will be in Sorrento at the end of the month for 4 days with my husband and 13 year old daughter. Wondering the best way to go to Capri? Found a Viator day tour for $100 approx maximum people was 12 .. We are interested in seeing the blue grotto ...hoping to hear ideas of he best way to do both.

Just catch the ferry or hydrofoil to Capri. Once there, you will find many options for seeing the Blue Grotto.

Be aware that you may not be able to see the Blue Grotto if the sea is too high.

www.capri.net for ferry schedules and other information.

The Blue Grotto has a VERY small opening and can be used only on days the sea is perfectly flat and only in row boats (you have to lie down in the bottom to avoid hitting your head) - so keep that in mind.

Whatever larger boat you come in (either a tour boat or one of the launches you pick up at the Marina Grande - hold about 25 people) you will have to transfer to and from a row boat to get inside the Grotto.

(I didn't know this an was wearing white linen pants - which took 3 tries to get clean from the water in the bottom of the boat.)

While pretty and mildly interesting IMHO there are much more interesting things to see/do on Capri. Check a guide book to see what you want since you can't do it all in one day.

Easy to do on your own for a fraction of that - regular ferries dock at Capri city and there are lots of boats there willing to take you to the not too far away Blue Grotto and as nytraveler says can always be impossible for boats to go inside - as conditions were when I was there - I guess you could swim in? So check conditions before going.

But Capril has many other sweet things too besides the hyped Blue Grotto, which is unqiue I guess - not having actually been able to get in. You can also take a bus from Capri City to the Blue Grotto and get small boats to take you in from near where the bus stops.

I just went to another 'Blue Grotto' today. I'm in Malta and they have one (actually a few) here as well. And while the one here is more extensive, you get to sit up in the boat, and it costs half as much, I STILL thought the one in Capri was the best. I almost didn't do it since I figured it was a tourist trap - I mean, the water all around Capri is pretty darn blue, how much bluer could it get? ALOT. Was even worth getting wet for. The descriptions above are correct about having to lie down and get wet. You don't get drenched but you do get wet.

The Ulysses Delux hotel runs excursions from Sorrento which were a great deal and included going around the whole island and stopping at the Blue Grotto (as well as having several hours on your own at Capri). I'm not sure if people who aren't staying at that hotel can go but I think so as we were picking people up at other locations after we left the hotel en route to where the boat left. I think the cost was about 35€ each.

My reaction was much like isabel's -- I was awed, and did NOT expect to be!

As others have noted, no need to book a tour unless that's your preference. And whether you do or not, be prepared to spend your time on Capri elsewhere -- the trip to the top and views therefrom are pretty spectacular and the Villa San Michele is awesome.

Enjoy!