Private Elaphiti Islands Boat Tour: Caves, Beaches & Flexibility

You choose which islands, which caves, how long you stay at each one.

A private boat tour of the Elaphiti Islands where your group and a professional skipper are the only people on board, and you decide the itinerary: visit the Green Cave, Blue Cave and Three Caves, swim at Sveti Jakov Beach or the horseshoe-shaped Šunj, and explore villages on your schedule. The tour runs 4 to 8 hours depending on how many islands you visit and how long you linger at each stop. Hotel pickup and drop-off, snorkeling equipment, towels, soft drinks, wine and beer are included. Meals at island restaurants are on you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Sveti Jakov Beach
2. Elafiti Islands3h
3. Elaphite Islands2h

Private Elaphiti Islands boat tour

• Visit Green Cave, Blue Cave, Three Caves
• Swim in coastal cavern's turquoise glow
• Relax at horseshoe-shaped sandy beach
• Visit Šunj beach and village
• Optionally visit third Elaphite island briefly

The experience

The boat leaves from your hotel pickup, and from there the day is yours to shape. A skipper who knows the islands steers, but you call the stops. Want to spend two hours in the caves on one island and skip the next one entirely? That works. Prefer a quick swim at Sveti Jakov Beach and then a long lunch at a village restaurant on Šunj? The skipper adjusts. This flexibility is the whole point. You are not following a fixed schedule that stops at three spots for twenty minutes each.

The Elaphiti Islands hold three main draws. The caves (Green, Blue and Three Caves) sit on one island and fill with turquoise light where the sun hits the water. You can stay as long as you want and swim in each one. Sveti Jakov Beach is a rare sandy stretch with shallow, warm water where you can wade out for meters instead of climbing over rocks. Šunj, on another island, is horseshoe-shaped and sandy, and it has a small village nearby where restaurants serve Dalmatian seafood if you get hungry during the tour. A third island rounds out the Elaphiti group, though it usually appears only on the longer 6- and 8-hour tours.

Snorkeling gear, towels, bottled water and drinks (soft drinks, white wine and beer) travel with you. The skipper is a professional who speaks English and Croatian. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, as are fuel and all local taxes. If you want to eat, you pay for meals at the island restaurants, but the boat itself is yours alone.

What’s included

• Snorkeling equipment and towels.
• bottled water, soft drinks, white wine and beer.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• professional skipper who speaks English and Croatian.
• fuel and all local taxes and fees.

Options for this experience

3 options

4 Hours TourGuide in English or Croatian · 09:00 and 13:30Lasts 4 hours. Drinks on offer: water, beer, Coca-Cola and wine. Tour takes place around the Elaphiti Islands on a Cap Camarat 7.5WA with a Yamaha 300 engine (boat built March 2024). Price includes fuel, skipper, snorkeling equipment, drinks, towels and a GoPro camera. Pickup is included.

6 Hours TourGuide in English or Croatian · 09:00, 10:00 and 11:00Lasts 6 hours. Drinks on offer: water, beer, Coca-Cola and wine. Tour takes place around the Elaphiti Islands on a Cap Camarat 7.5WA with a Yamaha 300 engine (boat built March 2024). Price includes fuel, skipper, snorkeling equipment, drinks, towels and a GoPro camera. Pickup is included.

8 Hours TourGuide in English or Croatian · 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00Lasts 8 hours. Drinks on offer: water, beer, wine and Coca-Cola. Tour takes place around the Elaphiti Islands on a Cap Camarat 7.5WA with a Yamaha 300 engine (boat built March 2024). Price includes fuel, skipper, snorkeling equipment, drinks, towels and a GoPro camera. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 13:30

Book up to3h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Croatian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 47 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Stella Maris Dubrovnik Boats

Is this one for you?Book the 4-hour tour if you want to see the main caves and one or two beaches without a full day commitment. Choose 6 or 8 hours if you want to visit all three Elaphiti Islands and linger over lunch at a village restaurant. The flexibility means you are not locked into a schedule. You stay where you want and skip what does not interest your group.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

382 verified traveler reviews

5 ★381

4 ★1

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Croatian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I choose how long to spend at each island on the Elaphiti boat tour?

Yes, the whole tour is flexible because it is private. You decide which islands to visit, which caves to enter and how long to stay at each place. The skipper adapts the route to your group's wishes.

What are the Green Cave and Blue Cave like?

Both caves sit on one of the Elaphiti Islands and fill with brilliant turquoise light as sunlight reflects through the Adriatic water. You can swim in each one and stay as long as you want.

Is Sveti Jakov Beach sandy or rocky?

Sveti Jakov Beach is sandy and rare for the region. The water is shallow and warm, so you can wade out for meters instead of climbing over rocks like most Adriatic beaches.

How long does the private Elaphiti Islands tour take?

The tour runs 4 to 8 hours depending on which islands you visit and how long you stay at each stop. You choose the pace.

What is included in the boat tour?

The tour includes snorkeling equipment, towels, bottled water, soft drinks, white wine and beer, hotel pickup and drop-off, and a professional skipper who speaks English and Croatian. Meals at island restaurants are not included.

Do I need to book the tour in advance, or can the skipper pick me up from my hotel?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in the tour, so the skipper collects you from your accommodation and returns you at the end of the day.