The Sentiero Degli Dei, more commonly known to tourists in Italy as the Path of the Gods, is arguably the most beautiful hike in the world. We have been wanting to hike this trail for a number of years, but each time we have visited the Amalfi coast we have struggled to leave the beach/pool. What we surmised from our research was far different from our conclusions after completing the hike. The problem is that there is a lot of misinformation online about hiking the Path of the Gods and not enough accurate reviews. Most people seem to walk part of the path and simply take some pictures, have a snack, and turn around. Hiking from Nocelle to Bomerano is about a 15 – 16 KM round-trip hike with an elevation gain of over 300 meters.
The reviews we read called the hike “easy” and “a beginner’s hike” that had a relatively simple difficulty level. In terms of skill level, the hike is probably more accurately intermediate. Add on heat, beating sun, and humidity, and it can be a bit strenuous at times. It isn’t steep. You won’t need poles. But it is definitely physically challenging. But then again, just walking 15-16 KM on flat ground can be physically strenuous.
We took a short bus ride (Something like 1.60 EUR each way) up to Nocelle and began our journey to Bomerano. The Path of the Gods is a fantastic hike for just about anyone. The hike itself is strenuous, but we saw a number of elderly people managing just fine in khakis and jeans. Considering the summer heat, we would not advise this (nor would they after our brief conversations with them).
Hiking the Path of the Gods really can be whatever you choose to make it. You can do like the aforementioned groups and hike out a bit, eat some snacks, and turn back. You can hike from Nocelle down to Praiano. You can hike from Nocelle all the way to Agerola or Bomerano. If you’re too tired when you reach one of those towns, you can always take a bus back. Or, you can do like we did and hike to Bomerano, have lunch and hike all the way back. In total, it took us about 4 or 5 hours to hike to Bomerano, enjoy a delicious farm to table lunch, and hike back. It was definitely a day well spent on the Amalfi Coast.
8 Comments
Looks like an amazing hike!
It is! Definitely the most beautiful hike we have ever done and also a pretty solid workout!
My wife and I are staying in Positano in September and are going to do the hike the same directions as you did. I have a pretty bad vertigo and heights can bother me quite a bit. Are heights a factor at all on the hike from Nocelle to Bomerano and back? My issues are with straight cliff drops! Also, where did you guys grab lunch? Thanks for any input and/or suggestions!
Hey Kevin! Apologies on the delayed response.
I’m not sure the extent of your vertigo issues, but I wouldn’t anticipate you having any issues. The most significant elevation gain is on the bus from Positano to the path in Nocelle. From Nocelle > Bomerano you have elevation gain and loss throughout the hike, but I found it insignificant as elevation sickness is concerned. It’s far too low for those types of feelings in my opinion. Sorry, but I honestly forget the name of the restaurant where we ate. Have an incredible trip! – Michael
Hi there! We wanna walk the Path of the Gods when we visit the Amalfi Coast in early June this year. I read that it maybe easier to walk the other way round ie. from Bomerano to Nocelle as it’s slightly more downhill than uphill. What do you think? Looking forward to your reply. Thanks!
That would likely be the easier route, but it isn’t particularly up/downhill just in one direction. More so a hike that gains and loses elevation in both directions. We always like the more challenging direction, but yes, it was marginally easier getting back to Nocelle from Bomerano than it was getting to Bomerano. Could have also been that we enjoyed a delicious meal in Bomerano and the sun wasn’t as strong on our return. Not sure.
Where do you think is the best place to start/end if we only have 1.5-2 hours to spear for this hike? We’re only spending a day in Positano and really want to get this hike in!
Hm….start in Nocelle, hike toward Bomerano for 45 minutes to an hour, then turn around and go back to Nocelle. This is the most gorgeous part of the hike anyway with views of Positano, the coastline, and Praiano.