5 Unforgettable Hours in Capri: The Best Day Trip From Sorrento

October 11th was the last full day of our trip to Italy with Globus. That day was hot and the plan was to take a ferry ride to Capri and tour the Gardens of Augustus. After this, we had at least 3 hours of free time to explore the island on our own. The day was the perfect blend of guided and independent.

Can you experience the magic of Capri in just five hours? The short answer is yes. While a brief visit barely scratches the surface of this legendary Italian island, a carefully planned, downhill loop is enough to leave you completely spellbound. If you are short on time but big on wanderlust, here is the exact route we took to maximize every single minute of a fast but unforgettable trip from Sorrento.

Ferry Ride from Sorrento

Our adventure started at the bustling port of Sorrento, where we boarded a fast ferry across the water. The 25-minute journey is an experience in itself, offering stunning views of the towering cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula.

We left that morning at around 9am, after having breakfast at our hotel. The ferry had an inside, but we chose to ride on the left upper deck facing the ocean. It was a beautiful day, with the sun beating down hot rays, extending our summer just by traveling to southern Italy.

We watched many boats in the harbor as we rode straight out to the ocean in the direction of Capri. It didn't take very long at all, and many of the passengers seemed to be Italian, working on the island. For the first time on the trip, it didn't feel like we were crowded by tourists in long lines, we were able to just relax on this short ride to our destination.

When we arrived to the harbor in Capri, there were so many boats floating around the docks. Our tour director started rounding our group up to disembark the vessel. We queued and walked down the stairs and onto the docks.

The moment we stepped off the boat onto the docks of Marina Grande, we met a short, elderly Italian man who was our guide for the next two hours. Skipping the crowded bus lines, we headed straight for the funicular. In less than five minutes, we were whisked up the steep hillside, leaving the harbor behind for the chic streets of Capri Town. We exited right into the Piazzetta, the island's famous main square, which is busy, yet somehow not overcrowded.

Visiting the Gardens of Augustus

From the Piazzetta, we took a short stroll past high-end boutiques toward the Gardens of Augustus. There we learned about Friedrich Krupp while enjoying the view of the bay. We all lined up to walk out to the far point of the terrace where we could take a picture, a 180 degree panoramic of the isle of Capri.

The landscape was amazing, large cliffs of limestone jutting out of the ocean, with green trees and blooming autumn flowers. We looked around the gardens for about half an hour before we were suggested several options for our self guided part of the day. We were told that we could take a boat to the Blue Grotto, a cave on the other side of the island. They pointed out the shops that we'd passed on our way to the Gardens. And finally, they pointed out Via Krupp, a winding path all the way down to the ocean. We knew immediately, walking this path was how we wanted to spend our afternoon.

Via Krupp to the Ocean

Walking down the historic Via Krupp was a magical part of our day. This architectural marvel of a footpath cuts sharp, dramatic switchbacks directly into the cliffside. Walking down is breezy, highly picturesque, and offers breathtaking, ever-changing angles of the turquoise sea below.

The ocean waves crashed against the rocky cliffs about 100 meters below. We made our way onto the winding path, which is about 2 meters wide, and consists of half a dozen hairpin curves, switching back and forth down to the sea. We walked slowly, enjoying the scenery and taking a million pictures, in awe of the natural greens and blues of the vegetation and the water below.

It took us about 25 minutes to walk down this kilometer long road to the pebble-covered beaches below. It was an easy walk, the path is even and well maintained, people walk in both directions on it, but walking down was exceptionally easy and a beautiful opportunity to enjoy the island's scenery.

Rock Covered Beaches

The winding turns of Via Krupp led us right down to the shores of Marina Piccola. This stunning bay is famous for its clear, calm waters and dramatic rock formations. Dean is an avid rock collector, so the next hour of the day was easily planned when we got down to the ocean. The beaches were made up of round, white stones. There were lots of people swimming, but we didn't come prepared. Our tour director hadn't told us that we would have the opportunity to go swimming in the ocean, so we didn't have swim clothes. I just sat on a dock and watched as Dean picked up and threw back stones, searching for ones with the perfect shape and color.

Some other people from our tour had picked the same activity for their day, so I talked to them while my hunger grew as the afternoon drew closer. Within an hour or so, Dean had enough stones to make his luggage overweight on the way back, so thankfully he stopped searching and decided to join me for a mid afternoon lunch. We found a pizzeria right on the water and we ordered a cocktail to begin. This cocktail, the Angelo Azzuro is an iconic blue Italian drink that matches the sea. We sipped and watched boats bobbing in the bay as we waited for our food to arrive.

Lo Scoglio delle Sirene

Based on the map, looking back, Lo Scoglio delle Sirene is most likely where we ate. When the pizza arrived, its simplicity was perfect. Just basil, tomato, and cheese; margherita pizza was an amazing afternoon meal. The flavors were so simple and delicious. It wasn't too heavy and was easy to enjoy as we looked out to the ocean and watched the fishing boats and the people swimming at the rocky beach.

We watched with jealousy, wishing we could take a dip and get wet to beat the heat. After we finished eating, there was no way we were climbing the Via Krupp again, so we opted to find a ride back to the top of the funicular.

A Glamourous Ride in an Open-Top Taxi

With our ferry departure looming, we saved our energy and grabbed one of Capri’s iconic open-top taxis from the stand near the beach. Riding in the open air with the wind in your hair as you zip back up to the top of the island is an experience in itself. I felt like a movie star. Once back at the center, we hopped right back onto the funicular to slide smoothly down to Marina Grande with time to spare before boarding our return ferry back to Sorrento.

We walked around the bay and went to several souvenir shops, looking for a notepad where we could gather contact details from the people in our tour group. Then, we walked to the meeting spot, and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. One of the women on our tour had lost her husband, Chuck from Philadelphia. She asked if we had seen him, but we hadn't since down on the beach at Marina Piccola.

As it turns out, he thought he would try to navigate a short cut and almost fell off the cliffs into the ocean. He arrived back at the dock's meeting point, out of breath and covered in scrapes. Because of his tardiness, we got to enjoy the crisp ocean air of the isle of Capri for about 15 minutes longer.

Is a Day Trip to Capri Worth Your Time?

Five hours in Capri flew by in a beautiful blur of steep cliffs, turquoise ocean views, and salty sea air. However, it was a favorite stop on our whole trip. We managed to make a day of our 3 hours of free time and it all happened by accident. If you're going to Capri for a similarly short amount of time, you can copy our strategy. By planning a smart one-way loop—funicular up, walking down, taxi back—you can fit in a stroll, a beach break, and a delicious meal without ever feeling rushed.

Appealing Tours from GetYourGuide

You can get to Capri from Sorrento, Naples, and even Pompeii. There are so many options for a day trip, that you'll definitely be able to find the right one for your plans. A lot of these options are more appealing than the way I went to Capri, because a nicer boat would have made the trip there that much more special. Here's some options for travel to Capri:

• Sorrento: Exclusive Capri Boat Tour and Optional Blue Grotto

• From Naples: Capri, Anacapri, and Blue Grotto Full-Day Trip

• From Pompeii/Castellammare/Vico Equense: Capri Day Cruise

If you're planning to stay in Capri, there are a couple cruise options that look good:

• Capri: Private Island Boat Tour for Couples

• Island of Capri: Private Yacht Tour

• Top Rated Capri Boat Tour: Caves, Swim, Snack and Limoncello

One of these options would make for incredible memories. Capri doesn't need days to impress you; it only takes a short trip to stay with you forever.