What’s the best Capri boat tour?

The question “which is the best?” only has one answer if you add context. There are six tours, two families: those that leave from the island and those that leave from the mainland. Picking the wrong family costs more than picking the wrong tour within the same group.

The verdict, by type of traveller

You’re staying in Sorrento and have a free day. The full-day exclusive tour is the most booked and highest-rated in the group: 4.8 out of 5,215 reviews, five to eight hours, pick-up from numerous spots in the area, and disembarkation at Massa Lubrense. It includes a skipper, guide, snorkelling masks, drinks on board, the landing tax, and around four hours of free time on the island. Douglas from the UK writes that it starts early, but it’s worth it to arrive in Capri before the crowds.

You’re already in Capri for the day. The island-circling tour with grotto visits departs from Via Don Giobbe Ruocco in Marina Grande and wraps up the loop in one or two hours: Faraglioni, Marina Piccola, Casa Malaparte, Green Grotto, and the Punta Carena lighthouse. Live commentary, life jackets, and onboard facilities, with a 4.3 out of 5,888 reviews. No swimming stops—its declared limitation.

You mainly want to enter the grotto. The short tour from Molo 0 leaves every thirty minutes from 9:30 to 14:00, lasts an hour and a half, and passes all the sea grottos and through the Faraglioni. It has the lowest rating of the six, 4.1 out of 2,579 reviews, and the reason is the queue: take the first departure, not the one at eleven.

You’re a couple and want to eat on board. The lunch-included day keeps the group size smallest—eight participants—with hotel pick-up from Piano di Sorrento, Meta, Sant’Agnello, or Sorrento. Sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, seasonal fruit, drinks, and limoncello on the return. Rated 4.8, but from only 366 reviews: far less tried-and-tested than the flagship tour.

You’re departing from Positano. Convenient options are few, and the small-group tour with free time is the most sensible: eight hours, maximum twelve people, meeting point in Sorrento or near Positano beach depending on the option. Around three and a half hours of free time on the island—half an hour less than others—and Adam from the UK says it’s enough to reach the chairlift.

You want the van and zero hassle. The small-group day tour picks you up from Parking Mandara, Massa Lubrense, Bivio Montepertuso, Euro Frutta 2000, or Bar Internazionale and takes you to the boarding point in twenty minutes, with the landing tax already paid. One warning matters more than the 4.6 out of 257 reviews: here, the Blue Grotto is viewed from the sea—you don’t go inside.

The three that cover almost everyone

Why the highest-rated tour isn’t the best for everyone

The 4.8 rating of the flagship tour is solid because it’s based on over five thousand reviews, not just a handful. But that score reflects a full day with an early start and a return around an hour later—so if your plan includes the nine o’clock ferry and the Piazzetta by midday, that tour simply won’t work for you. Likewise, a 4.1 doesn’t mean a worse boat: it means the experience includes a wait that others don’t.

The full comparison of all six tours is in the tour hub, side-by-side durations are in how long the tour lasts, and detailed impressions for each are in the review of the exclusive tour and the island and grotto tour review. For what really affects the cost, see how much a boat tour costs.

Frequently asked questions