Sorrento holidays 2024/2025 from £279pp

Why go to Sorrento

Perched on the Gulf of Naples, with sweeping views of Vesuvius and the island of Capri, little Sorrento is a charmer. Just ask Byron and co. – once a stop off on the Grand Tour, it’s been a holiday hit since the 19th century.

Classic and timeless, Sorrento’s still got it. Pastel-coloured houses and Renaissance palazzos teeter high above a bustling harbour; picturesque shops and cafes line little streets and spill out onto piazzas packed with people sipping aperitivi. Outside town, hills are strewn with tumbling terraces of olive trees, fragrant pine forests and the lemon groves responsible for the famous Sorrentine limoncello.

A holiday in Sorrento also puts you close to a host of A-list attractions. Cheap and cheerful 20-minute hydrofoils depart regularly for the paradise isle of Capri, and buses and boats serve the equally bewitching Amalfi Coast, where you’ll find postcard perfect towns, Positano and Amalfi. You can easily reach the famous Roman ghost towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum by train, while the Lattari Mountains that hug the Sorrentine peninsula are ideal for hiking and are just half an hour away by car.

Of course, Sorrento itself is packed with attractions, among them the 15th-century Duomo, the Museo Correale di Terranova, applied arts in the Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea, and beautiful cloisters next door to the church of San Francesco. And, at the Bagni Regina Giovanna, you can swim among the ruins of a Roman villa.

But really, if all you do here is wander Via San Cesareo, people-watch in the Piazza Tasso, and eat ice-cream at the iconic Gelateria Davide, you won’t leave Sorrento dissatisfied.

When to go to Sorrento

Sorrento’s holiday season kicks off properly around Easter and lasts until the end of October. The shoulder seasons of March to May and September to October offer the perfect weather for activity-packed holidays, so if you’re walking the 2,000-year-old pathways through the national and regional parks or attempting your own personal Giro D’Italia bike-a-thon, these are the months for you.

Spring and autumn are also the seasons for nature lovers, who will appreciate the floral profusion of wisteria, mimosa, jasmine and agapanthus that characterise the former, and the abundance of produce that define the latter. With June comes increasingly hot month-by-month sunshine. July and August highs of 30C are common, and both flight and car hire prices soar, too, so book well in advance for this period. These months, and August in particular, also see northern Italians flock south for their holidays, so be prepared for very crowded roads.

What to do in Sorrento

Whether you’re after adventure or just ready to relax, holidays to Sorrento offer a bit of it all. Hop over to the idyllic island of Capri, hire a car to explore the Amalfi Coast or brush up on your history on a day trip to the ancient Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Capri

Roman emperors once holidayed on Capri, and this idyllic island off the tip of the Sorrento peninsula is still attracting the rich and famous centuries later.

Take a day trip to Capri to trawl the town’s swanky fashion boutiques and to explore the Blue Grotto, a sea cave where the waters break all known records of blueness. For more blue hues, take the cable car up Mount Solaro and enjoy sweeping views of the Gulf of Naples, where the sky blends seamlessly into impossibly azure waters.

Amalfi Coast

Is this the world’s prettiest stretch of seaside? Many seem to think so. The coast stretches for miles, but it’s between Positano and Ravello that peak levels of loveliness are achieved. The cliff-top towns with their pastel-coloured palazzi thrill, and the neighbouring hills and secret beaches are equally enchanting.

You’ll have to endure crowds and high prices, but it’s worth it. The Mediterranean at its exquisite, twinkling best; this is one of the Sorrento region’s prime tourist attractions.

Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)

For to-die-for views and a chance to stretch your legs, tackle this epic ridge walk between Bomerano and Nocelle. It’s one of the most memorable – and overlooked – activities in the area.

You can walk the Sentiero degli Dei in about two hours and, as the trail is mostly flat, you can focus your energy on appreciating the jaw-dropping views. We recommend starting in Bomerano for an easier trek. The town is about an hour’s drive from Sorrento or two hours by public transport.

Pompeii and Herculaneum

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, an entire Roman town was engulfed in volcanic ash that has suspended it in time. Easily reached by train or about a 40-minute drive, Pompeii has been much improved lately: the guiding is now better regulated, and new areas are open to visitors.

For an alternative to Pompeii, head 20 minutes further north to Herculaneum (Ercolano). The town’s fortunes also changed that fateful day and seeing its ruins is another essential Sorrento activity. Wide walkways make it easier than Pompeii for disabled visitors.

Food tours

Sorrento is a small town crammed full of fantastic restaurants – this is Italy, after all – so if you’re after a good feed, the town certainly puts on a feast.

Real foodies can go one further in Sorrento and deep dive into the local cuisine – cooking classes and food tours are a classic activity here. Try a pizza-making class in town (nearby Naples invented it) and up in the mountains, you’ll tours find of the fragrant lemon orchards that produce the region’s signature liqueur, limoncello. Tastings come as standard.