Lake Como Cruise & Tour of Bellagio, Villa Balbianello, Melzi
Description
Experience Lake Como's most famous villa and village on a premium small-group tour with maximum ten guests. Board a private boat reserved for your group and cruise to Villa del Balbianello and Bellagio. Visit Villa del Balbianello gardens, filming location for Star Wars and James Bond. Walk through terraced gardens with ancient trees and panoramic lake views from stone pathways. After free time for lunch in Lenno, cruise to Bellagio. Stroll through Gardens of Villa Melzi along the waterfront, then explore quiet streets, local shops, and scenic viewpoints with your expert guide. Throughout the day, your professional guide shares stories via whisper audio system, ensuring every guest hears clearly. Villa Balbianello gardens admission, Villa Melzi gardens admission, private boat transport, and expert guidance are included. Two villa gardens. One unforgettable day on Lake Como.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour begins at Piazza Cavour, Como's iconic lakefront square, where your guide and our boat will be waiting. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Guests who have booked the Milan pick-up add-on will be collected at 9:15 AM from the designated meeting point in central Milan, arriving in Como in time for the 11:15 AM departure.
Depart from Como and enjoy a panoramic cruise aboard a private boat reserved exclusively for your group. Glide along the western shore of Lake Como, admiring picturesque villages, elegant villas, and mountain scenery while your guide shares stories about the lake’s history and culture.
Visit the world-famous Villa del Balbianello gardens with your guide, exploring elegant terraces, sculptures, and panoramic viewpoints overlooking Lake Como. Hear stories of the villa’s explorers, unique history, and cinematic appearances. Please note: the interior rooms are not included in this visit due to time limitations.
Continue your journey across the central lake area toward Bellagio. This transfer may be by private boat or scheduled ferry (20 min ride). Admire the lake’s mid-section, where the two branches meet around Bellagio.
Enjoy free time for lunch (at own expense). Your guide will recommend authentic lakeside restaurants to taste regional dishes such as risotto al pesce persico or fresh lake fish. Stroll along the charming promenade or relax by the water before continuing the day.
Continue with a pleasant walking tour through the town’s charming alleys, boutique shops, and scenic lakeside corners. Your guide will share stories about Bellagio’s noble past, architecture, and local traditions. You’ll also have some free time to explore, shop, or relax.
Visit the Villa Melzi botanical gardens. Please note: interior access to the villa is not included (private residence opened only for events).
Relax on the return journey to Como. Enjoy the calm atmosphere of the late afternoon on the lake as your guide offers final insights and recommendations for the rest of your stay.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- This is a **guided tour**, not just a boat ride. During the ride from Como to Villa del Balbianello, you will see the main highlights of the lake from the boat. After that, we visit the main attractions on the lake, walk through beautiful places, and experience the destinations properly. If you are looking for a tour where you simply sit on the boat the whole time, this is not the right tour for you. You should look for a different boat-only experience. Our tour is for guests who want to visit and discover Lake Como, not just pass by it.
- Please note: Due to the high operational costs, a minimum number of 4 participants is required for the guided tour to operate. If the minimum is not reached, we will contact you the day before the tour, an alternative tour or date will be offered, or a full refund provided.
- Not suitable for anyone with mobility, balance, cardiovascular, or back issues. We walk.
- Comfortable, closed-toe shoes with good grip are recommended. Flip-flops, open sandals, and smooth-soled shoes are not advised.
- Absolutely not suitable for anyone with knee or back issues. The villages around Lake Como are built on steep terrain with uneven, sloped streets—good physical condition is essential.
Reviews(144)
It’s the only way to see the lake. We had some weather issues in the beginning, but they fixed everything for us rearranged things. The day was perfect. The boat was beautiful highly recommend.!!
Thank you for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had a perfect day on Lake Como. Weather conditions can sometimes be unpredictable, but we always do our best to adapt and ensure our guests have the best possible experience. We are glad that our team was able to rearrange everything smoothly and make the day enjoyable for you. Exploring Lake Como from the water truly offers a unique perspective, and we are happy you enjoyed it. We greatly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable day with .
It was absolutely amazing! Everything was perfect and our tour guide Ricardo was a gentleman with a lot of knowledge and experience, highly recommend! We came from USA South Carolina
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you had such an amazing experience. Ricardo will be especially pleased to know that his knowledge, professionalism, and passion for Lake Como helped make your day memorable. Thank you as well for visiting us all the way from South Carolina. It was a pleasure having you on tour, and we truly appreciate your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back to Lake Como someday for another unforgettable experience with .
We arrived 10 min early and tour operator was there to welcome us. Provided earphones and jackets for boat ride. Tour guide Ricardo was so knowledgeable and well prepared. He was upbeat kind and efficient to get us thru the crowds. We loved his sense of humor and vast experience.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that everything was well organized from the start. Ricardo will be delighted to know that his knowledge, preparation, and sense of humor made the experience even better. It was a pleasure having you with us on Lake Como, and we hope to welcome you again in the future.
This tour was wonderful! The boat driver was smooth and the tour guide was so full of information and facts. He was gracious to take photos for us. His recommendation for the risotto for lunch was perfect.
Dear LeAnne, Thank you very much for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the boat ride, the tour, and the recommendations throughout the day. It is always our goal to create a smooth and memorable experience on Lake Como, and we are happy that the risotto recommendation was a success as well. We truly appreciate your words and hope to welcome you back again in the future.
Elena, Eugene and Stefano provided an amazing day on Lake Como. You will not be disappointed, they have a ton of time in the area and will give you the local experience
Thank you very much for your kind review. It was a pleasure for US to spend the day with you on Lake Como. We are especially happy to hear that you appreciated the local experience and our knowledge of the area — that is exactly the kind of experience we aim to provide to our guests. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again on the lake in the future.
Great! The private boat was very nice and much better than using the ferries. It was such a relief to have the boat organized and each place we visited was beautiful.
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed the experience and appreciated the comfort and convenience of traveling by private boat. Exploring Lake Como from the water is truly special, and we are glad you found each destination beautiful and relaxing.
LOVED this tour so much. Had a great time being led to different places I would’ve never seen without a guide. Very easy to find the meet up location and our guide was fantastic!!!! Give Ricardo a raise please he was so knowledgeable and kind. Gave great recommendations and my family and I had a great day.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are very happy to hear that you and your family had such a great experience on the tour. Ricardo will be especially happy to read your kind words — we will definitely pass them on to him. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed the locations, the organization, and the recommendations throughout the day. We truly appreciate you choosing and hope to welcome you back on Lake Como again in the future.
The tour would have been very good but the wind and other boat traffic caused waves that caused all of the passengers to get completely soaked . The tour was modified once we reached Balbianello that caused a walk into the town of Lenno to use the public ferry to Bellagio and then back to Lake Como. This is a good tour but not if it is windy. The guide did a nice job of explaining the history of Balbianello. The scenery is spectacular.
Dear Mr. Paul, Thank you for the honest feedback, and for the kind words about our guide and the scenery — they mean a lot. You're right that Lake Como can shift quickly. We left Como on calm water that morning and were hit by a sudden very strong wind mid-lake, even though the forecast had called for a settled day. Our captain adjusted the route for safety, which we will always do when the lake demands it. We're sorry you got wet, and we'd be glad to welcome you back on a calm day to experience the tour as it's meant to run. Sincerely, Eugen
We had booked the exclusive private tour of Lake Como, Villa Balbianello and Bellagio, and sadly the weather on the day was so unpredictable that the full exclusive experience wasn’t able to go ahead. But honestly, what could have been a really disappointing situation turned into one of the highlights of our trip, entirely because of how exceptional the operator and team were from start to finish. The communication was outstanding. The night before, we received a thoughtful and detailed email explaining the weather situation, walking us through exactly what was happening, what our options were, and what they recommended. They had thought through every scenario and wanted to make sure we felt informed and looked after. The morning of the tour, they were back in touch promptly with a clear update and offered us an alternative arrangement that still meant we got to see everything we had come for. Nothing felt rushed, nothing felt like a downgrade, it genuinely felt like they were committed to making sure we didn’t miss out. What really stood out was that they proactively refunded us to compensate for the change, without us having to ask, request, or chase anything. In a world where you so often have to fight for fairness when things don’t go to plan, this kind of integrity is incredibly rare and it made an enormous impression on us. It tells you everything about how this operator runs their business and how much they value their guests. Our guide was absolutely lovely, warm, knowledgeable, genuinely passionate about the area, and so helpful with every question we had. You could tell they really cared about us having a wonderful day, not just ticking off the itinerary. The location chosen for lunch was brilliant: the setting was beautiful, the service was efficient and welcoming, and the food was honestly amazing. It was the kind of meal that becomes a memory in itself. Villa Balbianello and Bellagio more than lived up to their reputations, both are extraordinary, and seeing them with knowledgeable guides who could bring the history, the architecture and the local stories to life made the experience so much richer than it would have been on our own. All in all, we could not have been more grateful to have experienced Lake Como, Villa Balbianello and Bellagio with these experts. The fact that the weather worked against us and we still came away feeling completely looked after, well fed, beautifully guided and genuinely delighted speaks volumes about the quality of this operation. If you’re considering booking with them, do it. And trust that even if things don’t go entirely to plan, you’ll be in the very best hands. Thank you so much for a truly memorable day.
Ciao Samantha, This is the review I'll read on the hard days. That's exactly the day we wanted to give you, whatever the weather had to say about it. Thank you for trusting us, and for taking the time to write this. It means more than you know. Eugen & the Lake Como Explorer team
A wonderful day from start to finish thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable guide. It was great not have to worry about ferry schedules and timing! She took care of everything so all of us on the tour ( a small group of 6) had to do was enjoy. It was even a sunny day perfect for taking in the beauty of the lake. We got in the queue early so we could all be on the side of the boat to see the villas and grand hotels on route to Lenno (our guide’s tip.) The Villa Balbianello was spectacular. Then on to Bellagio for a late lunch on our own and a walking tour of the town. It’s a full day and well worth it. If you are going to Lake Como and this is you first visit, I highly recommend booking this tour. I have high standards and this met all my expectations.
Thank you so much for your kind words and detailed feedback! We're thrilled to hear that your day on Lake Como was everything you hoped for — from the smooth organization to the stunning views and sunshine. It’s wonderful to know you could simply relax and enjoy while everything was taken care of. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again for more beautiful discoveries around the lake. 🌞🛥️🌿 Wishing you clear skies and smooth travels ahead!
