The 11 Best Private Cave Tours in Italy

1.Capri & Blue Grotto Semi Private Boat Day Trip from Sorrento

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,053 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $216Our pick

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Private Capri Island and Blue Grotto Day Tour from Naples or Sorrento

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $604

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Ancient Rome and Colosseum Private Tour with Underground Chambers and Arena

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 184 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $423

Spend about three hours exploring the Colosseum’s arena, upper levels, and underground chambers, then walk through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Your private guide can tailor the visit, though the underground section joins a small group led by a Colosseum archaeologist.

“Our Personal Guide Christina was fantastic, she is so enthusiastic and knowledgeable, we would highly recommend Christina as your guide. A superb day and paying the extra is worth it to avoid the queues.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Exclusive Capri, Anacapri & Blue Grotto Private Tour from Naples

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 121 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $574

Meet your private guide at Naples’ Molo Beverello, take the fast ferry to Capri, ride the famous Mamma Mia road, visit Anacapri, ascend Monte Solaro by chairlift, and see the Blue Grotto when sea conditions allow. Guides such as Vincenzo, Tatziana, and Theresa have earned especially warm praise.

“This was the perfect overview of all Capri has to offer and our amazing guide Vincenzo took amazing care of us, making sure we had the best time possible and got to see everything we wanted.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Private Tour of Catacombs and Ancient Appian Way (hotel pick up)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 120 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $190

You’ll ride from your Rome hotel to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, then follow the ancient Appian Way to Domine Quo Vadis and St. Paul’s Basilica. The car and driver are private, but the catacomb visit joins a shared guided group. Guides such as Stefano, Patrick, Alessandro, and Giorgio have earned strong praise.

“The catacombs were interesting but the group size was a little to large st the site given the close quarters. The facility guide was hard to hear on many occasions. The graves themselves ws wuite interesting. The Appian Way was kind of special being the first paved road in the world. St. Paul’s Basilica (second only to St. Peter’s) is quite spectacular and visiting during the Jubilee made it even more special. Guide was excellent but the vehicle was too small for four people.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Hidden Gems & Rome Catacomb Semi Private Tour by golf cart

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $108Best value

Ride by golf cart or private vehicle from central Rome to the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, the Appian Way, Aventine Keyhole, Aurelian Walls, and Pyramid of Cestius. Guides such as Andrea, Mauro, and Mido have led this small-group outing, though the catacomb visit joins a larger group.

“Great tour! Our guide was amazing. He showed us some amazing places and very knowledgeable! I would recommend this tour!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Guided Tour of Colosseum Underground OR Arena and Forum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 111 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours (approx.) · from $446

Spend about three hours with a private English-speaking guide at the Colosseum, Arena or Underground, Roman Forum, Arch of Constantine, and Palatine Hill. Guides such as Bogdan, Rosy, Mario, and Sonia have earned praise for vivid storytelling, though Underground access should be confirmed before booking.

“I booked this tour specifically because of access to the underground section of the Colosseum. I was contacted almost 3 weeks prior to the tour and informed the underground would not be guaranteed. The company wanted me to make a decision at that point on whether I was going to keep the tour. Even though the tour was non-refundable, the company did offer to refund my cost because of this. We chose to proceed but honestly, I feel like another option would have been better. We arrived at the meeting point 35 minutes early because the instructions asked us to be there 30 minutes ahead of the tour time. We…”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Capri Island & Blue Cave Private Boat Tour from Sorrento

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews

Take a private eight-hour boat trip from Sorrento to Capri with a skipper such as Nino, Antonio, or Giovanni. Cruise past Punta Campanella, the White and Green Grottoes, and the Faraglioni, swim from the boat, then spend four hours on Capri before returning by sea.

“Giovanni was an excellent skipper and tour guide. Thank you for helping make my proposal a success, and without even being told anything before either, he handled everything with poise. If everyone in this boating company is as good as him I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who wants a meaningful experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Capuchin Catacombs and Monreale Cathedral Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 63 reviews · from $249

Meet at Piazza Verdi for a private three-hour tour with an English-speaking driver and guide. See Palermo’s mummies, including Rosalia Lombardo and Velazquez, then visit Monreale Cathedral and its Benedictine Cloister. Guides may speak English, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian, or German.

“The guide Alessandra and our driver Fabio were fabulous. Alessandra was very well versed in the history of Monreale as well as the catacombs. She was also very engaging and friendly. Was slightly disappointed, however, in the amount of time spent in Monreale and that it was under renovation. For the amount of money would have expected a little longer and we finished up a little early.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Capri: 3-Hour Private Boat Tour with Blue Grotto Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 54 reviews

Meet Pasquale at Dock 23 in Marina Grande for a three-hour private cruise around Capri. Alex, Antonio, Rafael, or Alessandro may captain your traditional gozzo, with cave stops, swimming, Faraglioni views, and a Blue Grotto visit when sea conditions allow.

“unfortunately the blue grotto was closed because of choppy water conditions but Pasquale and Alessandro did an amazing job. happy to do it again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.From Amalfi: Amalfi Coast 6-Hour Private Grottoes Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 29 reviews

Spend six hours with a local skipper exploring Amalfi Coast caves, coves, arches, and swimming spots. Your private group can set the pace, stop for a seaside lunch, and board from villages including Positano, Amalfi, Maiori, or Salerno. Captains include Francesco, Luigi, Umberto, and others.

“We had a fantastic trip! This is an awesome way to spend the day along the coast at a leisurely pace. A 6 hour trip was the perfect amount of time for us. We swam at several places in the morning, had a great lunch, then swam at several places in the afternoon. Could not have asked for better service. When we make another trip to the Amalfi coast we will book again!”

Check availability →Read our full review