See the Amalfi Coast with Kids in One Day

With only one day to experience the Amalfi Coast with kids, we knew we needed a plan that would let us see as much as possible. We were based in Sorrento, so we looked for the easiest and most enjoyable option to see the most famous locations along the Amalfi Coast. We booked a ferry package with NLG, which took us from Sorrento to Amalfi, then on to Positano, before returning to Sorrento.

This ferry-based itinerary gave us about three hours in both Amalfi and Positano. For us, that was probably more time than we needed in each town, but it did give us plenty of time to explore without feeling rushed.

We chose to visit the Amalfi Coast by ferry because it’s such a beautiful way to experience the region. From the water, we could enjoy the dramatic cliffs, colourful villages, and hidden beaches without having to deal with the coastal road.

For a short visit, this was a simple, efficient, and memorable way to see the Amalfi Coast with kids in just one day.

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3 Hours in Amalfi with Kids

Amalfi was a beautiful first stop on our ferry day trip. We made our way into the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, which rises above the main square and is one of the town’s most recognizable sights.

Since it was Sunday morning, mass was taking place while we were there, and we were lucky to hear the organ along with the congregation singing. It was a beautiful way to start our visit to Amalfi with kids.

Throughout our family trip to Italy, we’d seen people enjoying lemon sorbet served inside a real lemon. We felt it was time for us to try some, so we stopped at Il Pianeta del Gelato. The portion was enormous, the sorbet was amazing, and yes, it was very expensive. I’m still in shock over what it cost, but hey, it’s one of those classic Southern Italy experiences we had to try at least once.

We wandered the shopping streets for a while, although that is not usually how we like to spend our time when we travel.

Once we had thoroughly explored the town, we picked a spot on Marina Grande, Amalfi’s main beach near the centre of town. It was the perfect spot to enjoy our packed lunch before heading back to the ferry for our trip to Positano.

3 Hours in Positano with Kids

Positano is often seen as the crown jewel of the Amalfi Coast. With its pastel buildings tumbling down the hillside toward the sea, it was just as beautiful as we had hoped.

We started our visit to Positano with a walk along the beachfront shopping area, which was lively and full of boutiques, cafés, and little shops. It was a nice way to arrive and take in the atmosphere, but after already spending some time around the shops in Amalfi, it felt a little repetitive.

From there, we made our way up to see the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, one of Positano’s most recognizable landmarks. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited, but we were still able to look inside through a large window. Even from outside, it was easy to appreciate the beauty of the church and its famous dome, which is such an iconic part of the Positano skyline.

Rather than spend more time shopping, we decided to head out on foot toward Spiaggia di Fornillo along the Via Positanesi d’America walking path. This ended up being one of our favourite parts of our time in Positano.

The Via Positanesi d’America walk was beautiful, with elevated views over the colourful town, the beach, and the sparkling water below. It gave us a chance to step away from the busiest part of Positano and enjoy the scenery without the crowds.

Once we reached Spiaggia di Fornillo, we stayed for a while and simply enjoyed being by the sea. The beach felt a little more relaxed, and our kids were happy collecting sea glass while we soaked in the views. After a busy day moving between towns, it was a nice place to pause and let everyone unwind.

We finished our time in Positano with an early dinner at a waterfront restaurant, which felt like the perfect way to end our one day on the Amalfi Coast with kids.

How to Book your Amalfi Coast Ferry Package

We booked our convenient day of ferry trips along the Amalfi Coast with NLG ferries. They sell packages that include all the ferry tickets you need for a day of Amalfi Coast sightseeing. You can see NLG’s current Sorrento-based Amalfi Coast ferry tours here.

Our day of sightseeing was self-guided. If you’d prefer the ease of a tour for your family, there are lots of boat-based tours of the Amalfi Coast to choose from.

Where We Stayed for the Amalfi Coast with Kids

After seeing the high hotel prices in Positano and Amalfi, we chose to base ourselves in Sorrento for our visit to the Amalfi Coast with kids. We stayed for three nights at the very family-friendly Tasso Suites & Spa hotel. We chose the Tasso Suites for a couple of reasons.

First, we liked that it had a family-friendly one-bedroom option, with a queen bed in the bedroom and two twin beds in the main room for the kids.

We had one additional day in Sorrento, but unfortunately, we spent it recovering from food poisoning we got near Pompeii. We were so grateful for the comfortable, spacious room while we recovered. Sharing a traditional 2-queen bed hotel room during this would have been awful!

We also loved the convenient location of the Tasso Suites & Spa. It was a short walk to and from the Sorrento train station, as well as the ferry port. It’s also in the heart of the tourist area of town, so we had an abundance of restaurants at our doorstep.

The hotel itself was really nice and clean, with helpful, friendly staff. The front desk staff went above and beyond helping us rebook our ferry tickets due to our illness.

Finally, we enjoyed the daily buffet breakfast. There was a good selection of high quality breakfast items, and we all found things which made us happy.

We were very happy with our stay at the Tasso Suites & Spa and would easily recommend it to your family for a stay in Sorrento.

Follow Along on our Family Trip to the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast

We hope you enjoyed reading about our visit to the Amalfi Coast with kids and found it useful for planning your family trip!

Our one day on the Amalfi Coast with kids was at the tail end of our family trip to Italy. Earlier in our trip, we visited Pompeii with kids and explored several major eruption sites, including Mt. Vesuvius and Herculaneum (another village covered by the infamous eruption).

We also loved our three days in Ischia with kids. We chose Ischia over Capri as it catered to our love of kid-friendly outdoor activities. On Ischia, we enjoyed a kayaking tour, thermal beaches and a wonderful hike around the top of the volcano.

This was our second trip to Italy with our kids. If you are interested in seeing where we went on our original 4-week family vacation to Italy, you can see the details in our Italy family itinerary.