by Giuseppe Morvillo

Guaranteed to be the highlight of your trip to the Amalfi Coast. If you’re a lover of hiking, outdoor activities and exploring or simply just love admiring breathtaking landscapes, the Amalfi Coast offers you one of the most magical paths in the world: The Path of the Gods.

by Giuseppe Morvillo
Guaranteed to be the highlight of your trip to the Amalfi Coast. If you’re a lover of hiking, outdoor activities and exploring or simply just love admiring breathtaking landscapes, the Amalfi Coast offers you one of the most magical paths in the world: The Path of the Gods.

Path of The Gods

Whether you’re on holiday in Sorrento, Positano or even Capri, especially for the first time, experiencing the Path of the Gods tour is something you simply must do. Our in-depth and detailed tour guide will give you some of the greatest tips on how to get the most out of this experience, discover unique secrets only known by the locals, the best starting points and above all you’ll be provided with one of the most expert guides in the whole of Southern Italy.

Discover Path of The Gods

What is Path of The Gods?

If you’re looking to create unforgettable memories and experiences in between nature and breathtaking views, The Paths of the Gods is the perfect tour for you. This stunning and spectacular hike takes place over the top of the Amalfi Coastline that leads you all the way through Mediterranean shrubs, trees and guarantees you the more unique views of the sea right down to the valleys located below. This truly is one of the most magical hikes you can take in Italy, The Path of the Gods makes you feel as if you are hiking in between the sky and the sea. On the hills and mountains that cross Amalfi, Praiano and Positano it’s possible to admire one of the most incredible panoramas on earth: from the Archipelago of the Sirens to the Island of Capri. On this tour you’ll be sure to meet a few local shepherds and farmers on the way, when walking through old vineyards, terraces, farmhouses and monasteries we can guarantee you’ll feel as if you’ve been placed in a beautiful painting of the ever-changing landscape.

Where does the path start?

If you’re visiting Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, walking the Path of the Gods is a must. You can start your walk from one of two points, Bomerano or Nocelle, this hike will provide you with the most fantastic views along the Coast all the way to Capri, it’s an amazing day to experience and one that cannot be easily described.

The best starting point to begin the Path of the Gods is from Bomerano, a small hamlet in the town of Agerola and then ends in Nocelle, in the territory of Positano. We recommend you to start at Bomerano and go towards the direction of Positano instead of the other way around as this way the views will always be in front of you rather than behind you. The path from Bomerano is very easy and a really nice hiking trail with amazing views all the way along, in fact if you don’t want to hike from the bottom to the stop, starting from the highest point in Bomerano and walking down the path all the way to Positano will guarantee you to see the most amazing views. 

Getting from Sorrento to Bomerano

Our Shared or Private Tour

You can participate in the tour organised by Nino, our very experienced and knowledgeable tour guide, which departs from Sorrento. Our driver will pick you up from your accommodation in his mini van, the driver is also included within the price of the tour so is a great option if you’re looking for comfort. The departure for the tour starts at 8am and it takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes to arrive at Bomerano.

By Public Transport 

If you prefer to experience this hiking tour without a guide, you can also reach the Path of the Gods using public transport. From Sorrento you can take the SITA bus to Amalfi and then you will need to change to get a second bus in the direction of Bomerano. Sorrento to Bomerano by bus, including the change at Amalfi, takes about 3 hours.

Getting from Bomerano to Positano

Our Shared or Private Tour

Participating in our tour, organised by Nino our professional tour guide, which departs from Positano and takes you to the starting point at Bomerano. Our driver will pick you up from your accommodation in his mini van, the driver is also included within the price of the tour so is a great option if you’re looking for comfort. The option to start from Positano is optional and again the tour will begin at 8 am to avoid hiking in the hottest hours of the day, it also takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to get there.

By Public Transport 

If you’re staying in Positano and considering walking the Path of the Gods, you can take SITA bus which runs between Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. You will need to get off at Amalfi and take the bus mentioned above from Amalfi to Bomerano, this journey will take about 2 hours.

Getting from Bomerano to Nocelle

The hike from Bomerano is a relatively gentle walk along the top of the hills to Nocelle from where it begins to go downhill all the way to Positano, around a total of 1,800 steps or if you prefer you can take the bus from Nocelle to Positano which passes very often. Nino the tour guide advises that the best way in to walk half the trail and then return back to the starting point of Bomerano but we will go into more detail about this later.

Getting from Nocelle to Bomerano

If you find yourself in Sorrento or in the area of the Sorrento Peninsula or you simply just want to visit The Path of the Gods, it is recommended to start from Bomerano to Nocelle and not vice versa. This is because when starting from Nocelle, it’s not as beautiful and picturesque, the beginning is also a very uphill clim and does not have the same visual impact that you would experience when starting from Bomerano. Two of the main reasons its recommended to not start from Nocelle is because it’s not as easy to reach as Bomerano and the stretch from Bomerano to Nocelle is much more beautiful to admire.

Getting from Sorrento to Nocelle

Our Private Tour

Booking our tour organised by the tour guide Nino and departing from Sorrento, you can reach Bomerano in the mini van with driver included in the you. In this case it is necessary to organise a private tour and the departure for the tour is always scheduled for 8am, it will take just around 50 minutes to reach Nocelle.

By Public Transport

To get to The Path of the Gods hike from Sorrento you have to take the SITA bus to Amalfi and then change to get another bus for Nocelle. The total journey will take you 1 hour and a half.

Getting from Nocelle to Positano

Our Shared or Private Tour

Taking part in our tour, always organised by Nino with departure from Positano, you will arrive to Nocelle in a mini van, driver included. The departure for the tour is flexible but it’s always recommended to leave around 8am to avoid the hottest hours of the day, the total journey will take you about 20 minutes.

By Public Transport

If you’re staying in Positano, it is a bit more difficult to get up to Bomerano by public transport so this would be the only case Nino would suggest you to start the tour from Nocelle. You can take an internal bus that will take you to Nocelle or through our organised tour we would provide you with a ride strait to Nocelle in a private mini van.

The tour of the Path of the Gods

Hiking from Bomerano to Bomerano

The best way to visit The Path of the Gods is starting at Bomerano, walking to the halfway point and returning back to your start at Bomerano. By walking only the first half of the path, as suggested by our guide Nino, allows you to see the best of the hike without walking too much, great for first time hikers or families. You will still be able to see the amazing views as you’ll be facing South and this allows you to organise the best and simplest way to experience the hike. Many guests who had chosen to do the route independently and without a guide, later said that one mistake they made was doing the hike in a westerly direction in the late afternoon: although there are many shady spots, the viewpoints down the coast were mostly looking straight into the sun. So from a strategic point of view this option has been studied to avoid those problems visitors had encountered and Nino who carries out our Path of the Gods tour has decided to create a more complete, interesting and perfectly studied tour.

By Public Transport

If you’re staying in Sorrento or in Positano, getting to Bomerano with public transport is very difficult and sometimes stressful. Take into consideration that in the peak season, there’s also those who are going to the beach, those who want to visit the towns of the Amalfi Coast and those who simply are travelling by bus you will often encounter waiting lines for the bus that could last up to hours which would be a waste of your time. Not to mention the queues you will encounter when returning from the hike, the buses are often overflowing and you will risk returning home very late at night. If you’re still wanting to visit The Path of the Gods independently, the best advice is if you leave very early in the morning before 7am for public transport. Once you’ve completed the tour, you can also look at the timetable for the ferries who can take you back to Sorrento from Positano and also Amalfi to Sorrento.

Our Private Drivers

Alternatively you can organise yourself with one of our private drivers who will happy to pick you up at the accommodation, take you to the starting point of Bomerano and wait for your return while you’re doing the walk. This option is great for families with children or those of a more mature age, it avoids you being in the uncomfortable crowded situations on the public transport especially in the heat of the summer, it can be very hectic. If you’re looking for speed and comfort, this is the best option for you. 

 

Our Conclusion

I strongly recommend walking The Path of the Gods with a guide, they are the only person that can really give you an experience of a traveler and not just a tourist. Other than the practical organisation of times and logistical movements, with a guide you will feel much more safe and secure. He will tell you historic and cultural stories of the land you will be exploring, just think those who lived there have shaped the territory for survival and for hundreds of years The Path of the Gods was the main road to travel along the coast or that the vineyards you will see facing South produce a very unique wine and is consists of the pumice stone produced by the eruptions of Vesuvius, making the land very fertile. It’s still possible to meet the local people and farmers who care mules, who bring wine from the vineyard, milk the goats and feed their animals, it’s truly a fascinating place.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is it best to walk The Path of the Gods?

It is recommended to start this early in the morning and departing from Sorrento from 8am or if you’re with a tour sometimes even around 7am if choosing to travel independently to avoid traffic and hiking during the hottest hours of the day.

What are the pro’s of having a guide with me?

Having an expert and highly knowledgable guide with you during your journey of The Path of the Gods allows you to:

  • Know how to best move around and organise your excursion
  • Organise your departure and arrival based on your needs
  • Accommodate the tour should you be visiting with your children or those less experienced in hiking
  • Change of route in case of crowds, for example; another group could block the path ahead, Nino the guide will be able to guide you on alternative paths to get to the same destination
  • Change of route in case of weather changes or excessive temperatures 
  • Assist you to walk safely along the route
  • Share details and secrets of the trails and it’s history you otherwise would not know without a guide
How long does it take to complete The Path of the Gods?

In total, it will take you around 3 hours to complete the route, this will also depend on the speed you are walking and the route you have chosen to take.

Where does the route start and finish?

The Path of the Gods starts in Bomerano and finished in Nocelle

How difficult would you say the hike is?

We would say it is medium difficulty for those used to walking long distances. You can encounter steep paths in some places so we wouldn’t recommend this if you suffer badly from vertigo.

Why is it called The Path of the Gods?

Other than the majestic mountains that overlook this heavily place, it is named after a legend that tells us that it was the passage of the Greek Gods to save Ulysses from the sirens that were on the islands of Li Galli who try to shipwreck him. He calls upon the Gods that come down from the mountains to save him.

What is the minimum age you can do this hike?

The minimum age is 10 years old and of course they must be accompanied by an adult.

What do I need to wear?

You will need hiking shoes and clothing, to be dressed in layers, water and a camera to capture the moments. The trekking poles are provided by our guide, these are useful when you encounter the steps that take you up and down.

What is the best time of year to walk The Path of the Gods?

Spring and Autumn are great times to experience this as the weather is still nice and sunny but also not too uncomfortable, you will also avoid hiking with the summer crowds.

Is the trail easy to do without a guide?

It’s possible to do the hike without the guide the trail is well marked making it easy to follow. However you could experience a few minor difficulties on your way that you may not know how to face, some areas are quite steep and rocky which is why we do recommend you visiting with a guide so they can help you best.

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