My husband and I are planning to visit Italy this October with a tour that offers a trip to the Blue Grotto at an additional (extremely expensive) charge.
Is this a must-see? And is there a reliable, cheaper, and easy way to book a tour there ourselves?
Any input is greatly appreciated.

A lot will probably come up if you put Blue Grotto in the search forum. Good luck. Halfpint (and it all depends on the weather and your agility to transfer from the larger boat to the small boat, to enter.)

If you are going to be on the island you can take a bus to Anacapri and then either taxi or take the longish walk to the blue grotto. You just walk down the stairs to where the boats are and then you pay a fee to have one of the boatsmen take you through the hole into the grotto.

Here's a photo I found on google earth. http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/6343414.jpg This is what it's like on a busy day. Boat tours come from the main marina which is likely what you are referring to.

Is it worth it? It depends on you and how you feel about these kinds of things. It's a little awkward. You have to lay down on the floor of the boat (maybe on a stranger) while the boat is pulled through the very low hole in the rock face. When you get it it is indeed very beautiful and eery. Many people say they just popped in and popped out. Our boat stayed inside the grotto for a quite awhile and one girl even went for a quick swim in the grotto.

Ten years later I'm glad I had the experience.

When we visited Capri a few years ago, there was a tourist info kiosk very close to the last stop of the funicular in Capri Town. I would definitely ask there to see what's available. I remember that there were huge tour boats going to the Blue Grotto, weather permitting, and that the price per passenger was pretty cheap.

Our time on Capri was limited, so we negotiated an around-the-island tour (which included a stop of the Blue Grotto)with one of the "captains" of a private boat down at Marina Grande. It was pricey, but worth it.

Is the Blue Grotto a must-see? We thought so, although the time allotted to each tiny boat inside is very short. My husband and kids got a chance to swim in the Blue Grotto, and thought the water and the blue light cast over their bodies as they swam was a real experience. You do have to be agile enough to climb into a smaller boat when you arrive at the Grotto, so beware! These boats are the only ones that can navigate through the tiny Grotto entrance.

I would NOT book this in advance. The opening to the Grotto is VERY small - and if the seas are high you can't get in at all.

Does the tour go to Capri? Once you're there getting to the Grotto is very easy yourself - if it's open.

If you're not already on Capri - the cost of the tour may include getting you there and back - and if it's a whole day tour the price may make sense.

If you provide more info people can give better info.
And, if you're not going to Capri to see other things I wouldn;t trek all the way there for 10 minutes in the grotto - pretty, but not a world-beater.

I agree with the NY Traveler, no reason to book this ahead of time.

Tide and weather dictate time of entrance by boat.

Personally, I would save the Blue Grotto for a warm calm summer day. We've only gone in by swimming in.

Capri is a wonderful island and would highly suggest a great day there. In October I'd walk down to Faraglione for a plate of pasta. Nice gardens on the way.

Agree with some above--arrange it on your own after you get there. It's easy.

A couple of years ago we spent a day on Capri. When we arrived in the morning we were told that it was too choppy for boats to go to the Blue Grotto.

We bought a day pass on the public busses and ended up at the Blue Grotto where I caught the last boat, and swam in the grotto. It was wonderful. I guess the weather had calmed down. The small boats are always there waiting for passengers.

The last boat stops at 5 pm when people line up to jump in the water to swim into the grotto.
My girlfriend had no interest in the boat trip, but changed her mind about swimming into the grotto and joined the late crowd. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

It all depends on how much time the tour will give you, to do your own exploring, if you can do it on your own, otherwise you need to take their tour.

We are both in our 60's.

"If you are going to be on the island you can take a bus to Anacapri and then either taxi or take the longish walk to the blue grotto." Or you can jump on another bus to the Blue Grotto - that's what I've done each time I've been.

didn't get to nor planned to swim in the Grotto tho' I reckon it would have been nice.
my 10-15mins worth of entertainment was staying inside the Grotto to admire the blue hues and the voice of my boatman filling up the space. it was pretty good sound effect, actually.

that was it. probably just a touristy thing that visitors to Capri should do.

I've done it twice and enjoyed it and agree it needs to be done, *if* the weather is suitable. As another poster warned, boats can't get in if the sea is rough. And I've heard atht if it's not sunny there isn't much to see - the effect is all down to the outside light being reflected through the cave.

Bookmarking for a swim in the Grotto. Thank you nywoman for the details.