Best Time to Visit Positano
The best time depends on what you came for: the boats, the beaches, the walks or a quiet room with a view. Here are the seasons and the handful of dates that change a visit, so you can match the calendar to the Positano day tours you want.
The short answer
May, June and September. The ferries and boats run, the sea is warm by June and still warm in September, and you avoid August's crowds and the daily plate rule on the coast road. For a quiet stay rather than a boat holiday, April and October are the gentler choice.
Spring: April to June
What you get: the season opening, long days, ferries back on the pier from roughly April, and the Path of the Gods before the heat. What to know: the sea is cool for swimming until June, and the tourist tax applies from 1 April. Book: a few days ahead for weekend boats in May and June.
High summer: July and August
What you get: the hottest, driest weeks, the warmest sea and the town at full volume, with the feast of the Assumption on 15 August. What to know: the plate rule applies at weekends in July and every day in August; the free beaches fill early. Book: boats, Capri days and rooms well ahead.
September and October
What you get: warm water, softer light, and the crowds thinning through September, with the fish festival at Fornillo on the last Saturday. What to know: the ferries wind down during October, and the plate rule runs every day until 30 September. Book: early September as far ahead as summer.
November to March
What you get: quiet lanes, low prices and the town to yourself. What to know: the ferries stop, many hotels and beach clubs close, November is the wettest month, and MAR Positano opens 10:00 to 16:00. Book: road tours that start in Naples, which run all year.
The dates that change a visit
| What | When | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Ferries to Positano's pier | Roughly April to October | Arrive and travel by road outside it |
| Positano tourist tax | 1 April to 31 October | Added to your hotel bill |
| Capri landing tax, €5 | 1 April to 31 October | Paid on Capri days |
| MAR Positano late opening | 1 April to 31 October, 9:00 to 21:00 | 10:00 to 16:00 in winter |
| Pompeii summer hours | 16 March to 14 October, 9:00 to 19:00 | 9:00 to 17:00 in winter |
| Coast-road plate rule | June to October; daily in August and September | Check before you drive |
| Feast of the Assumption | 15 August, from the evening of the 14th | The town at its busiest |
| Fish festival at Fornillo | The last Saturday of September | Food and fires on the beach |
| Pompeii free entry | The first Sunday of every month | Expect crowds |
The monthly weather behind these dates is on Positano weather by month, and the fees in the table are explained on planning your visit.
If August is your only choice
August is hot, crowded and still worth it if you plan for it. Take the morning boats, when the sea is calmer and the coves emptier; keep the middle of the day for a long lunch in the shade; walk the lanes after six, when the town cools. Leave the car behind, since the plate rule runs every day, and book everything with free cancellation so a rough sea costs you nothing.
When to book
For July, August and early September, book the small boats and the private Capri days a week or more ahead; they take few guests and sell out. In May, June and October a few days is usually enough. Almost every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours before, so an early booking costs you nothing if the weather turns.
Found your dates?
Every card says where the day starts and what the fare covers, so you can book the right day for the season you chose.
Next: see what to do on things to do in Positano, or compare every tour on Positano Tours.