Private boat tours on the Amalfi Coast

What you are actually buying

On a shared tour the itinerary is fixed by the slowest passenger and the operator's turnaround schedule. On a private boat you decide: an extra 40 minutes anchored at Punta Campanella because the water is clear, lunch at a beach restaurant instead of a packed lunch, the Furore fjord before the tour fleet arrives, or a straight run to the quietest cove and nothing else all day.

You also buy shade, space and a skipper who talks to you rather than a microphone. On the Amalfi Coast, where the good stops are small coves with limited room, this matters more than on most coastlines — a 40-passenger boat physically cannot enter places a gozzo can.

Choosing the boat

1. 1Gozzo sorrentino (wooden, 6–12 pax)The traditional local boat: slow, stable, shaded by a canopy, easy to swim from. The right choice for families, relaxed days and photographs. Cruising speed means Capri is a stretch and Positano-to-Amalfi takes 40 minutes.
2. 2Motorboat or cabin cruiser (6–10 pax)Faster and drier, with a toilet and a cabin to change in. Best if your group wants Capri and the Amalfi Coast on separate days from the same base, or if anyone is worried about sun exposure.
3. 3RIB / gommone (4–8 pax)The most fun and the least comfortable. Cheapest private option per hour, reaches distant coves quickly, punishing in afternoon chop and short on shade.
4. 4Sailing yacht (4–8 pax)Quiet and beautiful, dependent on wind, and slower under sail than any motorboat. Choose it for the experience of sailing, not for covering distance.
5. 5Bareboat rental without skipperSmall engines up to 40 hp can be driven without a licence in Italy [VERIFY current regulations]. Fine for a bay; not sensible for the exposed coast between Praiano and Amalfi.

What the quote usually leaves out

• Fuel: many charters quote the boat and skipper and add fuel at cost, which can be €80–€250 depending on the route [VERIFY].
• Skipper gratuity: customary, typically 10% or a round sum for a good day.
• Marine park fees for the Punta Campanella reserve, and grotto entry fees where applicable.
• Lunch ashore, which on a Positano beach club can rival the cost of the charter hours.
• Mooring or landing charges in Capri and Amalfi in high season.
• Extra hours: overrun is usually billed per hour and can be steep at sunset.

Timing your charter

• Book the 08:30 slot. Private boats gain the most from the two hours before the shared fleet arrives.
• For a full day, aim to be back at the pier by 17:00 unless you have specifically bought a sunset extension.
• If you only want half a day, take the morning half. The afternoon has the wind, the chop and the flat light.
• For July and August, enquire three to six weeks ahead; the best skippers and the shaded gozzi go first.
• Ask what happens if the sea rises: a good operator offers a shortened sheltered route or a free reschedule.

A private day worth copying

1. 108:30 — depart PositanoEmpty water, side light, no queues at the pontoon.
2. 209:00 — Li GalliFirst swim before any shared boat reaches the islets.
3. 310:15 — Fiordo di FurorePass under the bridge and photograph the fjord while the light still reaches into it.
4. 411:15 — Emerald Grotto areaWeather permitting, the entry queue is shortest before noon.
5. 512:30 — AmalfiNinety minutes ashore: the Duomo staircase, the paper museum, an early lunch.
6. 614:30 — Praiano covesSecond swim in a cove east of Praiano, away from the ferry route.
7. 716:30 — return to PositanoArrive before the westerly peaks, with the town lit from the front.

How to save on a private boat

• Fill the boat. A gozzo costs the same with four people or ten; find friends or another couple.
• Take a half-day morning charter instead of a full day and swim more per euro.
• Depart from the closest port to the scenery — Positano or Praiano rather than Sorrento or Salerno — so you buy coastline rather than fuel.
• Choose shoulder season: the same boats, often 25–40% cheaper, with better availability [VERIFY].
• Bring your own food and drinks where the operator allows it, and eat ashore only once.
• Book direct with a local operator via a platform that shows the full policy, and compare two or three quotes for the same boat class.

Frequently asked questions