Capri is a half-hour boat ride from Sorrento, and you do not need a tour to do it. On your own an adult pays about €44 return on the NLG hydrofoil, plus a small landing contribution to the island and, for the Blue Grotto, €19 more: about €68 in summer. In April–May and September–October the day is easy; in August it is a queue; in winter sailings thin out and the sea can cancel the day.
Ferry fares from NLG’s own page (modified 15 October 2026); Blue Grotto entry from CoopCulture, the boat fare from Capri’s tourism sites. Read on 2 November 2026. Funicular and bus fares on the island are not included.
Boats leave from Marina Piccola, Sorrento’s port, below the town: about a hundred steps down from the centre, or the lift from the Villa Comunale. The hydrofoil takes about 20 minutes, the slower fast ship about 30.
In summer 2026 NLG ran seven sailings a day from Sorrento, the first at 08:30, with the last boat back from Capri at 17:45. The 08:30 and 09:00 are the sailings that run all year. Other operators add more departures. NLG’s ticket offices in Sorrento and Capri open from 07:00 to 19:00; booking ahead is not required, but wise in high season.
Winter is different. Last winter NLG sailed to Capri mainly at weekends, plus one evening boat a day, and the 2026–27 timetable is not published yet. On a November weekday the last boat back may be the one at 17:45: check the week you go.
You enter lying down in a small rowing boat, and the visit inside is short. The official entry is €6 and the boat €13: €19 in all. You reach it by boat from Marina Grande or by bus from Anacapri.
It is open every day: 08:30–18:00 from April to September, 08:30–16:00 in the first half of October, and 09:00–14:00 from 16 October to 31 March — mornings only in winter. With rough sea or strong wind it closes, and the boatmen decide. In August you pay €19 and wait for a few minutes of cave; in a calm shoulder month, the light in the water is the reason people still go.
On a rough day the Blue Grotto is the first thing to close, and the hydrofoils are the first boats to stop; the bigger fast ships tend to keep running. Capri itself does not close — you can still walk, eat and see the gardens — but you can lose the return if the last boat is cancelled.
So do not plan a flight, a train or a dinner booking on the same evening. On a bad-sea day, Pompeii and Positano are the better choice: both go by land.
On GetYourGuide a boat tour of Capri from Sorrento, with the Blue Grotto as an option, starts around $105, with longer versions near $180 (read on 2 November 2026; prices vary by date). You get a boat that circles the island, a skipper and the transfer, and usually the Grotto queue handled for you. You give up time on land.
On your own you choose the hour and the order: first boat, a walk, lunch, the last boat. You cannot circle the island by sea, and you queue for the Grotto yourself. The tour pays for itself if you want the coast and the caves from the water; it does not if you want the town and the gardens.
By hydrofoil or fast ship from Marina Piccola, in 20 to 30 minutes. NLG charges €22 one way per adult, plus a landing contribution of €2.50 (November–March) or €5 (April–October).
About €68 per adult in summer doing it yourself: €44 return on the hydrofoil, €5 landing contribution and €19 for the Blue Grotto, before food and transport on the island.
Yes, in the morning only — 09:00 to 14:00 from 16 October to 31 March — and only when the sea is calm.
A boat tour starts around $105. It is worth it if you want to see the coast and the caves from the sea; if you want the town and the gardens, go on your own.
Yes, but fewer. Last winter NLG sailed mainly at weekends plus one evening boat a day; the 2026–27 timetable is not published yet.
You can; you should not. Each deserves a full day.
Ferry fares and the landing contribution read on NLG’s own page; Blue Grotto hours and entry on CoopCulture; the €13 boat fare is from Capri’s tourism sites. All read on 2 November 2026. Tour prices are marketplace “from” prices. We have no commercial agreement with any operator.
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