The best Ischia one day itinerary for first-timers

Ischia is a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples that has thermal springs, a medieval castle, botanical gardens, colorful houses, beautiful beaches, and delicious restaurants. In this blog post I will share the ultimate Ischia one day itinerary to help you plan a fantastic trip on this small island. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

Are you looking for help with planning your trip? Check out these helpful resources:

• Flights
• Accommodation for all budgets
• Amalfi Coast sailing trip I’ve been on (take $50 off any Tryps trip with code IOANA)
• Europe train tickets
• Europe bus tickets
• Rental cars
• Activities, tours, and day trips
• eSIM for international data

Visit the Aragonese Castle

The Aragonese Castle of Ischia, or Castello Aragonese in Italian, is a castle built on a small island in the bay of Naples that connects to Ischia by a walkaway.

A first castle was built here in 474 BC, so the place has some very rich history. Today it is the most visited attraction in Ischia.

I visited Ischia as part of a week-long sailing trip along the Amalfi Coast and nearby islands with Tryps (use code IOANA for $50 off any trip with them, they are amazing!).

We docked our boat at the Ischia Porto. From there the bus stop was a short walk away. I bought a day pass for 5 euros and I used it to visit different parts of the island. You get unlimited bus rides with the day pass, so I think it’s a great deal.

From the bus stop near the port you can take bus 7 and its last stop will be the Aragonese Castle.

You can buy entry tickets to the castle from their ticket office when you get there. There was only one person in line in front of me so you won’t have to wait long.

Then the fun begins as you enter the castle. The castle is built on a hill, so be prepared to climb stairs and walk some steep slopes in the scorching heat. But I promise it’s worth it.

The views of the sea and the whole island are incredible. And everything about the castle: the gardens, the little viewing places, the art gallery, are so well organized and maintained. 

I thought 1 hour would be enough time to explore since it’s a self guided tour, but I enjoyed my visit so much that I ended up spending 2 hours there.

Visit Giardini la Mortella

The Mortella Botanical Gardens are some of the main attractions of the island. There are two levels: the lower level gardens and the gardens on the hill. 

I came here right after visiting the castle thinking it would be a nice stroll, but I ended up climbing a lot of stairs again. Safe to say I worked out while exploring Ischia haha.

Susana Walton, the Argentinian wife of British composer Sir William Walton, created La Mortella Gardens.

They are beautiful and they have so many cool spots such as a Greek Theatre, a crocodile pool, or a Thai pavilion. I loved exploring everything they had to offer. 

There are also plenty of wonderful places to take pictures with incredible views of both the tropical plants and the beautiful Island of Ischia. 

To get here I took bus 7 from the Aragonese Castle to the main port bus stop. And then I switched to bus 1. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the gardens, but it’s worth it.

I bought tickets from their ticket office. They accept cards both here and at the Aragonese Castle, so no need to panic if you don’t have cash with you.

Enjoy panoramic views from Belvedere di Zaro

The Belvedere di Zaro is an observation point located about 5 minutes away from Giardini la Mortella by foot. There is no sidewalk for pedestrians, so you’ll walk on the edge of the road, but cars are used to it, so I didn’t feel like they would run me over. 

Even the bus stop near the gardens is on the edge of the road, so just embrace this unique experience. I feel like travel is always better when you embrace these unique things rather than criticizing them because you’re not used to them. I think of everything as an adventure and I go with the local flow.

This belvedere has such a stunning view! It’s one of the best places to see the entire island, the stunning beaches, and the sea. And, of course, it’s the perfect place for pictures with a stunning background.

If you have more free time, you can also explore the town of Forio after you enjoy the Belvedere. Ischia is one of the largest islands close to Naples, so it has multiple towns.

Ischia is the main town people visit, but Forio and Sant’Angelo are also great choices if you have more time on the island.

Stroll through the historic center of Ischia

If you don’t have time to explore Forio and Sant’Angelo, then make sure you spend at least 30min – 1 hour walking through the historic center of Ischia. 

​I loved the narrow streets full of shops, restaurants, and cafes. If you want to do some shopping while visiting the Amalfi Coast, Ischia is the best place to do it since it’s cheaper.

You can find the same quality of items you find in Positano, Amalfi, or Capri, but at a cheaper price.

I usually don’t shop that much when I travel, but the ladies I was traveling with on the Tryps sailing trip went crazy in Ischia and they were very happy with their purchases.

Have lunch at one of the restaurants in the port of Ischia

Since Ischia is an island, you must eat seafood while there. You can find fresh fish and seafood dishes at pretty much all the restaurant along the marina in Ischia.

I ate the best fish at Pane e Vino. The server brought all the different types of fresh fish to our table so we can pick what we wanted.

They recommended a white fish that is cooked over potato slices such that its fat flavors the potatoes.

We went with his recommendation and it did not disappoint. The fish was delicious, the potatoes were flavorful, and we also got fresh grilled vegetables. So good!

Spend the afternoon at a thermal spa

I skipped this part because I’m not really a water-activities person. I even have a water phobia and my brain thinks I’m going to drown every time I am in a pool or the sea/ocean. 

Even though I took swimming classes and I can survive being in the water, the phobia did not go away.

So know that you know this about me you’re probably asking yourself “Ioana, what were you doing on a sailing trip, living on a boat for a week???”. Sometimes I question my life choices too, but I do like to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

And doing a sailing trip did just that for me. Was I uncomfortable being at sea all the time? Yes. Did I survive and it showed me that the only limits I have are in my head? Also yes.

So in the end I was very happy I did this and I recommend you do uncomfortable things. That’s how we grow as humans.

Anyway, back to the thermal baths. The other people I traveled with all went to spa while I explored the island solo. Click here to buy your entry ticket in advance (they sell out!).

They had a great time and they were pleasantly surprised by the number of different pools at the spa. It was a very relaxing experience for them.

There are restaurants on site, as well as showers. Because the pools have thermal, volcanic water, it is best to wear a dark colored swim suit to avoid staining it from the water.

If you have more than one day, visit the Island of Procida

We ended up staying 2 days in Ischia because there was a storm and we couldn’t sail to Sorrento. I wasn’t mad because there are plenty of things to do in Ischia.

If you can spend more time there, I highly recommend you go to the neighboring island of Procida. It’s a smaller island compared to Ischia, but there are way less tourists there, so it feels more authentic.

It has pastel houses and churches, mom-and-pop shops and restaurants, and a gorgeous viewpoint from where you can watch the sunset. 

I spent a few hours here and I loved it. It’s more quiet, you can see how locals live, and you can fully immerse yourself in the island life.

FAQs about Ischia

How can you get to Ischia?

In my opinion the best way to get to Ischia and the entire Amalfi Coast is to do a sailing trip. It’s easier to get to all the places and you have the advantage of seeing them all from the water. 

I loved sleeping on the boat and waking up with those views. Click here to learn more about the trip I’ve been on and use code IOANA for $50 off if you decide to go on a trip with Tryps.

If you don’t want to do a sailing trip, then you can take the ferry from Naples, Salerno, Pozzuoli, Capri, Procida, Sorrento, and other ports on the Amalfi Coast.

How can I get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?

The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.

I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.

You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once you activate the eSIM you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.

Do I need cash?

Yes, I recommend you have cash with you in Ischia and anywhere else in the South of Italy. While a lot of places accept cards, cash is sometimes preferred.

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