8 Island Day Trips in Italy Worth Boarding

1.From Palau: La Maddalena Islands Full-Day Trip by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,414 reviews · 7 hours · from $59Our pick

Spend seven hours aboard the Sea Star from Palau, stopping at Spargi and Santa Maria, photographing Budelli, and swimming near Caprera. Depending on the day, finish at Cala Coticcio or La Maddalena town. Expect multilingual commentary, onboard food for purchase, and crowded summer stops.

“If seated at the front of the boat, raincoats would be a good idea. Lunch was ok, but prepare your own snacks for the rest of the journey. Lovely places!”

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2.Small Group Boat Day Excursion to Capri Island from Sorrento

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 926 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $131

Cruise from Sorrento around Capri with an English-speaking skipper, stopping at the White and Green Grottoes, Faraglioni, Marina Piccola, Punta Carena, and the Natural Arch. You get roughly 3.5 hours on land, plus swimming, snacks, soft drinks, Prosecco, and limoncello.

“We are traveling with 3 little kids, one with a disability. I booked this excursion SPECIFICALLY because it did NOT stop at the blue grotto, knowing that my kids cannot handle a 2 hour wait in line. We also selected to be picked up from our hotel. The day before I get a message that we are to meet at the port. I reply letting them know we requested hotel pick up (and sent my confirmation email). They stated we need to walk down to the port to help them avoid traffic. Ok, fine. We get there at 7:45 am and get on the boat. As we depart, the captain…”

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3.Capri Island Boat Day Trip With Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 762 reviews · from $123Top rated

Travel from Sorrento to Capri with a hotel transfer and a small group of up to 12 people. Guides such as Italo, Giuseppe, Tony, and Valentino lead the island cruise, share local stories, serve drinks and snacks, stop for swimming, and give you four hours to explore Capri or Anacapri.

“We had a wonderful time! Tony and Valentino were our guides and were brilliant, sharing tips on what to do once in Capri as well as making the sightseeing boat trip around the island and back a lot of fun too! Highly recommend getting the bus into Anacapri to experience the chairlift for absolutely breathtaking views. This trip was the highlight of our time in Sorrento.”

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4.From Trapani: Favignana and Levanzo Egadi Island Day Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 477 reviews · 8 hours · from $65

Join TouristLines Egadi for an eight-hour cruise from Trapani aboard a modern maxi-RIB limited to 12 people. Swim at Cala Azzurra, Cala Rossa, and Cala Minnola, visit Favignana village, enter Grotta degli Innamorati, and enjoy fruit, panelle, crocchette, prosecco, and unlimited drinks.

“Great value for the money. Really loved how much time we could spend in Favignana town. Our guide was perfect and I loved all the drinks and treats offered to us. My only suggestion would be maybe one or two less stops for swimming. Stay at fewer places longer or maybe include a coffee break in Levanzo.”

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5.Capri Island Day Trip with Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 469 reviews · from $164

Join a small group of up to 12 for a boat trip from Sorrento to Capri. An English or Italian-speaking skipper guides you past the Faraglioni, Natural Arch, and grottos, with swim stops, snacks, drinks, and four hours to explore Capri and Anacapri.

“My Wife and I loved the trip. It lasted for just over 8 hours including a 3 hour stop on Capri. The guides were very knowledgeable about the sights and fun to talk with. The water the views the scenery was beautiful I highly recommend this trip if you plan to go to Capri From Serrento.”

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6.Very Small Group Capri Boat Excursion with Transfer from Positano

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 334 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $180

Spend about nine hours cruising Capri’s caves, Faraglioni rocks, and Punta Carena, with a swim stop and three to four hours ashore. A minivan links Positano with the Sorrento Coast marina. Guides such as Rafael, Rosa, Antonio, and Giuseppe have been praised for their humor and local tips.

“Fun time with new friends! Loved our excursion to Capri! Plenty of time to explore Capri as well as around the island from the boat. Captain was super fun and kept the energy level high all day.”

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7.From Rome: Ponza Island Day Trip with Boat Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 278 reviews · from $191

Spend 13 hours traveling from Rome to Ponza by coach and fast ferry, then cruise the island for five hours with swimming stops, grottoes, pasta lunch, wine, and stories from guides such as Mara, Valerio, Luca, and Gina.

“Wonderful trip, I would recommend anyone to do this if they are willing for a fun filled day. Our guide Giniya was spectacular and the amount of time we had each place was perfect and stress free. The city of Ponza is beautiful and there are a lot of little shops that we bought from. The food on board the boat was a tuna pasta, which I’m not big on tuna, but it was pretty good. We bought our own snorkel gear and they had no problem with that, instead of purchasing theirs. Would highly recommend snorkeling, if you don’t you are missing out on beautiful waters.”

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8.Syracuse Boat Excursion with Snorkeling to the Sea Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 100 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $37Best value

From Via Eritrea in Ortigia, board a small-group boat for a two-hour coastal ride with swimming stops, sea caves, and a visit inside a stalactite cave when conditions allow. Skippers such as Carmelo, Enzo, Gianni, and Corrado add music, fruit, Prosecco, and local character. Ask for snorkeling gear at the office.

“Piacevolissima escursione, affidati alla maestria del nostro Comandante Corrado, in un luogo incantevole”

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