Travel guide · Italy
Sorrento travel guide
Clifftop town of lemon groves and ferries to Capri, Naples and the Amalfi Coast
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Sorrento sits on tuff cliffs above the Bay of Naples, facing Vesuvius across the water, at the end of the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples. Its compact centre around Piazza Tasso and Corso Italia is flat and walkable, while lifts and stairways drop to Marina Piccola, the ferry port, and to the fishing harbour of Marina Grande. It is the most practical base for the area: ferries reach Capri in about 20–25 minutes, trains reach Pompeii and Herculaneum, and buses wind along the Amalfi Coast to Positano and Amalfi. Plan 5 days for a first visit; the best months are May–June and September.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Best time to visit
- May–June and September
- Ideal stay
- 5 days
- Main airports
- NAP
- Mid-range daily budget
- $180–$320 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Limoncello, Bay of Naples views, Ferries to Capri and Inlaid woodwork
Why visit Sorrento
- Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Positano and Naples are all reachable without a car, by train, bus or ferry.
- The old town's lanes, such as Via San Cesareo, the cloister of San Francesco and the Villa Comunale terrace, are all within a 10-minute walk.
- Lemon groves, limoncello, gnocchi alla sorrentina and delizia al limone give the town a food identity of its own.
- The peninsula beyond town has swimming coves such as the Bagni della Regina Giovanna and the walks to Punta Campanella and Ieranto Bay.
- Unlike the Amalfi Coast villages, central Sorrento is mostly flat, with a wider choice of hotels across price levels.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 16 things to do.
Landmark · Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Piazza Tasso
Sorrento's main square, built over the gorge that once divided the town, is named after the poet Torquato Tasso, born in Sorrento in 1544, whose statue stands on its western side.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
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Nature · Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Vallone dei Mulini
Just off Piazza Tasso, a deep ravine drops below street level, its floor overgrown with ferns around the ruins of a flour mill and a sawmill that worked here until the 19th century.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
- History
Viewpoint · Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Villa Comunale
A small public garden on the cliff edge next to the church of San Francesco, with a terrace looking across the Bay of Naples to Vesuvius.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Religious site · Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Cloister of San Francesco
The 14th-century cloister of the church of San Francesco mixes interlaced tuff arches with older columns, shaded by a bougainvillea.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Couples
Religious site · Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Sorrento Cathedral
The cathedral of Saints Philip and James on Corso Italia has a 20th-century neo-Gothic façade on a much older church, a separate bell tower standing on an open arch, and inside, wooden choir stalls and stations of the cross in the local inlaid-wood craft.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Marina Piccola and the port
Museo Correale di Terranova
Set in the villa of the Correale counts, this museum holds Neapolitan paintings, porcelain from Capodimonte and elsewhere, furniture, clocks and Greek and Roman finds from the peninsula.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Where to stay
Centro storico and Piazza Tasso is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, shopping and nightlife
Centro storico and Piazza Tasso
Old-town lanes, Corso Italia shops and the main square above the gorge
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, quiet stays and beach
Marina Grande
A fishing harbour of coloured boats and seafood restaurants below the old town
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, beach and luxury
Marina Piccola and the port
The ferry harbour beneath the cliffs, with lido platforms and a lift to town
$$$ · Best for families, couples and quiet stays
Via Capo
Hotels and villas along the clifftop road west of town towards Capo di Sorrento
What to eat
- Gnocchi alla sorrentina — Potato gnocchi baked in a terracotta dish with tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella and basil until the cheese bubbles.
- Limoncello — A sweet liqueur made by steeping the peel of Sorrento lemons in alcohol, then adding sugar syrup.
- Delizia al limone — A dome of sponge filled with lemon cream and covered in a lemon-and-cream glaze, created by a Sorrento pastry chef in the late 1970s and now a classic of the peninsula.
- Spaghetti alla Nerano — Spaghetti tossed with fried courgettes, basil and Provolone del Monaco cheese until creamy, named after the hamlet of Nerano near Marina del Cantone.
- Provolone del Monaco — A DOP-protected, pear-shaped stretched-curd cheese from the Monti Lattari hills behind the peninsula, aged until sharp and buttery.
- Fior di latte and mozzarella — Fresh cow's-milk fior di latte from Agerola and the Monti Lattari, and buffalo mozzarella from Campania, are eaten with tomatoes and basil in an insalata caprese.
When to go
The best months for Sorrento are May, June and September, when the sea is warm enough for swimming, ferries and buses run full timetables and the heat is manageable for Pompeii. July and August are the hottest and busiest. From November to February many hotels and restaurants close, though it can be a good time for the archaeological sites.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Citrus blossom, wild flowers and mild walking weather, with Holy Week processions and the season opening fully by May. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, dry and busy, with the warmest sea, packed Capri ferries and Amalfi Coast buses, and the highest prices. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm sea into October and fewer crowds, then rain and seasonal closures from November. |
| Winter | December–February | Mild but often wet, with many hotels closed and reduced ferries; quiet archaeological sites and Christmas traditions. |
Getting there and around
Naples International Airport (Capodichino) is about 50 km from Sorrento. A direct airport coach takes roughly 75–90 minutes; alternatively take the Alibus to Napoli Centrale/Garibaldi and the Circumvesuviana, or to the port for a ferry. Private transfers take about an hour outside rush hour.
Central Sorrento is compact and best explored on foot. The Circumvesuviana railway links it to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples, ferries leave Marina Piccola for Capri, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, and buses cover the peninsula and the coast road.
Plan your days
Three days covers Sorrento itself, Capri and Pompeii. Five days lets you add Positano and Amalfi, Herculaneum or Vesuvius, and a swim at the Bagni della Regina Giovanna; a week leaves time for Naples and the peninsula walks.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Italian
- Plugs
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, though many locals prefer bottled water for taste.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected, and a cover charge or service charge may already be on the bill.
Sorrento is generally relaxed for visitors, but pickpocketing happens on the crowded Circumvesuviana and at busy ferry piers. Take care with heat and sun at Pompeii in summer, and swim only where you can climb out easily, as the sea is deep off the platforms.
Flights to Sorrento
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Sorrento?
Three days covers Sorrento itself, Capri and Pompeii. Five days lets you add Positano and Amalfi, Herculaneum or Vesuvius, and a swim at the Bagni della Regina Giovanna; a week leaves time for Naples and the peninsula walks. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Sorrento?
The best months for Sorrento are May, June and September, when the sea is warm enough for swimming, ferries and buses run full timetables and the heat is manageable for Pompeii. July and August are the hottest and busiest. From November to February many hotels and restaurants close, though it can be a good time for the archaeological sites.
+What is Sorrento known for?
Limoncello, Bay of Naples views, Ferries to Capri, Inlaid woodwork, Gnocchi alla sorrentina, Lemon groves and Marina Grande. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Positano and Naples are all reachable without a car, by train, bus or ferry.
+Is Sorrento expensive?
Sorrento is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $180–$320 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Sorrento?
No. Trains, ferries and buses reach all the main sights, and parking in Sorrento is scarce and costly. A car only helps for remote villages, and the Amalfi Coast road is stressful to drive in summer.