Is the Blue Grotto worth it?
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The Blue Grotto charges €6 to enter and €12 for the rowboat that takes you in, bought separately: €18 at the cave. Then you need a boat or two buses to reach it. On top of your ferry to Capri, the grotto adds €27.60 by bus or €43 by boat. For that you get about five minutes inside, according to capri.com, after a wait it puts at 60 to 90 minutes in high season.
Those five minutes are the famous blue light, and it is real. The honest questions are whether the sea will let you in, and whether you will spend an hour of a short island day bobbing outside. The grotto shuts whenever the sea is rough, and on unstable days it can open and close several times. From October 16 it closes at 2 p.m.
At a glance
- At the cave
- €6 state entry (EU 18 to 24: €2; under 18 free) plus €12 for the rowboat, paid separately: €18.
- Getting there
- Island boat from Marina Grande, €25 with the grotto stop; or two buses each way via Anacapri at €2.40 a ride, about 45 minutes.
- Time inside
- About five minutes, per capri.com. The park gives no fixed length: it depends on the sea and the queue.
- Waiting
- capri.com: 60 to 90 minutes on average in high season, sometimes over two hours; about 30 minutes in low season.
- Hours
- October 1 to 15: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. October 16 to March 31: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed whenever the sea makes the entrance unsafe.
- Tips
- Rowers usually ask for a tip; capri.com says it is at your discretion. It is not part of the €18.
In this guide
The full cost, per adult
| Item | By bus | By boat |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there and back | 4 bus rides at €2.40: €9.60 | Island boat with grotto stop: €25 |
| State entry | €6 | €6 |
| Rowboat into the cave | €12 | €12 |
| Tip for the rower | Optional, no official figure | Optional, no official figure |
| Grotto total | €27.60 | €43 |
The boat option also gives you the rest of the island from the water, which is the best part of a Capri day anyway; see Capri boat tour or ferry. Before any of this you pay the ferry: €21.50 each way on Caremar's fast ferry from Naples, plus the €5 landing ticket. At €43 for five minutes, the grotto costs about €8.60 a minute by boat.
Tour listings quote a single €18 or €19 "entry", and capri.com prints €19 plus €12 for the rowboat, which would be €31. The official price list is €6 entry plus €12 for the rowboat, paid separately: €18 in all. The €6 entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and for under-18s, but the €12 rowboat is always due.
The wait, and what five minutes looks like
Nobody official publishes queue times. capri.com says waits "can easily exceed an hour": 60 to 90 minutes on average in high season, sometimes over two hours, about 30 minutes in low season. One Capri boat listing warns of up to two hours. You wait in your boat outside the cliff, then move into one of the rowboats at the entrance. If you came by bus, you board from the steps by the water.
The entrance is about a meter high, so you lie back in the rowboat as it goes through. Inside, the cave is about 60 m long. The rower takes you round and back out, in about five minutes. capri.com puts the best light between noon and 2 p.m., which is also when the queues are longest.
Closures and hours
Capri's state museums publish the hours: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April to September, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October 1 to 15, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from October 16 to March 31. Access "may vary or be suspended" with weather and sea conditions, and closing time can be extended on busy days. There are no official figures on how often it closes.
Skippers check the entrance around 9 a.m. and the island's boat operators post an open or closed notice. Check it before you buy a boat ticket for the grotto: Laser Capri refunds you if the sea cancels its boat, but not if only the grotto is shut.
A cheaper way in: the Capri combined ticket
From March 1 to October 31, the €15 Biglietto Unico Capri covers the grotto's €6 entry plus the Certosa di San Giacomo (€10), Villa Jovis (€6) and Casa Rossa (€5), valid 30 days. If you plan to see Villa Jovis and the grotto, you pay €15 instead of €12 and get two more sites. The rowboat is still €12 extra.
Verdict by trip type
- Day trip from Naples, October 16 onward: the grotto closes at 2 p.m., so it has to be your first stop. Take the earliest ferry and the island boat straight from Marina Grande. If the sea is up, drop it without regret.
- Staying on Capri or in Sorrento: the best case. Go at opening on a calm morning, before the day boats arrive. Sorrento's Caremar fast ferry is €17.40 and takes 22 to 32 minutes.
- Families: children under 14 must be accompanied, and small children rarely enjoy an hour in a rocking boat. The Gardens of Augustus view costs €2.50.
- Anyone prone to seasickness: skip it. The wait is on the water.
If you would rather have it arranged, a €150 Viator day from Naples includes admission and offers a boat round the island if the grotto is closed. For everything else on the island, see the Blue Grotto guide, Capri and Anacapri.
Tickets and tours you can book
Sorrento: Exclusive Capri Boat Tour and Optional Blue Grotto
Not included, per the listing: the Capri landing and destination fee (€10), Blue Grotto entry (€18) and pickup (€5 each way). The grotto stop only comes with the early option.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Capri Blue Grotto Small-Group Boat Day Tour From Sorrento
Extra, per the listing: a €15 'assistance and reception' fee and the Blue Grotto ticket (€19). If the grotto is closed you get more time ashore or swimming.
Rating as shown on Viator
Capri: Island Boat Trip with Grottos
Starts on Capri, so the ferry is extra. Blue Grotto entry is not included (the listing says €19, paid on the spot) and the wait there can be up to two hours; the swim option skips the grotto.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Blue Grotto cost in 2026?
€6 state entry plus €12 for the rowboat, €18 in all, paid at the cave. Add €25 for the boat from Marina Grande or €9.60 in buses via Anacapri.
How long are you inside the Blue Grotto?
About five minutes, according to capri.com. The wait outside is usually much longer: 60 to 90 minutes in high season, around 30 minutes in low season.
Is the Blue Grotto open in winter?
Yes, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. between October 16 and March 31, when the sea allows. It closes whenever conditions make the entrance unsafe.
Do you tip the Blue Grotto rowers?
The rowers usually ask for a tip. capri.com says it is at the passenger's discretion; there is no official amount, and it is not included in the €12 rowboat fare.
Can you reach the Blue Grotto by land?
Yes. Take the bus from Marina Grande to Anacapri, then the line to the Grotta Azzurra: about 45 minutes, €2.40 a ride. You still board the rowboat at the steps.
Further reading
Official sources
- Musei di Capri - FAQ (official) – €6 entry plus €12 rowboat, reductions, free first Sunday excluding the rowboat, hours by period, weather suspensions, €15 combined ticket March 1-October 31, land route about 45 minutes; checked September 30, 2026
- Capri.com - La Grotta Azzurra – About five minutes inside; waits 60-90 minutes in high season, sometimes over two hours, about 30 in low season; tips at passengers' discretion; best light noon-2 p.m.; repeated openings and closures on unstable days; checked September 30, 2026
- CoopCulture - Grotta Azzurra – Rules: lie back in the rowboat, under-14s accompanied, no swimming; checked September 30, 2026 by our day-trips team
- Motoscafisti di Capri (official) – Island tour with grotto stop €25, grotto not included, entrance about 1 m high, skippers check at 9 a.m., live open/closed notice; checked September 30, 2026
- Capri.com - Laser Capri transfer – Marina Grande-grotto transfer from €25; cave about 60 m long; checked September 30, 2026 by our day-trips team
- Laser Capri - Tours (official) – Refund if the sea cancels the boat, not if only the grotto is closed; checked September 30, 2026
- GetYourGuide - Capri island boat trip with grottos (t151652) – Listing warns the grotto wait can be up to two hours; quotes €19 at the cave; checked September 30, 2026
- Caremar - Rates (official) – Naples-Capri fast ferry €21.50, Sorrento-Capri €17.40, Capri landing ticket €5; checked September 30, 2026
