BLUE CAVE AND GROTTO TOURS IN ITALY
Good blue cave and grotto tours in Italy fill their morning slots weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Join a small group of up to 12 on a Capri cruise from Sorrento. Guides such as Fabrizio, Emmanuel, Antonio, and Federico share local facts, serve drinks and limoncello, and stop for swimming, snorkeling, grottoes, and the Faraglioni. Add the Blue Grotto if conditions allow.
“Lovely day on the boat - super helpful host and lovely experience!”
Sail from Sorrento to Capri in a 12-person boat with a skipper such as Flavio, Agatha, or Enrico. Visit the Blue Grotto early, cruise past Capri’s famous caves and Faraglioni, enjoy drinks and fruit, then spend three hours on the island before swimming back toward Sorrento.
“We enjoyed our tour and had fun. Alessandro was very outgoing and got everybody together and engage. At the end of the tour, I felt Uneasy for the fact that he pull me to the side and recommended me to tip more than what I already Had given him. I was Always taught to be grateful and thus why I gave this a 4 star.”
From Marina Grande, your captain circles Capri’s dramatic coast, points out the Faraglioni, Casa Malaparte, sea caves, and Punta Carena, then stops at the Blue Grotto. The €18 rowboat entry is optional, and waits or rough water can prevent access.
“Great guide. Beautiful views. Love that he took time to take everyone’s photos!!”
From Sorrento, you’ll cruise Capri’s coast in a traditional gozzo with up to eight people, stopping at grottoes, swimming spots, and the Faraglioni. Guides such as Luca, Anna, Francisco, and Francesca add history and local tips. Capri time is self-guided, while Blue Grotto entry costs extra.
“Great day out, fun tour guides and good group size. Was nice to have personal time in each location.”
This small-group boat tour takes you from Sorrento around Capri with an English or Italian guide, stops for swimming and snorkeling, and a chance to enter the Blue Grotto. Guides such as Lucio, Agatha, and Raffaella are known for lively commentary and personal attention. Bring cash for the Capri fee and grotto ticket.
“So much fun! Lucio made the day. Lots of laughs, jokes and information. Sights we went to on the way were amazing, including the music played to accompany this site.”
Travel by fast ferry and island shuttle with a local guide such as Luigi, Tiziana, Giorgio, or Michele. Visit the Blue Grotto when sea conditions allow, ride the Anacapri chairlift at your own cost, and enjoy free time in Capri and Anacapri.
“Marcela was a wonderful guide. Very patient knowledgeable and kind. Marcela managed to get us to the Blue Grotto but also a boat ride to see the other sides of Capri. This tour is not for people without stamina. It’s a go,go,go. Then relax. Great timing. The bus rides are not for the faint at heart.”
Spend about nine hours exploring Capri with an English-speaking guide such as Luigi, Tiziana, Michele, or Giorgio. Ride a fast ferry, visit Anacapri and Villa San Michele, choose the Mount Solaro chairlift, and try for the Blue Grotto when sea conditions allow.
“Day trip to Capri and Anacapri. Tour guide travels with you and is very knowledgeable. There is time in both areas of the island to see the main highlights. Take change for toilet visits. Shuttle buses well used to drive you around as is very busy.”
Spend nine hours with an English-speaking guide such as Alberto or Tiziana, traveling from Naples to Capri by fast ferry. Visit the Blue Grotto when sea conditions allow, explore Anacapri and La Piazzetta, and enjoy a shared island boat ride if the grotto is closed.
“Luigi was an excellent guide. He went out of his way to provide extra sightseeing spots for phototaking. He also gave a description of the various sights to add to the experience. Pedro was a fantastic driver navigating through the meandering road along the Amalfi cost.”
Leave Marina Piccola in Sorrento early for a boat ride to Capri, a full coastal cruise, and five hours to explore Capri and Anacapri. A tour leader such as Michele or Gaetano helps with buses, chairlift plans, restaurants, and timing. The Blue Grotto costs extra and depends on sea conditions.
“The trip was excellent. Everything was well arranged and planned. There was plenty of time to spend on the islands. Michele was very helpful and able to provide suggestions and detailed explanations of what to explore.”
Travel by fast ferry from Naples to Capri with an English-speaking guide such as Tiziana, Michele, or Alberto. Ride island shuttle buses, visit Anacapri and Capri town, and see the Blue Grotto when the sea allows. If it is closed, a boat ride visits the Faraglioni and other caves.
“Everything was well organised and managed well no issues”
Start at Marina Grande and circle Capri in about one to two hours with an English and Italian speaking crew. You will see the island’s famous grottoes, Faraglioni, Natural Arch, Villa Malaparte, and Punta Carena lighthouse. Add the Blue Grotto for €18, plus possible waiting time.
“If interested to Blue Grotto, false advertising when they say it is optional. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. We had to book another tour on location. Very disappointed”
From Giardini Naxos, cruise with guides such as Kevin, Andrei, Francesco, or Gianluca past Mazzarò, Taormina, Isola Bella, and the Blue Grotto. Expect coastal views, a swim stop, Prosecco, and Sicilian almond sweets aboard a covered boat for up to 20 people.
“There's an opportunity to swim..wear a bathing suit and bring a towel. We wish we would have known that. Everyone got to swim but us as we did not know to wear our bathing suit under our clothes”
Join Laser Capri at Pier 23 for a one-hour boat ride around Capri. Your skipper points out the Faraglioni, Natural Arch, grottos, Villa Malaparte, and Tiberius’ Leap. The Blue Grotto visit is optional, costs €18, and may be impossible when waves or queues are heavy.
“Loved it so much fun! I just wish the water levels were lower so we could’ve gone into the blue grotto!”
Spend about eight hours exploring Capri with a private guide, fast ferry tickets, Blue Grotto admission, a convertible car or minibus, the Mount Solaro chairlift, and Augustus Gardens. Guides such as Vincenzo, Stephanie, Lucia, and Paola are praised for smart timing and flexible plans.
“We absolutely loved this tour - our guide Vincenzo was fantastic and took every care to make this an unforgettable day. The trip was packed from start to finish - in particular the chair lift had jaw-dropping views and was our favourite bit - but overall it’s the perfect duration and great value for money. However we really do owe our enjoyment to Vincenzo - he made the day really bespoke and a lot of fun, we felt so incredibly well looked after and cannot recommend him highly enough.”
Take a two-hour boat ride around Capri from Marina Grande with an English- or Italian-speaking skipper. See Tiberius’s Leap, Arco Naturale, the Faraglioni, and coastal caves. The optional Blue Grotto visit costs €19 and depends on weather, sea conditions, and the queue.
“The trip around Capri was excellent. We were grateful go be in a larger boat as the waves were quite big and the water very choppy. Enjoyed seeing the Green Grotto and others pointed out to us. We were a bit disappointed at missing out on the Blue Grotto by a few minutes as the water was too high by the time we got there. However, that is something to be expected and seeing the Green Grotto certainly made the trip worthwhile.”
By boat, by ladder, by staircase or on a rope.
