Last updated on August 6th, 2026 at 09:04 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 ticking off a few more highlights of the Adriatic, but does the experience live up to the hype?
I’ve visited Hvar several times and this private Blue Cave Tour is the first boat tour I took from Hvar and one of the most memorable, 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 the Blue Cave, you’ll visit many of Vis Island’s highlights including the iconic Stiniva Beach, charming Komiza Bay (a top Mama Mia location), the Green Cave and even scenic Palmizana Bay – this popular boat tour from Hvar certainly covers a lot in one day, here’s how my experience unfolded and everything you need to know before booking!
What is the Blue Cave?
If you’re wondering why the Blue Cave is blue and what makes it so special, the real reason is that the blue cave feels magical – it’s one of those must-see phenomena’s where natural light streams through the small opening of the cave and bounces off the walls and lime stone floor at certain times of the day creating a spectacular blue light show!
Even though the whole experience lasts only 10 minutes, it’s one of the highlights in the Adriatic and boat tours travel from as far as Split almost two hours away, but from Hvar it’s only 40 minutes, making it much more worthwhile, especially when combined with other nearby spectacular attractions!
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 with a guide 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!
What’s included from the Blue Cave Tour From Hvar?
The Blue Cave boat tour from Hvar is a full day speedboat adventure, which is typically combined with Vis Island, the most authentic island in Croatia, visiting around four spots and finishes at the scenic Pakleni Islands, with private Blue Cave boat tours you can change or include further stops, I always recommend including beautiful Komiza Bay for a walk around and lunch, it’s spectacular – and the reason why I’ve returned to Vis Island many summers since! 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 additional ticket price of around €12 per person.
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 enjoy a pre-boat breakfast along the waterfront beforehand (try Forr – excellent granola bowls!!) before setting off at a very reasonable 10am, after a quick briefing and run through of the day’s itinerary – and finding our positions on the immaculate boat where there’s seats at the front and back and with or without shade!
As we opted for a private Blue Cave tour from Hvar all our arrangements were made a few days prior which was reassuring such as, lunch on Vis Island (Komiza Bay) and drinks at Laganini on Palmizana Bay in the Pakleni Islands to nicely round off a beautiful day at sea – absolutely no time was wasted 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, similar to some of the more remote and spectacular beaches on Hvar Island’s south coast.
After spending around 30 minutes basking in the sunshine, long enough to enjoy a serene and peaceful experience – completely free from infrastructure and other tourists we were ready for our next venture, luckily September is a quieter time for day trips from Hvar and the sea is the warmest for early morning swims!
Green Cave – Islet of Ravnik
Most Blue Cave tours don’t include the Green Cave, but we scheduled in a quick stop at this 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!
There are options to either 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 novelty and if you get the same conditions, it’s worth doing, the entry fee is only €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 and the colours are brighter).
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 and popular stops and one of my personal favourites! It’s known locally as ‘James Bond’, as you access the beach by jumping off the boat and swimming to shore between the dramatic chalky cliffs that circle the giant white pebbles, it’s a lot of fun and a beautiful landscape!
The sea here is very calm and every shade of blue! We spent around an hour in total simply sunbathing, swimming and relaxing with a couple of lemon beers from the beach hut – the only thing on this natural beach and you can’t stay much more than this as there’s virtually no shade!
As we visited mid September there were only two or three other boats in the area, usually Stiniva Cove is much busier across the peak summer months, but we booked later in the season to avoid the crowds specifically and or our private tour guide has a knack for perfect timing!
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, but with hardly any wait time, we hopped on the wooden boats, scooched down and reappeared in the magical Blue Cave – often named ‘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 the blue cave tour is this is the only time I felt touristy on the entire trip!)
Stiniva Beach Vis Island on the Blue Cave Tour From Hvar!
Komiza – Vis Island
Komiza is only 15 minutes around the bay from Stiniva Beach, our pre-arranged lunch stop for this private Blue Cave tour from Hvar and the boat docked right on the harbour front with spectacular 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 Blue Cave tour From Hvar for more time and 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 lanes.
I highly recommend including Komiza, it really does look like a sleepy harbour from a bygone era, 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 and this stop is the reason why I have visited the islands many times since!!
Komiza Bay on the Blue Cave Hvar tour!
Check availability for the private Blue Cave tour from Hvar Island, which is fully customisable to include beautiful Komiza Bay on Vis Island!
Palmizana Bay – Pakleni Islands
Before returning to Hvar Town we stopped by picturesque Palmizana Bay in the Pakleni Islands for drinks and good vibes to end the Blue Cave tour from Hvar is style at boutique beach club Laganini – filled with boho-luxury cabanas, tree ‘nests’, loungers and a cool bar area, which still remains one of my favourite places to visit from Hvar Island to this day!
A lot of boat tours finish with the Pakleni Islands before reaching Hvar Town as the journey is only 10 -20 minutes to the harbour, you could even stop here for lunch instead of Komiza – 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!
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 visit Vis Island’s highlights and few magical spots in the Adriatic – I especially loved our time on Stiniva and Komiza!
Laganini Beach Club, Pakleni Islands
Is the Blue Cave Tour From Hvar Worth It?
Yes, absolutely! In my experience, a Blue Cave tour is one of the most exciting boat tours from Hvar Island, seeing the famous sights, discovering beautiful Vis Island and spending a day island hopping around the Adriatic makes it well worth the full day trip, especially for first-time visitors who want to maximise their time!
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 Hvar, 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 more personalised 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 adventures or those who are social or perhaps on a tighter budget, a small group still offers a unique 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 & towel
- 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 – 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!
Where To Visit Next In Croatia!
- Where To Stay In Split
- Where To Stay In Dubrovnik
- Where To Stay in Korcula
- Where To Stay in Vis Island
- Best Things To Do In Split
- Best Things To Do In Dubrovnik
- Guide To Korcula Island
- Guide To Vis Island
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Michelle Trudie, is the founder of Little Wanderblog, a luxury boutique travel site. She has travelled to over 30 countries in the last 15 years. Michelle share’s her passion for stylish and affordable luxury travel experiences in Europe and beyond! Her goal is to make travel planning easier to hidden gem places!