Things to Do in Sorrento in One Day

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Overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is a town close to the Amalfi Coast with stunning water views, seafood restaurants, and all things lemons. Sorrento is a good base to explore the Amalfi Coast, the Isle of Capri or cities like Naples and Pompeii. While you can and should explore these places from Sorrento, you should also spend at least a day in Sorrento itself. This post covers all the things you can do in Sorrento in one day!

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Notes About Sorrento and Things to do in Sorrento in One Day

• As I mentioned, Sorrento also makes a great base to explore the Amalfi Coast. If you are planning on taking a day trip to the Isle of Capri, I highly recommend that you make Sorrento your base as opposed to any other town on the Amalfi Coast. This is because ferries leave Sorrento earlier than any of the other towns to Capri. This is important because getting to Capri early helps to beat the crowds. (I actually stayed 2 nights in Sorrento but spent one of the days in Capri).
• Sorrento is also a good base to explore Naples and Pompeii. The Circumvesuviana or Campania Express easily connect Sorrento with both Naples and Pompeii.
• Sorrento is also popular because things are a lot cheaper in Sorrento than the rest of the Amalfi Coast. This is especially true for accommodation and hotels.
• The best thing about this list of things to do in Sorrento in one day is that everything is walkable! You do not need to hop on a bus or taxi. This is great because buses can be crowded and taxis or shuttles are very expensive.

Things to Do in Sorrento in One Day

Piazza Tasso

Start your day at Piazza Tasso. This central square is always packed with people, day or night. If you didn’t get breakfast at your hotel, you will be able to get some at Bar Fauno or one of the other cafes.

Vallone dei Mulini

A few meters from the Piazza is Vallone dei Mulini or Valley of the Mills. This deep crevasse used to house mills back in the day. However they are all abandoned now and what you see are ruins of mills covered in vegetation. What surprised me the most was how deep the crevasse is. I could barely picture it in one go.

Basilica of Sant’Antonino

From Vallone dei Mulini backtrack back to Piazza Tasso and cross the road over to the Basilica of Sant’Antonino. The town’s oldest church barely looks like a church with its Romanesque façade. The church was built in the 11th century and definitely worth a gander. Don’t miss going down to the level below.

Villa Comunale di Sorrento

From the Basilica walk a short distance to Villa Comunale di Sorrento for some stunning views of the surrounding area. From here you will see the ferry port or Marina Piccola and Vesuvius. The path from here leads all the way down to the beach clubs.

Chiostro di San Francesco

Right next to Villa Comunale di Sorrento is the Chiostro di San Francesco. This 14th century cloister and church are free to visit and worth a quick peak.

Piazza della Vittoria

This piazza houses a little park with benches to sit and enjoy and views similar to that of Villa Comunale di Sorrento.

Bellevue Syrene

It maybe nearing lunch now but before lunch, why not grab a cocktail or drink and enjoy more stunning views? Hotel Bellevue Syrene’s La Pergola is ideal for this. It’s such a beautiful place for a quiet respite.

Marina Grande

Now for lunch, but to do this, you will have a walk just a bit to Marina Grande. The good news is that it is mainly downhill! (what goes down, must come up?…BUT that’s a problem for after lunch!)

Marina Grande is a colorful marina on the far side of town and is dotted with colorful buildings and small fishing boats. There is also a beach area that people come to swim in but most importantly Marina Grande has lot seafood restaurants. I had lunch at Ristorante Bagni Delfino and it was really good! The service was excellent and the views were too. You can also lounge in their outdoor deck area after lunch.

Cattedrale dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo

After lunch, make your way back to town. There is a bit of a climb but nothing too crazy (unlike Positano!). First stop when you are back in town is the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James. This cathedral has undergone several face lifts and changes but the façade you see today is from 1924.

Via San Cesareo and Corso

Ok, now for the fun things to do in Sorrento even if you are here for only a day! Explore two of the most colorful shopping streets in Sorrento, San Cesareo and Corso! You can find anything from shoes, handbags, clothes, souvenirs and ceramics. You will find so many lemon related products too!

Limonoro

Whatever you do or don’t do, don’t miss out on going to Limonoro! This shop is amazing!! They have food and alcohol related souvenirs but the best part is that they let you taste it all! I have never been to a place that gave out free samples so liberally! I loved this place!

Gelato

Hope you have room for gelato after all that tastings because there are a few good places that you should try. Amorino and Raki are both on Via San Cesareo and Corso while Gelateria David is near the train station and is a short walk.

I Giardini di Cataldo

This is another place where you can taste limoncello and people say it is the best in Sorrento. Be warned that it is very strong! ha! They also have a small lemon grove where you can sit and enjoy your limoncello. It’s free to see the lemon grove so you can just walk in.

I always try to keep things honest on this blog and so I wanted to share with you my experience at a famous restaurant called ‘O Parrucchiano. they are famous for their lemon groves but it was honestly the worst meal of my entire trip. The service was bad but the food was even worse! Avoid it if you can! If you are going there solely to see lemon groves go to the place above or I have heard you can just go during the day and only see the lemon groves (didn’t try it myself but worth a try if you really want to see their groves).

Take in the Many Beautiful Sights

You will see some beautiful places as and when you stroll through Sorrento.

With More Time

If you have more time in Sorrento, you may want to spend half a day or so exploring Bagni Regina Giovanni or spend time at a beach club. As I mentioned above, you can also visit the Isle of Capri or another town(s) along the Amalfi Coast or spend the day in either Naples or Pompeii.

See below for a few options!

Dinner

If you are looking to splurge, I highly recommend Lorelei. This Michelin Star restaurant is located with stunning water and sunset views. Try their tasting menu. The service, food and ambiance was excellent! I cannot say good enough things about this restaurant. The best part was that there was a wedding that day and we saw fireworks on the water as we ate. It was the perfect end to the perfect day in Sorrento.

Where I Stayed

I stayed at Grand Hotel de la Ville and had a wonderful stay! The views from the hotel’s 6th floor rooftop bar, lounge and pool area were amazing! They have two pool too! The staff are very friendly and helpful! I can definitely recommend this hotel! HERE Is the link!

Tours Around Sorrento

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