Private Lake Garda boat tour: Full day from Gardone

See Lake Garda's villas and villages from the boat instead of the road

A private full-day boat tour of Lake Garda departs from Gardone di Sotto and circles the lower lake, stopping at Salò, Isola del Garda (with its Venetian villa), Sirmione (with the Scaliger Castle), and Bardolino, with a live guide in English, Italian, French or German. The eight-hour route passes Rocca di Manerba, Villa Canossa, Punta San Vigilio and the historic villas of Fasano, ending at sunset near Torre San Marco. Lunch and a coffee or aperitif stop are built into the day. You choose the guide language at booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day boat tour on Lake Garda

• Pick-up at Gardone di Sotto
• Navigate to Gulf of Salò, coffee stop
• Pass Villa Borghese on Isola del Garda
• Pass Island of San Biagio
• Pass Rocca di Manerba natural reserve
• Navigate to Sirmione, lunch and visit
• Pass Grotto of Catullus and Jamaica beach
• Pass Villa Maria Callas towards Venetian coast
• Pass Lazise and Scaliger Castle
• Stop at Bardolino, walk lakeside street
• Pass Villa Canossa at Monte Baldo
• Pass Punta San Vigilio
• Pass historic Villas of Fasano
• Stop at Torre San Marco at sunset
• Return to Gardone di Sotto, drop-off

The experience

You start at the port in Gardone di Sotto and spend the day on the water instead of navigating roads and parking. The boat heads first to the Gulf of Salò for a coffee or aperitif stop on the waterfront, then continues toward Isola del Garda, where Villa Borghese rises as a majestic Venetian neo-Gothic structure surrounded by Italian gardens. The route passes the smaller Isola di San Biagio and the natural reserve of Rocca di Manerba before arriving at Sirmione, where you stop for lunch and time to walk the historic center near the Scaliger Castle.

After Sirmione, the boat skirts Lazise and its walled village, then passes through Bardolino's waterfront: the most popular stretch of the lake for its sunsets and lively center. The tour continues past Villa Canossa (an eighteenth-century villa at the foot of Monte Baldo) and Punta San Vigilio, known for its clear waters. The final stretch takes you past the historic villas of Fasano before arriving at Torre San Marco as the sun sets, then back to Gardone di Sotto to finish.

A live guide speaks English, Italian, French or German throughout the day, so you follow the commentary in your language. The boat is private to your group, which means no strangers on board and no fixed departure times. You arrange the day with the operator. Eight hours on the water beats a car tour of the same towns because you avoid the heat, the traffic and the parking hassle, and you see the lake's most famous landmarks from the angle they were built to be seen.

What’s included

• Private boat transportation for your group.
• live guide in your choice of English, Italian, French or German.
• lunch during the Sirmione stop.
• coffee or aperitif stop in Salò (drinks paid separately).
• passage past Isola del Garda, Rocca di Manerba, Villa Canossa, Punta San Vigilio and the villas of Fasano.
• return to Gardone di Sotto at the end of the day.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 10 Apr 2027

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, German 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.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

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

Operated by Consolini Boats

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you speak English, Italian, French or German fluently enough to follow a live guide. The commentary is delivered in full in your language, so you understand the history and details of each stop as you pass. A private boat also means you set the pace with your group and skip the crowds of shared tours.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, German 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 Isola del Garda and why does the tour stop there?

Isola del Garda holds Villa Borghese, a majestic Venetian neo-Gothic villa surrounded by well-kept Italian gardens. The boat passes close enough to see the villa's refined architecture and details rising from the water, and you have time to take photos and absorb the view before continuing around the lake.

How much time do I get to explore Sirmione?

Sirmione is a lunch stop, so you have time to walk the historic center near the Scaliger Castle and see the Grotto of Catullus, Jamaica Beach and the Baths of Aquaria before the boat departs. The exact duration depends on your group's pace and the operator's schedule for the day.

Does the tour include food and drinks?

Lunch is included during the Sirmione stop. A coffee or aperitif stop happens in Salò at the start of the day, though you pay for those drinks yourself at the waterfront café.

When does the tour end, and what is Torre San Marco?

Torre San Marco is a historic tower near the end of the route where the boat arrives at sunset. The tower's backdrop colors the water as you approach, and it marks the final stop before the return to Gardone di Sotto for drop-off.