We paid $348 for a boat tour to Capri, and the Blue Grotto was closed when we got there.
In This Post
This was day four of a two-week Italy trip in May 2022. We’d already done Rome to Milan by train, spent a day at Pompeii and Vesuvius the day before, and were staying at the Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo ($305/night, booked on points). The Capri boat tour was the most expensive single-day activity of the entire trip, at $348.52 for two people.
Booking and the Pickup
We booked through Viator: “Capri and Blue Cove Full Day Boat Tour.” Pickup was at 8am at Molo Beverello, the main ferry port in central Naples. The walk from our hotel took about 25 minutes along the waterfront. The morning was already warm. Naples at 7:30am in May has a specific energy: garbage trucks, espresso bars with no seats, and the Bay of Naples opening up in front of you with Vesuvius behind.
The boat was a mid-size motorboat, maybe 30 feet, with about twelve passengers. The captain was a local named Marco who narrated the coastline in a mix of Italian and English. He pointed out the ruins of Tiberius’s villa on the cliffs, various sea caves, and a rock formation that supposedly looked like a crocodile. I could see it if I squinted.
The Boat Ride Out
The crossing from Naples to Capri took about an hour. The Bay of Naples is sheltered enough that the water was calm, but once you round Punta Campanella and head toward the Faraglioni rocks, the boat starts to move. One passenger looked green. I was fine, but I’d taken a motion sickness pill before boarding, which I recommend even if you don’t usually get seasick.
The captain circled the Faraglioni, the three iconic rock stacks off Capri’s south coast. He drove the boat through the natural arch in the middle one, which was more exciting than it sounds. Everyone on the boat was holding their phones up and trying not to drop them into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Blue Grotto Situation
The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is the main reason most people book a Capri boat tour. It’s a sea cave where sunlight enters from an underwater opening and turns the water electric blue. The thing is, access depends entirely on sea conditions. The entrance is about one meter tall, so even moderate waves make it unsafe for the small rowboats that take you inside.
Our day: closed. The captain announced it casually, like he’d said it a hundred times before. “Today no Blue Grotto. Too much wave.” Half the boat groaned. A couple from Ohio looked devastated. I was disappointed but not surprised: I’d read that it’s closed roughly 30% of the time in May.
Instead, Marco took us to the Green Grotto (Grotta Verde), which is bigger, easier to access, and less famous. The water inside was a deep emerald color. It was beautiful. It’s not the Blue Grotto. But it was still a sea cave on the coast of Capri, and I’ve been in worse places on a Tuesday morning.
Free Time on Capri
The tour included about three hours of free time on the island. The boat dropped us at Marina Grande, and we took the funicular up to Capri town (2.20 euros each). The town is small, expensive, and improbably beautiful. We walked through the Piazzetta, looked at shop windows with price tags that would make a banker nervous, and found a cafe with a terrace overlooking the sea where we had lunch for about 45 euros for two (pasta, water, and the best lemon granita I’ve ever had).
Jenna wanted to take the chairlift to Monte Solaro for the panoramic view. We ran the math: 12 euros per person round trip, plus the 30-minute ride each way, plus time at the top. We had two hours left. We skipped it. I still wonder if we made the right call. The photos I’ve seen from the top look incredible.
What Didn’t Work
The price. At $348 for two, this was almost double what we paid for the Pompeii and Vesuvius tour ($205). The boat tour is inherently expensive because it’s a private charter, but the Blue Grotto closure meant we got maybe 70% of the advertised experience for 100% of the price. No refund, no partial credit. That’s how these tours work.
The free time on Capri was also shorter than I’d have liked. Three hours sounds like a lot, but between the funicular, walking, eating, and getting back to the marina, it goes fast. If you’re interested in the Gardens of Augustus or the walk to Villa Jovis, you’d need the entire day.
The return trip was rougher than the morning. Wind picked up in the afternoon and the boat bounced hard. The green-looking passenger from the morning was now actively unwell.
Is It Worth the Money?
Honestly, I go back and forth. The coastline from the water is spectacular and you can’t see it that way from land. The Faraglioni rocks, the sea caves, the color of the water: all worth seeing. But $348 for two people is a lot, especially when the main attraction (the Blue Grotto) is weather-dependent. If the grotto had been open, I’d say unqualified yes. Without it, it’s a conditional yes: gorgeous but overpriced for what you actually get.
An alternative worth considering: take the public ferry from Naples to Capri (about 20 euros per person each way), explore the island on your own, and hire a private boat for just the coastline portion. You’d probably spend less and have more flexibility. We didn’t do this because we wanted the all-in-one simplicity, but in retrospect the DIY approach might have been better.
For more on the broader Italy trip, including Naples, Pompeii, and the train route north: Capri and the Amalfi Coast: What’s Worth It and What to Skip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Capri day trip from Naples cost?
Boat tours run $150-200 per person through Viator or GetYourGuide. The public ferry is about 20 euros each way. Budget an extra 50-60 euros per person for food and funicular on the island.
Is the Blue Grotto always open?
No. It closes frequently due to sea conditions, especially the wave height at the narrow entrance. It’s open most reliably in summer (June-August) on calm days. Even then, there are no guarantees.
Can I do Capri and Pompeii in the same day?
Technically possible but miserable. Both are full-day activities. We did them on consecutive days from Naples and that pacing felt right. Trying to squeeze both into one day means rushing through both and enjoying neither.
Should I book a boat tour or take the public ferry to Capri?
The boat tour lets you see the coastline, sea caves, and Faraglioni from the water, which you cannot do from land or the ferry. If seeing the coast is important, book the tour. If you just want to explore the island, the public ferry is cheaper and gives you more time on Capri.
Written by Jenna Fattah
I have visited 25+ countries across 6 continents, attended 7 Formula 1 races, and spent 4 years writing about what actually works and what I would do differently. Every recommendation on this site comes from trips I planned and paid for myself. Read more about me