Day trip from Naples to Capri

My top two things to see on a day trip are Villa San Michelle and Gardens of Augustus.

Villa San Michelle is in Anacapri. Gardens of Augusto is in Capri. From the port to Anacapri and from Anacapri to Capri you can take the bus or a taxi. I took buses, but I was there for three nights. On a day trip, time will be tight, so I would take taxis. There's usually a line to take the buses. The taxis are by the bus stops so they're easy to take. From Capri to the port you can also take the funicular.

My recommended route would be from the port to Gardens of Augusto and then to Villa San Michelle. If you still have time, then find one of the paths toward the coast for great views.

A lot of people like Monte Solaro, I preferred Gardens of Augusto and Villa San Michelle. In all three you get great views, in Gardens of Augusto and Villa San Michelle you also get beautiful gardens.

I don't understand the question. I assume you've read about the island somewhat. What are you wondering about specifically.

I'm going to add an unpopular opinion here, but maybe it doesn't hurt to hear all sides.

If you suffer from motion sickness, Capri probably isn't going to be your cup of tea. I've been twice and both trips were miserable (yes, even with Dramamine!) Both times I stumbled ashore, seasick from the ferry, only to be greeted by a hot, crowded waterfront area teeming with tourists and lined with overpriced souvenir shops and restaurants.

My travel companions took the open air taxi to Anacapri to ride the cable cars and they loved it, but there was NO WAY IN HECK I was driving up those winding mountain roads! Instead, I took the funicular up to Capri Town and there again, it was just a mob of tourists milling around with yet more overpriced boutiques and eateries. Yes, there were beautiful views from there (and I'm sure amazing views from the very top of the island) but I was too queasy to care very much.

The people I encountered working on the island ranged from rude to hostile (I had bought round trip tickets for the funicular at the ticket office, but when I was coming back down my ticket didn't work and I was yelled at by an employee who accused of trying to pass off a used ticket. After I bought another ticket and got back to the Marina Grande, I stopped at the ticket booth to tell the man that the ticket he sold me didn't work and he cursed me out in Italian.).

Maybe I just had a bad day both times, but I didn't enjoy Capri at all. If you don't get motion sickness and can ride up the winding roads to the top, you might get a lot more out of it than I did.

We also reached the island via ferry from Naples, and stayed a couple of nights. I have a pretty touchy stomach but didn't have an issue with seasickness but I'm sure that can depend on how rough the seas are on the day of travel. If you don't normally have motion-sickness issues, you should be fine.

We took an open-air taxi versus the funicular from the port to Capri town - it's a short ride; no tummy issues there - and to Anacapri via one of the little public buses one day. That's also a short ride so no tummy issue there either.

Other than traveling up to Capri from the port and then up to Anacapri, the best way to get around is on foot as so much of the small island is pedestrianized. What to see/do can depend interests, time and physical ability, and there's no wrong answer unless it doesn't work for you. I'll recommend picking up a map, which should be available at the tourist shops near the port, to help you find your way around narrow paths and "streets" that follow the terrain higgledy-piggledy. The tourism website also has good suggestions. While it does push tours, you don't really need any of them (we didn't).

https://www.capri.com

We skipped the boats tours and Blue Grotto in favorite of land exploration. Favorites were the chairlift to the top of Mt Solaro (Anacapri): https://www.capri.com/en/e/monte-solaro-high-drama

Pizzolungo walk: https://www.capri.com/en/e/pizzolungo-2

Hike/walk to Villa Jovis: https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-villas-of-tiberius
(Views from the ruins are expansive. We skipped the other sites listed on the page, although a stroll thru Anacapri's little cemetery was lovely.)

As Carlo suggested, the Gardens of Augustus and the Charterhouse of St. Giacomo (both in Capri town) are easily done and afford some nice views.
https://www.capri.com/en/e/things-to-do-in-capri-italy
https://www.capri.com/en/e/augustus-gardens-via-krupp
https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-charterhouse-of-st-giacomo

Have fun!

We went to Capri for the day (not from Naples) on two separate vacations. We had a nice time both days. I would guess that we walked 4 to 5 miles each time. It is a big island, and it is largely pedestrianized, so you cannot call a cab if you get tired halfway through. It is true that the sea is rougher in October, but we did not get seasick on the smaller Sorrento ferries (in the summer.) We also skipped the famously time-sucking Blue Grotto.

It seems likely to me that it will still be busy in October. (?) We had trouble getting a walk-up seat for lunch. You want a faster lunch, if possible, because there is so much to see in one day.

I don't mean to sound negative, I recommend that you pursue you plan. You may have different style boats for your two rides. Make sure you are waiting at the correct dock for your return boat, which may not be the same as your outbound trip. (Our outbound boat simply carried 250 (?) seated passengers in an air-conditioned cabin, and our return boat was much bigger, with cars and trucks too. So obviously it had to use a dock with an auto ramp for that.)

The best way to see the island is to take a 3 hour boat tour around the island. Catch one from the marina where the ferry will drop you off. Then take the funicular to Capri, and in my opinion, skip Anacapri. I was there for 2 nights in July, and I can tell you that it is a different experience after the day trippers go home, so I recommend staying as late as you can.

Wow, I wouldn't have recommended a skip of Anacapri but to each their own.

The best way to see the island is to take a 3 hour boat tour around
the island

Dear Lord, NO, not me! I did that on my second trip and it was the biggest mistake ever (for someone who gets motion sickness.). I took Dramamine which didn't help a bit. When we finally reached the island, I was almost crawling off the boat on my hands and knees. Another passenger was even worse than me, she declared she would never leave the island for the rest of her life because she was never getting back on that boat!

I envy those of you who can do that with no ill effects.... sigh....

Refer to Day 5 in the link to my Trip in 2023. We loved Capri far more than anything we saw along the Amalfi Coast. It's important to plan ahead and not get caught and frustrated by the sheep-like marches of the average tourist.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

Of all his guidebooks, the Naples and the AC one is the book I found the most useful.

https://store.ricksteves.com/products/amalfi-coast-guidebook?variant=46199737352348&_pos=1&_sid=06b185016&_ss=r

We visited Capri thie past Spring and it was mobbed with tourists, so my first piece of advice is to arrive on the first morning ferry that is available. After standing in the taxi line for almost an hour, we went to Anacapri. Our plan was to take the chairlift to Mount Solaro, but the wait time in that line was over an hour. So, that was nixed. We visited Villa San Michelle which was beautiful. The dock area for return ferries was rather chaotic, and not clearly marked. Be sure you arrive there in plenty of time so that you do not miss the departure of your boat. If you do opt for the taxi to and from Anacapri, I suggest that you be open to the idea of sharing the taxi with fellow travelers. Taxi drivers charge per trip; not per passenger. That may save you some time, as well as money. If I had it to do all over, we would have skipped visiting Capri. There were so many other things to enjoy on the Amalfi Coast.

Just to say that if you want a quieter day, go to Procida or Ischia instead.
Less people.
Get the ferries to either from Molo Beverello, same as for Capri.