Capri Day Trip from Positano

Last Updated on August 15, 2024 by Tori’s VA

If you’re visiting the magical country of Italy any time soon, a day trip to from Positano to Capri is an absolute must. My personal suggestion is to stay in Positano, on the Amalfi Coast and then take a Capri day trip from Positano. But, as long as you are spending time in Rome or anywhere further south, taking a Capri day trip is easy to manage!

Another option is to stay a few nights on the island instead. There are tons of great places to stay on Capri! This way you could experience the island early in the mornings and again each evening without all of the tourists. The island calms down greatly during these times and you get to wander the quiet streets and explore the beauty all to yourself.

However, staying a few nights on the island typically means you have to have a lot of time in Italy. Especially if it is your first trip to Italy, you will likely want to see a lot, and not have a ton of time in one place.  This is exactly why I recommend that you make Positano your base and then explore from there. You’ll want to include the Capri day trip from Positano as the priority while you are planning your time here.

As you plan your trip to Italy, be sure to check out the rest of my Italy blogs to help you plan the perfect vacation! You’ll need to review my ultimate packing guide for Italy before you leave for your trip!

_{This post may contain affiliate links for activities, destinations and products that I love, and think you will too!}

Why Take a Capri Day Trip from Positano?

Oh man, where do I even start? Capri is a small island made up of two little towns, Capri and Anacapri. For hundreds of years, this island has been the destination for travelers who want a luxury getaway. Back in the day, many rulers would stay here and enjoy the beauty of the island.

In the 1950s Capri became a popular modern tourist destination. Many Italians would visit and eventually it grew to being popular with visitors from all over the world. The Capri style pants are named after the island along with the Caprese salad that was said to have been invented here at Hotel Quisisana. And then there’s the famous Jackie O who loved spending time here, and is known for starting the trend of having handmade leather sandals made to fit your feet at one of the many shops on the island.

All that to say, this is kinda THE place to see in Italy. It’s located just off the coast of the Amalfi Coast, near Naples, in southern Italy. The island experiences beautiful weather during the summer months, and has some amazing beach clubs for you to relax at all day. I, of course, prefer to explore the island; there is so much to do and see, and so much delicious food to try.

When to Take a Capri Day Trip from Positano

Taking a Capri day trip from Positano is really only possible during “the season”. The Amalfi Coast and Capri close down during the winter, so most shops and restaurants will be closed. But they also don’t run many tours and the ferries take little to no trips during this season.

That being said, their open season is April 15th through the end of October.  Any time within those dates is a good time to visit, but the best time is in September. The summer crowds have died town as kids go back to school and parents to work. Plus, the weather is still warm so you can enjoy the island’s sunny days.

However, the real kicker here is that the water has had all summer to warm up, so you’ll also get to enjoy lots of time swimming in the sea. If you visit in May, then you’ll get the lower crowds and warm days, but not warm water. So, try to visit in September if you can!

But, if you have to visit in the summer when the crowds are insane, that’s okay!! People talk so much smack about tourists who visit in the summer. While the crowds are definitely not ideal, a trip to Italy in July is much better than no trip to Italy at all. Go, but be mentally prepared that it will be busy, and then don’t let it bother you!

Getting from Positano to Capri

Small Group Tour

You have three options to get to Capri for a day trip from Positano. My personal recommendation is to take a small group tour for the day. You’ll spend about 8 hours total, leaving around 9am and returning around 5pm. This is the Capri boat tour we picked and it was amazing! They even served us prosecco and beer! Our tour was about $130 per person, and most tours are around that price for an 8-hour small group tour taking you from Positano to Capri.

This is also an option if you’re visiting Capri from somewhere else. Spending a few days in Rome? You can make this a day trip from there!

You’ll check in down at the main marina on the beach in Positano. That’s where the boat will pick you up. You’ll be in a small boat that fits about 15 people with a tour guide who will take you to the island. Once you’re there, most tours will do a circle around the island first, showing you the famous spots like the faraglioni rocks and the different grottos. Many guides will teach you about the island and the history of each place. 

Once you finish the tour, you’ll pull into Marina Grande, where you’ll get off for about 4 hours, spend time on the island and then meet back here once the time is up. You’ll ride back along the Amalfi Coast and be dropped back off at the marina in Positano after the most perfect day.

Private Boat

The next option for a Capri day trip from Positano is to rent a private boat for the day from Positano to Capri. This will cost quite a bit more money, and is at minimum $600 for 8 hours. However, if you have 5 or more people, it might actually work out to be more cost efficient.

This is sure to be a more luxurious experience and extremely customizable, as you will have much more control over how you spend the day.  Once the skipper picks you up you can decide where to go and how long to stay on the island.

Ride the Ferry

The third option for your Capri day trip from Positano is to take the ferry. At first glance, this might seem like the more cost effective and flexible option for you. But I urge you to read more about why this might not be the best option.

The ferry ride is about $24 per person per way. That means about $50 per person round trip. This will only get you to and from the island, so if you want to take a tour around it, then you’ll likely have to pay another $50 per person for that. (Unless you want to be on a huge boat squished in with all the tourists for $20) So, yes it will end up being a little cheaper, but will take much longer.

The ferry ride is 40 minutes, but including boarding and deboarding will take well over an hour each way. Then, finding a tour of the island and getting on that boat will add another 30 minutes minimum. The point is, it takes a lot more time and is a much bigger headache.

Now, the big exception to this is if you get seasick.  The waves can be pretty choppy around the island and the smaller boats rock…hard. So, if you get seasick then you definitely will want to take the ferry from Positano to Capri and will not want to do a boat tour around the island. Don’t worry, there’s still soooo much to see and do on the island.

What to Do on the Island of Capri

Now that you know how to get to your Capri day trip from Positano, you’ll have to plan out what to do on the island. There are so many amazing things to see that you won’t be able to do it all in just one day trip. But…that just means you have to go back, right?

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For now, I’ll give you the short list of things to do on your Capri day trip from Positano.

Marina Grande

Start at the Marina Grande, where you’ll be dropped off. Check out the free beach here if you want to dip your toes in the sand. You could rent chairs at a beach club, but with such little time on the island, why sit around and waste those precious minutes?

Explore the touristy shops for a little while and grab a lemon granita. It’s especially delicious on a hot day. Once you’re done with the crowds, hop on the funicular and ride it up to Capri town. If you don’t want to spend a few bucks, don’t want to be in the crowds of tourists, or just want to get a little exercise in, you can walk up to town instead.

Believe it or not, that’s what we chose to do. In our defense we were there during COVID times when you had to test negative to get back into the states and, well, we were taking our test the next day so we wanted to be a little extra careful.

The walk isn’t that bad and you get to see what life is like for the locals as you pass by all of their cute little homes perched on the hill.

Capri Town: Shopping

At the top, you’ll find the town of Capri, also packed with tourists, but not loaded with cheesy little shops. Instead you’ll find a square lined with cafes and restaurants and a beautiful church.  Walk down any of the cobblestone pathways in any direction to find rows of high end stores, made for the rich visitors Capri welcomes every day. They’re fun to window shop, and maybe splurge for an item or two. I mean come on, you are in Capri after all!

Whatever you do, you must stop at a sandal shop and have a pair made to fit your foot. You’ll get to pick out the exact design and colors you want and then they will build the sandal onto your foot. This ensures perfect sizing and no need to break them in, as they were literally made for you!

I had mine made at A Mano Capri Sandals, and they were exceptional. The ladies there were so kind, patient and helpful and they made two pairs in 30 minutes! It was incredible! The work is beautiful and super high quality. I will treasure them forever.

Gardini di Augusto

Depending on how long you like to shop, you might want to instead visit the Gardini di Augusto. Just a short walk from town, this site will cost less than $2 to enter. You can buy tickets when you arrive and then wander the well-manicured grounds. The best part of the gardens are the views from the terraces.

Head to the back and you’ll find the famous view of the Faraglioni rocks AND the via Krupp.  You may have never heard of the famous road but I would bet you’ve seen photos. The hairpin turning road that leads down to the sea is closed for safety, but the view from the gardens is pretty neat.

Anacapri

If you have even more time, visit the other town on the island, Anacapri. From there you can take a chairlift to the highest point on the island. You’ll also want to enjoy this smaller and less touristy town for a more local and relaxed experience.

What to Eat on Your Capri Day Trip from Positano

The food on Capri is delicious like the rest of Italy, but there are a few select items that you will definitely want to try while you are here.

Lemons

First and foremost, you need to try the lemons. Capri is known for its lemon production for a reason. They grow a lot of them, and they are gigantic! One variety of lemon that they grow is huge, and can be as big as your head! However, they grow many normal-sized lemons here too, but the flavor is anything but normal.

There is just something special about the lemons here, so you have to try them in as many ways as possible. Try the lemon granita, a frozen treat. Or, go for lemon pasta dishes, like the lemon ravioli. And of course, you must have the famous limoncello, a liquor they make here that is to die for.

Caprese

The other must-eat on the island is the Caprese salad, which is of course named after the island. It was said to have been invented here at the Hotel Quisisana in the early 1920s.  The hotel is still open, so you can try it there or at practically any other restaurant in town.

Where to Eat on Capri

Da Paolino

There’s many great places to eat on the island during you day trip from Positano to Capri, but one place should ring in at the top of your priority list. Da Paolino is a restaurant located inside a lemon grove on the island. You’ll eat under a canopy of lemon trees that literally creates a roof over your head. The lemons hang from above and make for the most beautiful, unique and romantic spot you could imagine.

This restaurant is extremely popular and requires a reservation. However, you have to reach out very, very far in advance to get on the list. I’m talking several months out. So, stop what you’re doing and make your reservation now! I mean it!

Okay, did you make the reservation? Great, now the food.

Of course the ambiance is the reason you’re visiting, but the food will make you want to return. The fresh pasta dishes are homemade and they use their lemons in many of the dishes.

We actually loved the arugula salad the most while we were here; the ingredients were incredibly fresh and the salad was huge. After 10 days of straight pizza and pasta, this salad was exactly what we needed.

For a simple and quick lunch, visit Salumeria Da Aldo for freshly made sandwiches. Bonus points if you get the Caprese sandwich, you are on Capri after all!

Some other great spots on the island include La Capannina, Lo Sfizio and Pescheria Le Botteghe.

What to Wear to Capri

Deciding what to wear in Italy in general is important, but there’s something even more special about the perfect sundress for Capri. And yes, to start I would suggest a sundress. It will likely be sunny and warm when you are visiting, so a sundress will be flowy and feel good in the heat. Here are some of my favorite sundresses.

Just know that Capri is a place where many wealthy and rich people visit. So, have fun dressing the part! Wear something stylish and fun.

The best tip I can give is to wear yellow. You’re bound to see lemons everywhere. Either lemons on a cart, lemon trees, or lemon desserts. You’ll compliment all of the lemons beautifully with a bright yellow dress. Just look at how perfect the yellow looks at Da Paolino. Buy a dress similar to mine!

Make sure to review my packing list for Italy so that you don’t forget any of the most important items you’ll need tor bring!

Should You Stay Longer on Capri?

A Capri day trip from Positano is fun. Don’t get me wrong, but more time on the island is definitely ideal!

If this is your first time to the area, and you only have a few days, then staying in Positano and taking a Capri day trip is the ideal option. You can experience both destinations in a short amount of time.

However, if you have 5 or more days then I highly recommend you stay a few nights in Positano and a few nights in Capri. Yes, that means more packing and unpacking, but it will be worth it for all of the extra time you will have to explore the island. Plus, at night most of the tourists leave and you can have the place (more) to yourself.

Or, if you have been to Positano before, then you might want to only stay in Capri this trip! You can take the time to visit Anacapri, ride a vespa around the island and stroll through all of the beautiful gardens the island has to offer. Pick a cute boutique hotel and relax in style for a few days.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to visit this perfect little island and fall in love one lemon at a time.