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A Capri day trip from Positano is the day most couples remember long after they come home. You leave Positano’s main beach on a small private boat, float into a cave where the water glows blue, swim under the famous Faraglioni rocks, eat lunch on a beach club pier and come back at golden hour with the whole Amalfi Coast turning orange. Capri was No. 2 in my Top 10 places to visit in Amalfi Coast and Sardinia, and one paragraph was never going to be enough for it.
This is Day 2 of my 10-day Amalfi Coast and Sardinia couples itinerary, so below is the exact plan, hour by hour, with what it costs, what to wear and what to do when the sea says no. Think of it as me telling you over chai how to do Capri without wasting half the day in ferry queues.
Photo: sneakerdog, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Why Do Capri by Private Boat from Positano
You can reach Capri on the public ferries, but in summer they are packed, and in August I would avoid them completely. With a private boat you have one boat for the whole day, no ferry queues and only one stop on land. The skipper takes you around the island, waits while you swim and drops you right at your lunch pier.
The plan below follows one simple idea. The Blue Grotto comes first because the sea is calmest in the morning, and Capri town comes after lunch, when the day-trippers start leaving. Follow that order and the island feels a lot less crowded than everyone warns you.
Capri Day Trip from Positano: The Hour-by-Hour Plan
08:00 Breakfast and Walk to the Pier
Keep breakfast easy. Eat on your hotel terrace, or go to Pasticceria La Zagara for their lemon pastries (from 08:00, closed on Wednesdays) or Bar Internazionale for an espresso and a cornetto (daily from 07:00). By 08:45, start walking down to the boat pier on Spiaggia Grande, which takes 10 to 20 minutes depending on where you stay.
Reach the pier by about 09:05, so you have a little spare time before the 09:30 departure. Ask your skipper at 09:00 whether the Blue Grotto is open today. If it is closed, do not plan around queueing there, just tell him you want longer swim stops instead.
09:30 Private Boat Ride Past the Li Galli Islands
The ride to Capri takes about 50 minutes on a gozzo, the traditional wooden boat, or a speedboat, and it passes the Li Galli islands on the way. A full-day private tour runs about 7 hours and costs about EUR 800 to 1,100 per boat with skipper and fuel, roughly Rs. 80,000 to 1,10,000. Split between two people, that is about Rs. 40,000 to 55,000 each.
Some operators to check are Lucibello, Positano Boat Rental and Positano Yacht. Book 2 to 3 months ahead for summer, and get the weather cancellation policy in writing. You also pay a Capri landing contribution of EUR 5 per person (about Rs. 500) from April to October. To get the location of the Li Galli islands, click here.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
10:20 The Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto, or Grotta Azzurra, is a sea cave where sunlight comes in from under the water and lights the whole cave an electric blue. At the entrance you move from your boat into a small rowboat, lie back while the rower pulls you through the tiny opening, and get about 5 minutes inside. I am honestly scared of water, and even I would say these 5 minutes are worth it.
The queue at the entrance is 30 to 60 minutes, and the ticket is EUR 19 each (EUR 13 for the rowboat plus EUR 6 entry, about Rs. 1,900), paid in cash. Tip the rower EUR 2 to 5. It is open from 08:30 to 18:00 between April and September, but only when the sea allows, and it often shuts after 15:00 when the swell picks up. That is exactly why it is the first stop. To get the location, click here.
Photo: Elenagm, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
11:30 Around the Island: Green Grotto and Arco Naturale
After the grotto, your boat goes around the island anticlockwise. The first big stop is the Green Grotto, where the water inside the rock arch turns a bright emerald green and there is no queue for it. If the Blue Grotto was shut, this is where your skipper will spend the extra time, along with the White Grotto.
Next you see the Arco Naturale from the sea, a natural rock arch on the cliffs, and then you get one 30-minute swim stop in a quiet bay. Have your swimwear on under your clothes from the morning, so you are not looking for a place to change. To get the location of the Green Grotto, click here.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Through the Faraglioni Rocks
The Faraglioni are the three giant rocks standing in the sea off Capri, and they are the picture of the island. The middle rock has a natural arch, and your boat passes right under it. Local tradition says couples should kiss as they go through, so please do not be the couple busy filming a reel at that moment.
This is also the best spot for photos of the two of you, with the rocks behind you and the water an unreal shade of blue. Ask your skipper to slow down here for a minute. To get the location, click here.
Photo: Abxbay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
13:00 Lunch at a Beach Club
The boat drops you at the club pier, so pick one of these three and book ahead. La Fontelina sits right under the Faraglioni. From 29 May to 13 September, a beach-club booking there has a EUR 200 per person minimum spend (about Rs. 20,000), and the EUR 54 entrance with sunbed, umbrella and towel counts towards it, but a restaurant-only booking has no minimum. Bagni di Tiberio is a beach club built on Roman ruins, with entry at EUR 20 plus EUR 20 for a sunbed and no minimum spend, open from 19 April to 30 September in 2026.
If you want the fancy one, Il Riccio is a Michelin-starred seafood restaurant above the Blue Grotto, open from 16 April to 12 October 2026, with lunch from 12:30 to 15:30. Whichever you choose, keep about 1 hour 45 minutes for it. This is the slow, long Italian lunch you came for.
Photo: Littleballofwiki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
15:05 The Piazzetta and Via Camerelle
After lunch, the boat takes you to Marina Grande, the main harbour, and the funicular takes you up to Capri town in 4 minutes for EUR 2.40. You come out right at the Piazzetta, the small square with the clock tower and cafe tables that is basically the living room of Capri.
From there, walk down Via Camerelle, the lane of big designer boutiques. You do not need to buy anything, window shopping here is an activity of its own. To get the location of the Piazzetta, click here.
Photo: Cezar Suceveanu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp View
A short walk from the Piazzetta are the Gardens of Augustus, full of flowers and terraces, with one of the best views on the island. From the edge you look down on the Faraglioni on one side and on Via Krupp on the other, an old road that zigzags down the cliff to the sea like a ribbon.
Entry is EUR 2.50 and they take cards only, so keep your card handy. The gardens are open from 09:00 to 20:00 between 1 May and 15 September. By 16:05, head back down on the funicular to your boat. To get the location, click here.
Photo: Cezar Suceveanu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Or Swap the Town for Monte Solaro
If designer shops are not your thing, skip Capri town and take a taxi from Marina Grande up to Anacapri instead. From there, the Monte Solaro chairlift takes you to the highest point of the island in 13 minutes, for EUR 15 return, and the view from the top covers the whole island and the sea around it.
Just pick one, the town or Monte Solaro, not both. Try to fit both and you lose all your spare time, and the boat back will not wait forever. To get the location of the chairlift, click here.
Photo: Mika Auramo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
16:30 Golden-Hour Cruise Back and Dinner in Positano
The ride back takes about 50 minutes, and this is the part nobody talks about enough. The light goes soft, the cliffs turn gold, and Positano comes into view from the sea, all its houses lit up. You are back by about 17:20, with time to rest, shower and dress up for dinner.
For dinner, Next2 does modern Campanian food in a garden, Il Tridente is the terrace restaurant at Hotel Poseidon (online booking only), and Ristorante Max is an art-filled dining room with a wine bar, closed on Mondays. Remember to tip your skipper too, usually EUR 20 to 50.
What to Wear and Carry
- Swimwear under a light linen layer, so you can jump in at the swim stop without changing.
- Flat, non-slip sandals. Boat decks and piers get slippery.
- A hat and sunscreen. There is very little shade on the water.
- A dry bag for your phone and wallet.
- Cash for the Blue Grotto, the rower and the skipper, and a card for the Gardens of Augustus.
If the Sea Is Rough
Your skipper makes the final call at the pier. If only the Blue Grotto is shut, you still get the Green and White grottoes, the Faraglioni and lunch, so the day is not ruined. If the whole sea is too rough, a good operator should reschedule or refund, and that is why you keep Capri on Day 2, so you can move it to Day 3 or Day 4 and slide those days.
When private boats are cancelled, the larger public ferries to Capri often still run, so you can still see the town and the gardens. Just do not try to force the grotto on a rough day.
Best Time for a Capri Day Trip
September is the best month, with 26 to 29 degrees and the warmest sea of the year, and June is just as good for couples, with a warm sea and 26 to 30 degrees. July and August are 30 to 35 degrees with peak crowds and prices. April and May are better value and quieter, but the sea is still cool and some Capri restaurants open only from late April or May. From November to March, I would not plan this trip.
How Capri Fits Into the 10-Day Itinerary
Capri is Day 2 of the trip. You stay 4 nights in Positano for Capri, Amalfi and Ravello, and the Path of the Gods, then visit Pompeii and fly from Naples to Olbia, and spend 5 nights on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda with a boat day in La Maddalena, beach days, inland Gallura and a ferry day to Bonifacio in Corsica. You can see every day of it, with timings and backups, on the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia 10-day couples itinerary page.
FAQ
- Is one day enough for Capri?
Yes, by private boat it is. You see the grottoes, the Faraglioni and the town in about 7 hours.
- How long is the boat from Positano to Capri?
About 50 minutes by private boat, passing the Li Galli islands.
- How much does the Blue Grotto cost?
EUR 19 per person, which is EUR 13 for the rowboat and EUR 6 entry, plus a EUR 2 to 5 tip for the rower.
- Is the Blue Grotto always open?
No. It closes when the sea is rough, and it often shuts after 15:00, so go in the morning.
- Is a private boat to Capri worth it?
For couples, yes. You skip the ferry queues, swim where you want and get dropped right at your lunch spot.
- Can I swim in Capri?
Yes. The boat day has a 30-minute swim stop in a quiet bay, and the beach clubs have sea access too.
Final Thoughts
Capri is expensive and it can get crowded, but done the right way, one private boat, the grotto in the morning and the town after lunch, it is one of the most beautiful days you can have in Italy. Would you queue for the Blue Grotto or spend that time swimming under the Faraglioni? Tell me in the comments. And if you want a boat ride to a sea fort closer to home, read my guide to Murud-Janjira Fort, or check out the best beaches in North Goa.
I plan the route. I don’t book the ferry, the stay, or the tickets. A custom plan is Rs. 200 per travel day. Fill the trip form, pay online, and I’ll send you the plan. CLICK HERE to start.
