Tour or Capri vs. exploring on our own

Capri is very easy to explore without a tour as it's not that big! "Top sights" depend on personal interest so you should do some reading up prior to your trip. I also highly advise getting a map from the tourist info center first thing upon arrival. A great deal of the island is pedestrianized - important to know as you're traveling with 75 year-old parents - so you'll need to it to weave your way around.

Website (skip the touts for tours as you don't need them):
https://www.capri.net

What to skip? If there's anything I consider a tourist trap, it's the Blue Grotto. It's an expensive, time-consuming pain for the very little time you get to spend in it IF the seas are conducive to getting into it at all. We decided not to do it (based on reviews) during our two-night stay on Capri and didn't feel like we'd missed anything.

What time of year will you be traveling?

I did the Blue Grotto with my family in 1983 and it was wonderful. Back then, there was not long wait involved. One thing I remember was while we were in the small boats waiting to go inside the Grotto, hawkers came up in boats selling stuff. That was funny.

Once we entered the Grotto or boatman sang "Oh Sola Mia" it along with the amazing light refracting into the Grotto, it was memorable.

As for touring the island, one thing that we missed was going up the hill to see Tiberius's palace. We stayed in a hotel in Sorrento and just did Capri on a day trip, which worked pretty well.

We'll be there in July. Will go to Capri for a day trip from Sorrento. You're not the first person to say to skip the Blue Grotto! Don't think that'll be making the itinerary! Thanks again for your help!

Been there twice for a week each time. Looking back, what we enjoyed most were Anacapri, the chair lift up to the top of Monte Solero, having lunch and a few glasses of wine up there and the ride down, the perfume shops and Punta Tragara, a boat ride around the entire island (skipping the Blue Grotto), Villa Jovis and La Grottella, a restaurant literally in a cave on the way to Villa Jovis. Capri Town is fun for an hour or two but it’s super touristy and usually very crowded.

Yep, the chairlift up Mt Solaro is another very popular attraction but one I'd choose before the Blue Grotto. The view up there is very nice, and there's a small cafe for kicking back with a beverage to enjoy it. We liked Anacapri BEFORE it got really busy so you might consider taking the bus directly up there from the marina, doing the chairlift and poking around a bit before heading down (bus) to Capri town. That one is going to get very busy as soon as the day-trippers hit the dock so it doesn't make a huge difference, IMHO, whether you do it earlier or not. We enjoyed a walk-by of some of the (non luxury-label) shops in Anacapri; Capri's tended to be too glitz for us.

We also enjoyed the trek up to Villa Jovis very much (another great view from the ruins) as well as the Pizzolungo walk:

https://www.capri.net/en/s/villa-jovis-mount-tiberio
https://www.capri.net/en/s/arco-naturale-and-pizzolungo

Whether you want to tackle Villa Jovis with your parents will depend on what sort of shape they're in? It's a bit of an uphill puff if not much of a walker. Bar Jovis, on Via Tiberio, is along the way, not far from the entrance to the ruins. Has a nice patio overlooking the sea, beverages, sammies and light meals, and sees good reviews.

No tour needed! Take the walk from Giardini di Agosto to Punta Tragara. Lovely area, gorgeous views.

We will be taking a trip to Capri in April-May. If the weather permits I would like to go out on the water. The boat rentals and trips online seem to be VERY expensive. Any thoughts to boat rentals for their trip as well ours?

lynn,

I wouldn't bother with an organized tour of Capri, as with some good research and a good guidebook, it's very easy to do that on your own. A self guided tour will allow you more flexibility in terms of timing and to see the sights that are most important to you. Be sure to research the boat times in the afternoon, so that you don't miss the last boat back to the mainland.

I don’t think a tour is necessary either. There’s not all that much “there” there, and using the bus to get between Capri town and Anacapri is about the only real transportation you’ll need. You’re just there to relax and explore the place. Crowd avoidance enhances your enjoyment of Capri immensely. Get an early start. If you’re up in Anacapri even as late as noon you are ahead of most of the tourists. I would hang out in Anacapri over Capri town in a heartbeat. Definitely take the chairlift up to Monte Solaro, it was the highlight for me. I would actually recommend the boat tours that just go around the island. I found it very worthwhile, easy and fun, and a decent value.

The walk to Villa Jovis is not suitable for 75-year olds, especially on a hot day, (Written by a 67-year old.) The walk is endless. And you can't hail a cab if you get tired,