Lake Como Speedboat Tour: Villa del Balbianello & Swimming

Steer past Hollywood villas and jump into the water from your own boat

A private speedboat tour of Lake Como with a live guide in English or Italian, departing from the lake itself. You cruise past Villa del Balbianello and other lakeside estates, stop to swim in a quiet bay, and drink Prosecco with Italian snacks on board. Tours run from one to four hours. You pick the length at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private Lake Como speedboat tour

• View city from the lake
• See Life Electric monument
• View Volta temple and architecture
• Pass aristocratic villas to Villa Olmo
• View classic villa from Ocean's Twelve
• Pass Hotel Villa D'Este
• Pass Gianni Versace's home
• Stop for swim and drink
• Pass historical House of Gucci building
• Pass Villa del Balbianello
• Pass typical village
• Pass village at lake center
• Pass iconic bridge and waterfall
• Pass sumptuous isolated villa
• Pass lovely typical village
• Pass modern hotel in classic setting

The experience

You arrive at Lake Como with an afternoon free and no car. The tour picks you up from your hotel or a meeting point on the lake, then you board a private speedboat with a skipper who knows the water and the stories behind the villas. The boat moves fast enough to cover real distance, from Como's waterfront with its Volta temple and modern Razionalista buildings, past the aristocratic estates along the shore, to the smaller villages tucked into the far reaches of the lake. Villa del Balbianello appears as you round a point: the same property where they filmed James Bond's Casino Royale and scenes from Star Wars, set on a peninsula with its own gardens and history.

The tour is built around stops, not just views. You'll anchor in a peaceful bay (the kind of place the lake keeps hidden from the road), and swim directly from the boat into water that stays clear and cold. While you're on board between swims, a bottle of selected Prosecco arrives with genuine Italian snacks: Parmigiano, fresh fruit, and water. The skipper can dock at villages like Bellagio or Varenna if you want to walk the streets for twenty minutes, or you can stay on the water and let him point out the smaller details: Gianni Versace's former home, the Villa d'Este where VIP guests still arrive, the building where they shot scenes for The House of Gucci. The boat is yours alone, so the pace and the stops are yours to shape.

Choose your length at checkout: one hour covers the immediate shoreline and one major villa; two hours reaches the far villages and includes a swim stop; three or four hours let you linger, explore on foot, and see both sides of the lake in a single afternoon. The skipper speaks English or Italian, and the boat itself is built for speed and comfort on open water: fast enough to feel the difference from a tour boat, stable enough that swimming and Prosecco don't require a strong stomach.

What’s included

• Private speedboat with a skipper guide speaking English or Italian.
• one bottle of selected Prosecco.
• Parmigiano, fresh fruit, and bottled water.
• a swimming stop in a secluded bay.
• hotel pickup in at least one option.

Options for this experience

2 options

3h private tourGuide in English or Italian · 9 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:15Lasts 3 hours: Glide on a local luxury speedboat, sipping chilled wine while sightseeing past the villas and most beautiful natural spots of Lake Como. Bottled water, wine and snacks included. Route: Como, Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Laglio, Villa Del Balbianello, Bellagio, Villa D'este and back to Como. Pickup is included.

4h private tourGuide in English or Italian · 8 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 16:15Lasts 4 hours: Take a cruise past all of Lake Como's highlights while sipping chilled wine on a local luxury speedboat. Included: bottled water and wine. Route: Como, Bellagio and Como again, with a 1-hour stop to stroll through this charming little town. Passes all the points of interest. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:15

Book up to1d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Italian

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 22 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

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Lake Como Cruise

Is this one for you?Pick the one-hour tour if you have a short window and want to see the most famous villas without leaving the boat; choose two hours to add a proper swim and explore a village on foot; go three or four hours if you want to linger at multiple stops and cover both sides of the lake in one afternoon.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English 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 del Balbianello and why does it matter?

Villa del Balbianello is a historic lakeside estate on a peninsula near Lenno, famous as a filming location for James Bond's Casino Royale and Star Wars. The speedboat passes it as a main stop on the tour, and you can see its gardens and architecture from the water or dock to explore the grounds if time allows.

Can I swim during the tour, and where?

Yes, swimming is included on every tour length. The skipper anchors in a peaceful bay on the lake where the water is clear and calm, and you swim directly from the boat. You decide whether to swim on each stop.

What's included in the Prosecco and snacks?

A bottle of selected Prosecco arrives during the tour, served with genuine Italian snacks: Parmigiano cheese, fresh fruit, and bottled water. The skipper serves these on board between stops.

How long does the tour take, and can I choose?

Tours run from one to four hours. You pick the length when you book: one hour covers the immediate villas and shoreline; two hours adds a swim stop and the far villages; three or four hours let you explore on foot and see both sides of the lake.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the boat?

Hotel pickup is included in at least one tour option at checkout. If you're not staying at a hotel, the skipper can meet you at a lakeside point in Como or another town on the water.

What other villas and landmarks will I see?

The route passes Villa Olmo, the classic aristocratic estates along the footpath shore, Bellagio and its famous Hotel Villa d'Este, Gianni Versace's former home in Moltrasio, the Villa d'Este, and the building used for The House of Gucci filming. The skipper also points out Como's Volta temple, modern Razionalista architecture, and smaller villages like Varenna and Torno.