A boat tour on Lake Como

A boat tour on lake Coma was an item on the „I really really want to do this“ list. I had read somewhere that there is a Hop On Hop Off ticket that allows you to tour the whole lake…

What I didn’t read was how big the lake actually is.

The realisation hit me when I studied the time table for the boat tours. The crossing from Como to Bellagio alone, where the two arms of the lake meet, would take over 2 hours. Then the trip down the other arm would also take about 2 hours and then another 2 hours over to the other side of the lake. The way back would then be at least 4 hours. That means 10 hours for the boat part of the excursion alone, let alone the time for changing boats, visiting places and so on. Alright, we need to change that plan. I still wanted to explore part of the lake by boat.

Lake Como boat tour

We boarded the boat in Como at 10 in the morning. We quickly occupied a spot on the open rear deck that was sheltered from the wind and then the journey to Bellagio began.

It was a bit hazy and overcast but the view of Como when we left the marina was lovely.

So what are the spectacular things to see on this trip…
Villages, churches, jetties, … water, other boats, mountains… it is truly marvellous. We find it deeply relaxing to sit on the deck and enjoy this boat tour on Lake Como. The landscape is beautiful and the sights along the banks were so pleasing to look at.

Lake Como filming locations

There is one special highlight to spot on the journey from Como to Bellagio. A particular mansion at the lake. It served as a filming location for a few scenes in the James Bond movie „Casino Royale“ as well as for scenes from „Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones“ and „This One Summer“.
The Balbianello mansion sits on a small peninsula and it is owned by an Italian environmental and cultural preservation organisation. On a couple of days each week, paying visitors are allowed in the garden of the mansion. You can also catch a glimpse of it from one of the tour boats on the lake.

Destination Port Bellagio

After over 2.5 hours our destination Bellagio came into view. The boat filled up with more guests at the stops along the way. The last two stops were just across from Bellagio. That’s it got quite crowded due to the large number of guests onboard.

Next up was Bellagio.

A boat tour on Lake Como is really worthwhile and I do recommend it.

Times and Prices:

The latest timetables are available at the piers and, a little harder to understand, also online. We preferred to get recommendations at the ticket counter when we picked up our tickets and also took one of the leaflets with the times with us.