Private Speedboat Tour- Blue cave, sandy beaches and snorkelling

Sea, caves, and a sandy beach in one day. This private speedboat outing gives you a flexible way to explore Dubrovnik’s nearby islands, with time for swimming in the Blue Cave, snorkelling around Koločep, lunch on Šipan, and a stop at Šunj Beach. I especially like the private format, since your skipper can adjust the day to your interests, and I like that snorkelling gear, water, soft drinks, beer, and wine are included.

The main catch is the extra fuel charge, which is not included in the advertised price. You should also remember that lunch, pickup and drop-off, and the admission fee for optional stops are separate costs. The boat has no toilet, so plan accordingly before setting off.

The tour costs $362.05 for a group of up to four people and lasts from roughly two to eight hours, depending on the option you choose. Skippers Toni and Rocco have earned special praise for suggesting good stops while still listening to what each group wants.

Key points at a glance

• Swim inside the Blue Cave: Sunlight reflects through the water and gives the cave its famous blue glow.
• Private boat for up to four: You share the boat only with your own group, making it easier to choose between swimming, beaches, caves, and island walks.
• Fuel costs extra: Budget €50 for a four-hour tour, €70 for eight hours, or €120 for the Mljet National Park option.
• Šunj is the beach stop: Lopud’s popular sandy beach offers time to relax and buy drinks at beach bars.
• Lunch on Šipan is separate: The two-hour island stop includes time at a restaurant, but the meal is not part of the tour price.
• Mljet requires the eight-hour option: This longer trip can include Limuni Beach, Odysseus Cave, and the salt lakes in Mljet National Park.

What the private speedboat day is really like

This is not a fixed sightseeing cruise with a large crowd and a guide speaking over a loudspeaker. It is a private outing for your group of up to four, led by a skipper who can shape the day around your preferences.

That flexibility is the strongest reason to book it. You can spend more time swimming if the water is calling, or use a stop for a short walk if you want something beyond the boat. Toni has been praised for asking what his group wanted to see and then recommending stops that suited them. Rocco received similar praise for tailoring the route and making each stop feel worthwhile.

The range of possible durations matters. A shorter version can focus on the Blue Cave and nearby islands, while the eight-hour plan reaches much farther to Mljet. Do not assume every listed stop fits into every tour length. Lokrum is available only on request, and visiting it means giving up the chance to see all the Elaphiti Islands.

The tour is offered in English. Confirmation is provided when you book, and the activity is described as suitable for most people. Service animals are allowed, and the departure area is near public transportation, although pickup and drop-off are not included.

Koločep and the Blue Cave

Koločep is usually the star of the outing. The route includes the Blue Cave and three other caves around the island, giving you several chances to see the coast from the water rather than only from a beach.

Inside the Blue Cave, sunlight reflects through the water and creates the blue color that gives the cave its name. You can swim and snorkel inside the caves, weather and sea conditions permitting. The included snorkelling equipment saves you from packing your own mask and fins, and the chance to look for sea life adds more purpose to the swimming stops.

The cave visits are best for people who want an active boat trip rather than a purely scenic ride. You should be ready to get into the water, climb back aboard, and spend time exposed to the sun. If you prefer to remain dry, the caves can still be viewed from the boat, but the main appeal is being able to swim inside them.

The planned stop lasts about one hour. That is enough for a taste of the caves and a swim, but it is not an open-ended session. The skipper’s local judgment becomes useful here, especially if the group wants to balance cave time with the other islands.

Šipan: a two-hour pause for lunch

After Koločep, the boat heads to Šipan, where the usual plan allows about two hours for lunch at a restaurant. This is a useful change of pace. Instead of moving from one swim to the next, you get time to sit down, eat, and enjoy an island setting.

Lunch is not included, so treat this stop as an extra part of your budget. The supplied details do not specify a fixed restaurant or menu, so ask the skipper about the available choice and expected prices before ordering.

A two-hour stop gives you more breathing room than a quick meal between activities. It also makes the full day less rushed, especially for families or small groups that want time to dry off and rest. On the other hand, anyone focused mainly on swimming may find the lunch break longer than necessary.

The private format helps here. You are not tied to the pace of a large boat full of strangers, but you should still confirm the timing with your skipper. The exact balance between lunch and water time can affect how many other stops fit into your day.

Lopud’s churches, monastery, and sandy coast

Lopud brings a different feel from the caves. The island is known for its churches, monastery, and sandy beaches, and the usual one-hour stop gives you time to walk and explore.

This is the stop for you if you want a little land-based sightseeing. The caves are about light, water, and enclosed spaces. Lopud offers a chance to stretch your legs and see some of the island’s built heritage before returning to the boat.

One hour is enough for a short walk, but not for a slow, detailed exploration of every church and path. Keep your expectations realistic. This is a compact island visit within a boat day, not a dedicated walking tour.

The combination works well for mixed groups. One person can enjoy the scenery and historic buildings while another looks forward to the next swim. You will want sensible footwear if you plan to walk beyond the immediate beach area.

Šunj Beach and the easiest hour of the day

Šunj Beach is usually the final stop and is described as the most popular sandy beach in the Dubrovnik area. For many people, this will be the simplest and most relaxing part of the trip.

You can lie back, swim, and buy drinks at the beach bars. Unlike the cave stop, there is no need to squeeze into a narrow space or use snorkelling equipment. It is a straightforward beach break, with plenty of time to enjoy the water and the sand.

The stop normally lasts about one hour. That is enough for a swim and a drink, but it may feel short if you want a long, lazy beach afternoon. If Šunj is your main reason for booking, ask whether the route can give it more time, since the private setup may allow some adjustment.

The beach also gives the day a pleasant finish. A bottle of water, soft drink, beer, or wine is included, and a bottle of champagne is included on the sunset tour. Alcohol is best saved for after you have finished swimming, of course.

Lokrum is an optional trade-off

Lokrum lies in front of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, on the opposite side from the Elaphiti Islands. The boat visits Lokrum only on request.

This option gives you a different view of Dubrovnik and keeps the route close to the city. But there is a clear trade-off: if you choose Lokrum, you cannot also see all the Elaphiti Islands during the same outing.

Admission to Lokrum is not included. Since it is an optional stop rather than part of the standard route, confirm the entrance arrangements and timing before you choose it.

I would select Lokrum if you have already seen little of the Elaphiti Islands or if your group specifically wants a view near Dubrovnik. If the Blue Cave, Šipan, Lopud, and Šunj are your priorities, keep the route focused on those stops instead.

Mljet National Park requires the full eight hours

Mljet is the most ambitious option. The island is about 50 kilometres from Dubrovnik, and the speedboat ride takes roughly two hours each way. The eight-hour Blue Cave and Mljet National Park tour is the only option that includes Mljet.

Once there, the plan can include Limuni Beach, Odysseus Cave, and the salt lakes in the national park. This makes the route appealing if you want a longer day with more natural scenery and are willing to spend a large part of the outing on the boat.

The distance is also the main drawback. Two hours each way leaves less time for each individual stop, even with a full-day booking. If you dislike long periods on the water, the closer Koločep, Šipan, Lopud, and Šunj route may suit you better.

Mljet admission is not included, and the fuel charge for this option is €120 per booking. Add those costs before comparing it with a shorter private boat outing. The national park option makes sense for someone who wants to see Mljet specifically, not simply someone looking for the most swimming time.

Drinks and snorkelling equipment add real value

The included extras are practical rather than flashy. Bottled water and Coca-Cola help on a warm day, while beer and wine make the beach or sunset portion more relaxed. The drinks are especially useful because the itinerary includes several hours outside and lunch is not provided.

Snorkelling equipment is another meaningful inclusion. You do not have to rent gear separately, and you can use the same equipment at Koločep’s caves and other swimming areas. The supplied details do not promise a particular type or size range, so if you need specialist gear, ask in advance.

The sunset option includes a bottle of champagne. That is a nice touch for a special occasion, but do not confuse it with the standard inclusion for every departure. It is specifically listed for the sunset tour.

The boat is described as comfortable and air-conditioned, with round transfers mentioned among the features. Yet pickup and drop-off are not included in the actual inclusions, so you should clarify exactly where you meet the skipper. One group noted that the pickup point was about a 10-minute taxi ride from the Old Town.

The price is fair, but only after you add the extras

At $362.05 for up to four people, the base price works out to about $90.51 per person if the boat is full. That is a reasonable price for a private day on the water, especially when you value having only your own group aboard and can share the cost with family or friends.

The headline price is not the final price. Fuel is charged separately:

• Four-hour tour: €50 per booking
• Eight-hour tour: €70 per booking
• Eight-hour Mljet National Park tour: €120 per booking

Lunch is also separate. Admission for Lokrum and Mljet National Park is not included, and transport to and from the meeting point is your responsibility.

One person specifically appreciated the boat, staff, and equipment but felt surprised by the fuel charge. I agree that this is the main point to settle before booking. The fee is clearly stated in the supplied details, but it is easy to focus on the attractive base price and overlook it.

For a full group of four, the value is strongest. For one or two people, the same per-booking price becomes much less attractive unless the private experience is important to you.

Weather, timing, and comfort tips

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted.

Because the boat has no toilet, use facilities before departure and consider this when choosing the tour length. An eight-hour day to Mljet is a different commitment from a short cave-and-beach outing.

The tour is booked well ahead on average, around 46 days in advance. That suggests you should reserve early if your Dubrovnik dates are fixed, particularly for a private boat with a limited capacity of four.

I would also confirm four points before departure: the meeting location, the exact duration, the fuel charge for your chosen route, and whether lunch is at a particular restaurant. These questions prevent small surprises from taking the shine off an otherwise flexible day.

Who will enjoy this boat trip most?

You are a good match for this tour if you want:

• A private boat rather than a large shared cruise
• Swimming and snorkelling around caves
• A flexible day shaped by your group
• Time on sandy beaches as well as on the water
• A mix of island scenery, lunch, short walks, and swimming
• An English-speaking skipper
• A practical way to split a boat cost among up to four people

Families may appreciate the private setting, since the skipper can respond to the group’s pace. Couples and friends may like the freedom to choose a shorter route, a sunset departure, or the longer Mljet plan.

You may want another option if you need a toilet aboard, dislike extra charges added after the base fare, want a long uninterrupted beach stay, or prefer a tour with all meals and entrance fees paid in advance.

Should you book the Blue Cave speedboat tour?

I would book it if your priority is a private, active day that combines Koločep’s caves with the sandy coast of Lopud and Šunj. The strongest parts are the skipper-led flexibility, the chance to swim inside the Blue Cave, and the useful inclusions such as snorkelling equipment, water, soft drinks, beer, and wine.

Choose your route carefully. The standard island plan offers more variety close to Dubrovnik, while Mljet gives you a much longer ride and a national park visit. Lokrum is a separate choice that can replace some of the Elaphiti Islands.

Before paying, add fuel, lunch, any admission fees, and your taxi to the meeting point. If that complete price still fits your budget, this is a strong choice for up to four people who want to explore Dubrovnik’s nearby islands at their own pace.

FAQ

How much does the private speedboat tour cost?

The listed price is $362.05 per group of up to four people. Fuel is charged separately at €50 for four hours, €70 for eight hours, or €120 for the eight-hour Mljet National Park option.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately two to eight hours. The exact length depends on the route and option you select.

Is the Blue Cave included?

Yes. The usual Koločep stop includes the Blue Cave and three additional caves, where you can swim and snorkel.

Is snorkelling equipment provided?

Yes. Use of snorkelling equipment is included in the tour price.

Is lunch included?

No. The Šipan stop includes about two hours for lunch at a restaurant, but the meal is not included.

Can the tour visit Lokrum Island?

Yes, but Lokrum is visited only on request. Choosing Lokrum means the boat cannot see all the Elaphiti Islands, and admission is not included.

Does the tour go to Mljet National Park?

Only the eight-hour Blue Cave and Mljet National Park option goes to Mljet. The route can include Limuni Beach, Odysseus Cave, and the park’s salt lakes. Admission is not included.

What happens if the weather is bad?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund.