Lake Como boat tour: Private villas and secret spots, 2 hours

See the villas and villages only a boat can reach

A 2-hour private boat tour of Lake Como departs from Como town (or nearby villages by arrangement) with a live guide in English, Italian or French. You pass historic villas including Villa d'Este, Villa Fontanelle and Villa Pliniana, fishermen villages like Nesso with its waterfall, and the shores where George Clooney's Villa Oleandra sits. You can stop to swim in quieter spots if you choose.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Como private boat tour

• Start tour in Como town
• View villages and old villas
• Pass Villa Troubetzkoy
• Pass Villa Erba
• Pass Artaria family villa
• Pass George Clooney's Villa Oleandra
• Pass Villa Taverna in Perlasca
• Pass Mandarin Oriental Hotel
• Pass Villa Pliniana
• Pass Nesso village and waterfall
• Pass Villa d’Este hotel
• Pass Villa Fontanelle
• Pass Villa Olmo town hall

The experience

The boat leaves Como town and moves along the eastern shore, where most of Lake Como's famous architecture clusters. You'll see Villa Troubetzkoy, built after the Russian prince blasted rocks to level the ground, earning him the nickname "Rocktroubler", and Villa Erba, a 1900s mansion now used for weddings and exhibitions. The guide points out the Mandarin Oriental's Villa Roccabruna, built in 1910 for an industrialist, and Villa d'Este, a sixteenth-century architectural landmark that became one of Italy's finest five-star hotels.

The route takes you past Nesso, one of the lake's most recognizable villages, where the Orrido waterfall drops behind the shoreline. You'll pass Villa Pliniana, built in 1573 around a natural spring the Roman naturalists Pliny the Elder and Younger first described, and Villa Fontanelle, the neoclassical estate Gianni Versace restored in the 1980s before it sold to a Russian restaurateur for 33 million euros. The tour also includes the village where Villa Oleandra, George Clooney's residence, overlooks the water from the shore.

Bottled water and a restroom on board are included. If you want to stop and swim in a quieter cove, the boat can arrange that. The tour runs 2 hours and suits all fitness levels. Infants sit on an adult's lap, and service animals are welcome.

What’s included

• Bottled water and a restroom on board.
• a live guide in English, Italian or French.
• stops at historic villas and fishermen villages including Villa d'Este, Villa Fontanelle, Villa Pliniana, and Nesso.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 09:15, the last at 18:15

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by La Dolce Vita Como Lake boat Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Lake Como's most famous villas and hidden villages from the water: the only way to reach many of them. The 2-hour length fits a morning or afternoon without dominating your day in the region.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Italian.

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.

What is Villa Pliniana and why is it named after the Plinys?

Villa Pliniana was built in 1573 around a natural spring that carries the same name. The Roman naturalists Pliny the Elder and Plinio the Younger, both natives of Como, first described the spring and its unusual intermittent flow in the first century A.D., so the villa took their name.

Can I stop and swim during the Lake Como boat tour?

Yes, if you want to, the boat can stop at quieter locations where you can dive and swim. The guide can arrange this during the tour.

Which villas will I see from the boat?

You'll see Villa d'Este, a sixteenth-century architectural masterpiece now a luxury hotel; Villa Fontanelle, the neoclassical estate restored by Gianni Versace; Villa Pliniana from 1573; Villa Troubetzkoy, built after the prince blasted rocks to level the shore; Villa Erba, a 1900s mansion used for events; and the Mandarin Oriental's Villa Roccabruna from 1910, among others.

What is Nesso and why is it famous on Lake Como?

Nesso is one of the most characteristic villages on Lake Como, located roughly halfway between Como and Bellagio. It is known for the Orrido, a waterfall that forms the backdrop to one of the lake's most romantic corners and is visible from the boat.