Private
The BEST Private Amalfi Coast Vespa Tour
Most-reviewed Vespa tour on the coast. Departs Positano, full day along the SS163 with a vintage Vespa and local guide — 247 five-star reviews.
Book →The coast’s best-kept open secret: a Vespa puts you on the same hairpin roads as the tour coaches, but on your own schedule, at any stop you choose, with no other tourists in the frame. The guided format pairs you with a local who knows which villages to stop in and which hairpins to take slowly. The rental format gives you the whole SS163 for the day. Both are private by default — these tours rarely run shared.
Guided Vespa tours
A local driver leads — you follow on your own Vespa, or ride pillion. Full-day and sunset formats available.
Private
Discover the Magic of the Amalfi and Sorrento Coast by Vespa
Full-day guided tour departing from Amalfi town, led by a local on a private vintage Vespa. Covers Positano, Praiano, and Ravello.
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Free cancellation
Authentic Vespa Tour of Amalfi Coast: Positano & Ravello
Granturismo Vespa — the vintage large-frame model. Full day between Sorrento and Amalfi with stops at Positano and Ravello village. Free cancellation.
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Private
Sunset Amalfi Coast Vespa Tour With A Local
3–4 hour sunset format leaving late afternoon, when day-tripper coaches clear the road. The coast empties, the light turns gold, and the SS163 becomes a different road entirely.
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Private
Self-Driven Private Audioguided Amalfi Coast Vespa Tour
You ride solo on your own Vespa with an audio guide in your ear — no convoy, no waiting. Best pick if you’re a confident rider who wants narration without a lead bike in front.
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Private
Private Audio-Guided Amalfi Coast Vespa Tour with Driver
Pillion format from Positano — you ride behind the driver, audio narration plays as you go. No riding licence required. Good option if you want the experience without handling the bike yourself.
Book →Self-drive Vespa & scooter rentals
You ride independently — pick up from Sorrento or Positano, return same-day. A Category A motorcycle licence is required on Italian roads for 125cc+ bikes; a standard B car licence covers 50cc. Most rental operators accept an EU or international driving permit.
Scooter Rental to Visit Sorrento, Amalfi Coast & Positano
Best-value daily rental in Sorrento. 78 reviews, 4.9 stars. The SS163 from Sorrento to Positano is 17 km and genuinely manageable for confident riders; reaching Amalfi adds another 18 km of tighter hairpins.
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Scooter Rental to Visit the Amalfi Coast (from Positano)
Pickup from Positano. Lets you ride east toward Amalfi and Ravello on the quieter morning stretch before the day-tripper buses arrive on the road.
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Vespa Rental to Discover Sorrento, Amalfi Coast & Positano
Vespa-branded rental from Sorrento — multi-day option available if you want to stay overnight on the coast and ride back. Helmet and basic insurance included.
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Scooter Rental 125cc — Sorrento
Straightforward 125cc rental from a Sorrento operator with 47 reviews. The 125cc engine is the minimum advisable for the SS163 grades; anything smaller struggles on the Ravello ascent.
Book →What to know before you book
Licence requirements: Italian law requires a Category A motorcycle licence for 125cc and above. A standard EU or UK car licence (Category B) covers 50cc mopeds, which are not powerful enough for the SS163 gradients. International visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence. Operators ask to see it at pickup — not having it means no bike.
Plate restrictions: The targhe alterne restriction (odd/even plates, 10am–6pm, August 1–September 30) applies to rental scooters as well as cars. If you book a self-drive rental in August, plan to return by 9:45am or depart after 6:15pm to avoid the restricted window. Guided tours use privately-registered bikes that may be exempt — ask the operator.
Insurance: Basic third-party liability is usually included in the booking price. Collision damage waiver (covering the bike itself) is typically an add-on. The rental operators listed here all book through Viator, which provides an additional booking guarantee layer.
Route advice: The Sorrento–Positano stretch (17 km) is manageable for a first-timer riding cautiously. Positano–Amalfi is tighter and busier. The Amalfi–Ravello climb (7 km up a single-lane road) requires comfort with switchbacks. Cetara and Vietri sul Mare to the east are fast and wide by comparison.
Frequently asked questions
For a guided tour where a professional driver rides the Vespa and you follow (or ride pillion), no motorcycle licence is required. If you are riding your own Vespa as part of a guided convoy or renting independently, you need a Category A licence for 125cc and above under Italian law. A standard EU car licence (Category B) only covers mopeds up to 50cc, which are underpowered for the SS163 gradients. Bring an International Driving Permit alongside your home licence — rental operators ask to see it at pickup.
A guided tour includes a local driver who leads the route, chooses stops, and provides commentary — either in convoy (you ride your own Vespa), pillion (you ride behind the guide), or audioguided (you ride independently with narration in your ear). Self-drive rentals give you a Vespa for the day with no itinerary — you pick up in Sorrento or Positano and ride wherever you want, returning by closing time. Guided tours run $250–$450 and typically last a full day. Rentals run $66–$96 per day and require your own navigation.
The SS163 is genuinely challenging in July and August — heavy coach and car traffic, narrow lanes, and no shoulder on most sections. The safest window is before 10am and after 6pm, when coach traffic drops significantly. The plate restriction (targhe alterne, 10am–6pm, August 1–September 30) actually thins car traffic during peak hours, which paradoxically helps. Avoid the Positano one-way system on a scooter between noon and 4pm. May, June, September, and October are the better months for self-drive riding on the coast.
Sorrento has more rental options and is easier to navigate than Positano on a bike (flatter approach roads, easier parking). Most guided tours also depart Sorrento. Positano departures are worth it if you want to ride east toward Amalfi and Ravello first thing in the morning — you face the lighter early traffic going in that direction. A common independent itinerary: take the ferry from Sorrento to Positano, pick up a rental there, ride east to Amalfi and Ravello, return by bus.