Path of the Gods: Hiking the Amalfi Coast

Path of the Gods Hike, Amalfi Coast, Italy. View of Positano in the distance.

Path of The Gods: Hiking the Amalfi Coast

Are you planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast? If you’re visiting Positano, or any of the beautiful towns along the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and are searching for activities to add to your travel itinerary, look no further than the ancient Path of the Gods trail.

Come join me today as we share a guide for what has become one of the world’s most popular, scenic, and historic hiking paths. The Path of the Gods is one of those top bucket list items for the Amalfi Coast that you simply cannot miss. In fact, many people come to Italy just for this hike! It’s also a great couple’s activity. Justin and I did this hike the afternoon after we got engaged in Positano.

How to get to Path of the Gods from Positano

The Path of the Gods hike takes you from the starting point in Bomerano to Nocelle. Depending on where you stay on the Amalfi Coast, you’ll have a different route to get to the Path of the Gods.

We were staying in Positano (read the post) when we decided to do this hike, so the first part of our journey to the Path of the Gods was to take a 15-minute ferry from Positano to Amalfi. To purchase a ticket, stop by one of the ferry ticket stands right off the main beach, or buy online in advance.

A ferry boards passengers as they prepare to leave port from Positano, Italy’s main beach, Memorial Day Weekend, 2022.

Port of Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast in Italy

Take the bus from Amalfi to Bomerano

After the ferry dropped us off at the port of Amalfi, we walked to the main square to grab tickets for the next bus headed to Bomerano. From what we remember, the buses leave around every 30 minutes, so we were able to buy the bus tickets when we got to Amalfi, and hop on the next one after a quick bite to eat. I’d recommend you confirm bus times before traveling to make the most use of your time. The bus takes you across windy roads all the way up, up, up, to Bomerano where the hike starts. Once you hop off the bus, there’s a short walk from the bus stop to the start of the hike point.

Hiking the Path of the Gods

In ancient times, the Path of the Gods was created between the main towns, Bomerano, Montepercuso, Praiano, and Positano, to allow travelers to get from one town to the next. It’s incredible, like something out of a movie scene: goats bleat as they lazily climb a precipice that makes you dizzy, old cottages loom into view, majestic cliffs draw themselves up regally, and sudden steep drops provide a stark contrast against the ever-blue ocean.

Boasting intensely dramatic landscapes, this is a hike you’ll want to take your time and enjoy.

You’re literally walking through and above the clouds at points which is as stunning as it is surreal. The view itself is spectacular, but the overall experience, and that sense of awe that comes over you when doing a hike like this is indescribable. At a certain point, the path will split and you can choose to go higher, or lower. We took the lower path but research both and see which one makes sense for you.

Needless to say, this is my top favorite hike I’ve ever done, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to find one to top it.

What to know before hiking Path of the Gods

When to go: We hiked Path of the Gods at the end of May, in 2022. We had heard about it being a hike where you can expect a crowd, but we did not experience that. There were small groups here and there that we passed, but it was never chaotic. We also went mid-afternoon when it was a bit hotter, so that might have contributed to the lack of crowds. A lot of people like to do this hike in the early morning before the day really starts and the heat sets in.

Intensity: This is an easy to moderate level hike. Those older or with knee issues might not prefer this hike. Take caution and do your research in advance.

How long does it take to hike? The hike officially ends in Nocelle. It took us about 3 hours to reach that point from the start of the hike to the finish. You can then hop on a bus back to Positano (recommended) or extend your hike and walk back (what we did and regretted). It can be done in as little as 2 hours or up to 4 depending on your pace and preference.

Facing fears: The Path of the Gods is incredible and much has been said there, but there are some details that first-timers should be aware of. This, my friends, is the one part of the entire Amalfi Coast trip that you DIDN’T see me constantly taking pictures of the view. My entire being, all my focus, and energy were on surviving this encounter and living to tell about it.

Was it actually that scary? It’s debatable. Justin doesn’t think so, overall, but even he had his moments. I tend to agree with him on that, objectively speaking, but then I remember the experience of walking on a path sometimes no wider than 3 feet, and how at one point we were literally crawling on the side of a rock face to get up and to the right to get back to the path, and my heart starts pounding again. Justin, on the other hand? Barely fazed. So, I guess it depends on you!

In retrospect, while I was out there, gritting my teeth, keeping my eyes on my feet to avoid tripping, humming, and trying/failing to conquer my fear of heights and steep drop-offs, there was a delightfully curious and quippy 7-year-old boy skipping ahead of us on the path, wearing crocs, of all things, chatting up a storm and generally doing just fine. His mother did the hike in a sundress and sandals.

What to pack for the Path of The Gods hike

• large water bottle

• light snacks (optional, but smart to bring)

• sunglasses (don’t forget this one)

• sunscreen (remember to re-apply)

• good walking shoes (lots of rocks and you’ll need to pay attention to where you step)

• a light jacket (you might need one if you’re going in the morning, or during non-summer months)

Remember to stay light! You want to have as little as possible with you to enjoy the hike to its fullest. I’d recommend that you eat before, but if you don’t, you might want to bring light snacks.

Path of the Gods Itinerary

• Head to Amalfi, and take the bus from Amalfi to Bomerano where the trail starts.

• Hike the trail, lasting anywhere between 2-4 hours depending on pace.

• End the trail in Nocelle, stopping for a refreshment at the local stand at the trail end.

• Take a SITA bus from Nocelle back to Positano (or wherever you’re staying on the Amalfi Coast).

The hike officially ends in Nocelle. It took us about 3 hours to reach that point from the start of the hike to the finish. You can then hop on a bus back to Positano (recommended) or extend your hike and walk back (what we did and regretted).

The hike is always worth the view

Ultimately, the view is spectacular and well worth overcoming my fears to see. Although this hike is still one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. But that’s life, isn’t it? Pushing yourself into situations like these and figuring out you can handle it… mid-hike? As scary as it was for me personally, ultimately I do recommend doing the Path of the Gods hike for the experience if you have a half-full day to dedicate to it.

White-knuckle (or skip) your way through it and have the adventure to talk about later.