1 hour
Como villas cruise
The first basin in front of Como and Cernobbio: Villa Olmo, Villa Erba, Villa Pizzo and the Blevio shoreline.
Como · Villa Olmo · Blevio · Cernobbio
Details
Private skippered guide
Boat tours from Como: the first branch of the lake, villa by villa
Como is where most cruises begin. Leaving the city basin in a mahogany taxi, the shoreline turns into a sequence of villas, cypress gardens and small harbours within the first fifteen minutes.
From the water the city shows its best profile: the cathedral rising behind the lakefront, the Tempio Voltiano, the Brunate funicular climbing the hillside, and then Villa Geno and Villa Olmo facing each other across the basin. Past Cernobbio the shore becomes almost entirely private — jetties, boathouses and gardens built for arriving by boat.
This is the stretch of the lake made famous by Villa Oleandra and Villa Erba, and one hour on board is enough to see it properly. With two hours we continue towards Torno, Nesso and the Tremezzina; with three we reach Bellagio and Comacina Island.
Como
What you see from the boat
Villa Olmo and Villa Geno
The two neoclassical villas that face each other across the Como basin.
Cernobbio and Villa d'Este
The grand hotel's floating pool and terraced gardens.
Moltrasio and Laglio
Steep shoreline with famous lakeside houses and quiet boathouses.
Torno and Nesso
Two of the lake's most photographed villages, and the Orrido gorge.
Info
Planning your cruise from Como
- How long to allow
- One hour for the villas of the first basin, two for the mid-lake, three for Bellagio and the island.
- Best time of day
- Mornings are calmest; late afternoon gives the warmest light on the western shore.
- Where we board
- Como city centre, Cernobbio, or any hotel or villa jetty on the first branch.
Tours
Cruises and tours
From a one-hour sunset aperitif to a half-day tour of Bellagio and Varenna, every itinerary is private and built around you.
2 hours
Villas & gardens tour
From Como towards Torno, Laglio and Nesso, past period mansions, stone boathouses and gardens running into the water.
Como · Torno · Laglio · Nesso
Details
3 hours
Bellagio & Comacina Island
The heart of the lake: the tip of Bellagio, Villa del Balbianello and the Lario's only island, with time ashore.
Bellagio · Balbianello · Comacina Island
DetailsDestinations
Boat tour guides, place by place
Detailed guides to the places we reach on board: what you see from the water, the best light, and how long to allow.
Bellagio
Bellagio sits on the tip that splits Lake Como in two. Approaching it in a classic mahogany taxi is the way the village was meant …
Read the guide
Varenna
Varenna faces west, which makes it the best sunset stop on Lake Como. Seen from the water its ochre and rose houses stack straight…
Read the guideVilla del Balbianello
Villa del Balbianello stands on a narrow wooded spit near Lenno, and its famous double loggia only reveals itself from the water. …
Read the guideStart your Lake Como cruise in Como
Send us your dates and the number of guests and we'll suggest the right duration.