Naples and Pompeii in 7 Days on a Budget
Seven Days: Give the Amalfi Coast the Overnight It Deserves
Seven days keeps the same six-trip spine as the 6-day itinerary , Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius, Capri, Procida or Ischia, Paestum, but spends the extra day turning the rushed Amalfi Coast bus day into an overnight in Positano or Amalfi instead. That’s the one change worth making with a spare day; the full guide explains why a same-day Amalfi round trip loses most of its hours to transit.
Book these before you go:
- Vesuvius Gran Cono ticket: nominative, timed, online-only; book through a guided trip or the park’s own site.
- Pompeii entry: only through pompeiisites.org and VivaTicket.
- Amalfi Coast SITA bus: cash-only at a tabaccheria; the COSTIERASITA 24-hour pass is €10.
- A Positano or Amalfi room for the Day 3 overnight , booked weeks ahead in summer.
- A Naples hotel for the other five nights .
| From Naples to… | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pompeii (Circumvesuviana) | 30-40 min | €3-4 train + €20 entry |
| Herculaneum + Vesuvius (Ercolano Scavi) | 20-25 min + shuttle | €3-4 train + €16 + €10-11.68 |
| Amalfi Coast (via Sorrento) | ~1hr train + SITA bus | €4.60 train + €10 24hr bus pass |
| Capri (ferry from Molo Beverello) | 45min-1h15 | €19-25+ |
| Procida / Ischia (Pozzuoli ferry) | 20-40 min | €9-16 |
| Paestum (regional train) | 1h15 | €8-12 train + €15 entry |
Day 1: Pompeii
Early Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri, 30-40 minutes, €3-4. Budget 3-4 hours, €20 entry, booked only through pompeiisites.org .
Day 2: Herculaneum and Vesuvius
Ercolano Scavi, 20-25 minutes. €16 Herculaneum entry (current hours at ercolano.cultura.gov.it ), then the shuttle to the Vesuvius trailhead for the €10-11.68 Gran Cono ticket.
Day 3: Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast, Overnight
Train to Sorrento (~1hr, €4.60-8), then SITA Sud buses toward Positano on a €10 COSTIERASITA day pass, bought at a tabaccheria, not the bus. Instead of racing back to Naples, check into a room in Positano or Amalfi for the night; the last bus back is worth skipping entirely.
Day 4: A Full Amalfi Coast Day, Then Back to Naples
With the overnight already banked, spend a full day moving between Positano, Amalfi and Ravello on the same SITA pass without watching the clock for a return bus, then ride back to Naples in the evening. This is the entire point of the extra day: the coast without the rush.
Day 5: Capri
Ferry from Molo Beverello, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, €19-25+. Blue Grotto entry is a separate cash-only €18 on top of the boat fare, and closes in rough seas without warning.
Day 6: Procida or Ischia
The shorter, cheaper Pozzuoli ferry runs €9-16, against €19-22 from Molo Beverello. Procida is small enough to walk in a day; Ischia rewards an overnight more than a single visit, so plan on one area only if you pick it instead.
Day 7: Paestum
Direct regional train from Napoli Centrale, about 75 minutes, €8-12. Entry to the Greek temple site is €15 (March-November) or €10 in winter, just the temples and the museum before the train back to Naples.
Is the Amalfi Coast overnight worth losing a day trip elsewhere?
Yes. Every shorter version of this itinerary rushes the coast into a single day that’s mostly bus queues and ferry schedules; one extra night in Positano or Amalfi turns it into the trip people actually picture when they imagine the Amalfi Coast, without cutting Capri, Procida-Ischia or Paestum from the week.
Why book the Amalfi Coast room weeks ahead, not days?
Positano and Amalfi have a small fixed supply of rooms, and July-August books out fast, especially anything near the SITA bus stop. Booking late usually means a room well up the hillside, adding a real walk, and stairs, to an already transit-heavy week.
Book the Positano or Amalfi room before the Vesuvius ticket. Both sell out, but the Amalfi Coast room sells out on a scale of weeks, not days.