How to Visit the Blue Grotto on Capri

Visiting the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) on Capri is unlike any other sight in Italy: you don’t walk in, you’re rowed in lying flat on your back through a cave mouth barely a metre high. It’s short, it can be crowded, and it depends entirely on the sea — but done right, it’s unforgettable. This guide covers the logistics; for whether the experience is for you, see is the Blue Grotto worth it.

The Rowboat Entry

The visible mouth of the cave is only about one metre high, so the large tour boats can’t enter. Instead they wait offshore and you transfer into a small wooden rowboat that holds just a few passengers plus the oarsman. At the entrance, the boatman pulls the boat through using a chain fixed to the rock, and everyone has to lie back flat for a second or two to clear the opening. Only five or six rowboats can be inside at once, and the visit itself lasts about five minutes — a slow, slightly surreal glide over water lit an electric blue from below, before you’re rowed back out. Swimming inside is not allowed during opening hours.

The Fee Is Separate (~€18)

The grotto entrance is not included in your boat-tour price — it’s paid on the spot at the cave, currently around €18 per person. That breaks down to roughly €14 for the rowboat service plus a ~€4 entry charge split between the local municipality and Italy’s culture ministry (the grotto is treated as a cultural site, like a museum). Bring cash. Children under six are generally free, and EU citizens sometimes qualify for a reduced rate. Your tour’s job is simply to get you there and give you the best shot at going in; the €18 only applies if the cave is open and you choose to enter.

By Land vs by Boat Tour

There are two ways to reach the rowboats:

• By land, from Anacapri. A local bus from Piazza della Pace (about €2.40 one way) or a walk down Via Grotta Azzurra brings you to a small landing where you take a few steps down to the rowboats. This route avoids time on a rocking boat and can be gentler if you’re prone to seasickness.
• By boat, from Marina Grande or the mainland. A round-island boat tour or a day trip from Sorrento or Naples cruises the coast and pauses at the grotto, where you transfer to a rowboat. This is the most popular option because you also see the Faraglioni, the Punta Carena lighthouse, and Capri’s other caves and coves along the way.

For most visitors the boat tour wins, because a closed grotto still leaves you with a full day on the water. A guided Capri boat tour with the Blue Grotto option handles the cruise, the timing, and the transfer for you.

The Queue

Because so few boats fit inside at once, the wait can reach an hour or more in high season — occasionally up to two hours at the busiest midday slots. The single best way to shorten it is to arrive early: aim to be at the cave before 9:30am, among the first rowboats of the day. For more on timing the light and the crowds, see the best time to visit the Blue Grotto.

A Simple Plan That Works

1. Book a Capri boat tour or day trip that lists the Blue Grotto as an optional stop (so a closed cave isn’t a wasted day).
2. Go early in the morning on a calm, settled-weather day.
3. Carry cash for the ~€18 entrance, paid at the rowboats.
4. Be ready to lie flat for a moment as you pass under the mouth.
5. If the sea is up and the grotto is closed, enjoy the island cruise — see when the Blue Grotto is open and why it closes.

Ready to Book?

A top-rated Capri island boat tour with the Blue Grotto option gives you the best chance at the Grotta Azzurra — and a beautiful day circling the island even if the sea keeps the cave closed, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Check availability and pick your departure.