Amalfi Coast / The verdict
Is the Path of the Gods worth it?
Yes, for most visitors who can walk a few hours on rocky ground: travelers rank the views among the best on the coast, and an early start from Bomerano avoids the heat, the crowds and the packed afternoon buses.
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The Amalfi Coast story
Fifty kilometres of cliffs between Sorrento and Salerno make this Italy's most famous shoreline: pastel towns stacked vertically above the water, a corniche road travelers call equal parts spectacular and terrifying, and the anchor trio of Positano, Amalfi and hilltop Ravello, with Sorrento just off the coast as the practical mainland base.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Yes, for most visitors who can walk a few hours on rocky ground: travelers rank the views among the best on the coast, and an early start from Bomerano avoids the heat, the crowds and the packed afternoon buses.
Go if
- You can walk two to three hours on uneven, rocky paths with some stone steps
- You can take an early SITA bus from Amalfi to Bomerano and be walking before mid-morning
- You are visiting on a weekday, or in spring or autumn
- You are comfortable on exposed sections with drops beside the path
Skip if
- You have knee trouble and plan to walk the roughly 1,700 steps down from Nocelle to Positano
- Your only free slot is midday in July or August
- Heights and unfenced drops make you anxious
- You are traveling with small children you cannot keep close on exposed sections
What it costs
- COSTIERASITA 24-hour bus ticket (SITA Sud): €10 (unlimited SITA Sud rides for 24 hours in 20 towns including Agerola, Amalfi and Positano; validate on first use). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 13 traveler reports (Jul 2025 to Jul 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 3 were negative.
What people like
- Travelers rank the coastal views among the best on the Amalfi Coast.
- Early starters report quiet stretches with few other hikers.
- Travelers describe the main trail as moderate rather than technical.
- Walking it costs nothing beyond the bus fare.
What people complain about
- Crowds build later in the day and on weekends.
- The midday sun is intense, even outside high summer.
- The long staircase from Nocelle to Positano is tough on knees.
- Local news reports falls, heat illness and overwhelmed afternoon buses.
How to do it right
- Buy a SITA ticket before boarding and take an early bus from Amalfi up to Bomerano (Agerola), Piazza Paolo Capasso.
- Walk from Bomerano toward Nocelle; the CAI figures show more descent than ascent in that direction.
- Carry plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen; the regional park warns that water points are few and the path is exposed.
- Wear hiking shoes with grip, since the trail is rocky and stepped.
- From Nocelle, take the local bus down to Positano if your knees will not handle the long staircase.
The trap to avoid
Starting late in summer: reports describe a hotter, busier path by mid-morning and packed buses out of Positano in the late afternoon.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
The traveler reports lean clearly positive. Hikers who walked it in spring, late summer, autumn and even late December rank the views among the best on the Amalfi Coast and describe the main trail as moderate. The complaints are about conditions around the walk rather than the walk itself: sun, crowds at the wrong hour, and the long staircase down to Positano.
Timing explains most of the difference between good and bad days. Writers who caught an early bus to Bomerano describe meeting almost nobody for most of the way. The one hiker who went on a Sunday in late April describes crowds of large, noisy groups, and others note the path near Nocelle filling up by mid-morning. Heat comes up again and again, in May and October as well as summer, and one writer who ran short of water and got sunburned still called it a highlight.
The negative reports are local news rather than traveler accounts. Three 2026 articles cover helicopter rescues after falls, heat illness and hikers swamping afternoon buses out of Positano. They do not change the verdict for fit walkers who start early, but they are a real warning for anyone unsteady on rocky ground or planning a midday start in summer.
Timing and tickets
The trail itself costs nothing on current official pages, so the only spend is transport. A 10 EUR COSTIERASITA ticket covers a day of SITA buses between Amalfi, Agerola and Positano. The trail keepers put the Bomerano to Nocelle section at about two hours, while the regional park allows about four hours to walk all the way down to Positano. The descent of roughly 1,700 steps from Nocelle is the part travelers find hardest, so decide in advance whether to walk it or ride the local bus down.
Book or check times
SITA bus tickets and passesTrail 327 details from the CAI section
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Questions
Is there a fee to walk the Path of the Gods?
Neither the Positano council's page nor the regional park's trail page lists an entry fee as of September 2026. Local news in 2026 described paid entry only as a proposal, so check before you go in future seasons.
How long and how hard is it?
The regional CAI section lists trail 327 from Bomerano to Nocelle at 5.3 km, 184 m of ascent and 356 m of descent, about 2 hours, graded E (hiking). The regional park rates it easy with exposed sections and puts the full walk down to Positano at about 4 hours.
How do you get to the start?
SITA Sud buses run from Amalfi up to Bomerano in Agerola; the regional park also lists SITA buses from Castellammare di Stabia and Naples. The 24-hour COSTIERASITA ticket at 10 EUR covers Agerola, Amalfi and Positano.
How many steps are there down to Positano?
The regional park lists about 1,700 steps from Nocelle down to Positano. One traveler who hiked it three times found that descent more tiring than the trail itself, and a local bus links Nocelle with Positano.
Is it safe?
The regional park warns of exposed, unprotected sections and advises close supervision of children. Local news in 2026 reported several helicopter rescues of hikers who slipped or fell, so good shoes and a steady pace matter.
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