23 July 2026 · Updated on 8 November 2026 · 5 min read · by Salimar Boat Tour

Lake Como boat tour prices: the complete 2026 list

Short answer: with Salimar Boat Tour, a boat tour in Como starts at €54 per person for the one-hour shared cruise and goes up to €1260 per boat for the 4-hour private tour to Bellagio and Varenna. In between there’s the right fit for couples, families and groups. Below: current prices, what’s always included, and some honest advice on choosing.

The prices, in plain sight

1 hour Lake Como boat tour · small group, prosecco aperitif★★★★★4.7(2,161 reviews)1 hour · More details ›€60 €54-10%per personBook

Small group sunset tour · 1 hour · with prosecco aperitif★★★★☆4.2(21 reviews)1 hour · More details ›€80 €72-10%per personBook

Small group Bellagio tour · 3 hours · with prosecco aperitif★★★★★4.7(218 reviews)3 hours · More details ›€120 €108-10%per personBook

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This table is always up to date: it’s the same data that powers bookings on this site, so what you see is what you pay. No surcharges on board.

To complete the picture with the other ways onto the lake: the public ferry (Navigazione Laghi) is transport, not a tour — tickets run roughly from €5 for short hops to about €30 for the long routes, with official timetables and fares on the Navigazione Laghi website. A self-drive boat rental (no licence needed) with us costs €126 per boat for one hour or €225 for two, fuel included: you drive, up to 6 people — the middle ground between freedom and budget.

What drives the price

Three things: duration (1, 2 or 3 hours of navigation), the formula (shared with other guests or a private boat all to yourselves) and the time of day — the sunset aperitivo cruise adds golden light at the same price as the shared hour. The route grows with the time: one hour covers the first basin and its villas, two hours reach Torno and Nesso, three hours go all the way to Bellagio with free time ashore.

Always included (zero hidden costs)

• Professional skipper and fuel
• Life jackets
• Prosecco and soft drinks (water, tea, Coca-Cola)
• Small groups: max 11–12 guests on board

Departures from Varenna and Bellagio

Since 2026 two 2-hour tours leave from the central lake: from Varenna (Olivedo lakefront walkway, 13:00) with an hour of free time in Bellagio, and from Bellagio (Punta Spartivento) with an hour in Varenna, both at €54 per person with prosecco. They are the way to see the villas from the water without going through Como: the comparison with the ferry is in Varenna to Bellagio.

Shared or private: which one?

Shared is the smart pick for couples and small groups: you only pay for your seats. Private wins when you’re many: with 5 people, the one-hour private (€252 per boat) already costs the same as shared — but the boat is yours, at your own pace. With 8-10, private always wins.

Ferry, boat tour, RIB or wooden boat: clearing up the confusion

There are very different ways to get on the water on Lake Como, and they often get mixed up. The Navigazione Laghi public ferry is public transport: it works like a bus on water, taking you from point A to point B on fixed timetables and fixed stops, and that is where it ends. Useful for moving between lakeside towns, but not designed for sightseeing.

A boat tour is something else entirely: you cruise beneath the villas while the skipper tells their stories, you stop for photos at the right spots, and the pace is set by the group rather than by a timetable. On Salimar tours there is also an aperitivo on board, with prosecco and soft drinks. If you want to get to know the lake rather than just cross it, the boat tour is clearly the better choice.

The three types of boat used for tours

RIBs (fast boats). The most affordable and most versatile option: they run both shared and private tours at a moderate cost. They are the right pick for anyone who wants to enjoy the lake up close, with the stops, the wind and the freedom to move around. This is the type we use for our tours: the prices are the ones in the table above.

Wooden boats (classic runabouts). The luxury experience: polished wood, vintage lines, the runabout from the postcards. They run almost exclusively private tours and cost considerably more: roughly from around 500 euros per hour up to 3,000 euros for the most prestigious boats.

Passenger transport boats. Larger vessels offering shared tours: a middle ground between the RIB and the ferry. The experience is less personal and closer to a ferry ride, at a cost slightly below that of a RIB.

In short: the ferry to get around, the RIB to experience the lake on a reasonable budget, the wooden boat for a special occasion, the passenger boat if you want a shared tour without particular expectations.

How payment works

You book online choosing date, time and guests: your card is only authorized, and the charge happens exclusively when we confirm availability. Plus, every confirmed booking earns you a 10% discount code (up to €20) for your next tour. Browse all tours on the Lake Como page.

You are already at the lake — see it from the water

The best way to see the villas is from a boat: we leave from the pier in viale Geno, 75 metres from the bus stop. Here are the tours you can book right now.

1 hour Lake Como boat tour · small group, prosecco aperitif

1 hour

€54 per person

Book

2 hour Lake Como boat tour · small group, prosecco aperitif

2 hours

€99 per person

Book

Small group sunset tour · 1 hour · with prosecco aperitif

1 hour

€72 per person

Book

See all tours ›

Quick answers

Do kids pay? Yes, they take a seat — but for children under 3, message us on WhatsApp.

Tips? Never required, appreciated if your skipper made you fall in love with the lake.

Bad weather? We reschedule or cancel at no cost: the hold on your card is released immediately.

Ready to choose? Compare the tours on the Como page or ask our chat assistant: it knows prices and times in real time.

Getting around by public boat: Lake Como ferries 2026: routes, times and prices ›

Looking for the full overview with every tour and booking buttons? See our complete guide to Lake Como boat tours.