Guide · Packing

What to wear on a Capri boat tour

A boat day on Capri means sun, salt water, spray and a swim or two. Knowing what to wear on a Capri boat tour, and what to leave at the hotel, makes the difference between a perfect day and a sunburned one.

Check availabilityfrom $461 · cancel at no cost

Editorial team, capriprivateboattour.comUpdated October 18, 2026Read time: 6 min8 sources

This guide's tour Capri: Private Island Boat Tour with Snorkeling and Swimming 4.9 (45 reviews) 2 to 3 hours from$194 Check availabilityCancel at no cost up to 24 hrs ahead

Pack this

01Wear: Swimwear under light clothes, a sun hat and sunglasses; the private listing asks for these.
02Bring: Sunscreen, a towel if none is included, water shoes and a light layer.
03Swim stops: Marina Piccola, a rocky beach on a turquoise sea, is a classic stop.¹
04Snorkel: Around the stacks you meet grouper and prawns.²
05Summer heat: July averages a high of 30.6 °C at the Naples station.³

What to wear on the boat

Start with swimwear under light, loose clothes: linen or cotton shorts, a shirt or a cover-up you can pull on and off without fuss. The private boat this site books asks you to bring sunglasses, a sun hat and beachwear, and that is a good base for any boat on Capri. Leave jeans and anything heavy at the hotel; they dry slowly and feel heavy once salt spray reaches them.

Footwear matters more than people think. Wear sandals or slides you can slip off at the dock, as you may be asked to go barefoot on deck, and bring water shoes if you plan to swim near rocky shores. Marina Piccola is a rocky beach, and many coves around the island have stones rather than sand.¹

A hat that stays on in the wind is worth more than a stylish one that flies off. Choose one with a strap or a snug fit, and polarized sunglasses that cut the glare off the water. If you burn easily, a light long-sleeved shirt is better protection than any amount of sunscreen on a long afternoon at sea.

A swim day

How a swim stop works

Before

Tell the skipper

Say how much swimming you want.
At the cove

Anchor or hold

The boat stops in sheltered water.
In the water

Swim and snorkel

Grouper and prawns around the stacks.²
Seabed

Look, do not touch

Sea fans, seagrass and corals.⁴
Back on board

Dry off

Towels are included on our private boat.
Ride back

Add a layer

Wet swimwear and a breeze feel cool.

What to bring on a boat trip

Here is what to bring on a boat trip around Capri: sunscreen, a towel if your listing does not include one, water, a dry bag for your phone and wallet, and a light layer for the ride back. The private 3-hour boat this site books includes towels and soft drinks, along with the skipper, fuel and landing fees.

Bring money for extras. On our private boat the Blue Grotto ticket is not included and is paid on the spot, and the visit depends on the tides and the weather.⁵ Small cash is useful for a drink in a cove or a tip.

Medication for seasickness belongs in your bag if you are prone to it, especially for crossings from the mainland. Take it before you board, not when you start to feel unwell. A snack helps too. So does a seat midships, with your eyes on the horizon instead of a screen.

Month by month

Daylight, temperature and wet days by month

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Each bar is the dark part of a mid-month day; the line counts days on which rain reached 2.5 mm, from 6 to 8 years of NOAA records per month at Naples within 1991 to 2020.³

Packing list

What to wear and bring, by season

Item	Summer	Spring and autumn	Why
Swimwear	Yes	Yes	Swim stops on most boats
Sun hat and sunglasses	Yes	Yes	The listing asks for them
Light layer	For the evening	Yes	Wind on the ride back
Water shoes	Yes	Yes	Rocky beaches and coves
Mask and snorkel	Yes	If the water is warm	Grouper and sea fans
Dry bag	Yes	Yes	Spray and splashes

Advice from the listing's own list (sunglasses, sun hat, beachwear) and the climate at the Naples station.³

Three swim boats

Boats with time in the water

This page

Snorkel and swim

Private, Capri

Duration: 2 to 3 hrs
Rating: 4.87
Price: from $194

See the boat

Capri: Half-Day Private Customizable Cruise with Snorkeling

Longer

Customizable half day

Private, with snorkeling

Duration: 4 hrs
Rating: 4.76
Price: from $693

See the boat

Capri: Small Group Boat Tour of the Grottoes with a Swim and Limoncello

Lower price

Grottoes and a swim

Small group, Capri

Duration: 2 hrs
Group: Max. 10
Price: from $58

See the boat

Decision helper

Which swim boat fits you?

Pick what matters most in the water

I want as much swimming as possible I want to shape the route myself I am on a budget I want to see sea fans I travel with a baby

The snorkel and swim boat

A private tour built around snorkeling and swimming.

The customizable half day

A private cruise of 4 hours with snorkeling.

The small-group grottoes

2 hours with a swim, from $58.

Snorkel near La Fontelina

Gorgonians, seagrass and corals on the seabed.⁴

Check the listing first

Our private boat is not suitable for babies under 1 year.

Here you will discover a colourful dimension in the midst of red and yellow Gorgonia “sea fans”, the Posidonia seagrass and coral species of various colours

Italia.it (ENIT, Ministry of Tourism)Source 4

A Capri boat tour with swimming

A Capri boat tour with swimming is the best way to cool off on a summer day. The listing this page books is a private island tour of 2 to 3 hours built around snorkeling and swimming, with a driver who speaks English and Italian. From $194, it averages 4.87 over 45 reviews, its guide scoring 4.9 and its value 4.7.

The listing does not say whether its from-price covers the whole boat or each guest; set your group size and read the total. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead, and you can reserve now and pay later. On any private boat, tell the skipper at the start how much you want to swim, so the stops can be planned around it.

Swim stops on Capri are usually in sheltered water, away from the busiest boat lanes: a cove below the cliffs, the mouth of a cave, or the clear water off Marina Piccola. The skipper drops anchor or holds the boat, lowers the ladder, and you swim straight from the deck. Always wait for the skipper's signal, and stay near the boat.

Checklist

Your boat-day bag

Wear

Sun hat and polarized sunglasses
Swimwear under light clothes
Sandals you can slip off

Pack

A light layer for the ride back
Money for the grotto ticket
A dry bag for phone and wallet

Cost calculator

Small-group swim boats for your group

Choose a boat sold by the place and set your number.

Grottoes and a swim2 hoursfrom $58 Caves, swim and snack2 hoursfrom $75 Small groups, limoncello2 hoursfrom $58

People 2

Total from$116

per person from $58

Check availabilityfree cancellation

A total here is the listing's lowest GetYourGuide price times your headcount, turned into your currency at the ECB rate of the day; what you actually pay appears when you book.

Video

Capri Italy and Blue Grotto Boat Tour

The video loads only when you tap play.

Snorkeling around the stacks and coves

The seabed around Capri rewards a mask. Near La Fontelina, by the Faraglioni, the seabed holds red and yellow gorgonian sea fans, Posidonia seagrass and corals of various colors.⁴ Around the stacks, with fins, mask and snorkel, you will meet grouper and prawns.² The rocks there also form small coves with natural pools.⁶

If your listing does not mention snorkel gear, bring your own mask; a well-fitting mask makes all the difference. A rash vest protects your back from the sun while you float face down, and a pair of short fins helps against any current. Never touch the sea fans or the seagrass; they grow slowly and break easily.

On the mainland side, near Positano, Fornillo Beach is a snorkeling paradise for its seabed.⁷ Across the water, at Punta Campanella, zone A of the marine protected area is a full reserve closed to any activity that could harm the marine environment.⁸ Respect the buoys and the rules; they protect the seabed you came to see.

Dressing for the season

In high summer the heat is the main thing to plan for. At the Naples station, July and August average a daily high of 30.6 °C and a low of 21.4 °C.³ On the water the breeze helps, but the sun reflects off the sea, and shade on a small boat is limited. Light colors, a hat and frequent sunscreen are essential.

In spring and autumn, bring a layer. In May the average high is 24.4 °C and the low 15.1 °C; in October the high is 22.7 °C and the low 14.1 °C.³ A wet swimsuit and a breeze on the ride back can feel cool, even on a sunny day, so a light sweater or windbreaker in your bag is a good idea.

Rain is rare in high summer and more frequent later in the year. July averages 1 day with at least 2.5 mm of precipitation at the station, November 9 days.³ Outside summer, check the forecast the evening before, and keep the free cancellation window of 24 hours in mind if the weather looks unsettled.

Families, children and comfort on board

Families should read the listing's limits before booking. The private boat this site books is not suitable for babies under 1 year, and baby strollers are not allowed; pets are not allowed either, though assistance dogs are. Plan to carry a small child aboard rather than wheel them to the dock.

For children who can swim, bring a float or a noodle and a rash vest, and agree on clear rules about the ladder and staying near the boat. For those who cannot, a well-fitted life jacket is the minimum; ask the operator in advance what sizes they carry. Shade matters too: a small child gets hot faster than an adult under the sun.

Anyone with limited mobility should ask about boarding. Some listings are marked wheelchair accessible, such as a small-group tour of the grottoes and a half-day private cruise with snorkeling. Getting on and off a boat at a busy dock can still be awkward, and a quick message to the operator before the day makes it easier.

What not to bring

Leave the big bag behind. Space on a small boat is limited, and a large suitcase or a bulky backpack gets in the way and gets wet. A small tote or a dry bag holds everything you need. If you are coming from the ferry with luggage, check whether there is a place to leave it at the harbor before you board.

Leave valuables at the hotel too. A boat day means salt water, spray and moving between deck, water and ladder, and nothing precious survives that well. Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch, and carry only the cash and card you need. Jewelry is easy to lose when you jump into the sea.

Finally, leave the tight schedule behind. A day on the water around Capri is at its best when you are not watching the clock. Plan the boat as the main event of the day, give yourself time afterward to shower and change, and save the dinner reservation for later in the evening.

Your own boat