Capri and the Blue Grotto

Capri and the Blue Grotto by small boat, with pickup in Positano

4.8/5

About 290 reviews on GetYourGuide

Capri for up to 12, with pickup in Positano and a road transfer to the boat: round the island, swim stops, the Blue Grotto when the sea allows, four hours ashore, from 160 euros plus 28 in fees. In Amalfi, Ravello or Minori, book Capri by boat from Amalfi.

Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, with a full refund
Reserve now, pay laterHold your place today and pay nothing yet
Duration: 8 hoursStart times show in the calendar
Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian
Pickup includedFrom the pickup points listed when you book
Small groupUp to 12 people

The day starts on land. You choose a meeting point in Positano when you book, and a vehicle takes you along the coast road to Marina della Lobra, the small harbour of Massa Lubrense on the Sorrento peninsula, about 22 km by road. That is where the boat is, and from there Capri is about 10 km across the water. The listing describes the boat as comfortable and caps the group at 12, with a skipper and a guide on board who speak English, Spanish or Italian.

The first stop is the Blue Grotto, on the island's north-west shore. You cannot sail in: the cave is entered only in the small rowing boats waiting outside, and you pay on the spot. The official ticket, sold through the Ministry of Culture's partner CoopCulture, was 6 euros on 27 October 2026, or 2 euros for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, and the rowing boat 12 euros on the Campania tourism board's Capri tariff sheet, which is the 18 euros the listing gives. Inside, the listing promises the intense blue that gave the cave its name. The grotto opens 08:30 to 18:00 from April to September and closes earlier in October, and it shuts altogether when a swell runs at the entrance.

Then the boat goes round the island. The listing names the White Grotto and the Green Grotto, the Faraglioni rocks, a natural arch and the lighthouse at Punta Carena, with the guide explaining each, and stops to swim, with masks for snorkelling and water, beer and soft drinks on board.

The boat lands you on Capri for four hours of free time. The listing suggests Marina Piccola, the lanes of Capri town or the chairlift up Monte Solaro from Anacapri, 589 m; lunch is your own. On the way back the crew pours a limoncello, and the vehicle returns you to your meeting point in Positano. The whole day takes about 8 hours.

Why this one

Of the Capri boat days sold with a Positano start on GetYourGuide, this one was rated 4.8 from about 290 reviews on 27 October 2026, with guides scored 4.9 out of 5, and it is the one that puts the Blue Grotto in the plan and still leaves four hours on the island. It cost from 160 euros that day. The Positano small-group tour with a light lunch was rated 4.6 from about 470 reviews at 154 euros for a 10-hour day, with the grotto optional, and the Positano full-day boat trip to Capri 4.5 from about 110 reviews at 175 euros.

If you would rather step on the boat in your own town, Capri by boat from Amalfi, below, sails straight from Amalfi, Positano or Sorrento with no road transfer, costs from 128 euros with no landing fee to pay, and was rated 4.8 from about 490 reviews; it skips the Blue Grotto and gives you three hours ashore rather than four. If you want Capri on your own timetable, the public ferry from Positano takes 30 to 40 minutes for 28 to 29 euros one way in 2026, Capri's landing contribution included (see Positano to Capri by ferry), and boats from Marina Grande run to the grotto. For a day on the water nearer home, Amalfi Coast and Positano small-boat trip with snorkelling stays on the Amalfi Coast.

Compared withCapri by boat: from Positano or from Amalfi?

Good for

A first visit to Capri, with the island seen from the sea and on foot
Guests in Positano, with the meeting point in town
Anyone who wants the Blue Grotto without arranging the boats themselves

Not for

Wheelchair users, as the listing says
Guests in Amalfi, Ravello or Minori: Capri by boat from Amalfi leaves from Amalfi
Anyone who wants to sail straight out from Positano's beach

When to go

What the day on Capri is like, month by month. Temperature is at 14:00 Italian time on Capri, rainy days are whole days, and calm sea is modelled for the open sea off Capri's north shore between 10:00 and 18:00, when the boat is out.

Month	Air	Rainy days	Calm sea	Water
Jan	13°C / 10°C	44%	73%	16°C
Feb	13°C / 11°C	30%	86%	15°C
Mar	14°C / 11°C	37%	83%	16°C
Apr	15°C / 13°C	30%	80%	17°C
May	19°C / 17°C	26%	95%	20°C
Jun	24°C / 21°C	11%	99%	25°C
Jul	27°C / 25°C	5%	95%	28°C
Aug	27°C / 25°C	15%	94%	28°C
Sept	25°C / 22°C	26%	92%	25°C
Oct	21°C / 19°C	29%	87%	23°C
Nov	18°C / 14°C	54%	72%	20°C
Dec	15°C / 13°C	40%	81%	18°C

Modelled from historical weather (Open-Meteo, 2021 to 2025) and sea data (2022 to 2025). Temperature is the median at 14:00, with the coldest day in ten after it. Rain is the share of days with 1 mm or more. Calm sea is the share of days when the highest wave between 10:00 and 18:00 off Capri stays under 1.5 metres. Sea is the median sea temperature at midday.

May to September is the easy season

In the sea data we looked at, the water off Capri was calm on 92 to 99 days in 100 from May to September, and about 25 to 28°C from June to September. In April one day in five was rough, and in October about one in eight, when the Blue Grotto is the first thing to close.

From our Amalfi Coast hotels

Drive times are routed to the meeting point GetYourGuide pins on the SS163 coast road at the top of Positano; you choose your exact meeting point in Positano when you book, and the transfer to the boat starts there. The listing includes pickup from meeting points in Positano only, so Le Sirenuse and Palazzo Murat are ticked; Il San Pietro, at Laurito about 1.5 km east of the centre, is not, but its free shuttle runs into Positano. From further east, the times are with the road clear and the SS163 is often slower; SITA's buses take 40 minutes from Amalfi to Positano on the autumn 2026 timetable.

Le SirenusePositano4 min by carMeeting point in Positano
Palazzo MuratPositano4 min by carMeeting point in Positano
Il San Pietro di PositanoPositano5 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Hotel Tramonto d'OroPraiano10 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Borgo SantandreaConca dei Marini19 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Hotel Marina RivieraAmalfi24 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & SpaConca dei Marini27 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Hotel Santa LuciaMinori29 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Caruso, A Belmond HotelRavello39 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano
Palazzo PascalScala39 min by carTaxi or bus to Positano

The facts

Duration: About 8 hours, with 4 hours of free time on Capri
Language: English, Spanish or Italian
Group: Up to 12
Meeting point: Your choice of meeting points in Positano, then by road to the boat at Marina della Lobra, Massa Lubrense
Included: Swimming stop, Blue Grotto stop, free time in central Capri, skipper and guide on board, drinks (water, beer, soft drinks), use of snorkelling masks, limoncello tasting
Not included: Capri landing tax and destination fee (10 euros a person); Blue Grotto entrance fee (18 euros a person)
Blue Grotto: Entry 6 euros, 2 euros for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, plus 12 euros for the rowing boat; 08:30 to 18:00 April to September, 08:30 to 16:00 from 1 to 15 October, 09:00 to 14:00 from 16 October; shut in rough sea
Not suitable for: Wheelchair users
Booking: At least 10 hours ahead; the listing warns it is likely to sell out
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later
Price: From 160 euros on GetYourGuide on 27 October 2026; the calendar shows today's price
Run by: Lubrense Boats, Massa Lubrense

What guests keep saying

Recurring themes in the tour’s reviews, in our words, never quoted.

Praised

Guides who know Capri and explain the island as the boat goes round
The views of the cliffs and the swim stops in clear water
Plenty of free time on the island

Complaints

The Blue Grotto plan, when the queue is long or the grotto is shut, could be explained more clearly

The catch

The boat leaves from the Sorrento side
Pickup is in Positano, but the boat is at Marina della Lobra in Massa Lubrense, about 22 km by road. The listing says so, and the operator has said in its replies to reviews that the road transfer is part of the plan.
What to do. Book it for Capri, not for a sail along the Amalfi Coast. If you want to board in Positano, book Capri by boat from Amalfi, which has a Positano departure.
Bring cash for the Blue Grotto
The grotto's 6-euro ticket and the 12-euro rowing boat are paid at the cave, on top of the tour price, and so is Capri's 10-euro landing tax and destination fee.
What to do. Allow 28 euros a person in cash for the day's fees, plus lunch.
The Blue Grotto depends on the sea and the queue
The grotto shuts when a swell runs at the entrance, and on busy summer days the wait for the rowing boats can be long; GetYourGuide's review summary says some guests wanted clearer expectations on both. When it is shut, you still have the trip round the island, the swim and the four hours ashore.
What to do. If the grotto matters most, travel between May and September, ask the guide about it at the start of the day, and keep a spare day in case the sea is up.
October afternoons are short at the grotto
From 16 October the Blue Grotto closes at 14:00, and from 1 to 15 October at 16:00.
What to do. Late in the season, choose a morning start and see the grotto first.
Book ahead in summer
The listing warns that the tour is likely to sell out, and bookings close 10 hours before the start.
What to do. Book as soon as your Positano dates are fixed; free cancellation runs to 24 hours before.

Questions people ask

Good questions about Capri and the Blue Grotto by small boat, with pickup in Positano

Is the Capri and Blue Grotto boat tour from Positano worth it?

For a first day on Capri, yes: round the island by boat, swim stops, the Blue Grotto when it is open and four hours ashore, for up to 12 people, from 160 euros on GetYourGuide on 27 October 2026, rated 4.8 from about 290 reviews. Add 28 euros a person for the grotto and Capri's fees.

Does the boat leave from Positano?

No. You meet in Positano and travel by road, about 22 km, to the boat at Marina della Lobra in Massa Lubrense, and back the same way. If you want to board in Positano itself, Capri by boat from Amalfi has a Positano departure.

How much does the Blue Grotto cost?

18 euros a person, paid on the spot and not in the tour price: 6 euros for the official entry ticket (2 euros for EU citizens aged 18 to 25) and 12 euros for the rowing boat that takes you in.

Is the Blue Grotto always open?

No. It shuts when the sea is rough, because the rowing boats cannot pass the low entrance, and in summer the wait outside can be long. When it is open the hours are 08:30 to 18:00 from April to September and shorter in October.

How much free time do you get on Capri?

Four hours, the listing says: enough for Capri town and Marina Piccola, or the chairlift up Monte Solaro from Anacapri. Lunch is not included.

What costs extra on the day?

Capri's landing tax and destination fee, 10 euros a person, the Blue Grotto at 18 euros a person if you go in, and lunch on the island.

Is there a cheaper way to see Capri from Positano?

The public ferry from Positano reaches Marina Grande in 30 to 40 minutes for 28 to 29 euros one way in 2026, landing fee included, and the Blue Grotto boats leave from the same harbour. You lose the guide, the trip round the island and the swim stops.

Capri, by boat

See dates and prices

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