Best tours of Salerno

Being in the middle of a port city, it is logical that there are many activities to know Salerno. Here are some of the best ways to explore the city.

Andressa García

Andressa García

10 min read

Best tours of Salerno

Salerno con vista a los edificios |©desalvea

One of the best things to see and do in Salerno is to explore the city on foot or by boat. But regardless of the way you decide to tour the city, there are some key points that you can't miss during your walk. Therefore, here I recommend the most complete tours of Salerno.

I am sure that one of the things that will catch your attention is the great amount of beautiful pictures you will be able to take during the whole trip.

1. Discover ancient and modern Salerno on foot

Street of Salerno|©desalvea
Street of Salerno|©desalvea

As I said, there is a lot to see in this city. That's why on this walking tour, you can go with a tour guide to see some of the best places in the city, which is also full of history, art and traditions.

The tour starts at the Fontana in Piazza Flavio Gioia in the historic center of Salerno and the main idea of signing up for this tour is that you will be able to see the city of contrasts that it is. That is, you will get to know both the most ancient and traditional historical places and the most modern buildings of the city.

A whole experience that mixes the past and the present, so it is certainly one of the best tours in Salerno.

Details of interest

  • Price: about 40 euros per person.
  • Duration: about two hours.
  • Means of transport: on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: the maximum number of participants is 30 travelers.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is a shared experience that does not include personal expenses, meals and drinks. Not suitable for wheelchair users.

Book a guided tour of Salerno

2. Take a guided tour of the best of Salerno

Tourists in the streets of Salerno|©Kārlis Dambrāns
Tourists in the streets of Salerno|©Kārlis Dambrāns

By booking a guided tour of the best of Salerno you will have the opportunity to get to know the most iconic places of the historic center and all its history. In addition, during the entire visit you will enjoy the company of an expert guide who will speak to you in English throughout the tour.

First you will visit the medieval streets and the complex of San Pietro a Corte. You will also see the Roman baths and Norman palaces, a cultural diversity in the streets. You will visit the cathedral of San Matteo and then the castle of Arechi, a fortress that stands on top of Mount Bonadies.

Finally, you will have time to walk along some of the city's most important shopping streets. During the tour you will be able to see the historic jewelry and goldsmith shops and visit the ancient medical school of Salerno.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 39€ per person.
  • Duration: about two and a half hours.
  • Meeting point: Via Molo Manfredi.
  • Means of transport: on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: includes the company of the tour guide with commentary and baby carriages are allowed.
  • Disadvantages of this option: drinks, meals and personal expenses during the tour are not included. Pets are not allowed.

Book a guided tour of Salerno

3. Take a guided trek along the Prince's Trail

Man hiking|©Pixabay
Man hiking|©Pixabay

By booking a trekking along the Prince's Path you will see some of the most breathtaking panoramas of the city. The walk starts in front of Salerno Cathedral, where you will walk through the narrow streets of the city until you leave them behind, to enter the Prince Arechi II Trail.

The path goes to the top of Mount Bonadies and arrives at Arechi Castle, from where you can see the entire Amalfi coast. After taking several photos, you will start the descent to the cathedral of Salerno, where you will finish the walk. A real experience for lovers of sports and hiking.

Details of interest

  • Price: You will have to pay from 55 euros.
  • Duration: about 3 hours.
  • Means of transport: on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: you will have the company of a tour guide and you will be able to take as many pictures as you want during the tour.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is not a tour suitable for wheelchair users and pets are not allowed.

Take a trekking through the Prince's Path

4. Walk with an expert archaeologist guide through Salerno

Meeting people with an expert guide|©URI Alumni Engagement
Meeting people with an expert guide|©URI Alumni Engagement

On this route, a local tour guide will take you through the historic center of the city to show you its highlights. You will also have the opportunity to learn a bit about the history of Salerno, which was founded around the 2nd century B.C.

Part of what you will visit in the historic center of Salerno will be its most important public gardens and squares. You will also get to know the Lombard and Norman buildings, including the Monumental Complex of St. Peter, the Cathedral of St. Matthew, the Diocesan Museum, the medieval castle and the Archaeological Museum.

In addition, your guide will give you some tips on local food and the most authentic places where you can go for a couple of glasses of wine.

Interesting details

  • Price: about 35 euros.
  • Duration: about one hour and a half.
  • Means of transport: on foot, although you will have to get to the starting point on your own.
  • Advantages of this option: a maximum of 15 travelers can participate in this experience.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Personal expenses, food and beverages are not included. Also not included is the price of the entrance fees to the places that merit it.

Book a guided tour of Salerno

5. Experience the panoramic and photographic tour of Salerno

Panoramic view of Salerno|©Sergio Sole
Panoramic view of Salerno|©Sergio Sole

If you love photography and want to capture beautiful places on your trip to Salerno, this tour is definitely for you. It is an experience in which you climb on the terraces and rooftops to take amazing pictures. At the same time, you will get to know the culture and gastronomy of Salerno in one tour.

You will start at Colle Bellaria, a privileged place to see the city because you will be able to see the historical area and the modern buildings. Then you will go straight to Arechi Castle, where you will not only find the best view of Salerno but also taste a drink with typical local products.

You will also go to Vietri sul Mare to climb on a ceramic rooftop and see the Gulf of Salerno and the Amalfi Coast. Before ending the experience, you will enter the G. Martucci Conservatory of Music, on whose rooftop you will be able to see a nice panorama of Salerno.

Interesting details

  • Price: about 40 euros per person.
  • Duration: about 2 to 3 hours.
  • Means of transport: all the passage is done by car with all comforts.
  • Advantages of this option: you will enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned car and alcoholic beverages and parking fees are included. The entrance fee to Arechi Castle is also included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is not a wheelchair friendly tour and personal expenses are not included.

6. Tour the history of medicine in Salerno

San Pietro Church|©Bud Hirsch
San Pietro Church|©Bud Hirsch

During this unconventional tour you will walk through some of the most interesting places in the historic center of Salerno, those that will give you an idea of what medicine was like in ancient times, starting with the ancient Salernitana School of Medicine.

Your tour guide will tell you more than just history, he will tell you legends and narrate the moments of splendor that marked the practice of medicine in the city. In addition, your tour will end with the tasting of a good appetizer with local specialties.

You will also pass by the Church of San Pietro a Corte and the Duomo of Salerno to learn a little about religion in the city. The Minerva Garden will be your next stop on the itinerary, a place that during the Middle Ages was used for educational purposes for medical students.

Details of interest

  • Price: about 30 euros per person.
  • Duration: at least 2 hours.
  • Means of transport: the whole walk is done on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: it is a private tour, which means that only you and your group can participate in it. You have the possibility of taking a baby stroller.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is not adapted for people in wheelchairs or for travelers with back problems, heart problems or similar conditions.

7. Take the Salerno Handicrafts Tour

Craft street in Salerno|©Frans de Wit
Craft street in Salerno|©Frans de Wit

On this Salerno handicraft tour you can visit the historical monuments of the city and visit the stores and craft shops. You will see from the outside the Giuseppe Verdi Theater, the Municipal Villa and the Minerva Garden. You can go for a walk along the promenade to see the largest Ferris wheel in Europe and the medieval aqueduct.

Your guide will tell you about Salerno's oldest handicraft and medicinal traditions, as well as how these traditions have been maintained over time.

You will walk through the historic center of the city to explore the medieval alleys and the Via dei Mercanti, which for a long time was the most important shopping street in Salerno.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 230 euros per person.
  • Duration: about 2 hours.
  • Means of transport: on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: the company of an expert tour guide.
  • Disadvantages of this option: tickets to the Minerva Garden and the crypt of the Cathedral are not included. It is not adapted for wheelchair users and personal expenses, meals or drinks are not included.

8. Join a gastronomic tour of Salerno

Buffalo mozzarella on a plate|©Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil
Buffalo mozzarella on a plate|©Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil

During this gastronomic tour you will taste some of the typical products of Salerno and you will know the best places to taste them. Your guide will take you through the streets of the city to taste:

  • Cold cuts.
  • Different kinds of cheeses, including buffalo mozzarella.
  • The typical cuoppo and fried fish.
  • The famous anchovy sauce from the town of Cetara.
  • A slice of pizza and sfogliatella for dessert.
  • Coffee and a shot of limoncello or fennel liqueur.

Details of interest

  • Price: about 79 euros per person.
  • Duration: about 4 hours.
  • Means of transportation: by car.
  • Advantages of this option: meals and drinks are included. This tour is suitable for people in wheelchairs.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Pets are not allowed and personal expenses and drinks or meals outside the package are not included.

9. Take a walk in Vietri sul Mare and Cetara

Vietri sul Mare - Salerno|©Massimo Frasson
Vietri sul Mare - Salerno|©Massimo Frasson

Vietri sul Mare and Cetara are two villages on the coast of Salerno that you are sure to love. In this tour you will get to know both villages, starting with Vietri sul Mare, which is about 15 minutes from Salerno.

Once in Vietri sul Mare you will stroll through its streets and alleys to see its ceramic stores and views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. After some free time to walk around, you can continue to the cathedral of San Giovanni, just before departing to Cetara.

It will take about 20 minutes to reach this other village, where you will visit a traditional place where you will be taught how to prepare the famous anchovy sauce. At the end you will have free time to have lunch and stroll around the village before heading back.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 290 euros per person.
  • Duration: about 8 hours.
  • Starting point: via Molo Manfredi.
  • Means of transport: by private car.
  • Advantages of this option: tour guide and anchovy sauce tasting are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: lunch is not included and it is not a wheelchair accessible tour. Also, pets are not allowed.

Book a guided tour of Salerno

10. Visit Paestum and the mozzarella factory

Capaccio (Salerno)|©Pietro Perciballi
Capaccio (Salerno)|©Pietro Perciballi

In addition to some of the best excursions from Salerno, during your visit to the city you can't miss to book an excursion to Paestum from Salerno, an ancient Greco-Roman city that is now an archaeological site. It will be a real trip back in time.

After seeing the perfectly preserved temples, you can visit the National Museum of Paestum where you will learn more about the site. After consuming your dose of history, you will go with your guide to the Piana del Sele, widely known for its buffalo breeding farms.

There you will be able to see the process of milk extraction and production of buffalo mozzarella cheese. You will also see how the buffaloes are cared for and taste the products.

Interesting details

  • Price: from 290 euros per person.
  • Duration: a full day, which translates into about 8 hours.
  • Starting point: port of Salerno
  • Means of transport: by car with all comforts.
  • Advantages of this option: you have transportation by car and tasting of cheese and other products at the mozzarella factory. And the entrance fee to the Paestum is also included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: no pets are allowed on the trip and it is not a wheelchair friendly experience.

Book an excursion to Paestum from Salerno

Tips for booking a tour in Salerno

Panoramic view of Salerno|©desalvea
Panoramic view of Salerno|©desalvea

When booking a guided tour of Salerno I recommend you:

  • Wear comfortable shoes to any of the tours, no matter if you are traveling by car.
  • Try to wear sunscreen, especially in the summer season, because the temperature in Salerno is generally warm.
  • Make reservations before going to Salerno to avoid running out of seats.

Book a guided tour of Salerno