Positano Tour Prices: What Each Fare Covers
The short version. Shared days from Positano start at $110 a person on the coast boats, $183 for Capri and $112 for Pompeii with the ticket; private boats are priced for the whole boat. The fare is only part of the cost: landing fees, Capri's tax and the Blue Grotto are paid in cash. Compare the tours from Positano on what each fare actually buys.
In this guide
- What each kind of day costs, and why boat prices vary so much
- Per person against per boat, with the sums
- The fees outside the fare, and whether Pompeii's ticket is in it
- Lunch, drinks, promotions, and whether a tour is worth it
What does a Positano tour cost?
It depends on the kind of day far more than on the operator. A cooking class in Agerola is the lowest fare here, from $70. A shared boat along the coast starts at $110, a shared Capri day at $183, and a Pompeii day with the ticket in the fare at $112. Days from Rome start at $76 a person for fifteen and a half hours on a coach and a boat. At the other end, a private boat for six along the coast is $1,299 for the whole boat.
Why do boat prices vary so much?
Three things drive the price of a boat day: how long it lasts, how many people share the boat, and how far it goes. A four-hour morning with twelve guests costs less than an eight-hour day to Capri, and a boat for your party alone costs more than a seat on a shared one. Fuel matters too: on some private listings it is extra, on others it is included, and the card says which.
Per person or per boat?
Shared boats are sold per person. Private boats are usually sold per boat, for up to a stated number of guests, and the price box says "per group" beside the figure. The 40-horsepower coast boat is $470 for up to four; the private Capri boat from Positano is $673 for up to five; the six-hour private boat is $1,299 for up to six. A few private listings quote per person instead, which is worth noticing before you compare.
When is a private tour cheaper per head?
When you fill it. The 40-horsepower boat shared by four comes to about $117 each, and the private Capri boat shared by five to about $134 each. For two people the same boats cost twice that per head. The rule of thumb: two people book shared, four compare, five or more look hard at private.
Which fees are not in the fare?
- Landing or docking fees: about €10 a head on several boats, where the listing names a figure.
- Capri's landing tax: €5 a head, 1 April to 31 October.
- The Blue Grotto: about €18 a head, paid at the grotto, when it is open.
- The Emerald Grotto: about €10, by one listing's own figure.
- Fuel: on some private boats.
- Tips: optional, and never in the fare.
Is the Pompeii ticket included?
On most Pompeii tours from Positano, yes: the small-group half day and the day with a winery lunch both put the ticket in the fare. On the private cars and transfers it usually is not, and the park's full ticket is €20, or €25 with the suburban villas. The private day from Positano with pickup has an option that adds the ticket and a guide. Each card says which.
What does Capri add in cash?
Allow the €5 landing tax, about €18 for the Blue Grotto if it is open, and the island's buses or taxis if you want to reach Anacapri. On the guided hydrofoil day, the Monte Solaro chairlift, Villa San Michele and the Gardens of Augustus are also paid on the day. It is easy to spend €30 a head before lunch.
Are lunch and drinks included?
Drinks, usually; lunch, rarely. Most coast and Capri boats serve water, soft drinks and often wine or prosecco, with snacks. A full lunch is in the fare on a few days only: the Pompeii day with a winery lunch on Vesuvius, the semi-private Capri boat from Sorrento, and the cooking class, where the meal is what you cook.
Promotions and changing prices
Fares move. Where a listing was on a temporary promotion when the prices here were read, the regular price is shown, so the figure at checkout may be lower for a while. Prices are shown in US dollars, as the listings were read, and the price at checkout is the one that counts.
How do Rome day trip prices compare?
On price per hour, the Rome days are cheap: the coach-and-boat day is $76 a person for fifteen and a half hours, and the Pompeii coach day $128 for thirteen. On price per hour in Positano, they are the most expensive way to see the town, because you get one to two and a quarter hours there. The high-speed train day, at $388, buys you the train and a small boat instead of a coach.
What does a private car cost against a tour?
A private car is priced for your party, and it wins as your party grows. The private day from Positano to Pompeii, Amalfi and Ravello is $472 a person; the private Pompeii tour from Naples is $508 for a unit of two. Against the small-group Pompeii day at $211 a person, a private car makes sense when you want the extra towns, your own pace, or a vehicle listed as wheelchair accessible.
What about tips?
Tips are optional and never in the fare; several listings say so in their own lists. If a skipper, guide or driver has made your day, a tip in cash at the end is appreciated, and nobody expects one when the service was ordinary. If you are unsure, a few euros each for a crew who looked after you well is a kind thank-you, and nobody will ask.
How far ahead should you book to get the price?
Prices on these listings are set by the operators, not by how early you book, so booking early does not usually cost more. What it gets you is the date: the small boats take twelve or fewer and fill days ahead in summer. Because almost every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours before, you can book early and still change your mind if the weather or your plans move. The only exceptions to watch are temporary promotions, which can make the price at checkout lower for a while.
What does a family of four pay?
Take a family of four on a coast boat. Four seats on the four-hour shared boat come to four times $110; the 40-horsepower private boat costs $470 for all four. On a Capri day, four seats on the shared cruise come to four times $183, against $673 for the private boat from Positano. Add the cash extras for each person, and compare the totals, not the headline figures.
Positano tour prices at a glance
| Kind of day | From | Basis | Cash extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking class in Agerola | $70 | Per person | The bus to Agerola |
| Shared coast boat | $110 | Per person | Sometimes a landing fee |
| Shared Capri day | $183 | Per person | €5 tax, Blue Grotto, landing fee |
| Pompeii with the ticket | $112 | Per person | Lunch |
| Day trip from Rome | $76 | Per person | Food |
| Private coast boat | $470 | Per boat, up to 4 | Fuel, skipper, food on one |
| Private boat to Capri | $673 | Per boat, up to 5 | Fuel, Blue Grotto |
Is a tour worth it?
For the boats and Capri, the question is what you want from the water: a ferry gets you there, a boat gives you the coves, the grottoes and the swims. For Pompeii, a tour with hotel pickup and the ticket in the fare saves you two changes each way and a queue. For a first visit, one boat day and one Pompeii day are the pair most travellers look back on. The ways to go without a tour are in day trips without a tour, and how the boats compare in which Positano boat tour.
Frequently asked questions
What is not included in a boat tour price?
Are private boats priced per person or per boat?
How much is the Pompeii ticket?
Is lunch included on Positano tours?
Are the prices per person?
Compare what each fare buys, not just the figure. Every fare is on Positano Tours.
Three fares worth comparing
Pompeii Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting from Positano
From Positano: Pompeii with a guide and ticket, then a Vesuvius winery lunch.
From $294 per person
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Amalfi Coast Private Boat Tour
A private boat for up to six, boarding at the harbour nearest you.
From $1,299 per group, up to 6
Check Availability
From Naples: Sorrento, Positano & Amalfi Premium Tour
From Naples: Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi by road with free time in each.
From $84 per person
Check Availability