Trying to plan the perfect day trip to Capri? In this post you’ll find all the info you need regarding ferries and tours, plus the ideal one day in Capri itinerary.
Capri is a small, stunning island off the coast of Naples that’s particularly known for its rugged, steep cliffs and scenic landscape. Its natural attractions, paired with high-end shopping boutiques, dining venues, and fabulous villas make it the ultimate destination to soak in the beauty of Naples Bay without renouncing top-notch facilities.
Very popular as a luxurious holiday destination, the island’s gems are in fact its glistening blue waters, the splendid Blue Grotto, its gardens, and viewpoints, all of which you’ll be able to appreciate on a day trip to Capri.
Read on to discover the ideal itinerary for your day on the island, plus info on how to get there and which tours to look into if you’re unwilling to do the trip on your own. Read on!
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HOW TO GET TO CAPRI
So, how do you get to Capri? If you’re making the day trip on your own, you’ll have to plan the transfers to and from the island. The only way to arrive in Capri is by sea, so you’ll have to take a ferry regardless of where you’re coming from. However, you might also need to take a train or bus to get to the ferry station.
Let’s see more in detail how to make the journey from the major cities in the area.
Day Trip from Sorrento to Capri
Sorrento is a great departure point to visit Capri, as the ferries depart from its port, Marina Piccola, almost every half hour in the summer months. The journey takes no longer than 30 minutes, and tickets cost around 25€ each way.
Day Trip from Positano to Capri
Coming from Positano instead? Then the ferry journey is also fairly simple, as during the season there are quite a few daily crossings between the town and the island. The trip takes 30-40 minutes, and tickets cost approximately 25€.
Day Trip from Amalfi to Capri
From Amalfi (Amalfi Coast) to Capri there are also direct ferry crossings during the season, and although they’re not as frequent as in Positano, you can expect 4 to 5 ferries a day. The journey takes 50 minutes and tickets cost anywhere between 15€ and 25€.
Day Trip from Naples to Capri
Naples also has direct ferries to Capri. The trip takes around 50 minutes, and the standard price is also 25€, although you can find cheaper tickets if you’re going on the slow boat, or pricier ones depending on the season or time of day.
Day Trip from Rome to Capri
Rome is the farthest away from Capri, so the trip requires a little bit more planning. You’ll first have to make your way to Sorrento, and then catch the ferry to the island from there. You can easily get into the coastal town with the Circumvesuviana train, which takes a little over an hour to make the journey and costs 5€ each way.
BEST DAY TOURS TO CAPRI
The tours are offered by Get Your Guide and Viator, two companies I personally use to book tours when I travel, and which offer a great cancelation policy. You can cancel most activities up to 24 hours in advance and receive a full refund.
▶️ From Sorrento: This Exclusive Capri Boat Tour enables you to admire the island from the water and snorkel in its very best spots, as well as enjoy free time to wander around its charming streets. You can opt to include a visit to the Blue Grotto. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Naples: The Capri Full-Day Tour starts with a boat trip to the island, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour around Anacapri and a scrumptious lunch at a local restaurant, before checking out the viewpoints and most celebrated landmarks. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Rome: This Capri Guided Day Trip includes a visit to the famous Blue Grotto, and a tour around the island to discover its most charming spots, besides lunch and transfers from Rome. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Positano: The Boat Excursion to Capri Island lasts a full day, and its starts by sailing along the peninsula and around Capri. You’ll enjoy swimming stops, visits to the grottoes, and free time to explore the island. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Amalfi: The Boat Excursion from Amalfi starts with transfers to Sorrento, where you’ll board a boat to cruise around the island. You’ll get to swim in different spots, and wander around the island’s landmarks at your leisure. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
Private Tours to Capri
▶️ From Sorrento: Capri Island and Blue Cave is a private excursion that includes a visit to the renowned Blue Grotto, along with other grottoes on the way, and a tour around the island. You’ll also have free time to shop and roam at your own pace. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Amalfi: This Day Trip to Capri takes your group on a wonderful cruise past the Amalfi Coast and around the gorgeous Capri. You’ll explore caves and swim in the sparkling waters before getting to visit the island on foot. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Positano: This Private Capri Boat Tour offers swimming and snorkeling stops along the way, a visit to the famous grottoes and Roman ruins, and onboard snacks. You’ll also have a say on the pace and itinerary of the trip! ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Naples: The Private Naples Day Trip to Capri allows you to discover the island hassle-free. You’ll be taken to the Blue Grotto and the charming Anacapri before you get some free time on the island’s main area to explore its attractions. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
▶️ From Rome: The Private Capri Day Trip starts with a scenic 3-hour boat trip that offers stops at the grottoes, and it’s followed by a full day exploring the island. Entrance tickets, chairlifts, and a professional guide are included. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
DAY TRIP TO CAPRI ITINERARY
If you want to get to Capri on your own but would like to enjoy a full tour of the island when you’re there, I have two great recommendations. These tours are very comprehensive and will make your visit to the island much more entertaining.
➤ This DIY Capri Day Tour is a self-guided tour that includes bus and chairlift tickets, a boat trip to visit the Blue Grotto, and a three-course meal voucher so you’re in charge of your pace and itinerary, but with locked-in prices and a list of the ultimate attractions. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
➤ The Capri and Anacapri Experience includes guided tours by boat, bus, and foot as you’re taken to the island’s main attractions hassle-free. A knowledgeable guide will accompany you to provide insights into Capri’s culture and history. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
Explore the Marina Grande Harbor
Marina Grande will be your first stop on the island, as it’s where the ferry arrives, so it’s a great starting point for your Capri visit. The Marina Grande features colorful houses and very picturesque fishing boats by the beach, honoring its past as a thriving fishing village.
The harbor and village are sheltered from the elements in a beautiful natural bay and offer a myriad of cafés, restaurants, and boutiques to shop around.
Take a Boat Tour of Capri
If you’re visiting independently, I still suggest you book a little boat tour around the island as I did. It’s one of the most enjoyable things to do in Capri, Italy.
With the cheapest tour priced at about $20, these tours can be very affordable. This is the best introduction to the island and the best way to see the main highlights and understand the geography of Capri if you have limited time.
➤ This Island Boat Trip takes you on a scenic cruise around the island’s main landmarks, sailing past historic attractions and sea caves. It also includes a visit to the famous Blue Grotto. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
➤ The Capri Island Boat Ride is a 2-hour trip in which you’ll get to admire the views of the island from the water, passing by Faraglioni rocks, the lighthouse, and some grottoes, and enjoy a limoncello tasting after going for a swim. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
➤ If you prefer a private experience, this Boat Tour in Capri is your best option. You’ll board your very own boat to explore the island and its grottoes, and benefit from the swimming and snorkeling stops in beautiful hidden coves. ➥ BOOK IT HERE
Have a Spritz at Piazzetta
Piazzetta is often referred to as the world’s living room, as it’s the heart of Capri’s social life. It’s where everything happens, and where anyone who wants to see or be seen is, including the celebrities who vacation on the island.
While nowadays the island’s social life revolves around it, La Piazzetta has always been the center of activity in Capri as it served as a major market square before becoming a place to socialize with a coffee or drink.
The 17th-century Church of Santo Stefano, the astounding Clock Tower, and the cafes on the square’s corners are the main attractions at Piazzetta, besides the people you may get to spot there.
It’s the island’s ultimate spot for an authentic Italian aperitivo, so grab a table at one of the charming cafes, and sip on your spritz as you people-watchon the world’s most glamorous square.
To get to Piazzetta, whose official name is Piazza Umberto I, you can either walk or take the cable car from Marina Grande. I recommend the latter option, as you’ll be granted amazing views of the island as you go up.
Soak Up the Views at the Gardens of Augustus (Giardini di Augusto)
Giardini di Augusto, also known as Krupp Gardens, are botanical gardens strategically located high up on the island, boasting incredible views. The panoramic gardens are a masterpiece on their own though, and absolutely worth a visit.
The gardens are designed on level terraces that overlook the sea, each of them featuring a specific kind of plant or flower. Besides housing all of Capri’s native flora, the giardini have all sorts of colorful flowers and splendid, lush vegetation that makes it seem an oasis.
There are not only plants, though, but sculptures and historic monuments; paired with the views, it becomes one of the absolutely unmissable attractions in Capri.
Take a Photo of Via Krupp
Via Krupp connects the Augustus Gardens with Marina Piccola, meandering on the cliffside and covering close to 328 feet (100 meters) of elevation difference. It was built by German Alfred Krupp, who wanted an easier access to his home up the hill from the port.
The road is now closed, but it’s still quite a sight to be seen, with its rounded turns and the vibrant blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the background, and an iconic image of the island of Capri.
After you’re done visiting the Krupp Gardens, make sure you make a stop to snap a picture of the road!
Be Mesmerized by Via Tragara and Belvedere Tragara
Via Tragara is a very historic and incredibly scenic pathway, considered one of the most beautiful promenades in Capri. At times it’s fringed by luxurious villas, hidden behind concrete or vegetation walls, and it takes you through archways and narrow alleys, offering a very pretty walk that ends with incredible views of the Faraglioni.
Besides spotting the famous rocks that emerge from the sea, you’ll catch sight of part of the Amalfi Coast in the distance, and the island’s cliffs and bay as you stand in Belvedere Tragara, the lookout at the end of the Via. Even if you’re spending one day on Capri, I recommend you check it out.
Head to Anacapri
There are two towns on the island, Capri Town and Anacapri. Anacapri is relatively small, and it’s situated on an elevated position, higher than Capri town, which grants it beautiful, broad views of the bay and the rest of the island.
Besides the scenery, it prides itself in being home to a few important historic sites, like Villa San Michele, which is the second reason to visit the town. Contrasting Capri’s main town, with its bustle and tourist-focused eateries and boutiques, Anacapri is much more tranquil as it’s mostly a residential area.
Walking around Anacapri is the best way to explore it, so don’t worry about getting lost and wander confidently on its charming streets.
While there is a zigzagging road that connects Anacapri with the port, back in the day it was only reachable by a staircase of over 900 steps that still exists today.
Unless you’re up for the workout, to get to Anacapri you’ll either need to take the bus or a taxi. To take the bus, you’ll have to walk back to the bus station which is steps away from Piazzetta. The journey takes around 15 minutes.
If You Still Have Time: Take the Chairlift to Mount Solaro or…
Mount Solaro is Capri’s highest point, located over 1900 feet above sea level. Understandably, it’s where you’ll get the most breathtaking views of the island.
A lovely terrace with sunchairs and a restaurant will greet you at the top, so you can sit with a refreshing drink to enjoy the sweeping panorama before you, and relax after a day of explorations.
To get there you’ll have to take the chairlift from Anacapri. It takes less than 15 minutes to make the journey, and the roundtrip tickets cost around 15€.
Visit Villa San Michele
Villa San Michele is Anacapri’s gem. Built in the early 1900s, it’s the dream home of Axel Munthe, a Swedish physician based in Capri who designed the villa to resemble a Greek temple. Prioritizing its luminosity, he created a very open house that faces the ocean and magnificently overlooks the island’s bay.
Besides its beautiful architecture, Villa San Michele boasts a fantastic art and sculpture collection, mostly of Egyptian and Etruscan origin, and hosts cultural events in the summer. Concerts, film festivals, and literary encounters are some of the events that take place every year.
To head back to Marina Grande to catch the ferry, you can take the bus or a taxi. Buses are often very crowded in the late afternoon and it can be hard to get in from the stop in Piazza Vittoria. Instead, you can walk to the previous stop at Viale Tommaso de Tommaso.
ONE DAY IN CAPRI FAQ
Yes, Capri can definitely be visited in one day, as it’s relatively small.
Absolutely yes. Capri is a gorgeous island on the Naples Bay and offers many natural attractions along with man-made landmarks worth checking out.
It’s definitely possible to get to Capri and explore it on your own.
It entirely depends on your budget and interests. There is no roof to how much you can spend, especially if you go shopping at the high-end boutiques and dine in the top restaurants, but you can enjoy a day in Capri for around $120 including round-trip transfers from the mainland, a boat trip on the island, and meals. Much less if you take snacks with you and skip the tour!
Take the public ferry to get there, use public transportation on the island or, even better, walk, and pack your food or have a light lunch instead of eating at a restaurant. Boat tours can cost as little as $20, so that’s highly recommended even if you’re on a budget.
