One of Italy’s jewels, Sorrento rests off of the Italian Amalfi coast, on the Sorrentine Peninsula across the Bay of Naples. Its coastline cliffs provide breathtaking views of Naples and its town center provides pedestrian streets, shops, restaurants, museums, and hotels.
Most people plan a day trip here or stop off as a port of call on a cruise ship, but it is worth a much longer visit.
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- Top virtual cooking classes from around the world
- Italy travel guide
How to get the best deals on car rentals?
- If you’re planning on renting a car in Sorrento, don’t forget to use a car rental coupon code from your favorite company to save a ton of money.
Top Things to Do in Sorrento Italy
However long your trip, you will not lack for things to do in Sorrento. When deciding what to do in Sorrento, choose an active activity one day and a more leisurely activity the following day, so you do not burn out quickly. For example, alternate days for walking tours and boat tours. Sorrento makes the perfect jumping-off place for things to do in the Amalfi Coast.
1. Take a boat tour to sightsee from the water
Experience Sorrento and its neighboring cities from the water. Some tours explore the entire Amalfi coast, some focus on Sorrento and Positano or Sorrento and Capri. A few include an adventure to the beautiful Blue Grotto.
These tours vary in length from a handful of hours to all day. For tourist stops like the Blue Grotto, you will need a separate entry fee. These items typically are not bundled into the price of the boat tour.
Activities You Can Check Out
Sorrento Coast and Capri Sea View Tour: On this ten-hour boat tour, you’ll spend six hours of it on land in Capri, exploring restaurants, shops, and famous sights and the other four enjoying epic views from the sea such as Vesuvius. Pickup from your hotel is included for $62.45. Bring your swimsuit, sunglasses, sunscreen, and money for entrance fees and tips.
Capri Boat Tour with Optional Blue Grotto: This is a top-rated sailing tour to Capri with 2 snorkelling spots, light lunch, a chance to explore the winding streets of the small town, and an optional visit to the Blue Grotto.
Tour of the Grottos and Capri: Depart from Marina Piccola and visit the Blue Grotto, the Faraglioni, the White Grotto, the Green Grotto and the Lighthouse of Punta Carena before sightseeing in Capri for $129.45.
2. Take a bus tour to explore the Amalfi coast
Make sure you find one traveling from Sorrento to Capri, so you do not miss out on the Capri sights.
Activities You Can Check Out
Amalfi Coast Full-Day: This seven-hour tour departs from Sorrento and includes stops in two idyllic Italian coastal towns for $43.15. You’ll need to pack or buy lunch when you get hungry because it is not included on this tour.
3. Explore on foot the town of Sorrento
Visit its churches, restaurants, shops and go hiking on its cliffs. While many consider this small town a jumping-off point for other excursions, its beauty remains unmatched and its design lends itself to tourism since the streets of Sorrento are largely for foot traffic only. Taste the limoncello the country became famous for producing and shop the street vendors for items like fine lace. Do not miss the gelato, the gnocchi, and the seafood.
Activities You Can Check Out
Sorrento Small-Group Food Walking Tour: This guided tour of Sorrento’s delicious food vendors, from street stands to fine dining. Enjoy the real taste of Italy.
Sorrento: Oil, Cheese, and Limoncello Tour: Your guide will walk with you to a local Sorrento farm where you’ll spend about three hours exploring the lemon groves. You will learn about lemon cultivation, taste the region’s signature alcohol product limoncello.
4. Explore inland and embark on an organized wine tour
You’ll visit multiple wineries for tasting and lunch. The transportation time between each location affords sweeping views of Italy’s wine country.
Activities You Can Check Out
Montepulciano Wine Tour: You will visit three wineries and have lunch along the way after having been picked up for this small-group tour at your hotel. This full-day tour costs $201.30.
5. Check out the volcanos up close and personal
You can also visit the remains of the thriving towns that once existed. See history frozen in time by volcanic ash as you visit Pompeii and Vesuvius.
Activities You Can Check Out
Pompeii and Vesuvius Bus Tour: Depart from Parcheggio Communale Achille Lauro, 80067 Sorrento on an eight-hour bus tour that includes a trip up the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius and a two-hour tour of the ruins of Pompeii for a cost of $83.87. You’ll buy your own lunch on the way.
6. Travel to and from Naples to Sorrento by car.
The train ride is notoriously rough, thankfully you can glide there in an air-conditioned sedan instead. Your driver will point out highlights along the way, including Capri, Vesuvius, and Pompeii. If you want to stay in Sorrento, but explore Naples, this method lets you travel on your own schedule.
Activities You Can Check Out
Private Car Travel Between Sorrento and Naples: Book a car and driver for the trip to and from Naples. Your driver picks you up at your location and transports you to wherever you want to go. Stop for food when you like and have the benefit of local advice on where to eat.
7. Learn to cook like an Italian chef
Sorrento hosts many dining experiences by chefs who willingly impart their Italian cooking secrets. Mama mia! You can learn to cook the perfect marinara, a fluffy, light tiramisu, or prepare the perfect calamari. Most of these experiences take only two to three hours of your time and they include the meal at the end.
Activities You Can Check Out
Cooking in Sorrento: Enjoy pickup service at your hotel for this Sorrento cooking class with a chef who teaches you to prepare eggplant parmigiana, Caprese salad, and fresh pasta for ravioli, plus tiramisu. You’ll enjoy the meal as lunch accompanied with limoncello. This wheelchair accessible activity costs $90.84.
Pizza Making Course: Learn from a master pizza chef the authentic way to make pizza dough, select and prepare ingredients and cook pizza in a wood-fired stove. Enjoy pickup from your hotel to the kitchen at central parking, Corso Italia, 319, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy. Your experience ends with you eating the delicious pizza you crafted, along with slices of the restaurant’s pizza, accompanied by wine or soft drinks for $61.43.
8. Enjoy island water pursuits
You can hike the island or you can try something new and parasail and of course, go swimming in the beautiful waters. Stroll down via Capo then follow the rustic path to Bagni della Regina Giovanna, a hidden beach inside limestone cliffs and swim in its emerald waters. For parasailing, you’ll need a little help you can find below.
Activities You Can Check Out
Sorrento Coast Parasailing Trip: Meet at Marina Grande to depart for the open waters on a parasailing trip suitable for all skill levels that include a training class and all equipment rental in the excursion price of $64.68. You must be aged 10 or older to participate in the parasailing trip. You can parasail as a solo, tandem, or triple flight for a 15-minute flight.
A Quick Sorrento Travel Guide
Money – The best way to obtain money in the local currencies or Euros is still the ATM. You’ll get a decent exchange rate and if you bank with an international bank, you could land use of a fee-free ATM.
When is the best time? – The best time to visit Sorrento and the rest of Italy occurs in autumn from about mid-September into the winter month of December around Christmas. That’s harvest season, so the grapes, mushrooms and other produce comes fresh from the field. You will also enjoy mild temperatures.
Getting here – You can fly into Naples, then take the train or drive to Sorrento. You can also hire a driver, as mentioned above, so you do not have to concern yourself with the rules of the road of a foreign country. The train runs all over Europe. You can take it from nearly any major city to Sorrento, but the trains get bumpy.
Getting around – In Sorrento, everyone walks. Most streets are pedestrian only. Automobiles are banned from most streets which are too small for their passage anyway. Only major access roads allow vehicles. This is why most tourist excursions designate a meeting point in the town to which you travel on your own.
Where To Stay in Sorrento
AFFORDABLE
Hotel Tourist
“We liked many things at Hotel Tourist. First of all the friendly and warm staff who were always available to meet our needs. The location is excellent. You can walk everywhere easily and you’re very close to the circumvesuviana, local train and also to the sea. The breakfast is excellent.”
MIDRANGE
Hotel Rivoli
Enjoy a buffet breakfast every morning at this hotel. Each room is equipped with a mini-bar and private bathroom and many rooms include a balcony. Only a 5 minute walk away you can catch a boat to travel to Capri and Ischia.
GUEST HOUSE
La Piazzetta Guest House
“Location is unbeatable, very close to pier, beaches, Piazza Tasso and many restaurants. Valentina and Alex are very friendly and helpful. Room is very useful and beds are very comfortable. We stayed there last year and again made a reservation, we didn’t think to find new place to stay this year.”
LUXURY
Grand Hotel Aminta
This hotel is a top choice in Sorrento with incredible views such as the Bay of Sorrento and Mount Vesuvius. Live the high-life with free Wi-Fi, beach towels, deck chairs, a pool bar and live music and dancing at night. You won’t want to leave after experiencing this level of luxury during your stay.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Sorrento?
– The best months for visiting Sorrento are April/May and September/October, when the weather is mild enough to enjoy the town, nearby walks, and day trips along the Italian coast.
Can you get around Sorrento with a stroller or pram, or with a wheelchair?
– Unlike the other towns along the Amalfi Coast, the center of Sorrento is flat and relatively easy to navigate with wheels. To reach the port (which is linked to the center by a long staircase), take the elevator from the Villa Comunale.
Which is the closest airport to Sorrento, Italy?
– The closest airport to Sorrento is Naples Capodichino Airport, and there are direct buses that run between the city and the airport. If you are traveling through Rome, you can take the express train to Naples (1h 10m), and from there take another train or car to reach Sorrento in about an hour.
We hope this answers your question of what to do in Sorrento Italy. Regardless of the length of your trip, you will not run out of options. You may run out of time though.
What you should read next
Travel Resources For Your Next Trip
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When planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.
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Check Out Our Toolbox
If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.
