6 things to do in Sorrento, Italy

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Sorrento is one of the gateway cities to the beautiful Italian Amalfi coast. We spent a week in the area, and you can read the full week-long itinerary HERE.

For our week, Sorrento was our base to explore and were so glad we chose it as such. Sorrento is a coastal town which faces the Bay of Naples, perched on top of cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas. I found the historic centre to be picturesque, full of nice restaurants and an interesting warren of narrow alleys which were fun to explore.

We used one day of our week long trip to explore Sorrento itself and here are my top 5 highlights of the city, all do-able in one day.


One of the prettiest corners of Sorrento, the marina is a lovely area to stroll around. There are lots of restaurants around this area as well, and we ate at both Porta Marina and Bagni Delfino. Both were absolutely delicious.

At the marina for sunset

A unique spot for a little stroll is a traditional lemon grove which sits in a park just outside the centre of town. There is also a little café in the park which sells delicious Limoncello and other lemon goodies. If you want to find out more about Limoncello, then Limonoro is an amazing lemon based store where you’ll learn a little more about the process of creating Limoncello, the varieties, and its origins too.

This park sits atop of the cliff and provides spectacular views out across to Mount Vesuvius and down to the beaches and marinas of the city. It’s a lovely spot to sit and enjoy a traditional Gelato while watching the world go by.

Views from the park

Named after Sorrento’s patron saint, the town’s oldest church barely looks like a church from the outside. The interior is stunning though with Roman artefacts, medieval paintings and ornate ceiling. It’s a lovely place to take a moment of contemplation, or just get out of the blazing sun for 15 minutes or so.

Piazza Tasso is the central point of the city, and is named after the poet Torquato Tasso. In the main square is the baroque Church del Carmine, and also lots of yummy ice-cream shops where you can sample traditional Gelato. We also went inside a couple of the churches on the square, and visited a nearby Leonardo da Vinci inventions museum which was interesting.

Sorrento is the perfect place to explore far and wide up and down the Amalfi Coast. There are lots of excellent options for day trips, including:

Capri

Sorrento was a beautiful place to have as a base for our Amalfi coast trip, and a full day in the town was enough to do it justice. We combined a visit here with multiple other places along the Amalfi Coast. Thank you for reading – Stay safe and happy travelling!

20 responses to “6 things to do in Sorrento, Italy”

  1. Some excellent suggestions of things to do in Sorrento. Just wish it was warm enough here to have a lemon tree. Just think how lovely it would be to nip out into the garden and pick one to pop a slice in a drink. Take care, Marion

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    1. Oh it would be so nice, I’d absolutely love to feel the sun on my face right now and make real lemonade from the garden. Bliss! Hope you’re surviving lockdown Marion – hopefully we’re on the way to getting out of it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely evening.

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  2. Lemon grove might just be one of the loveliest places to stroll around. And, yes – lemonade would be great, but how about some homemade limoncello.

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    1. Absolutely, I totally love it. You are so right, what was I thinking with lemonade – of course limoncello!!! Especially to get through lockdown haha 🙂

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  3. The inside of that cathedral is really stunning – did not expect that when I saw the outside 😲. My favourite will probably be to have a sip of Limoncello, while enjoying the spectacular view (with a Gelato in the other hand ☺️).
    Beautiful pictures!

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    1. I was exactly the same, it’s a total shock when you go in and it looks like that! Absolutely – oh to be in that sunshine right now, limoncello in one hand and Gelato in the other….perfect! Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely evening 🙂

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    1. It is, I so hope you get your Italy honeymoon this year 💜

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  4. I didn’t go to Sorrento when I was in that part of Italy almost 15 years ago, but I would’ve loved to have done so! The only thing I knew about Sorrento was the famous opera song “Come Back to Sorrento,” which I learned on the piano as a kid. It’s a romantic piece, and based on the beauty of Sorrento, I can see why people would be inspired to make music about it! Thanks for sharing, Han!

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    1. Yes its definitely a beautiful part of Italy, though I feel like Italy is one of those countries where everything is beautiful. Hopefully we can visit again soon 😊

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  5. There’s always something so calming about being so close to the ocean. We visited Italy nearly a decade ago but didn’t have enough time to visit Sorrento. We’re planning on returning next year (fingers crossed) to attend a friend’s wedding. This seems like a good opportunity to check out the Amalfi coast.

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    1. Oh I so hope you get to go. I totally agree about being surrounded by sea – I think that’s why I love England, the water is never too far away 😀 have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by x

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  6. Great post and fantastic photos. I would love to visit Sorento one day, it’s certainly a beautiful destination to add to my European bucket list. I would explore the sun-drenched piazzas, drink tons of Limoncello and take a ride along the rugged Amalfi Coast. Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva 🙂 xxx

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    1. Thanks so much Aiva. Yes its such a beautiful part of Italy and worthy of any European bucket list 😊 thanks so much for stopping by and have a great weekend xx

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  7. I have never been to the Amalfi coast but I’m sure it is absolutely stunning – like your pictures! It just looks like it comes straight out of a movie! Hope I can visit one day! Thanks for sharing and stay safe 😊

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    1. It definitely feels like a constant movie set – fingers crossed its all open for visitors again soon. Have a great weekend Juliette ☺

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  8. jasonlikestotravel

    Sorrento isn’t somewhere I’ve been but it looks like a lovely place to visit. I love that little lemon grove! Would definitely have to get some limoncello too! 🙂

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    1. It sure is a beautiful part of Italy…and the limoncello is amazinggg. Fingers crossed we can visit again some time soon 😊

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  9. Looks wonderful! Those lemons look so fresh! We are thinking Italy in 2022 and so far, Sorrento is one of our destinations! Thanks for sharing!! Lori

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  10. […] Spend a day exploring your base for the trip, Sorrento. It’s a beautiful town with lots of quaint shops, a lovely marina to enjoy, some beautiful churches, a lemon grove, lots of Gelato, Limoncello and of course pasta! We spent the day happily walking around, taking in the view of Vesuvius and enjoying the wine and food. It’s a great choice for a laid back day to start your trip. Again, you can read my full post on Sorrento here. […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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