One Day in Capri: How to Plan the Perfect Capri Day Trip

We day tripped to Capri on two different visits to Italy during two very different times of the year, July 2014 and October 2022.

On our first Capri day trip, we took a boat tour of the island, visited the Blue Grotto, rode the chairlift to Monte Solaro, rode the bus to Marina Grande, and returned to Sorrento. It was a wonderful experience and Tyler and Kara loved the Blue Grotto and Monte Solaro (they were 9 and 11 at the time). To do just these few things, you are looking at a 6-hour day trip to Capri.

On our second trip, Tim and I rented a scooter and drove around the island, visiting the sights we missed on the first trip. We spent 7 hours on the island, and that was just enough time to visit Capri and Anacapri, the Punta Carena Lighthouse, walk Via del Pizzolungo (a short hiking trail on the east end of the island), and have lunch.

There is a lot to do in Capri and with one day here, you really have to pick and choose what you want to do, to make sure you make it back to the ferry on time.

From our two experiences, we put together what we think is the best way spend one day in Capri.

In this guide, get all of the details of what you need to know to plan your Capri day trip, from recommendations on where to go, what to skip, and how to plan your time.

Overview of Capri

Capri is an island that is located in the Gulf of Naples. This small island is easily accessible from Naples, Sorrento, and Positano, with ferries running back and forth between these destinations many times of day.

There are two towns on Capri: Capri and Anacapri. Marina Grande is the gateway onto the island and this is where you will enter Capri by ferry. Marina Grande is also the place where boat tours around the island begin.

To get around Capri, you will use several modes of transportation, including a boat, the bus or a taxi, a chairlift, and a funicular.

Below is a map of Capri. On this map, we highlighted the top sights in Capri, so you get an idea of where everything is located.

Map of Capri

Best Things to Do with One Day in Capri

Below is a list of the top things to see and do if you have one day in Capri. For a full list of things to do, read our article Best Things to Do in Capri.

• Boat tour of Capri
• Visit the Blue Grotto
• Ride the chairlift to Monte Solaro
• Explore the town of Capri
• Visit Giardini di Augusto
• See Via Krupp

You also have the option to add on a scenic walk/hike to viewpoints on the east side of the island, explore Anacapri, or visit Villa San Michele.

One Day in Capri Itinerary

Below is an overview of the Capri day trip itinerary. It is written as a day trip from Sorrento, Positano, or Naples but you can also easily follow it if you plan to spend several nights on the island of Capri.

To maximize your time, plan to be on one of the earlier ferries to Capri. I will list times in this itinerary to give you an idea of how long the activities generally take, but your times may differ from this, depending on how quickly you move, crowds, and waiting times for public transportation.

9 am: Ferry to Capri

Ideally, plan to take a high-speed ferry to Capri from your starting point, to give yourself more time on the island.

I think it is best to book your ferry tickets several days in advance. When we did this at the end of October, some ferries were sold out 1 to 2 days in advance, and this was entering the low season.

The website we use is Ferryhopper.com. They list the ferry schedules for all of the companies traveling back and forth from Capri (there are several to choose from) and the website is easy to use.

Travel Times and Cost

Here is a rough estimate of the travel times and round-trip cost to get to Capri. You can get pricing down to the penny on the official websites or Ferryhopper.com.

• Sorrento: 20 to 25 minutes, €48
• Naples: 50 minutes, €50
• Positano: 30 minutes, €50

So, if you are starting in Sorrento and book an 9 am ferry, you will arrive at Marina Grande on Capri at 9:30 am.

Marina Grande, Capri | One Day in Capri Itinerary

9:45 am: Boat Tour of Capri

One of the best things to do in Capri is to take a boat tour of the island. Most boat trips travel clockwise around the island, visiting famous sights and natural formations such as Arco Naturale, Tiberius’ Leap, the Faraglioni Rocks, the white and green grottoes, and the Punta Carena Lighthouse.

Faraglioni Rocks

Punta Carena Lighthouse

You have the option to add on the Blue Grotto.

Should You Visit the Blue Grotto?

Maybe.

The Blue Grotto gets mixed reviews and before our first visit, we also questioned if it would be worth it.

The Blue Grotto is probably the most popular attraction on Capri. Wait times can be as long as one hour to enter the Blue Grotto. Bobbing up and down on a boat, in the hot sun, is the perfect recipe for seasickness (both of our kids got queasy on our 45-minute wait).

To enter the Blue Grotto, you will climb off of the boat and into a small rowboat. Ducking down low (the entrance into the Blue Grotto is a tiny opening), your captain pulls you into the sea cave using a chain. You leave behind the hot sun and chaos and enter a cool, quiet, vibrantly blue sea cave.

The visit inside lasts 5 minutes, you exit the Blue Grotto, and then can either get back on the boat or get off on land (there is an advantage to this which we will explain soon).

Despite the queasiness and the long wait, we all loved the experience and thought it was worth it. You can read our write up in our Guide to the Blue Grotto.

If you want to visit the Blue Grotto, book a boat tour that includes it. If not, then book a tour that does not include it. Tours that include the Blue Grotto last 2 hours and tours that skip the Blue Grotto take 1 hour.

Blue Grotto | One Day in Capri Itinerary

Rowboats waiting to enter the Blue Grotto

Boat Tour Companies

There are two main companies that offer boat tours of the island with or without a visit to the Blue Grotto:

• Motoscafisti Capri
• Laser

The boat tour costs roughly €24 per person, whether or not it includes the Blue Grotto. Motoscafisti Capri starts running boat tours that include the Blue Grotto at 9:45 am and Laser starts at 9:30 am.

To add on the Blue Grotto, you will pay an additional fee of €18 per person.

Both companies are located in Marina Grande in Capri. You will see signs for them when you exit the ferry. They both advertise that you do not need to book your tickets in advance. When we did this in 2014, we showed up and took the next available tour.

Boat Tour Itinerary with the Blue Grotto

If you include the Blue Grotto, the timing of the boat tour looks like this:

9:45 am: Start the boat tour

10:30 am: Arrive at the Blue Grotto. Assuming a wait time of 45 minutes and time in the Blue Grotto, you will exit the Blue Grotto around 11:20 am.

We had lunch at the top of the steps, next to the Blue Grotto. The food was average but it was fun watching the chaos of rowboats entering and exiting the Blue Grotto. You can also wait and have lunch in Anacapri.

11:20 am: Go to Anacapri. At the top of the steps is a bus stop. Ride the bus to Anacapri. Buses arrive roughly every 15 minutes and it is a short ride to Anacapri.

11:45 am: Arrive in Anacapri.

Boat Tour Itinerary without the Blue Grotto

9:45 am: Start the boat tour

10:45 am: Finish the boat tour in Marina Grande and travel to Anacapri by bus.

11:15 am: Arrive in Anacapri

So, if you skip the Blue Grotto, you do save a little bit of time. For the timing of this itinerary, I am going to stick with the 11:45 am arrival to Anacapri, since many people prefer to add on the Blue Grotto.

The bus station in Anacapri is next to Piazza Vittorio and from here it is a very short walk to the chairlift (Seggiovia Monte Solaro).

11:45 am: Chairlift to Monte Solaro

Monte Solaro is the highest point on the island of Capri. From here, you can see the Faraglioni Rocks, Mount Vesuvius, the Isle of Ischia, Sorrento, and the Bay of Naples.

From the bottom station in Anacapri, it is a 7-minute ride by chairlift to Monte Solaro. Tickets cost €12 round trip. Once at the top, there are a few terraces to visit to look out over the island. The entire visit takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The cover photo for this guide was taken at Monte Solaro.

Monte Solaro Chairlift

View of the boats near Marina Piccola from Monte Solaro

12:45 pm: Anacapri

Now is a good time to sit down to a quick lunch. Casa Orlandi Ristorante and Pizzeria gets very good reviews and has a convenient location near the chairlift station. Sciue’ Sciue’ is a pasta and pizza restaurant that also gets very good reviews and is just a short walk from Casa Orlandi.

You also have the option to spend some time here strolling the streets, doing a little shopping, but with limited time, I recommend making your way to Capri instead.

1:45 pm: Bus or Taxi to Capri

From Anacapri, ride the public bus, or take a taxi, to the town of Capri.

2:15 pm: Capri Town

Spend the next 30 to 60 minutes exploring the town of Capri. This town is a busy spot and most likely will be more crowded than Anacapri.

From the bus and taxi station, the first thing you will see is Piazza Umberto I, the main square of Capri.

Shopping streets lead off of Piazza Umberto I. Be sure to stroll along Via Camerelle for its collection of high-end luxury shops like Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.

Piazza Umberto I | One Day in Capri Itinerary

The view of Capri from Capri town

Via Camerelle

Get a scoop of gelato from Buonocore Gelateria. This small café has the reputation of being the best gelato restaurant in Capri.

3:00 pm: Giardini di Augusto

This small botanical garden offers some of the best views of Capri. The gardens are located just down the hill from the town of Capri, about a 5-minute walk one-way from the main shopping streets.

Pay your entrance fee (€1.50) and walk uphill for a view of Via Krupp. This narrow, winding walkway is one of the most iconic sights on Capri. It is closed indefinitely because of the danger from rockfalls.

Via Krupp

Then climb the steps to the upper platform, where gorgeous views of the Faraglioni Rocks and coastline await.

The view from Giardini di Augusto

Before you leave, stroll past the flower beds and tropical flowers, or have your photo taken on the beautifully tiled bench.

Giardini di Augusto | One Day in Capri Itinerary

3:30 pm: Take Your Pick

At this time of day, you have several options. You can spend more time on Capri, taking a late ferry, or you can start your travels back to Sorrento/Positano/Naples now.

Option #1: Return to Sorrento/Naples/Positano

From Capri town, ride the funicular to Marina Grande and board the ferry for the return trip to your starting point. In the afternoon, there could be a wait for the funicular. If so, you can also hire a taxi, take the bus (which might also have a line), or walk (a 20-minute downhill walk, use Google Maps for directions).

Book a 4 pm or 4:30 pm ferry for this option.

Option #2: Via del Pizzolungo

For those who want to add on a scenic walk and get a little bit off of the beaten path, you can go on a very nice walk through the more residential areas of Capri to viewpoints of the coastline.

Pizzolungo Coastal Trail

The view of the Faraglioni Rocks from Via del Pizzolungo

Via del Pizzolungo is a walking trail that leads to several viewpoints on the southeast end of the island. This walk is 4 km (2.5 miles) and it will take about an hour and a half to two hours. It is paved the entire way, but you will walk up and down long sets of steps. In the summer months, it will be a hot walk, so keep this in mind and bring some water.

You can find walking directions and more photos in our guide to the Best Things to Do in Capri.

Book one of the last ferries of the day for this option.

Option #3: More Time in Capri or Anacapri

You can add more time to Anacapri. Explore this quiet town and visit Villa San Michele, which is a villa located in Anacapri. The highlights of visiting the villa are seeing the gardens and the 2,000+ year old Sphinx that overlooks the coast.

Villa San Michele | Nido Huebl/shutterstock.com

The tile floor of the Church of San Michele

You can also spend more time shopping in the town of Capri or getting drinks with a view. We really liked Capri Rooftop, which is a restaurant and bar that is located next to Giardini di Augusto and has nice views of the Faraglioni Rocks. Another recommendation is La Palette Ristorante, which is located on Via Matermania, about a 5 to 10-minute walk from the Capri city center.

Book one of the last ferries of the day for this option.

How Much Does a Day Trip to Capri Cost?

Capri is an expensive destination in Italy. Below we added up the costs of everything listed above to give you an idea on how much you will spend per person. This is pricing to and from Sorrento. If you have a different starting point you will have to change the ferry cost, but it isn’t a huge cost difference starting in Naples or Positano.

• Sorrento to Capri by ferry (round trip): €48
• Capri boat tour: €24
• Blue Grotto entrance fee: €18
• Bus from Blue Grotto to Monte Solaro: €2
• Monte Solaro chairlift: €12
• Bus to Capri: €2
• Giardini di Augusto entrance fee: €1.50
• Lunch: €10 to €20 per person + extra for alcohol
• Funicular to Marina Grande: €2

Grand Total: €124.50

Day Trip to Capri by Tour

If you don’t want to arrange all of this on your own, you can join a tour of Capri. There are tons of options to choose from, from highly rated small group tours that leave from Sorrento like this one, or a private tour of Capri.

When booking your tour, pay attention to the starting and ending point, group size, what you will visit, and how long the tour will last.

Here are a few highly rated tours that include the main highlights of Capri.

Where Are You Going Next?

If you are just beginning to plan your Italy itinerary, take a look at our 10 Days in Italy Itinerary for five different ways to spend 10 days in Italy. For those with more time, check out our 14 day Italy itinerary, which covers the highlights of Italy.

SORRENTO & CAPRI: Learn about the best things to do in Sorrento, how to spend 3 days in Sorrento, get a list of the best things to do in Capri and whether or not the Blue Grotto is worth it.

AMALFI COAST TOWNS: For an overview of where to go, check out our article 17 Beautiful Towns to Visit on the Amalfi Coast. We also have detailed guides about the Best Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast and how to visit Positano and Ravello. Learn how to plan your time with our Amalfi Coast Itinerary.

GETTING AROUND THE AMALFI COAST: Learn how to travel from Rome to Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast and how to visit Pompeii when traveling between Rome and Sorrento. We also have a guide to the Best Way to Get around the Amalfi Coast and what it is like to drive the Amalfi Coast.

ITALY ITINERARY: On this 10 day southern Italy itinerary, visit the Amalfi Coast, Castelmezzano, Matera, Alberobello, and more towns in Puglia.

PATH OF THE GODS: The Path of the Gods is a gorgeous hike on the Amalfi Coast.

WHERE TO STAY: For recommendations of where to stay, including Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello, take a look at our Amalfi Coast Hotel Guide.

If you have any questions about how to plan your Capri day trip or how to spend one day in Capri, let us know in the comment section below.

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