Positano boat tours leave from the town's own beach and run along the Amalfi Coast cliffs towards Amalfi, with swim stops in coves no road reaches. You choose a shared boat of twelve or fewer, or a private boat for your party, and the fare covers the boat, the crew and usually your drinks.
Four hours from Le Tre Sorelle on the main beach, twelve guests at most, with five timed stops between Amalfi and Positano. Snorkel masks, floats, drinks and snacks are aboard.
From $110 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Seven hours from the Blue Star desk on the main beach, twelve at most, with a stop at the Emerald Grotto, about €10 paid there. Masks and one drink included; food is not.
From $130 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Pickup in Sorrento or Vico Equense, then a cabin boat with a bathroom to Li Galli, Amalfi and Positano, an hour and a half in each town. Prosecco and snacks included; €10 landing fee on the day.
From $138 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
From Sorrento's marinas, with pickup on most options: Ieranto, Crapolla, Li Galli, an hour each in Amalfi and Positano and a swim at Arienzo. Twelve guests, drinks aboard, docking fee extra.
From $164 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Your own 40-horsepower boat for up to four, seven hours along the whole coast from a harbour you agree with the skipper. Water and ice aboard; fuel, skipper and food are listed as extras.
From $470 per group, up to 4
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A private boat for up to six for six hours, boarding at the harbour nearest you, from Positano to Salerno. Prosecco, beer, soft drinks and snacks included; confirmed within 48 hours.
From $1,299 per group, up to 6
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
From Rome by high-speed train, then a boat of twelve to Li Galli, Positano and Amalfi. Train, port transfers, snacks and drinks included; the €10 destination fee is paid on the day.
From $388 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Board on Positano's beach, swim in the coves on the way to Amalfi, and be back for lunch. Choose by length and by how many you are.
Check availabilityA boat tour here is a day on the water along the Amalfi Coast, most often from Positano's own beach towards Amalfi and back. You stop to swim in coves that no road reaches, pass the gorge at Furore and the towns stacked into the cliffs, and on some boats spend an hour ashore in Amalfi or Positano. The fare buys the boat and the crew, and usually drinks. It suits you if you want the coast itself to be the day. For every kind of day out, the day tours from Positano sit side by side.
The towns face the sea. From the water you see them whole, from the tiled dome above Positano's beach to the houses of Praiano, and you understand the coast in a way the road never shows you.
The skipper stops two or three times at coves and grottoes. Masks come aboard on most boats, and you climb back up the ladder with the cliffs above you.
In summer the SS163 is slow, and an alternate-plates rule limits cars on busy days. On a boat you simply sail past the traffic.
Private boats sell the whole boat for up to four or six. For a family, that can cost less per head than you expect, and you set the pace.
The ferry is the real alternative for reaching Amalfi by sea. It is quick and cheap; it just does not stop to swim.
| Boat tour | Ferry | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Swim stops, coves, grottoes | A straight crossing |
| Time on the water | 4 to 8 hours | About 25 minutes to Amalfi |
| Guests | 12 or fewer, or your party | A full ferry |
| Drinks | Usually included | Bar on some boats |
| Season | The boating season, weather permitting | Roughly April to October |
| Refund | Free up to 24 hours ahead on almost all | The ferry company's terms |
If you only need to get to Amalfi, take the ferry; if you want the coast, take the boat. Getting around on your own is covered on getting around Positano.
Most boats include the skipper, snorkel masks and drinks; several add snacks, floats, a shade canopy and a restroom. What is usually left out is lunch, and on several boats a landing or docking fee paid in cash, about €10 a head where a listing names a figure. On one private boat, fuel, the skipper and food are listed as extras, so you should confirm the total before you pay.
Shared fares run from $110 to $388 a person; private boats from $470 for up to four to $1,299 for up to six, for the whole boat. Days run from four hours to eight. In July and August, book a week ahead: the small boats take twelve or fewer and fill quickly. Take the morning departure if you can, when the sea is calmer, and keep the day after as a spare in case the weather turns. Which boat suits your party is weighed in which Positano boat tour.
Pick the length that suits you and your party, and board on the beach.
Check availabilityShared or private, the same cliffs wait. Compare every boat on Positano Tours.