Lake Como private boat tour: Villa Balbianello and Bellagio

Cruise Lake Como's villas and gardens from the water, where the boat reaches what roads cannot

A full-day private boat tour of Lake Como for up to 10 guests aboard the ECOLINE 850 limousine yacht, with a live guide in your choice of language and stops at Villa Balbianello, Villa Melzi Gardens, and other lakeside estates. You travel in a climate-controlled cabin with white leather seating while the captain navigates to both famous landmarks and quieter corners of the lake, with Italian wine and soft drinks served throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Como private boat tour highlights

• Board ECOLINE 850 Limousine boat
• Pass Villa Melzi Gardens in Bellagio
• Pass Villa Serbelloni gardens
• Pass Villa Carlotta botanical gardens
• Visit Villa Balbianello gardens and loggia
• Pass Villa Monastero botanical gardens
• Pass Orrido di Nesso gorge and waterfall
• Pass Villa Pliniana in Torno
• Pass historic village of Torno
• Pass Villa Taverna lakefront façade
• Pass Villa Troubetzkoy in Blevio
• Pass Villa Olmo gardens in Como
• Pass Villa Erba gardens in Cernobbio
• Pass Villa Fontanelle lakefront
• Pass Villa Passalacqua terraced gardens
• Pass Isola Comacina island ruins and restaurant

The experience

Lake Como's most photogenic villas cling to steep terrain that car tours can't reach. Villa Balbianello, the 18th-century estate on a wooded peninsula in Lenno that appeared in Star Wars and James Bond films, sits at the water's edge. The boat brings you close enough to see its manicured gardens and elegant loggia without the walk. Villa Melzi Gardens in Bellagio stretches 800 meters along the shore with English-style landscaping from the early 1800s. Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo holds a 17th-century museum and terraced grounds thick with azaleas and rhododendrons. From the water, you also pass Villa Monastero in Varenna, a former 12th-century monastery now a museum with gardens that run 2 kilometers along the lake, and smaller estates like Villa Pliniana, a 16th-century palazzo hidden in a secluded bay near Torno that's only reachable by boat.

The boat itself is built for comfort on a long day. The ECOLINE 850 is a limousine yacht with a climate-controlled cabin, white leather seating, and a professional captain who knows the lake's routes and timing. A live guide travels with you in English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of three other languages, narrating the villas and villages as you pass them. Italian wine and soft drinks come throughout the day. The tour runs anywhere from a couple of hours to a full day depending on what you want to see. You set the pace and the stops with your guide.

Villa entrance fees are separate and not included in the tour price, though the operator can help you arrange tickets if you want to step inside any of the estates. Pickup is included, and the boat accommodates infants in a pram or stroller, service animals, and all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Italian wine and soft drinks throughout the day.
• pickup included.
• live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French and three additional languages.
• climate-controlled cabin with white leather seating and professional captain.

Information

Lasts 1h–14h, runs every day, 5 start times, from € 2,600 per group, with live guides in 7 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00 and 11:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate1 group tour ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic and RussianOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Book up to6h before

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 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Getaway - Lake Como Boat Tours

Is this one for you?The tour runs as long or as short as your day allows (from a couple of hours to a full day), so you can fit Lake Como around the rest of your itinerary, or make it the whole day. If you want to step inside the villas, entrance tickets are separate and can be arranged, but the boat itself reaches the waterfront estates and gardens that car tours cannot access.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic and Russian.

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 Balbianello like when you see it from the boat?

Villa Balbianello is an 18th-century estate on a wooded peninsula in Lenno, famous for its perfectly manicured gardens and elegant loggia. The boat brings you close to the waterfront, where you can see the villa's architecture and grounds without needing to dock or hike. It's one of Lake Como's most photogenic spots and has appeared in Star Wars and James Bond films.

Can you get off the boat and walk through the villa gardens?

Villa entrance tickets are not included in the tour price, so stepping inside the estates is optional. The operator can help you arrange tickets if you want to visit. From the boat, you see the villas and their lakeside facades, and your guide can stop at locations where you can walk ashore if you choose.

How long does a full day on the water take?

The tour runs from around one hour to a full day depending on which villas and villages you want to visit and how long you spend at each stop. You work with your guide to set the itinerary, so the pace is yours.

What is Villa Melzi Gardens in Bellagio?

Villa Melzi is a neoclassical villa built between 1808 and 1810 for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Duke of Lodi and Vice President of Napoleon's Italian Republic. It sits on Bellagio's shore and is most famous for its English-style gardens that stretch 800 meters along the lakefront, visible and accessible from the water.

Does the boat stop at Isola Comacina, Lake Como's only island?

Isola Comacina is Lake Como's only island, about 600 meters long, with archaeological ruins and a famous restaurant called Locanda dell'Isola Comacina that has kept the same menu since 1947. The island is accessible by boat and can be included in your tour itinerary depending on your interests and available time.

What does the boat provide during the tour?

The ECOLINE 850 limousine yacht has a climate-controlled cabin with white leather seating, and Italian wine and soft drinks are served throughout the day. A professional captain and a live guide in your choice of language accompany you on the water.