One day in Capri; the ultimate guide to plan your day trip

Spending at least one day in Capri should not be missing from your itinerary when visiting the Gulf of Naples or the Amalfi Coast in Italy! This small island is most famous for its designer boutiques, upscale hotels and the hundreds of yachts surrounding it from the rich and famous visiting it each year. Most people come here to shop, to see and to be seen. But that is not what attracted me to this little Italian paradise.

Capri has an awe-inspiring natural beauty with a rugged coastline, impressive mountains and countless bougainvillea flowers. It is home to beautiful Roman villas and gardens you can visit. So beside cute boutiques and lovely restaurants, I was eager to explore more of this dreamy island, even it was just for a day trip.

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One day in Capri; the ultimate guide to plan your day trip

Why you should visit Capri?

Capri has a lot to offer for everyone. If you like shopping, you will find both cute souvenir stores as exclusive designer boutiques. There is a wide range of cute restaurants and bars, so you will not be hungry or thirsty either. Nature lovers will also love this island, since you can do several hikes along the coastline or to the top of its highest mountain; Monte Solaro. Several villas, archaeological sites and museums can be visited and for those who prefer to relax; yes there are beaches as well! But are you sure that is the way you want to spend your one day in Capri at the beach?

Where is Capri & how can you get there?

Capri is situated on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy, about 5 kilometers from the main land. The only way to get there is by boat. Most people arrive from Naples or Sorrento. But you can also reach Capri from other islands, should you be island hopping from Ischia or Procida.

Day trips from Amalfi or Positano are often organized. But if you are planning to go to Capri yourself, I advise to book a ferry ticket in advance via Alilauro or Traghettilines. This way you are sure having a spot, especially during high season and you can book a ticket early in the morning, before the crowds arrive and book the last ferry back to make the most out of your day!

ALSO CHECK OUT MY OTHER DAY TRIP GUIDES FOR PROCIDA, RAVELLO & POSITANO!

When should you go there?

The best time to go on a day trip to Capri is spring and autumn (May/June and September/October preferably). Temperatures are bearable and the summer crowds haven’t arrived yet. From April to June you will be able to enjoy the flowers the most. Summers are crowded and hot.

How to make the most of your one day in Capri?

If you want to make the most of your one day in Capri, you need to be prepared! So make a list of the places you want to visit and book your ferry tickets in advance and make sure to arrive early, so you have a lot of time to spend during the day on this beautiful island! Once you arrive on the island, buy a ticket for the funicolare (2€). This is a small railway taking you up to the town of Capri. The ticket office is located next to the ticket booths of the ferries. Trust me, you do not want to walk all the way up to town. (funicolare starts to go up at 6.15 am)

Once you are up, you can decide if you want to explore the surroundings of Capri first or immediately take the bus to Anacapri or other places on the island. I advise to buy your bus tickets first, also if you prefer to explore the town of Capri first. So you do not have to stand in line for a ticket later. The line for the bus itself will be long enough already!

Also check the opening hours to the places you want to visit first. I first went to take some photos in town early in the morning and then went to the first place I wanted to visit at opening time. I had it all to myself!

What to see and do on a day trip to Capri?

Giardini di Augusto

This was the first place I wanted to see when I arrived in Capri. So after taking photos in a still empty Capri town early in the morning, I strolled down the Via Vittorio Emanuele and the Via Federico Serena, turning right to the Via Matteotti to find the garden with its amazing terrace overlooking the impressive Faraglioni rock formations in the sea and Via Krupp. I could sit here forever admiring the sweeping views!
Opening hours: 9.00 – 19.30 – entrance: 1€

Via Krupp

A historic hairpin turn paved footpath leading towards Marina Piccola. It is currently closed due to the danger of falling rocks, but I bet it is quite fun to walk down to the picturesque little harbor once they secured the place again.

Via Pizzolungo

If you are into nature and breathtaking panoramas, you can walk along the Via Pizzolungo. This little hike starts at the Belvedere di Tragara and will offer fantastic coastal views on the Faraglioni. The path is often surrounded by trees, so you can take advantage of the shade!

Anacapri

Anacapri is a small town on the other side of Monte Solaro where you will find a more local vibe with restaurants and cute souvenir shops. I loved the calmer vibe here and would have loved to explore more. I think it is a nice area to stay. So if I ever return and decide to stay a bit longer at Capri, I think I would choose a hotel at this side of the island.

Villa San Michele

This beautiful villa was built on the ruins of an ancient Chapel dedicated to San Michele at the end of the 19th century by the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. Munthe collected various objects like fragments of sarcophaguses, busts, marble, columns and even a Greek tomb and granite sphinx looking over a fantastic view of Capri can be found here.
Opening hours: 9.00 – 17.00 – entrance: 10€

Boat tour around the island & Grotta Azzurra

A private boat excursion around the island is also a must! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The larger tourist boats are unable to get near enough to the cliffs to explore the caves. Gianni’s Boats‘ traditional gozzo boats do! This business provides excellent value for money. You can sample Gianni’s mother’s homemade limoncello, depending on what tour option you choose (I took the 3-hour tour of the island). It was, without a doubt, the greatest limoncello I’d ever had! On this journey, you can also visit the Grotta Azzurra if the sea level permits. I had done it before as a child, but the sea level was too high to enter, so I skipped it.

I loved this tour and I had the most wonderful “captain” named Marco. He even made me stand on a rocky outcropping in the sea to shoot photos and he had the perfect selection of Italian tunes to spice up the journey. I got tears in my eyes from pure joy while we were passing through the Faraglioni arch! The vistas of these magnificent rock formations, the wind in my hair and the sound of “That’s Amore” playing in the background gave me goosebumps! If you’re traveling alone, don’t hesitate to book this tour. Because you won’t be able to use a tripod on the boat (it will fall over due to the waves), the “captain” will undoubtedly make an effort to assist you with photographs. I also mounted my GoPro to the mast of the boat, which was a great method to snap images and footage!

Additional day trip activities in Capri

• Sentiero dei Fortini: I was not able to do this hike myself, but if you are into a longer coastal hike that takes you from fort to fort, you could do this hike. But the views of the east side of the island are more beautiful.
• Marina Piccola: A charming little harbor and beach.
• Villa Jovis: Ruins of a Roman palace built by emperor Tiberius.
• Villa Lysis: This villa is built by industrialist and poet Jacques d’Adelswärd-Fersen in 1905. You can visit this villa’s interior and gardens and enjoy the views!

Where to eat in Capri?

Eating and drinking can be quite expensive at Capri. But I found the most charming restaurant at Anacapri; Il Saraceno! It is situated at the Via Trieste e Trento next to the Chiesa di Santa Sofia. You cannot miss it since it is the only terrace on this small square. It offers local cuisine and the elderly man working here was super sweet, handling it all on its own! Prices were very reasonable here!

I also drank a very good Limoncello Spritz at Peppino Buonocore. It is situated right across the ferry ticket office at the harbor. It was the ideal spot to wait for the traghetto to arrive.

Book a hotel for your day trip to Capri

I visited Capri from Sorrento and stayed at Hotel Rivage, which was perfectly located at the edge of the city center. Another hotel I stayed at in Sorrento is Hotel Antiche Mura. This fancier hotel is located right in the city center of Sorrento, next to the Valley of the Mills. It has a beautiful pool surrounded by lemon trees. You can read more about these hotels in my blog post about the Amalfi Coast.

If you decide to stay longer in Capri you can book a hotel via this tool:

Booking.com

Pin this post to plan your one day in Capri for later

So that is it! I hope you enjoyed this “One day in Capri” blog post and that it will help to plan your own trip! I really tried to cover everything you need to know. Do not hesitate to leave your comments or questions down below! That way I can add more information if necessary!
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