Blue Grotto Tickets, Opening Hours and Tips for Your Visit

The Blue Grotto is a sea cave on the north coast of Capri, on the Anacapri side of the island. The entrance ticket runs 18 to 20 euros, and in October the boats leave Marina Grande from 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. From November the schedule drops to one departure a day at 10:30 a.m., and the cave stays closed whenever the sea is rough.

At a glance

• Entrance ticket: 18 to 20 euros per person, paid on site
• Transfer ticket (Laser Capri): 25 euros per person
• Boat departures in October: 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Boat departure from November to February: 10:30 a.m.
• Boat from Marina Grande: about ten minutes, boarding at pier 23
• Time inside the cave: a few minutes

How much are tickets to the Blue Grotto?

The Blue Grotto counts as a museum, and the visit ticket costs 18 euros per person, paid on site. The combined entrance ticket sold at the floating ticket office is around 20 euros.

• Entrance ticket to the cave: 18 euros · paid on site · per person
• Combined entrance ticket at the floating ticket office: around 20 euros · entrance to the cave
• Laser Capri transfer ticket: 25 euros · boat transport only · per person
• Island tour with a stop at the Blue Grotto: 25 euros · boat tour · per person

The Laser Capri transport price does not include the rowing boat or the entrance ticket. The same goes for the island tour.

In high season, if the wait for the Blue Grotto exceeds 45 minutes, the Laser Capri ticket can be reused on later departures. Keep it in your pocket until you’re back on the dock. No reservation, excursion or ticket can override the tide and sea conditions, so a ticket is no guarantee that the cave will open.

What are the opening hours of the Blue Grotto?

Boats leave Marina Grande at 8:45, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 10:45, 11:15 and 11:45 a.m., then at 12:15, 12:45, 1:00, 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. The 2:00 p.m. boat is the last departure on the schedule. The cave opens only when sea conditions allow it, and strong wind or a rough sea keep it closed.

The schedule changes with the season:

• High season (April to October): first boat 8:45 a.m. · last boat 2:00 p.m.
• Mid season (March): 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.
• Low season (November to February): one boat at 10:30 a.m.

When is the best time to visit the Blue Grotto?

The visit lasts only a few minutes, so the time of day matters more than the time you set aside. Early morning gives a quieter experience, and spring and early autumn are particularly pleasant. The best light falls in late morning, roughly between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

In high season, the early boats give you the quiet and the 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. boats give you the light. Pick the first if crowds bother you and the second if photos matter. From November to February there is a single boat at 10:30 a.m., which falls right inside the best-light window. In high season, a wait over 45 minutes lets you reuse the Laser Capri ticket on a later departure.

How to get to the Blue Grotto

Boats leave from Marina Grande and reach the cave entrance in about ten minutes. Boarding for the Marina Grande to Blue Grotto route is at pier 23 (molo Banchinella). The last stretch is always by small rowing boat. Swimming and private boats can’t enter the cave.

What to see at the Blue Grotto

The cave lies at sea level on the north coast of Capri, in the Gulf of Naples. The visit is made in a small rowing boat, and visitors must duck down, stay seated and follow the boatman’s instructions. Nobody enters freely, and nobody can arrive swimming during visiting hours.

The time actually spent inside is short, often only a few minutes.

What else to see near the Blue Grotto

The Gardens of Augustus are a few steps from the Piazzetta, at the end of a walk along Via Vittorio Emanuele and Viale Giacomo Matteotti. They overlook the bay of Marina Piccola, Via Krupp and the Faraglioni, and they’re open all week from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Adult entry is between 1 and 3 euros, a combined ticket with the Certosa di San Giacomo costs about 5 euros, and entry is generally free for children under 12. The Piazzetta itself is the island’s drawing room, a lively place to stop for a coffee.

Monte Solaro is the highest peak of Capri at 1,933 feet (589 meters). The chairlift station is in Anacapri, at Via Caposcuro, 10. At the bar on the mountain you’ll find the remains of the Fort of Brutus, and the Hermitage of Cetrella sits on the slope facing Capri, sheer above Marina Piccola. Back at Marina Grande, the church of San Costanzo, also called Maria Santissima della Libera, is a monumental church in the port area.