Capri’s Blue Grotto is famous for its glowing electric-blue water and tiny cave entrance that visitors must duck through by rowboat. But between the crowds, the cost, and the wait to get inside, many travelers wonder: is the Blue Grotto really worth it?
The Blue Grotto is Capri’s most famous attraction. Visitors climb into small rowboats and duck through a narrow cave entrance to see the water inside glowing an intense shade of blue.
We visited the Blue Grotto on a summer day trip to Capri from Sorrento with our kids.
It is not a cheap excursion and just paying for transportation from Sorrento to Capri was pushing the limits of our budget. On the ferry ride to Capri, we couldn’t help but wonder if the Blue Grotto would be worth not only our time, but also our money. Plus, we were visiting Capri in July, peak tourist season, so we knew to expect crowds of people waiting their turn to enter the Grotto.
In this guide, we’ll let you know if it is worth it, how much it costs, and the best way to avoid the crowds.
We’ve visited Capri multiple times and have written up a detailed One Day in Capri itinerary. To see all of our articles about Italy (Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and beyond) take a look at our Italy Travel Guide.
The Essentials
WHERE | Capri, Italy
TYPICAL WAIT TIME | 30 to 60 minutes in peak season
TIME INSIDE THE CAVE | 3 to 5 minutes
COST (2026 ESTIMATE) |
- Rowboat entrance fee: €18
- Boat transport from Marina Grande: ~€24
- Ferry to Capri from Sorrento: ~€30 each way
BEST TIME TO VISIT | Sunny days between 12 pm and 2 pm
CLOSED | In winter and when seas are rough
March 2026 Update: Added updated pricing for 2026, added new sections on how to avoid crowds and how to plan your visit.
What is the Blue Grotto?
The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is a sea cave located on the northwest coast of the island of Capri, Italy. It is famous for the brilliant blue glow of the water inside the cave, which is created when sunlight passes through an underwater opening and reflects up through the water.
Visitors enter the Blue Grotto by small wooden rowboat through a narrow cave entrance that sits just above sea level. To pass through the opening, passengers must duck down low in the boat while the rowboat captain pulls the boat into the cave using a chain attached to the rock wall.
Once inside, the cave is calm, cool, and filled with glowing blue light reflecting off the water and cave walls. The visit typically lasts about five minutes, as rowboats continuously move visitors in and out of the grotto.
Is the Blue Grotto Worth It?
Yes, for the right person.
We liked visiting the Blue Grotto more than we expected to, despite the long wait on a hot, sunny day.
When we did this, we spent around 45 minutes on our boat before entering the Blue Grotto. Sitting on a bobbing boat in the hot sun is not a great combination, and Tyler was on the verge of getting seasick.
Fortunately, once in the rowboat, he immediately felt better. And once inside the Blue Grotto, it was quiet, cool, and peaceful. It is gorgeous inside and I’m very glad we all had a chance to see and experience it.
Our kids loved it, and for us, it was worth it. We did this as part of a 2-hour boat tour around the island, which we also thought was well worth it.
But if you hate waiting around, are prone to seasickness, or just don’t want to devote an hour+ to visiting a sea cave, this is not the best use of your time in Capri.
The Blue Grotto is worth it if you:
- Are visiting Capri for the first time
- Want to see one of Italy’s most famous natural attractions
- Are visiting on a sunny day when the water glows bright blue
- Don’t mind waiting for your turn to enter the cave
Skip the Blue Grotto if you:
- Have limited time on Capri
- Prefer quieter experiences
- Get seasick easily while waiting on boats
- Are visiting on a cloudy or rough-sea day when the cave may close
Even with the crowds and the wait, we’re glad we experienced the Blue Grotto on our first visit to Capri.
Our Experience Visiting the Blue Grotto
Getting to Capri from Sorrento
To get from Sorrento to the island of Capri we took a 20 minute ride on a hydrofoil, which currently costs about €30 per person. We booked these tickets in the marina the same morning of our trip out to Capri but it’s better to do so online in advance, to get the sailing time you prefer.
While on board the hydrofoil Tim and I were still trying to decide if we make the trip to the Blue Grotto. Tyler and Kara were very excited about seeing it, so they convinced us to do it.
Boat Tour of Capri
There are two companies which offer tours to the Blue Grotto, Laser and Motoscafisti Capri. We took a 2-hour boat tour of Capri with Motoscafisti. It made a clockwise loop around Capri, saving the Blue Grotto for the end of the ride.
We loved seeing Capri from the water, Tyler especially. Capri is a beautiful island, with white rocky cliffs plunging into the aquamarine water of the ocean. The island has several grottos: white, green, and blue, and we saw all of them. The Blue Grotto is by far the most impressive, but the others are worth a quick peek.
Here are a few photos we took during the boat tour of Capri.
Marina Grande
Faraglioni Rocks
Waiting to Enter the Blue Grotto
An hour and a half into the boat ride we arrived at the Blue Grotto. Unfortunately, there were well over 8 other boats, all containing about thirty people per boat, waiting in line to enter the grotto. We were going to be here awhile.
As we waited, our boat drifted up and down over the large swells in the water, rocking back and forth. Combine this with sitting in the hot sun and you have the perfect combination for two seasick kiddos. We found Kara a place to sit in the shade, gave her some water to drink, and she perked up. But poor Tyler was getting very close to losing his breakfast.
Finally, after 45 minutes of bobbing in the water, it was our turn to board the rowboat for entry into the grotto.
Boarding the rowboat was a bit tricky. We had to scramble over the side of our boat, then step into the rowboat, all while the rowboat captain held the two boats together. The choppy water increased the difficulty factor as well. We all made it safely aboard, but this had me wondering, ”how many people fall into the water every year?”
So now the four of us were sitting on the floor of the rowboat, Tyler was trying not to be sick all over Kara’s back, and we paid our final fee, the entry fee into the grotto.
Inside the Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a cave in the side of the mountain and can only be reached by squeezing through a narrow opening at water level. When it was our turn to enter, we all had to duck our heads below the level of the rowboat, while our captain pulled us into the grotto using chains attached to the rocky walls. If we didn’t duck down low enough we risked having a nice headache for the rest of the day.
Our passage into the grotto was fortunately uneventful, and then we were safely inside. How different it was in here! Calm, cool, peaceful, and very blue. The water is illuminated from the sunlight outside of the grotto, a very neat effect. Our rowboat captain sang Italian songs, Tyler was feeling much better, and we all really enjoyed this experience.
We spent about five minutes in the Blue Grotto. Then it was time to follow the same safety precautions and before we knew it, we were back outside in the bright sunshine and chaos of boats waiting for entry into the grotto.
Lunch and On to Anacapri
We had our captain drop us off on land. The Blue Grotto is closer to Anacapri than Capri and we wanted to see some things on this side of the island. Plus, I don’t think Tyler wanted to get back on our original boat.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you take a boat tour of Capri, you don’t have to go all the way back to the marina. At the advice of our boat captain, we ended our boat ride at the Blue Grotto, and then got around by bus for the remainder of the day. It saved us a lot of time, not having to backtrack from the marina to Anacapri.
We ate lunch at a cafe at the top of the staircase that leads to the Blue Grotto. The food wasn’t anything special, but it was fun watching the chaos of boats entering and exiting the cave.
Monte Solaro
Before leaving Capri we took the chair lift in Anacapri to the top of Monte Solaro, for some of the best views of the island. This was a nice, relaxing break from the heat and the crowds of people and Tyler and Kara enjoyed this more than the Blue Grotto.
The view from Monte Solaro
Getting to Monte Solaro from the Blue Grotto: Instead of taking the boat back to the Grand Marina, get off on land, right next to the Blue Grotto. Walk up the steps. At the top of the steps will be a bus stop. Take the bus to Piazza Vittoria. This is where you get on the Monte Solaro chairlift. To get back to the Grand Marina, take the bus from Piazza Vittoria to the Grand Marina.
How to Visit the Blue Grotto
There are two main ways to visit the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri: by boat or by bus and rowboat. Most visitors reach the grotto by boat, but both options are fairly simple once you are on Capri.
By Boat from Marina Grande
The most common way to visit the Blue Grotto is by taking a boat from Marina Grande, Capri’s main harbor.
Two companies operate these boat tours: Laser Capri and Motoscafisti Capri. These tours typically include either a direct trip to the Blue Grotto or a scenic cruise around the island with a stop at the grotto.
- Direct boat trip: about 1 hour round trip
- Island boat tour: about 2 hours
- Cost: about €24 per person
Once your boat reaches the Blue Grotto, you will transfer into a small rowboat operated by local boatmen who take visitors into the cave.
There is an additional entrance fee of €18 per person that must be paid to board the rowboat.
By Bus from Anacapri
Another option is to travel by bus from Anacapri.
From Piazza Cimitero, take the bus toward the Blue Grotto. The ride takes about 10 minutes. From the final stop, walk down a long staircase to the grotto entrance where rowboats depart.
You will then board a rowboat with a small group of visitors to enter the cave.
This option is often cheaper than arriving by boat, but you may still have to wait in line for the rowboats.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you are prone to seasickness, this is the best option. You skip the boat tour of the island and you wait on land to board the rowboat, so you time on a boat is minimal.
Entering the Blue Grotto
To enter the cave, passengers sit low in the rowboat while the captain guides the boat through the narrow opening at water level. Everyone must duck their heads as the boat passes through the entrance.
Once inside, the boat drifts through the glowing blue cave for a few minutes before exiting the same way it entered.
Good to Know
- The Blue Grotto may close when seas are rough.
- Wait times can reach 45 minutes during peak summer months.
- Visits inside the cave typically last about 5 minutes.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Many boat tours have a 45 minute limit for the amount of time they will wait to enter the Blue Grotto. If there are a lot of boats waiting to enter, there is a chance your visit inside the Blue Grotto will get cancelled, if your wait ends up being longer than 45 minutes. One of our readers recently wrote in with a valuable tip. Her morning entrance was cancelled so she returned by bus at 3 pm. There was no line to enter the Blue Grotto and she got right in without a wait. If you can be flexible in your schedule, consider saving your visit for the afternoon, when less boats are lined up to enter the Blue Grotto.
Rowboats waiting to enter the Blue Grotto
How Much Does a Trip to the Blue Grotto Cost?
If you are traveling from Sorrento, here are updated prices (per person) for 2026.
- Sorrento to Capri by ferry (roundtrip): €60
- Capri boat trip with Motoscafisti: €24
- Blue Grotto Entrance Fee: €18
Grand Total: €102 per adult
How to Avoid the Crowds at the Blue Grotto
If you are visiting Capri in the summer, the Blue Grotto can feel more like a floating parking lot than a serene sea cave. However, with a little strategy, you can avoid the two-hour wait times.
1. The “Late Afternoon” Strategy
While most guides recommend going at midday for the best light, this is also when every tour boat from Sorrento and Naples arrives. According to comments we’ve recently received from our readers, arriving by bus around 3:00 pm often results in little to no wait. By this time, the large group tour boats have begun heading back to the mainland.
2. Take the Land Route (Bus from Anacapri)
Most visitors arrive via large excursion boats from Marina Grande. Instead, take the orange bus from Anacapri (Piazza Cimitero) directly to the Blue Grotto. You can wait on the stairs rather than bobbing on a boat, and you have more flexibility to leave if the line looks too long.
3. Check the “Live” Conditions
Before you waste time traveling to the entrance, check the official Capri weather forecast. If the seas are even slightly rough, the grotto closes for safety. Knowing this early can save you a frustrating trip to the cliffside.
4. Go Early (But Not Too Early)
If you prefer the morning, aim to be at the Marina Grande ticket office the moment they open (usually 9:00 am). If you are on the first boat out, you can beat the massive wave of day-trippers arriving on the 10:00 am and 11:00 am ferries.
When is the Best Time to Visit the Blue Grotto?
To see the brilliant blue colors inside of the Blue Grotto, the best time to visit is on a sunny day between the hours of noon to 2 pm. This is the time when the sunlight illuminates the interior of the grotto the best. On a cloudy day, you will miss the experience of seeing the brilliant blue color that makes this grotto so famous.
However, that noon to 2 pm time slot is also the busiest time to visit the Blue Grotto. If you don’t mind sacrificing the vibrancy of the blue water, go earlier (around 10 am) or later (around 3 pm), and you should have less of a wait.
The Blue Grotto is closed during winter months, although the grotto is open when the weather is mild.
Is the Blue Grotto Open?
If the seas are rough the Blue Grotto will not be open. Every morning at 9 am, skippers arrive at the mouth of the grotto to check if it is safe to enter. For today’s forecast, visit the capri.com website.
Things to Do Near the Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto may be Capri’s most famous sight, but there is much more to see on the island.
We have visited Capri twice and on our return trip we spent our time exploring more of the island rather than revisiting the grotto. Some of our favorite experiences include:
- Riding the Monte Solaro chairlift in Anacapri
- Exploring Anacapri’s quieter streets and viewpoints
- Strolling through Gardens of Augustus
- Walking the Pizzolungo Coastal Trail
We cover these in more detail in our guides Best Things to Do in Capri and How to Spend One Day in Capri.
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Tours of the Blue Grotto
If you prefer not to plan the logistics yourself, you can visit the Blue Grotto on a guided tour. Many tours include transportation from nearby towns such as Sorrento or Naples, plus a boat tour around the island of Capri.
Keep in mind that the Blue Grotto entrance fee is often not included, so you may still need to pay the €18 rowboat fee when you arrive.
This 2-hour boat tour starts at Marina Grande in Capri and includes the Blue Grotto. It is offered on GetYourGuide and, last we checked, could be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, should your plans or the weather change.
This boat tour starts and ends in Sorrento, includes a boat ride around the island of Capri, with the option to add on the Blue Grotto. It can also be cancelled 24 hours in advance and there is the option to pay more and make it a private tour.
Blue Grotto Tours
Plan Your Trip to Capri
Capri is one of the most beautiful islands in Italy and there is much more to see here than just the Blue Grotto. We have visited Capri multiple times and there are several incredible experiences you can add to your itinerary.
If you are planning a day trip or longer stay, these guides will help you plan your visit.
Things to Do in Sorrento: If you are staying in Sorrento, this guide covers the best things to do in town plus day trips to Capri, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast.
Three Days in Sorrento: On this itinerary, visit Sorrento, day trip to Capri, and spend a day on the Amalfi Coast.
Amalfi Coast Itinerary: How to plan your time and visit Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and the surrounding towns.
Italy Travel Guide: Explore all of our Italy articles, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Sicily, the Dolomites, and more.
If you have any questions about how to visit the Blue Grotto, or if you want to share your experience, you can do so in the comment section below.
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