Day trip from Sorrento to Capri by ferry

Outbound 25 minAbout 7 h for your visit in Capri

Costs for the dayabout €104 to €119 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓

Start the Capri tour See the day plan

Capri is an easy day trip from Sorrento: the ferry from Marina Piccola takes about 25 minutes, and the island's port is where your walk begins. Take the morning boat and you get about seven hours on Capri, enough for Capri town, the Gardens of Augustus, the Charterhouse of San Giacomo, a proper lunch and the coast path out to the Natural Arch before the early-evening ferry back.

Is a day trip from Sorrento to Capri worth it?

Sorrento is the closest port to Capri, closer than Naples, Positano or Amalfi, so the crossing barely eats into your day. You leave from Marina Piccola below the town and land at Marina Grande, and from there the walk starts on foot. No other trip from Sorrento gives you this much time at the destination for this little travel.

What Capri gives you that Sorrento does not is the island itself: the Piazzetta with its cafés, the Gardens of Augustus above the Via Krupp, the Charterhouse of San Giacomo, and a coast path with the Faraglioni rising out of the sea right in front of you. The catch is that the island is more spread out and hillier than it looks on a map, and from May to September the funicular and buses get crowded enough to cost you up to an hour in queues. A planned walking route avoids most of that, because you cover the town and the southern coast on foot.

Who this day trip suits

First-time visitors who want Capri's classic places in one well-paced day
Walkers happy to spend a few hours on foot between viewpoints and gardens
Couples who want a café stop on the Piazzetta and an unhurried lunch
Travellers based in Sorrento without a car, since the ferry leaves from the town's own port
Visitors outside high summer, when queues for the funicular are shorter

Go if you want to walk Capri's town, gardens and southern coast in one day with plenty of time on the island; pick Positano or Naples if you would rather skip the crossing or need a Monday trip.

Other day trips from Sorrento

How to get from Sorrento to Capri by ferry

The NLG ferry from Sorrento's Marina Piccola is the recommended way: a short direct crossing to Capri's Marina Grande, with a weekday morning boat that suits a full day on the island. Caremar also runs between the two ports, with a couple of sailings a day in each direction.

Ferry: NLG

NLG sails from Marina Piccola, the port at the foot of Sorrento, straight to Marina Grande on Capri in about 25 minutes. Out of season there is one morning sailing out, Monday to Friday, and the boats back leave in the mid-afternoon and early evening on weekdays, with only the early-evening one on weekends. Buy your ticket with the operator, and book the return at the same time: afternoon boats back fill up more readily than the morning ones. In season a Capri landing contribution is added to the outbound ticket. Sit on the left side of the boat for the view along the coast towards Punta Campanella.

Operator: NLG
Route: Sorrento Marina Piccola, Piazza Marinai d’Italia → Capri Marina Grande, Piazzetta Vittoria
Journey time: 25 min
Morning departures: Monday to Friday: 1 departure
Travel fare: Outward €23.70; return €23 (€46.70 return total)

Tickets at NLG ↗

Ferry

Alilauro Gruson runs the same route from Marina Piccola to Marina Grande. Its main advantage for a day tripper is the evening: its last boat back to Sorrento leaves later than the last NLG sailing, which gives you a fallback if you miss your NLG return. Tickets are bought with the operator.

The walk starts right where the ferry lands, at Marina Grande. From the port the route climbs on foot to the Piazzetta in Capri town; the funicular covers the same climb in a few minutes if you prefer to ride, though in high season the queue can take far longer than the ride itself.

Timetable

Ferry: NLG

Monday to Friday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
08:30	08:55	25 min

Timetable: NLG, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at NLG ↗

Alternative · Ferry: Caremar

Monday to Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
07:45	08:12	27 min
09:25	09:57	32 min

Timetable: Caremar, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Caremar ↗

departures by weekday
Route	Days	Departure	Arrival	Duration
Capri → Sorrento	Monday to Sunday · Caremar	13:35	14:05	30 min
Capri Marina Grande, Piazzetta Vittoria → Sorrento Marina Piccola, Piazza Marinai d’Italia	Monday to Friday · NLG	15:30	15:55	25 min
Capri Marina Grande, Piazzetta Vittoria → Sorrento Marina Piccola, Piazza Marinai d’Italia	Monday to Sunday · NLG	17:45	18:10	25 min
Capri → Sorrento	Monday to Sunday · Caremar	18:40	19:05	25 min

Timetable: NLG, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: Caremar, as of 22 October 2026

Sorrento to Capri day trip itinerary: from the morning ferry to the early-evening return

Day plan for: Tue–Fri

Catch the morning ferry so you start walking at the port before ten, see the town, the gardens and the Charterhouse before lunch and the southern coast after it, and head back on the early-evening boat.

Morning08:30 – 08:55
Take the NLG ferry from Marina Piccola at around half past eight, arriving at Capri Marina Grande shortly before nine. Your first stop is the harbour itself, so there is no transfer to plan, just time for a coffee on the quay before the tour starts.
This morning sailing leaves you about seven hours on the island, and you arrive ahead of the main rush of the day.
Tour09:45 – 13:15
Open the tour in your browser on the quay at Marina Grande at around a quarter to ten. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells you about the port and leads you up to the Piazzetta, on to the Gardens of Augustus, the Via Krupp and Belvedere Cannone, and around midday to the Charterhouse of San Giacomo, asking you questions along the way.
The two paid sights, the gardens and the Charterhouse, sit in the first half of the walk, so you see them while you are fresh and before the midday meal.
1. 1Marina Grande
2. 2Piazzetta
3. 3Gardens of Augustus
4. 4Via Krupp
5. 5Belvedere Cannone
6. 6Charterhouse of San Giacomo
Start the Capri tour
Lunch13:15 – 14:15
Have lunch in Capri town after the Charterhouse of San Giacomo and before Belvedere di Tragara.
Lunch falls between the town sights and the coast path, so you start the longest stretch of the walk rested.
Afternoon14:15 – 16:30
After lunch the guide picks up the walk at Belvedere di Tragara, where the Faraglioni come into view, and leads you past the Faraglioni and along the coast to the Natural Arch, which you reach in the mid-afternoon. The stretch out to the arch is the longest leg of the walk.
The coastal end needs no ticket and no opening time, and finishing here still leaves about an hour of slack before you need to head back.
1. 7Belvedere di Tragara
2. 8Faraglioni
3. 9Natural Arch
Return16:30 – 18:10
Leave the Natural Arch by half past four at the latest, walk back to the Piazzetta and take the funicular down to Marina Grande. Be at the pier with a little time to spare for the NLG ferry from Capri Marina Grande at around a quarter to six, which gets you to Sorrento Marina Piccola shortly after six.
The walk back from the arch, a possible wait at the funicular and the boarding all need to fit before the boat leaves, and this is the last NLG sailing of the day.

Arrival to return departure: 8 h 50 min. Time for your visit: about 7 h.

You get about seven hours on Capri; if you arrive later, keep the stops in their order and leave the coastal end of the walk, from Belvedere di Tragara to the Natural Arch, for another visit.

Best day to visit Capri from Sorrento

Monday: better not
Tuesday: recommended
Wednesday: recommended
Thursday: recommended
Friday: recommended
Saturday: possible
Sunday: possible

Monday: The planned interior visits (Charterhouse of San Giacomo) do not fit the opening hours on this day.
Saturday, Sunday: Different connections run on this day.

Capri walking tour in one day: from Marina Grande to the Natural Arch

The walk takes you from the harbour at Marina Grande up to the Piazzetta, through the gardens and the Charterhouse in Capri town, and then out along the southern coast to the Faraglioni and the Natural Arch. It covers about 5.7 km with around an hour and three quarters of actual walking, about four and a half hours with time at the stops. The AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation, so you hear the stories of each place while you walk instead of reading signs.

The Capri tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.

Marina Grande
Piazzetta
Gardens of Augustus
Via Krupp
Belvedere Cannone
Charterhouse of San Giacomo
Belvedere di Tragara
Faraglioni
Natural Arch

Start the Capri tour

Opening hours as of 4 September 2026.

1Stop 1
Marina Grande
The island's main port at the foot of Monte Solaro, where the ferry lands and the walk begins.
Price

Free
Location

Marina Grande on Google Maps ↗
2Stop 2
Piazzetta
Piazza Umberto I, once the old market square, is the café-lined heart of Capri town at the edge of the historic centre.
Price

Free
Location

Piazzetta on Google Maps ↗
3Stop 3
Gardens of Augustus
Terraced gardens begun by the German steel industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp, looking out over Marina Piccola and the Faraglioni.
Hours

Daily: 09:30–16:30
Website

capriculturaeturismo.it ↗
Price

€2.50
Location

Gardens of Augustus on Google Maps ↗
4Stop 4
Via Krupp
A historic hairpin footpath cut into the cliff of Monte Castiglione, winding down the island's southern coast towards the sea.
Hours

Daily: 09:00–15:00
Price

Free
Website

cittadicapri.it ↗
Location

Via Krupp on Google Maps ↗
5Stop 5
Belvedere Cannone
A quieter viewpoint than Tragara, with a wide view over the sea and the Faraglioni.
Price

Free
Location

Belvedere Cannone on Google Maps ↗
6Stop 6
Charterhouse of San Giacomo
Capri's oldest monastery, founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci on land given by Queen Joan I of Anjou, and today a museum.
Hours

Mon: closed
Tue–Sun: 10:00–16:00 (last admission 15:30)
Website

museiitaliani.it ↗
Price

€10
Location

Charterhouse of San Giacomo on Google Maps ↗
7Stop 7
Belvedere di Tragara
A terrace above the sea where the Faraglioni come into full view and the coast path opens up ahead.
Price

Free
Location

Belvedere di Tragara on Google Maps ↗
8Stop 8
Faraglioni
Three rock stacks off the coast, shaped over time by wind, rain and waves into Capri's best-known outline.
Price

Free
Website

cittadicapri.it ↗
Location

Faraglioni on Google Maps ↗
9Stop 9
Natural Arch
A rock arch carved by erosion above the coast, the quiet end point of the walk.
Price

Free
Location

Natural Arch on Google Maps ↗

AI Tour Guide in Capri

Your guide for the Capri tour

The AI Tour Guide leads this walk as a spoken conversation, from the quay at Marina Grande to the Natural Arch. It tells you how Friedrich Alfred Krupp shaped the gardens and how the Charterhouse of San Giacomo came to be, asks you questions and remembers what interests you, so the stories that follow lean your way. You start it in the browser at Marina Grande and can interrupt it at any moment.

stops: 9
route: 5.7 km
walking only: 1 h 44 min
with visits: 4 h 31 min

100 free credits to start
€19.99 once for the whole group
Travel and admission tickets are not included

Start the Capri tour See the whole tour →

Sorrento to Capri day trip cost: ferry, sights and food

Most of the day's cost is the ferry there and back, plus the landing contribution added to the outbound ticket in season and the funicular rides between Marina Grande and the Piazzetta, which the cost tool includes. The default selection includes the two paid stops on the walk, the Gardens of Augustus and the Charterhouse of San Giacomo; everything else on the route, from the Piazzetta to the Natural Arch, is free.

Adults

Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backNLG2 adults × €46.70	€93.40
Local transport (funicular/bus)2 adults × 2 rides × €2.40	€9.60
SightsCharterhouse of San Giacomo and Gardens of Augustus2 adults × €12.50	€25
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group	€19.99
Food (estimate)€30 to €45 per person	€60 to €90
Bufferfor anything unplanned	€0
Total	€207.99 to €237.99
Split between people	about €104 to €119 per person

Sights

Gardens of Augustus recommended€2.50
Charterhouse of San Giacomo recommended€10

Buffer and private guide

Buffer per personWith a private guide

Children under 12 enter the Gardens of Augustus free, and buying funicular and bus tickets at the tobacco shop at Sorrento's port before you sail saves queuing for them on Capri.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Capri to Sorrento

The way back runs in reverse: from the Natural Arch you walk back to the Piazzetta and take the funicular down to Marina Grande, where the ferry leaves from the same harbour you arrived at. Plan about an hour from leaving the Natural Arch to boarding, which covers the walk, a possible wait at the funicular and a short buffer at the pier.

From May to September the funicular queue can take far longer than in quieter months, so leave the last stop earlier in summer or have your funicular ticket bought in advance.

If you are running late, shorten the coastal end of the walk and keep the Charterhouse visit short rather than skipping it. If you miss the NLG boat in the plan, Caremar still has a later boat from Capri to Sorrento in the early evening, bought with that operator.

Recommended returnNLG: departs 17:45, arrives 18:10Leave the last stop of the tour by 16:30

Latest return that fits the day: 18:40

Caremar from Capri, Monday to Sunday: departs 18:40, arrives 19:05

Questions about the day trip from Sorrento to Capri

Should I book the return ferry in advance?

Yes, buy it together with the outbound ticket. Afternoon boats back to Sorrento are harder to get than morning sailings, so fix the return you plan to take.

Can I fit the Blue Grotto into this day?

Not reliably. It opens only when the sea allows, can close even on calm days, and the wait can exceed two hours even in October for less than five minutes inside. It is not worth building the day around; if you try, shorten the end of the walk.

Can I add a boat trip around the island?

A trip around Capri leaves from Marina Grande and takes about an hour to an hour and a half, passing the Faraglioni and the Natural Arch from the water. It takes the place of the coastal end of the walk, since you see those two places from the boat instead.

What about Anacapri, Monte Solaro or Villa Jovis?

They are not on this walk and do not fit alongside it. Anacapri and the Monte Solaro chairlift sit on the island's upper level, and Villa Jovis takes two to three hours there and back from the Piazzetta, so each is better kept for a second visit.

Can I take my car to Capri?

No. Non-residents cannot bring vehicles to Capri from Easter until early November. Leave the car at the garage at Marina Piccola in Sorrento, which closes in the evening, so a late boat back leaves little time to collect it.