Capri from Amalfi or Positano: Boat Tour or Ferry?

For most people the best boat tour to Capri from the Amalfi Coast is the small-group trip with swim stops and about 3 hours of free time on the island: from €128 per person, 6 to 8 hours, rated 4.8 from 494 reviews, leaving straight from Amalfi, Positano or Sorrento. Some other trips shown as “from Amalfi” or “from Positano” begin with a long minivan ride, so check where the boat actually leaves before you book.

Capri is not on the Amalfi Coast, so a day there is a real excursion: the crossing is long enough that the choice between a boat tour and a ferry changes your day.

Four Capri boat tours compared

Tour	Duration	From	Rating	Best for
Capri island boat tour with snorkelling, drinks and free time	6 to 8 hours	€128 per person	4.8 from 494 reviews	Most people: direct departure, 3 hours on Capri
From Amalfi: group boat tour to Capri with swimming	7.5 hours	€200 per person	4.7 from 122 reviews	Boat from Amalfi harbour, landing fee included
Positano: Capri small-group boat tour with light lunch and drinks	10 hours	€154 per person	4.6 from 467 reviews	Four hours on Capri, a Caprese sandwich on board
From Amalfi: boat tour to Capri for up to 12 guests	10 hours	€169 per person	4.6 from 112 reviews	Four hours free on Capri, with a van transfer

The €128 direct trip

The operator describes a small group of up to 12 with a start in Amalfi, Positano or Sorrento. From Amalfi or Positano there is a coastal cruise and a swim stop before the crossing; from Sorrento the boat heads straight to the island. All options include swimming and snorkelling, a cruise around Capri and about 3 hours of free time ashore. Fruit, prosecco, limoncello, beer and soft drinks are on board, and there is a canopy, toilet and shower. No extra fee is needed to land.

One caution: the listing says the trip does not include a stop at the Blue Grotto because waiting times can be very long. A reviewer also wished for more guidance in Capri itself, so decide in advance what you want to see in your three hours.

The €200 trip from Amalfi harbour

This trip meets at the Molo Darsena in Amalfi, with swim stops at Punta Campanella and near Li Galli, and 2 to 3 hours on Capri. The landing fee is included, but the listing says a 5 euro tourist tax is payable in cash on site. It requires a minimum of 6 participants and may be cancelled if not reached. It is the most expensive of the four, and its rating (4.7 from 122) does not justify the premium over the €128 trip unless the Amalfi harbour start or the Li Galli stop matters to you. The listing also names people with back problems, mobility impairments and wheelchair users as not suited.

The two 10-hour trips: read the transfer

These two are the ones to read carefully. The Positano trip includes round-trip minivan transfers to the port of Piano di Sorrento, where the boat starts. The Amalfi trip does the same: the listing describes 1.5 hours or 1 hour 45 minutes by van each way, depending on where on the page you look, and a reviewer called the narrow-road ride uncomfortable. In exchange you get four hours of free time on Capri.

Both trips charge €10 per person on the spot (a destination fee from Positano, a disembarkation tax from Amalfi), and the Positano trip offers an optional Blue Grotto version for an extra €20 per person, with the €19 entrance ticket paid separately. The Positano trip includes a Caprese sandwich and drinks; the Amalfi trip lists dry snacks, beer, soft drinks and water. Groups are capped at 12, though the Positano trip’s page says 12 to 14 travellers in one place.

Neither is a bad day out, but on the Amalfi trip “10 hours” includes about three hours on roads, and the Positano listing gives no transfer time. If you get carsick or have little patience for transfers, the €128 direct trip is simpler.

Boat tour or public ferry

A ferry takes you to Capri and back at your own pace with no swimming stops, no commentary and no boat tour of the grottoes. You buy a ticket for a fixed sailing, and none of the listings here give timetables or fares, so check them with the ferry operator. A ferry is the better choice if you want maximum time ashore, plan to visit the Blue Grotto on your own, or want to go independently. The boat tour is better if you want to swim and see the sea caves and Faraglioni from the water. The €128 and €200 listings both say you can visit the Blue Grotto yourself during your free time, and the €128 one names the local ferry services for it.

Which to book

• Most people: the €128 direct small-group trip.
• You want four hours on Capri and do not mind a transfer: the 10-hour trip from Positano.
• You want to leave from Amalfi harbour: the €200 trip, accepting the price.
• You want to explore Capri alone: the public ferry.

For all options, see Capri boat tours from the Amalfi Coast, and for the shorter coastal trips which Amalfi Coast boat tour to book.