Three hours on the water
3 hour private boat tour Lake Como
The classic mid-lake itinerary: Bellagio, Villa del Balbianello and Comacina Island, with time to slow down and take it all in from a real wooden boat.
Three hours on the water
Why three hours is the sweet spot
Three hours is the right amount of time to reach the centre of Lake Como without rushing. Beyond the villa shoreline, the gulf of Argegno opens up, then Comacina Island with its Romanesque ruins and the Lavedo peninsula with Villa del Balbianello.
In Bellagio we can stop for a walk through the stepped alleys and arcades, or stay aboard to cruise past Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni. On the way back the afternoon light hits the mountains above Tremezzo: the best moment for photographs.
3 hour private boat tour Lake Como
What the 3-hour tour includes
Comacina Island
The only island on Lake Como, with Romanesque churches, olive groves and a quiet bay.
Villa del Balbianello
The most photographed villa on the lake, seen from the water with its loggia and staircase.
Bellagio
Punta Spartivento, Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni, with optional time ashore.
Tremezzina shore
Villa Carlotta and Grand Hotel Tremezzo from the water as you return towards Como.
3 hour private boat tour Lake Como
The villas you'll see
Your skipper slows down in front of each villa and explains what you are looking at.
- Villa Balbiano · Tremezzo
- Fifteenth-century villa built over Roman remains, with terraced gardens that run down to the water at Balbiano.
- Villa La Cassinella · Laglio
- Eighteenth-century villa on its own wooded peninsula, reached only by water, among cypresses and olive trees.
- Villa del Balbianello · Lenno
- Late eighteenth-century villa built by Cardinal Durini on the Lavedo promontory; its loggia and gardens starred in Star Wars and Casino Royale.
- Villa Melzi · Bellagio
- Neoclassical villa built for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Napoleon's vice-president in Italy; its English-style gardens are open to visitors.
Info
Plan your 3-hour tour
Base price for 3h: €900 per boat for 1–6 guests (early booking €750 if booked at least 3 days ahead). For 7–11 guests add €50/hour per boat, not per person. Pickups without surcharge: Como city, Villa d'Este, Cernobbio, Blevio. Other pickup surcharges are shown when booking.
- Boarding
- Como, Cernobbio, Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna or your hotel jetty.
- Timing
- Morning departures give calm water; afternoon departures give golden light on the western shore.
- Ideal for
- Guests who want to see the heart of the lake and its most famous villas in one relaxed cruise.
Book the classic 3-hour Lake Como cruise
Tell us your dates, group size and preferred boarding point. We will build the perfect three-hour itinerary around you.