Lake Como Private Boat Tour: Villas & Waterfront Glamour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/34

Duration4h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · IT

Mobile ticketAccepted

Eleven people, one captain, the entire lake—and no schedule but yours

You board a renovated wooden boat at Como's waterfront and spend the day on the water with a private captain, passing Villa d'Este, Villa Erba, Villa Passalacqua, and the smaller noble residences tucked into the shoreline. Prosecco, water, and weather protection are included. The boat holds up to 11 people and the captain adjusts the route to your interests, so you're not following a fixed itinerary—you're exploring the lake as it unfolds.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private wooden boat tour on Lake Como

Depart from Como tourist wharf
Pass outer dam and see Life Elettric
Pass by seaplane hangar
Admire Villa Olmo
Coast past Villa Erba
Head to Cernobbio village
View Villa d'Este hotel and pool
Continue to Moltrasio and see Villa Pizzo
Pass Villa le Fontanelle in Moltrasio
Admire Villa Passalacqua near Moltrasio landing
Arrive at Carate Urio

The Experience

"Which villa was that one?" someone asks, and the captain cuts the engine just enough to point out the mosaic pool at Villa d'Este, floating like a jewel between the water and the mountains. That's the rhythm of a private boat tour on Lake Como—you're not following a route, you're following curiosity. The Navicella del Lario, a traditional Venetian taxi completely rebuilt in 2021, sits low in the water with mahogany trim and leather cushions, and it moves through the lake the way a local would, stopping when something catches your eye instead of when a schedule says so. Your captain is there to accommodate every request, which means if you want to linger at Villa Pizzo—the 17th-century promontory house that's only visible from the water—you linger.

You depart from Como's tourist wharf and head past the outer dam, where you'll see Daniel Libeskind's Life Elettric installation, then the seaplane hangar. From there the lake opens up and the villas start. Villa Olmo, the neoclassical structure designed by Simone Cantoni, passes on your left. Then Villa Erba, built between 1894 and 1898 for Luigi Erba, a pharmaceutical heir—the kind of place that makes you understand why Lake Como became a refuge for the wealthy. You'll coast toward Cernobbio, which locals call the Paris of Lake Como, and that's where the five-star hotels cluster: Villa d'Este with its famous floating pool, then Villa Passalacqua, which was just crowned the world's best hotel in 2024. The boat moves slowly enough that you can photograph, talk, or just sit with the view. Fresh water and prosecco are on board, and if the weather turns, the heated cabin and weather cover mean you're not cut short.

The boat holds up to 11 people, which is small enough that you're not jostling for space or waiting for someone else's photo, but large enough that you can split the cost if you're traveling with friends or family. The captain knows the lake—he knows which villas are still private residences, which ones host events, which ones have stories. A private boat tour on Lake Como isn't about ticking boxes; it's about moving through the water at your own pace and seeing the places that made the lake famous in the first place.

What’s included

Your day includes private use of the Navicella del Lario or Sophie (both traditional Venetian taxis with wood and leather interiors), a captain at your complete disposal, petrol, fresh water, bottled water, prosecco, soda, sun awnings, weather cover, and a heated cabin in winter. The boat departs from Como's tourist wharf and routes are customized to your interests—you're not locked into a fixed itinerary.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Taxi Como Lake

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Lake Como's famous villas and waterfront without following a group schedule or fixed route—the private boat and captain mean you control the pace and stops, which is what makes lingering at a particular villa or exploring a quiet cove actually possible.