Capri boat tours from Sorrento

Boat tours to Capri from Sorrento

Sorrento is one of the most popular launch points for a Capri boat tour, and for good reason: the crossing is straightforward and you can be circling the Faraglioni within the hour. This page compares the tours that actually leave from Sorrento, what they cost, how long they take, and how they stack up against simply taking the public ferry and exploring on your own.

Guided boat tour vs the public ferry

You have two ways to reach Capri from Sorrento. The public ferry (€20–24 one way, 20–30 min) drops you at Marina Grande, and from there you're on foot and funicular with everyone else. It's the cheapest option, but you'll spend the day queuing — for the funicular, for the Blue Grotto rowboats, for lunch — and you never actually get out on the water around the island.

A guided boat tour costs more but flips the day around. You circle the whole coastline, stop to swim in coves the ferry crowd never sees, and skip the on-shore queues because you're offshore while they're waiting. For most first-time visitors, the tour is the better value once you factor in what the ferry day really costs in time and add-on tickets.

Timing your day

Book a morning departure. Seas are calmest before noon, the light on the water is best for photos, and an early start means the Blue Grotto (if you're going) is more likely to be open and less likely to have a long rowboat queue. Aim to be back before the late-afternoon return-ferry crush.

What to bring

• Swimsuit under your clothes and a quick-dry towel — swim stops come up fast.
• Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses; there's little shade on an open boat.
• Cash in small euro notes for the Blue Grotto entry and the rowboat tip.
• A dry bag or ziplock for your phone. Non-slip sandals, not flip-flops.