Is The Blue Cave Tour From Hvar Worth It? My Honest Review!

Last updated on June 9th, 2026 at 09:18 pm

If you’re wondering if the Blue Cave from Hvar boat tour is worth the long day commitment you’re not alone, it’s certainly one of the most popular day trips from Hvar Town and a full adventure out on the open water, but does the experience live up to the hype?

I’ve visited Hvar several times and this private Blue Cave Tour was one of the most memorable days out, so yes the Blue Cave Tour is worth going on, especially a private hire to see more hidden gems, avoiding the larger and louder boat crowds while leaving room on the speedboat to relax in-between sightseeing and swim in beautiful bays, which is key to a great time!

And this boat tour travels far beyond Hvar, the Pakleni Islands and even the Blue Cave, you’ll visit many of Vis Island’s highlights including Stiniva Beach, charming Komiza Bay (a top Mama Mia location), the Green Cave and scenic Palmizana Bay – it’s a world-wind tour for a reason, here’s how my experience unfolded and everything you need to know before booking!

Note: We took this Blue Cave tour from Hvar in mid-September!

What is the Blue Cave?

If you are new to the Blue Cave, let me tell you the reason why it’s blue, at certain times of the day light streams through a small underwater opening of the cave and bounces off the lime stone floor, which creates a natural blue light show in the clear turquoise waters – it’s a spectacle to see!

Boat trips from as far as Split come to witness this phenomena almost two hours away, but from Hvar it’s only 40 minutes, the cave itself sits on the tiny island of Biševo, just off Vis Island and to get inside, you’ll hop onto a little wooden boat and glide through a very narrow entrance – but don’t worry, once inside the ceilings are high and the boats circle the cave for full effect – the experience lasts around 10-15 minutes.

What’s included from the Blue Cave Tour From Hvar?

The Blue Cave speedboat tour from Hvar is a full day venture, which is always combined with nearby Vis Island and typically includes the iconic Stiniva beach, blue lagoon on Budikovac island, Vis Town or Komiza and the Pakleni Islands on the return journey for drinks, on our private boat tour I insisted on a stop at beautiful Komiza for a walk around and lunch – it’s the perk of a flexible private tour!

You’ll travel by speedboat, which gets you around the locations quicker, yes, this boat tour from Hvar Town might be faced paced, but it does tick off a lot of gems and adds variety to your Hvar boat tour – we covered 5 locations, plus a few scenic spots and secret beach coves, here’s a breakdown of the inclusions!

• Speed Boat (Max 11 people)
• Skipper
• Customisable Itinerary
• Budikovac Island (Blue Lagoon)
• Green Cave
• Stiniva Cove
• Komiza Bay
• Blue Cave
• Pakleni Islands (Palmizana Bay)
• Bottled Water

At each of the stops you get plenty of free time, except for the caves which is scheduled by the official guides, for both green and blue caves there is a ticket price of around €12 per person – not included.

Check availability of this Blue Cave tour from Hvar Island here!

MY EXPERIENCE OF THE BLUE CAVE TOUR FROM HVAR

First Impression: Blue Cave Tour From Hvar

All Blue Cave tours conveniently depart from Hvar Town harbour, where you can grab breakfast along the waterfront beforehand (try Forr – excellent granola bowls!!) before you set off at 10am, a very reasonable time in the morning!

As we opted for a private Blue Cave tour from Hvar all our arrangements were made a few days prior, such as, lunch on Vis Island (Komiza Bay) and drinks at Laganini on Palmizana Bay in the Pakleni Islands – a must do!

After a friendly briefing on the immaculate boat and run through of our itinerary, we felt rest-assured, slapped on the sun lotion and wasted no time in zipping to our first destination the Blue Lagoon on Budikovac Island!

Blue Lagoon – Budikovac Island

From Hvar Town it took around 30 minutes to reach the Blue Lagoon, our first swim stop, even the views leaving the town are super impressive and they continued to be scenic once we reached the Blue Lagoon and stopped for a swim in natural rocky beach coves with crystal-clear, turquoise waters.

We spent around 30 minutes basking in the sunshine here, long enough for us to enjoy a serene and peaceful experience – completely free from infrastructure and other tourists, luckily we went in September for this early morning swim when the sea is at it warmest – and the boat has shade if you need it!

Green Cave – Islet of Ravnik

Our itinerary included a stop at the Green Cave an islet of Ravnik before arriving at Vis Island, the Green Cave is smaller and not as well known as the Blue Cave and – green glowing rather than Blue, but just as beautiful!

You can go inside with the boat or swim if the water is calm enough, as there were no other visitors or boats around and we had the weather on our side we swam in and thoroughly enjoyed the experience (if you get the same conditions, it’s worth doing!). Note, there is a entry fee of €12.

(But, I should caveat that by saying, if you only have time on your schedule to visit one glowing cave, I recommend the Blue Cave over the Green Cave as it is more special).

Stiniva Beach Cove – Vis Island

Straight after the Green Cave we headed to iconic Stiniva Beach on the south of Vis Island, it’s the most adventurous stop and one of my personal favourites, most Blue Cave tours from Hvar head towards this unmissable beach stop were you jump of the boat and swim between the dramatic chalky cliffs that circle the white pebble beach (see the image below) – bring your water shoes, it’s a lot of fun and so stunning!

The sea here is every shade of blue and we spent around an hour in total on the beach simply sunbathing, swimming and relaxing with a couple of lemon beers from the little bar – the only thing on the beach besides large white pebbles, there were two or three other boats in the area, but it didn’t feel busy – maybe because it was mid September after the peak season or our private tour guide expertly avoided the crowds!

Blue Cave – Bisevo island

The Blue Cave is only a short 15 minutes boat drive from Stiniva and our next stop, perfectly timed to see the blue light at its brightest between 11am and 1pm – in this short window you can expect other boats to be present – as I mentioned they travel from as far as Split!

At the Blue Cave, everyone transfers on to smaller wooden boats to squeeze through the small opening of the cave with an official Blue Tour guide, as the area is protected you can’t swim and you will need a ticket for this, the fee is €12 per person (payment made at the booth).

But with hardly any wait time, we hopped on the wooden boats, scooched down and reappeared in the magical Blue Cave – often named as ‘the most beautiful blue cave in the world’ and they weren’t exaggerating, even if the whole experience lasts just 10 minutes!

(What surprised me the most was that there were 4-5 boats already inside the cave, it just shows how popular it is, this is the only time I felt touristy on the entire trip!)

Komiza – Vis Island

Komiza is around the corner from Stiniva Beach, our pre-arranged lunch stop of the private Blue Cave tour from Hvar and the boat docked right on the harbour front with insane views of the mountains and traditional stone houses – this is one of the main Mama Mia filming locations and it’s beautiful!

Not many group Blue Cave boat tours will have the freedom to drop by charming Komiza, which is why we opted for a private tour for more flexibility and to prioritise the things we actually wanted to get out of the boat trip, such as a wonderful lunch stop at Tavern Jastozera and a wander through the authentic old town.

I highly recommend including Komiza, even for a coffee it’s worth it to see one of the highlights of Vis Island and add contrast to your trip – it only takes 30 minutes to explore the old town and harbour of Komiza – it’s small but idyllic!

Tip! If you have more time in Croatia, I would definitely stay a few nights on beautiful Vis Island, the charm and feel of the island is unlike any other!

Check availability for the private Blue Cave tour from Hvar Island, which is fully customisable to include beautiful Komiza Bay!

Palmizana Bay – Pakleni Islands

Before returning to Hvar Town we stopped by the beautiful Palmizana Bay in the Pakleni Islands, a small picturesque spot vibrant with overwater restaurants and a boutique beach club called Laganini, which is where we stopped for drinks to finish off the Blue Cave tour from Hvar in style – and a little luxury!

A lot of the group tours also stop by the Pakleni Islands before reaching Hvar Town for a farewell drink and on our private excursion there’s always an option to stay here for lunch in place of Komiza or Vis Town – both are equally incredible spots and if this was my only boat excursion I might have gone for Laganini Fish House restaurant in the canopies – another wonderful experience, which has long been my favourite place in this small group of islands!

Return To Hvar

We returned to Hvar Town Harbour at around 6pm, everyone on the boat happy and salty! It was a full day out, but not overly long as the distances were short, in just under 8 hours, we had the chance to visit Vis Island’s highlights and a few gems we wouldn’t have known about – I especially loved our time on Stiniva and Komiza!

Is the Blue Cave Tour From Hvar Worth It?

Yes, absolutely! In my opinion, a Blue Cave tour is one of the most memorable experiences you can have in Croatia. Seeing the famous glowing blue waters, discovering beautiful Vis Island and spending a day island hopping around the Adriatic makes it well worth the trip, especially for first-time visitors!

A few things to keep in mind:

• The Blue Cave is weather dependent and can occasionally close due to rough seas.

• Choosing a small-group or private tour offers a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.

• It can be a long day, so it’s best suited to travellers who enjoy being out on the water.

My verdict: If you’re looking for an iconic Croatian adventure, I’d definitely recommend it and personally think it’s one of the best boat trips from Split, see availability for your dates here!

Best Blue Caves Tours From Hvar!

Best Private Blue Cave Tour From Hvar:

A private tour is more elevated and 100% worthwhile, no waiting around, more room on the boat and a personalised custom itinerary, with your own music and lunch options, this is what we personally opted for and highly recommend, especially for couples, groups or occasions!

View our private custom Blue Cave tour from Hvar!

Best Small Group Blue Cave Tour From Hvar:

Small group boat tours to the Blue Cave are a great option for solo travellers or those who want to be more social, a small group still offers a personalised experience (normally capped at around 11 people), but often the itineraries are set – unless the group agrees, you’ll visit the main spots of the tour!

Book your spot on the small group Blue Cave tour from Hvar!

BLUE CAVE TOURS FROM HVAR – INSIDER TIPS!

Booking Tips

Booking Hvar excursions is easy with Viator and Get Your Guide, I use them constantly as their customer service and cancellation options are fantastic. For example, you can cancel or change dates with just 24 hours’ notice – book your Hvar boat tours securely – and for peace of mind in case your plans alter!

Pre-book Tours

If you’re hoping to go on a private or small group Blue Cave Hvar boat tour pre-booking is a must to avoid disappointment, especially during the peak season late June until August and this is the most popular boat tour from Hvar – I recommend securely booking two weeks ahead!

Check Inclusions

Not every boat comes with the same things, some offer towels, a cooler box and drinks while private tours make a point of including a personal guide and fuel (for some private boat rentals it’s not a given – ours was included).

Check Rental Boat Size

If you want more space, look closely at the maximum guest count of your private or group boat tour, often a boat will feel very busy if it actually reaches max capacity!

What To Pack

• Chic cover-ups – Hvar sun is strong!
• Bring a change of outfit for lunch!
• Waterproof phone case
• Hat, sunglasses, SPF 30-50
• Swimwear and thick towel (for the pebbles)
• Drinks & snacks
• Water shoes for swimming & pebble beaches
• Cash & Card

Still planning your Hvar Island itinerary?

Planning your trip to Hvar? I’ve also shared a complete what to do travel guide for first-time visitors, my favourite things to do, that pairs perfectly with the best day trips from Hvar Island!

• Complete Guide To Hvar Island – top tips & need to know for first time visitors!
• Where To Stay In Hvar Island – the best areas, boutique hotels & luxury stays!
• Best Things To Do In Hvar Town – heritage sites, attractions & experiences!
• Day Trips From Hvar – islands, bays & coastal towns worth visiting!
• Guide To The Pakleni Islands – best bays, restaurants & tips!
• Best Restaurants in Hvar Croatia – wine bars, seafront terraces & more!
• Beaches In Hvar – best Hvar beaches & how to get there!
• Stari Grad Day Trip – visit an authentic village on Hvar!

SAVE & SHARE – BLUE CAVE TOUR FROM HVAR REVIEW!

Is The Blue Cave Tour From Hvar Worth It? Full Guide! | Pin For Later

This post contains affiliate links and I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the link. This is at no extra cost to you and it allows the site to keep running.