Amalfi Coast Boat Tours: Positano, Capri & Grotta dello Smeraldo

The Amalfi Coast looks good from the road. From the water, it looks extraordinary. The cliff villages, sea caves, and aquamarine grottos are only accessible by boat - and a half-day on the water connects Positano, Amalfi, Praiano, and the coves between them in a way the bus can never match. Here is how to plan it.

Types of boat tour available

Shared group tours

The most affordable option. You join a group (usually 8–20 passengers) on a motorboat or small wooden gozzo. Itineraries are fixed but cover the major highlights - Positano coast, Praiano’s sea caves, the Li Galli islands, and often a swimming stop in clear water.

• Half-day shared tour (3–4 hours): EUR 40–65 per person as of 2026. Includes commentary and a snorkelling/swimming stop. Departs from Positano, Amalfi, or Salerno.
• Full-day Amalfi + Capri shared tour: EUR 80–130 per person. Long day (8–9 hours) covering the coast in the morning and Capri’s highlights (Blue Grotto queue permitting) in the afternoon. Book Amalfi Coast boat tours online - GetYourGuide has real-time availability for shared departures.

Private boat hire

Higher cost, total flexibility. A private gozzo (6–10 passengers) lets you choose your swimming stops, linger in grottos, and pace the day around your group. Skippers are licensed guides and typically handle everything including mooring fees.

• Half-day private hire (4 hours): EUR 400–600 depending on boat size and season.
• Full-day private hire (8 hours): EUR 700–1,000, including skipper, fuel, and typically a stop for lunch at a seaside restaurant. The skipper usually arranges lunch reservations.
• Sunset tour (2 hours): EUR 250–350 for the boat; excellent value for couples who want the views without a full day on the water.

Ferry connections (budget option)

The public ferry network (Alicost, Travelmar, NLG) links Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Salerno. Tickets are EUR 5–12 per leg. Not a “tour” in the curated sense but gives you a boat’s perspective of the coast at fraction of the price. Useful for day-tripping between towns without a car.

Key stops and what to see

Positano

Most tours depart from Positano or make it their first stop. From the water: the stacked pastel houses on the cliff face, the dome of Santa Maria Assunta visible from the sea, and the small beach with its tangle of boats and umbrellas. Swimming in the water below the town is excellent - several private anchoring spots are inaccessible except by boat.

Praiano and the sea caves

Between Positano and Amalfi, Praiano is a quieter village with some of the coast’s best snorkelling spots. Grotta della Noglia and the sea arch near Marina di Praia are only reachable by boat. Most shared tours include a swimming stop here.

Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Grotto)

One of the Amalfi Coast’s signature sites - a sea cave lit by an underwater entrance that turns the water a vivid emerald green. Entry is approximately EUR 7 as of 2026. You enter by rowing boat inside the cave, which takes 10–15 minutes. The effect is strongest mid-morning when light penetrates the water most directly.

Practical note: The grotto is closed in rough seas (surprisingly often in spring and autumn). Confirm availability the morning of your tour. Access is by rowing boat from the cave entrance - the motorboat transfers you to it.

Li Galli Islands

Three small islets (also called Sirenuse or the Gallo Lungo) between Positano and Capri. In legend the home of the Sirens who called to Odysseus; in reality a private retreat once owned by Rudolph Nureyev (the onetime owner’s dance studio is visible from the water). Tours pass but cannot land here. The sight of a ballet-school-turned-private-island barely visible through the Mediterranean haze is worth the context.

Capri from the Amalfi Coast

The full-day tours that cross to Capri (approximately 40 minutes from Positano) are the most popular format in peak season. The Capri section typically includes a circuit of the island by boat - Faraglioni stacks, the Green Grotto, the White Grotto - and a stop at the Blue Grotto if the queue is manageable. Full-day Capri boat tours also depart directly from Naples and are worth comparing for price and routing.

Queue warning: The Blue Grotto in July and August can mean 45–90 minutes of rowing boats in a queue. If you are doing a combined Amalfi + Capri day, ask the operator whether the Blue Grotto is guaranteed or weather/queue dependent. Many operators now offer it as an option rather than a commitment.

Booking advice

Where to depart from:

• Positano: Best for the western coast and Li Galli. Easiest access from Sorrento.
• Amalfi town: Best for Grotta dello Smeraldo, central route, and full-coast coverage.
• Salerno: Useful if basing yourself east of the coast; ferries connect to Amalfi in 70 minutes.

Best season:

• May and October: Calmest seas, lowest prices, crowds manageable. Some grottos still accessible before and after peak season.
• June–September: Warmest water, maximum tour availability, maximum prices and advance-booking pressure.
• November–April: Many private operators stop running; public ferries continue but frequencies drop. Rough weather is more likely.

What to bring:

• Reef-safe sunscreen (required on most boats in marine protection zones)
• Swimwear under clothing - swimming stops happen quickly
• Sea sickness tablets if you are sensitive - the Tyrrhenian Sea is calmer than the Adriatic but chop is possible
• Cash for grotto entry fees and tipping the skipper

Our recommendation

Best value: Half-day shared tour from Positano or Amalfi (EUR 50–65), covers the key coves and grottos without the full-day commitment. Add Grotta dello Smeraldo entry.

Best experience: Full-day private gozzo hire for a group of 6–8 split the cost to roughly EUR 100–130 per person, buys you a private skipper, flexible swimming stops, and lunch at a clifftop restaurant en route. This is one of the genuinely memorable ways to spend a day on the Italian coast.

For land-based planning, our Amalfi Coast guide covers where to stay, the best viewpoints, and how to time the coastal bus.