40.65° N · 14.61° E · Amalfi Coast
Ravello is not on the coast but above it. Villa Rufolo has the terrace for the festival concerts and an Arab-Norman cloister; Villa Cimbrone, at the other end of the town, a long walk that ends on a balcony of marble busts above the void. Together they cost €18 and can be seen in half a morning.
Part of Amalfi Coast
Step by step
By SITA SUD bus from Amalfi, along a winding road. The stop is at the entrance to the town, a few minutes' walk from Piazza del Duomo.
The cloister, the museum tower (from age 5) and the terraced gardens with the belvedere where the concerts are held. The ticket is bought at the ticket office on site.
From Piazza del Duomo to Villa Cimbrone along alleys and stairs.
Gardens open every day. Walk the main avenue to the final viewpoint, with the coast of Maiori and Minori below.
On the same bus, from the stop at the entrance to the town.
The two villas are ten minutes' walk from each other, along car-free streets. Start at Villa Rufolo, next to the cathedral square, and finish at Villa Cimbrone, which is farther away and needs more time.
The Amalfi Coast is almost always seen from below, from the road or the beach. Ravello, perched above Amalfi, shows it from above and at a leisurely pace: it is a small town, with no traffic in the centre, built around two estates with gardens that fall away towards the sea.
Villa Rufolo is the one with the history. The Rufolo family built it in the 13th century; in 1851 Francis Nevile Reid bought it, restored it and filled the garden with Mediterranean and exotic plants. On 26 May 1880 Richard Wagner walked through it and saw there the magic garden of Klingsor from his opera Parsifal: that episode gave rise to the music festival that fills the belvedere every summer. Since 2007 it has been run by the Fondazione Ravello.
Villa Cimbrone is the one for the stroll. The estate already appears in documents from Ravello's golden age and its gardens were redesigned in the early 20th century in English taste. Today the house is a hotel, but the garden is open to the public every day and ends in a terrace with marble busts above the void.
Anyone who wants a quiet day between swims and boats, garden and music lovers, and families with children who can manage a morning's walk. The museum tower at Villa Rufolo does not admit children under 5, for safety. With a pushchair, expect stairs and slopes between the villas and inside the gardens.
The SITA SUD bus goes up from Amalfi to Ravello along the Dragone valley road. Buy your ticket before boarding; if you are going to chain Amalfi, Ravello and another town in the same day, the 24-hour COSTIERASITA, valid in Amalfi and Ravello, saves you keeping track of each journey. By car, the road from Amalfi to Ravello is narrow and in high season the town's car parks fill early.
April, May, June and September are the months with the liveliest gardens and comfortable temperatures. From 3 November 2026, Villa Rufolo opens every day from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30. In summer the hours are longer and the festival concerts take over the terrace on some evenings.
It is best to arrive early. Ravello receives excursion coaches from mid-morning, and the viewpoint at Villa Cimbrone is better enjoyed without a queue for the photo.
The two tickets add up to €18 per adult: €8 for Villa Rufolo and €10 for Villa Cimbrone. Villa Rufolo charges €6 for children aged 5 to 12 and for over-65s; Villa Cimbrone gives a discount to under-12s and to groups. Add the return bus from Amalfi.
The gardens lose a lot, but Villa Rufolo's museum tower is covered and Ravello cathedral is a few steps away. If the day is really bad, leave Villa Cimbrone for another morning.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Tips
Villa Rufolo runs free guided tours at 10:00, 11:00 (in English) and 12:00, paying only the entry. Places are given out at the ticket office half an hour beforehand.
In summer, the Ravello Festival schedules concerts on the belvedere at Villa Rufolo. Tickets are sold online.
In the afternoon the excursion coaches come up.
Villa Cimbrone organises guided tours of the gardens on request, by email or phone.
Questions
Villa Rufolo, €8 (€6 for ages 5 to 12 and over-65s). Villa Cimbrone, €10, with a discount for under-12s.
No. At Villa Rufolo tickets are sold only at the ticket office.
On the SITA bus that goes up from Amalfi to Ravello.
If you only have time for one, Villa Cimbrone for the viewpoint; Villa Rufolo if you are interested in architecture or are going to a concert.
In the gardens, yes. In the museum tower at Villa Rufolo, only from age 5.
He visited Villa Rufolo in May 1880 and saw in its garden Klingsor's garden from Parsifal. That is where the festival comes from.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/campania/amalfi-coast/things-to-do/ravello-villa-rufolo-and-cimbrone
