and includes about 400 stairs in each direction.
Costiera Amalfitana gives the route as 2.5 km with a height difference of plus or minus 150 metres and about 3 hours with breaks, with roughly 400 stairs in each direction, an uphill stepped section at the start, then mostly flat and downhill walking. Another published guide calls it medium-easy, with ups and downs and many steps. The road distance between Maiori and Minori is 1.9 km, about 5 minutes with clear roads, which tells you how compact this corner is.
Starting points differ by source. One guide says it can begin from Minori via the stairs in Via Vescovado, or by using a shuttle bus to the village of Torre. InAlto describes starting from Maiori near the Collegiata di Santa Maria a Mare, passing through Torre before descending to Minori. Both towns are served by the SITA bus along the Amalfi Coast.
So the honest comparison: the Path of Lemons is shorter and stays low, but it is stair-heavy rather than a gentle stroll, and it suits walkers who can handle repeated steps rather than one long climb.
| Route | Start to finish | Distance | Time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Path of the Gods | Bomerano to Nocelle | 7 km (Amalfi tourism site) | 3 hours | Exposed ridge, rocky, CAI grade E |
| Valle delle Ferriere | Pontone to Amalfi | About 8 km | About 4 hours | Forest, mild difficulty |
| Path of Lemons | Maiori to Minori | 2.5 km | About 3 hours with breaks | Lemon terraces, about 400 stairs each way |
When should I walk, and what should I carry?
April to June and September to October are the months most often recommended, for less heat and fewer crowds. One guide says the trail is open all year round and may still be walked in winter if weather permits, while another says it is officially open April to November.
Positano.com states the best time to visit is from April to October. A separate travel guide narrows the sweet spot to April to June and September to October because of less heat and fewer crowds. Blue Keys says the trail is officially open from April to November and may be closed from December to March because of weather, landslides or maintenance. The sources do not agree on a single opening rule, so check conditions locally before a winter attempt.
Heat is the recurring theme in walker reports. One account describes the hike as not difficult at all but strongly advises against doing it mid-day because it will be too hot, recommending water, a hat, sunscreen, sturdy walking shoes and snacks. A forum participant notes that the path has picnic tables in several places, making it sensible to break up the walk. Costiera Amalfitana adds that along the Sentiero degli Dei there are numerous springs of fresh, drinkable water and wooden benches.
Is the Path of the Gods dangerous?
It is not a technical route, but it is exposed. Sources describe cliff-edge sections, narrow path, steep drops and unrailed edges, with one stating the route is not advised for serious vertigo. There is no pharmacy or medical post documented on the trail.
The hazards named across sources are consistent: exposed sections, a narrow path, steep drops and a stair-heavy exit. One source says the route is not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo, and another notes unrailed cliff edges. Travelmar states the hike is not suitable for people with motor disabilities. No source documents a formal assistance service on the trail itself, and no pharmacy or medical post is documented along it.
No locally applicable emergency number is documented for this trail.
Maintenance closures for the exact trail are not documented. A new route closure affected a section after waypoint 5 at one point, with hikers advised either to take a safer bypass through Tovere and the CAI-361b trail or to follow a shorter workaround where possible, according to trail-condition updates for the Agerola side. A separate closure on the upper variant from Colle Serra toward Positano was formally lifted by the municipality of Agerola. Check current conditions before setting out.
Do I need to book, and what does it cost?
No. Positano.com states the trail is free and open to everyone, and one source confirms there is no ticket, no permit and no reservation required. Guided options are sold by operators for walkers who prefer company and local knowledge.
No source gives a senior, over-65 or reduced tariff for the trail itself, because the path is described as a free public mountain path. Senior fares are not documented on the exact pages gathered for the Amalfi Coast transport links either.
Where money does come in is transport. The Amalfi Coast sustainable mobility consortium, reported by Positanonews in June 2024 and mirrored by Visit Amalfi, introduced three booked-seat lines: the Green Line from Positano to Amalfi along State Road 163 Amalfitana with five departures per day at 10 euros each way, the Blue Line from Maiori to Amalfi with 9 departures per day at 5 euros each way, and the Orange Line from Ravello to Amalfi with 6 trips per day at 7 euros each way. These new shuttle lines should make point-to-point hiking logistics easier, especially for walkers who want to avoid crowded buses or long waits, as set out by Visit Amalfi's page on the sustainable mobility consortium.
Guided hikes on the Path of the Gods are offered by operators, and Amalfi Coast hiking operators also market quieter routes including the Valle delle Ferriere nature reserve. The trail is generally treated as a self-guided hike.
Practical questions before you set out
Walk early, carry water, wear shoes with grip, and decide at Nocelle whether you are walking or riding down. The route is free and unbooked, but the buses are not, and the heat is the variable most walkers underestimate.
Access from the coast is straightforward by bus and ferry, and the wider network is covered in Day Trips Worth Making from the Amalfi Coast if you want to build the walk into a longer stay. For a lower-effort day on the water instead, Seeing the Amalfi Coast Mostly by Boat, With Little Walking covers the alternative.
Two details are worth confirming on the day. And no source documents a formal assistance service on the trail, so plan as a self-sufficient walker.
Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport began commercial service in July 2024, reported in regional and travel press, creating a new arrival gateway and reducing dependence on Naples for some visitors. That makes a short walking break here easier to assemble than it once was.
