Lake Como Guidebook
Lake Como Private Boat Tour: Prices, Fuel Charges and What a Charter Really Costs
A lake como private boat tour is almost always priced per boat, not per head, and the number you see advertised is rarely the number you pay. Most operators add a fuel charge per hour on top, in cash, at the dock. This page takes all nine private charters we track, works out what an hour really costs for your group, and compares the total with a licensed water taxi and with the public boat.
Quick answer What does a private boat on Lake Como actually cost?
All nine private charters on this page are priced per boat. The advertised price usually covers a set number of guests, such as up to 5 or up to 8, and seven of the nine listings add a fuel charge paid separately. The cheapest advertised boat is $207.88 and the dearest is $591.84, before fuel. For a group of four, a one-hour charter works out between roughly $57 and $101 per person once the fuel charge is included, against $58.25 per person on a licensed open water taxi that takes five. The public boat crosses the same centre-lake water for $6.41 (€5.50) a head per stretch, but on a timetable and with no captain of your own.
Key takeaways
- Every listing below is priced per boat. The headline figure on Private Boat Tour with Prosecco is $207.88 and it covers up to 7 people, so the per-person cost falls fast as your group grows.
- Fuel is the surprise line item. Seven of nine charters charge it separately, at $58.30 an hour on most, $116.50 an hour on the Private Vintage Boat Tour from Como, and nothing at all on the customisable Bertram cruise, where it is included.
- A private charter is not the only way to get a boat to yourselves. The licensed water taxi comparison shows an open Eolo charter at $233.00 per boat for an hour, fuel and captain included, which can undercut several tour listings.
The nine private charters below come from the operator listings on GetYourGuide, all on in Q3 2026. Every price is per boat for the one-hour base option, not per person, and the fuel column is what the operator says is owed on top at the dock.
| Tour | From | Covers up to | Fuel on top | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Boat Tour with Prosecco | $207.88 | 7 guests | $58.30 an hour | 1 hour (2-, 3- and 4-hour options also sold) |
| Private Luxury Wooden Boat Tour | $207.88 | 5 guests | $58.30 an hour | 1 hour (2-, 3-, 4-hour and all-day options also sold) |
| Private Tour, Classic Vintage Boat with sunshade | $254.08 | not stated | $58.30 an hour, paid to the captain | 1 hour (2-, 3- and 4-hour options also sold) |
| Wooden Boat Tour (Private), Top Places for Pics | $238.03 | 5 guests | $58.30 an hour, paid on board | 1 hour (options from 2 to 10 hours also sold) |
| Exclusive Private Boat Tour with Prosecco | $230.98 | 8 guests (base price up to 6) | $58.30 in cash for 1 hour or $116.50 for 2 to 4 hours | 1 hour (2-, 3- and 4-hour options also sold) |
| Private Vintage Boat Tour with Prosecco | $287.57 | 5 guests | $116.50 an hour, paid on the spot | 1 hour (2- and 3-hour options also sold) |
| Private Boat Cruise with Customizable Itinerary | $346.47 | 8 guests | Included | 1 hour (longer charters up to 8 hours described) |
| Private Luxury Boat Tour with Stops and Drinks | $405.60 | 2 guests at the from-price | not stated | 1 hour |
| Bellagio/Menaggio Private Trip on a Vintage Wooden Boat | $591.84 | 2 guests at the from-price | not stated | 1 hour (options up to 6 hours also sold) |
The listed price is per boat and is the platform's own, on in Q3 2026. Fuel charges are stated by the operators in euros and converted here at 1 euro = $1.1652.
The Nine Private Charters, Boat by Boat
Each record below comes straight from the operator listing, with the meeting point, the cancellation deadline and the fuel rule spelled out. Read the fuel column before you compare headline prices, because a boat that looks $30 cheaper can cost more once the captain holds out a hand at the dock.
from $207.88
Lake Como: Private Boat Tour with Prosecco
A private motorboat from Como for up to 7, one hour past the first-basin villas with Prosecco or soft drinks and music. Priced per group, but fuel is extra at €50 an hour.
Check Availability
from $207.88
Lake Como: Luxury Private Wooden Boat Tour
The MAS 28 wooden motorboat from Como, private for up to 5, one hour with a bottle of Prosecco, water and a swim stop. Priced per group, plus €50 an hour for fuel.
Check Availability
from $254.08
Lake Como: Private Tour - Classic Vintage Boat with sunshade
A private classic wooden boat from Como, one hour past Blevio, Torno and Moltrasio with soft drinks and water, sun and rain covers fitted. Priced per group, fuel €50 an hour paid to the captain.
Check Availability
from $238.03
Wooden Boat Tour on Lake Como (Private) - Top Places for Pics
A private vintage wooden boat from Como for up to 5, one hour past Villa d'Este and Cernobbio with a captain who narrates in English. Priced per group, fuel €50 an hour paid on board.
Check Availability
from $230.98
Lake Como: Exclusive Private Boat Tour with Prosecco
A private motorboat from Como for up to 8 (base price up to 6), one hour to Laglio and Clooney's villa with wine and water. Priced per group, plus €50 fuel in cash.
Check Availability
from $287.57
Private Vintage Boat Tour on Lake Como with Prosecco
A restored 1960s wooden boat from Como, private for up to 5, one hour with a glass of Prosecco and an optional swim. Priced per group, but fuel adds €100 an hour on the spot.
Check Availability
from $346.47
Lake Como: Private Boat Cruise with Customizable Itinerary
A private Bertram 25 for up to 8, one hour on a route you set with the captain, with fuel, water and a bottle of wine included and pickup around the lake. Priced per group, no fuel surcharge.
Check Availability
from $405.60
Private Luxury Boat Tour of Lake Como with Stops & Drinks
A private 7-metre Cranchi with driver for one hour around the centre lake, water, soda, alcoholic drinks and towels included, pickup included. Priced per group, the from-price covering up to 2.
Check Availability
from $591.84
Bellagio/Menaggio: Private Trip on a Vintage Wooden Boat
A private classic wooden boat from Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna or Tremezzo, one hour with drinks and towels included. Priced per group, the from-price covering up to 2, and the listing warns it varies by date and headcount.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own; dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
How to Work Out the Real Price of a Lake Como Private Boat Tour
The rest of the lake, from ferries to villa gardens, is on the Lake Como guide.
- The arithmetic for any private boat charter on this lake has three steps. Take the listed price per boat. Add the fuel charge for the number of hours you book. Divide by the number of people actually on board. That last figure is the one to compare against a water taxi or against what a shared cruise would cost you.
- Step one is easy, because the platform prices are printed in dollars. Step two needs the operator's own fuel rules, which differ more than the boat prices do. Most Como operators charge €50 an hour, which converts to $58.30. The View Lake Como charges twice that, €100 or $116.50 an hour, on its restored 1960s wooden boat. SuBacco charges a flat €50 in cash for a one-hour booking, or €100 if you take 2 to 4 hours. DREAM BOAT is the outlier that includes fuel, water and a bottle of wine in the price, and two of the Lake Tour Bellagio listings state no fuel charge at all.
- Step three is where the per-boat pricing starts to work in your favour. The advertised $207.88 for the Viemme motorboat covers up to 7 guests. Two people pay the same boat price as seven, so your per-person cost drops from $133.09 each as a couple to $44.36 each with a full boat, before fuel. The two Lake Tour Bellagio listings work the other way: their from-prices cover only 2 guests, and the Bellagio wooden boat listing warns the price varies by date and headcount.
- The table below runs the arithmetic for groups of 2, 4 and 6 on three boats that between them show every fuel arrangement. Note what a group of 6 does to the Bertram, which takes up to 8 and includes fuel. It becomes, per head, the cheapest captain-driven private option on the page.
| Tour | Listed price (1 hour) | Fuel charge | Total for the boat | Per person, 2 guests | Per person, 4 guests | Per person, 6 guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viemme motorboat with Prosecco | $207.88 | $58.30 (€50 an hour) | $207.88 + $58.30 = $266.18 | $133.09 | $66.55 | $44.36 |
| DREAM BOAT Bertram, fuel included | $346.47 | Included, no surcharge | $346.47 | $173.24 | $86.62 | $57.75 |
| The View 1960s wooden boat | $287.57 | $116.50 (€100 an hour) | $287.57 + $116.50 = $404.07 | $202.04 | $101.02 | $67.35 |
- Three things follow from those numbers. First, fuel flips the ranking: the wooden boat that looks only $80 above the motorboat actually costs $137.89 more for the hour once both fuel charges are paid. Second, the Bertram's fuel-inclusive pricing means it beats everything on this page per head once you can fill six of its eight seats. Third, if your group is only two, none of these charters is cheap per person, and you should read the water taxi and shared cruise comparison before booking.
- One warning about the from-prices. Tour-49 and tour-52 both show a price that covers up to 2 guests, and the Bellagio listing says openly that the figure varies by date and headcount. Treat those two prices as a floor, not a quote, and expect the checkout number to rise with a bigger group.
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Wooden and Vintage Boats or Modern Motorboats
- Wooden boats dominate this list, and they are the reason many people book a private wooden boat tour on Lake Como in the first place. Six of the nine charters put you in a varnished classic: the Wave Boat Como vintage wooden runabout with its narrating captain, the Shusciu classic with sun and rain covers, the Around the lake MAS 28 with its swim stop and Prosecco, The View's restored 1960s wooden boat, the SuBacco motorboat and the Lake Tour Bellagio vintage wooden boat working out of Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna or Tremezzo. If the photographs matter to you, these are the boats that appear in them, and the titles say so plainly: Top Places for Pics is in the name of one of them.
- What you give up for the varnish is money and, on one listing, a lot of it. The View charges $116.50 an hour in fuel on top of $287.57, the steepest total on the page for a one-hour booking. The Lake Tour Bellagio wooden boat from the mid-lake piers starts at $591.84 for two guests. By contrast the modern motorboats undercut them: the Viemme Prosecco boat and the MAS 28 both list at $207.88, and the Bertram 25, at $346.47 for up to 8 with fuel included, is the practical pick for families who would rather spend on hours than on hull.
- Practical differences matter too. The Shusciu and Viemme boats both fit weather covers, so rain does not sink the plan. The Wave Boat Como has a sunshade canopy that opens for sun or rain. The Bertram has a canopy for sun and light rain and, uniquely, lets you set the route with the captain. The wooden classics are open to the elements, which is the point in June and less charming in a spring wind. The before you book section lists what each operator says about weather.
- There is also a self-drive option if the captain is optional for you. The Marinello Fisherman rental out of Como, covered in our boat tours hub, costs $115.17 an hour per boat for up to 7 with no licence needed, though fuel at €25 an hour is extra. It is the cheapest way to have a boat to yourselves on the whole lake.
Private Charter, Water Taxi, Shared Cruise or Public Boat
- A private boat is not the only way onto the water, and for some groups it is not even the cheapest way to have a boat to yourselves. There are four realistic routes, and the honest comparison is the cost for one hour for a group of four.
- First, the private charters on this page, all priced per boat. Second, a licensed water taxi charter. Taxi Boat Lake Como srl publishes a per-boat hourly tariff with the captain, fuel, fresh water and fees included. Its open Eolo, carrying up to 5, is €200 an hour, or $233.00. Its wooden Venetian taxi boat, up to 9 passengers, is €300 an hour, or $349.60, rising to €500 for two hours. Third, the shared small-group cruises from Como, where you buy per-person tickets and share the deck with strangers. Fourth, the Navigazione Lago di Como public boat, which charges by stretch: €5.50 one way, or $6.41 (€5.50), inside the centre-lake triangle, and a stretch-3 day pass for unlimited trips around Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio at €17.50, or $20.40 (€17.50).
- The table runs the numbers for four people, one hour, using only published figures. For the shared cruises and the public boat, an hour is what the ticket naturally buys. For the day pass, we show the full-day cost, since a single stretch crossing costs less but takes minutes, not an hour.
- Read honestly, the table says three things. A full private charter for four runs roughly $66 to $101 a head. The licensed water taxi does the same job, with fuel and captain included and no cash surprises at the dock, for $58.25 a head on the open boat. And if what you actually want is the shoreline scenery rather than the boat itself, the public network delivers it for $25.64 for four people on a single crossing, or $81.60 for a whole day of hops around the triangle. Full timetables and fare rules are on our Lake Como ferry page and ticket breakdowns are on the ferry tickets page.
- The shared cruises sit awkwardly in the middle. At $57.24 a head, the Salimar Prosecco cruise costs four people $228.96, within $4 of hiring the whole Eolo water taxi to yourselves. The 8-passenger wooden cruise at $73.29 a head costs a foursome $293.16, more than the private open taxi. Unless you are travelling solo or as a couple and want the social atmosphere, the shared format stops making sense at four.
| Option | Type | Cost for 4 people, 1 hour | Per person | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viemme private motorboat | Private charter | $207.88 + $58.30 fuel = $266.18 | $66.55 | Boat to yourselves, up to 7, Prosecco or soft drinks |
| DREAM BOAT Bertram | Private charter | $346.47, fuel included | $86.62 | Boat to yourselves, up to 8, route you set, wine included |
| The View wooden boat | Private charter | $287.57 + $116.50 fuel = $404.07 | $101.02 | 1960s wooden boat to yourselves, up to 5, Prosecco |
| Taxi Boat Lake Como Eolo charter | Licensed water taxi | $233.00 (€200 per boat) | $58.25 | Open boat, max 5, captain, fuel and water included |
| Taxi Boat Lake Como wooden Venetian taxi | Licensed water taxi | $349.60 (€300 per boat) | $87.40 | Wooden taxi boat, up to 9, captain, fuel and water included |
| Salimar small-group cruise | Shared tour | $228.96 ($57.24 x 4) | $57.24 | Shared deck, 1 hour from Como, Prosecco included |
| Classic wooden boat cruise | Shared tour | $293.16 ($73.29 x 4) | $73.29 | Shared restored wooden boat, max 8, commentary, 1 hour from Como |
| Navigazione public boat, stretch 3 | Public boat | $25.64 ($6.41 (€5.50) x 4) one way | $6.41 (€5.50) | Scheduled service, Bellagio-Varenna-Menaggio triangle, no captain |
| Navigazione stretch-3 day pass | Public boat | $81.60 ($20.40 (€17.50) x 4) for a full day | $20.40 (€17.50) | Unlimited hops around the triangle all day |
- Where the private format genuinely wins has nothing to do with price. Only a chartered boat will stop for a swim when you feel like it, hold position in front of a villa for photographs, or collect you from Villa del Balbianello waterside. The Bertram and the two Lake Tour Bellagio boats include pickup at multiple points, which the water taxi tariff describes only loosely and the public boat never does. If those things are the point of the day, pay for them knowingly.
Before You Book a Private Boat Tour on Lake Como
For everything else on the water and ashore, start from the guide homepage.
- Meeting points cluster on the Como waterfront. Four of the nine charters depart from piers along Lungo Lario Trieste or from Viale Geno, within a few minutes' walk of each other: the Viemme boat at number 46, the Around the lake wooden boat at the Sant'Agostino floating pier at number 28, the Shusciu boat from Viale Geno 12 returning to the same floating pier, and Wave Boat Como from Viale Geno 12. SuBacco boards at its own pier at Villa Geno, also in Como. The others are mid-lake or flexible: the Bertram offers pickup from eight points including Como, Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Carate Urio, Lenno, Bellagio, Tremezzo, Menaggio and Varenna, the Lake Tour Bellagio Cranchi includes pickup by arrangement, and the vintage wooden boat of tour-52 collects from piers in Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna or Tremezzo. The Timonfaya vintage boat out of Tremezzo asks you to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early and charges extra cash for pickup anywhere else on the lake.
- Cancellation is uniform and generous. All nine listings give a 24-hour deadline before the start time for a refund, which makes a private charter a low-risk booking if the forecast turns. Only SuBacco spells out the weather consequence: in bad weather or unsafe lake conditions the activity may be rescheduled or refunded.
- Weather handling on the water varies. The Viemme and Shusciu boats both carry protective covers that the listings say keep them running in any conditions. Wave Boat Como's sunshade canopy opens for sun or rain. The Bertram's canopy covers sun and light rain. The open wooden boats offer no such promises, and the Lake Tour Bellagio pair simply advise a windbreaker and warm layers in the mid-seasons and a hat and sunscreen in summer. Lake Tour Bellagio also runs the only listing whose full itinerary is not published: both tour-49 and tour-52 give a general centre-lake or mid-lake circuit with drinks and towels, without naming the villas or stops, so ask the operator what the hour covers before you pay a premium.
- Capacity is the other number to check against your group. The Viemme boat takes a maximum of 7, the Bertram up to 8, SuBacco up to 8 with the base price covering 6, the Wave Boat and MAS 28 wooden boats up to 5 each, and the two Lake Tour Bellagio from-prices cover only 2 guests with more payable. The Shusceu listing, the Shusciu classic, states no maximum at all, so confirm headcount with the operator directly. Groups larger than 8 should look at the wooden Venetian water taxi, which is licensed for up to 9 and charges a 50-euro hourly surcharge for a 10th to 12th passenger.
- Finally, a note on timing. Weekend and public-holiday departures from Como run late because of harbour congestion, a warning the Como operators publish themselves, and parking near the piers is difficult. Build slack into the day rather than booking a lunch reservation on the back of an 11 a.m. boat.
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Lake Como Boat Tours
The full hub: shared cruises, self-drive rentals and the group tours this page deliberately leaves out, all priced against the public boat.
Bellagio
Where two of the private charters pick up, and the pivot of the centre-lake triangle the public boat crosses for $6.41 (€5.50) a stretch.
Villa del Balbianello
The most requested private-boat destination on the lake, reachable by water from Lenno, one of the Bertram's eight pickup points.
Is a Lake Como private boat tour priced per person or per boat?
Per boat. All nine charters on this page list a single boat price, usually covering a set number of guests such as up to 5 or up to 8. The two exceptions are the Lake Tour Bellagio listings, whose from-prices cover up to 2 and rise with headcount, as the Bellagio vintage wooden boat listing states openly.
How much is fuel on a private boat charter?
It depends entirely on the operator. Most Como charters add €50 an hour, $58.30, paid at the dock. The View's 1960s wooden boat charges €100 an hour, and SuBacco takes €50 cash for one hour or €100 for 2 to 4 hours. The DREAM BOAT Bertram is the only charter that includes fuel, and two listings state no fuel charge at all.
What is the cheapest private boat on Lake Como for a group?
Per head, the Bertram wins for big groups: $346.47 for up to 8 with fuel included is $43.31 each with a full boat, the lowest published per-person figure on the page. Per boat, the $207.78 Viemme and MAS 28 listings are cheapest before fuel, and the MAS 28 wooden boat takes up to 5.
Is a private water taxi cheaper than a private boat tour?
Often, yes. The licensed Taxi Boat Lake Como charter is €200 an hour, $233.00, for its open Eolo carrying up to 5, with captain, fuel and water included and no fuel surcharge at the dock. That beats several tour listings once their fuel is added, though its 5-passenger limit is tight for larger groups.
Can I drive a boat on Lake Como without a licence?
Yes. A Marinello Fisherman rents by the hour from Como with no licence and no captain, after an instructor briefing, at $115.17 an hour per boat for up to 7, plus €25 an hour for fuel. It is listed in our boat tours hub rather than on this page, because you skipper it yourself.
Where do private boat tours depart from on Lake Como?
Most leave the Como waterfront, from piers on Lungo Lario Trieste and Viale Geno, as the Prosecco motorboat does. The Bertram offers pickup at eight points around the lake from Como to Varenna, and the Bellagio vintage boat collects from piers in Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna or Tremezzo. Check the meeting point on each tour record before booking.
Lake Como Private Boat Tours on Film
Three private charters filmed from the deck, useful for seeing the boat sizes and the routes before choosing one.
Lake Como Private Boat Tour – Is It Worth It?
A private charter judged on price against what the hour actually covers.
Video: Detailed TravelerEnjoy this Lake Como Private Boat Tour
An hour on a private boat along the villa shore.
Video: Expat Lifestyle with BaddsExclusive Boat Tour and Majestic Villas on Lake Como
A private route past the villas, filmed by a local skipper.
Video: Teo living on the lakeVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Prices, hours and terms are set by the venue or operator and confirmed at checkout.
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