This is the way to see Lake Como Did a fair bit of research before booking this tour and glad that I did. We did a day trip from Milan and debated whether to do a traditional bus tour but based on the reviews I decided to... read moreDid a fair bit of research before booking this tour and glad that I did. We did a day trip from Milan and debated whether to do a traditional bus tour but based on the reviews I decided to plan something on my own - took the train from Milan into Varenna and then booked our own private 2 hr boat tour with Taxi Boat Varenna. Based on what I read online most of the packaged tours take you to the village of Como first (it is 30 min from Milan) and then you get a 1 hr boat ride and then they take you to Bellagio and Varenna but your time in each village is limited because you have to travel back to Milan by a certain time. This company has beautiful boats with very professional communication and flexibility to customize your time. The boat dock was easy to find - short walk from the train station and the 10:00am-12:00pm time frame was perfect. TIP: Have the skipper drop you off in Bellagio (instead of returning back to Varenna right away) so you can see this beautiful little village and then it's easy to take the short ferry ride back to Varenna (15 min) and explore this beautiful and pristine village before taking the train ride back to Milan. Luca our skipper was excellent, very knowledgeable and having an ipad to show us some of the villas/sights was nice... Did a fair bit of research before booking this tour and glad that I did. We did a day trip from Milan and debated whether to do a traditional bus tour but based on the reviews I decided to plan something on my own - took the train from Milan into Varenna and then booked our own private 2 hr boat tour with Taxi Boat Varenna. Based on what I read online most of the packaged tours take you to the village of Como first (it is 30 min from Milan) and then you get a 1 hr boat ride and then they take you to Bellagio and Varenna but your time in each village is limited because you have to travel back to Milan by a certain time.
This company has beautiful boats with very professional communication and flexibility to customize your time. The boat dock was easy to find - short walk from the train station and the 10:00am-12:00pm time frame was perfect.
TIP: Have the skipper drop you off in Bellagio (instead of returning back to Varenna right away) so you can see this beautiful little village and then it's easy to take the short ferry ride back to Varenna (15 min) and explore this beautiful and pristine village before taking the train ride back to Milan. Luca our skipper was excellent, very knowledgeable and having an ipad to show us some of the villas/sights was nice (ex. where Casino Royale and Star Wars scenes were filmed). TIP: on Mondays, the Villa Balbianello (where those 2 movies were filmed) is not open to the public but you can see it from the boat on your tour. Although it is a little pricey to do a private tour you have a lot more flexibility in terms of timing of your tour so would recommend. More read less

Lake Como 3 Hour Boat Tour Matteo gave us a terrific tour of the best of Lake Como! There is a lot of history around the lake, and Matteo is excellent and sharing the stories. Beautiful villages, gardens, waterfall (very unexpected!), and mountains all around. It... read moreMatteo gave us a terrific tour of the best of Lake Como! There is a lot of history around the lake, and Matteo is excellent and sharing the stories. Beautiful villages, gardens, waterfall (very unexpected!), and mountains all around. It was a wonderful afternoon, and a great way to see the lake! read less

Fun trip around Como We took a trip around Lake Como leaving from Varenna. We did not intend to go so far, but stayed on too long! Cost us a bit more but it was worth it since we saw so much.... read moreWe took a trip around Lake Como leaving from Varenna. We did not intend to go so far, but stayed on too long! Cost us a bit more but it was worth it since we saw so much. Beautiful scenery and perfect weather! read less

Perfect day on Lake Como! What a great way to see so much of Lake Como than a private boat tour. Marco was a great guide (and asked if we wanted narrative or to just listen to music). We opted for narrative, but... read moreWhat a great way to see so much of Lake Como than a private boat tour. Marco was a great guide (and asked if we wanted narrative or to just listen to music). We opted for narrative, but we had a few moments of Bocelli while sipping our Sprtiz! (I ordered the prosecco and brought the Aperol and seltzer ourselves). We stopped on Isola Comacina for cappucino's and continued our way around the lake to see lovely villa's and quaint towns. Don't hesitate to take this memorable journey! read less

Luca was a wonderful tour guide! We just returned from an extended trip to Italy, and a highlight was touring Lake Como with Luca. He was extremely informative and friendly. We would highly recommend using Luca and Taxi Boat Varenna for all your Lake... read moreWe just returned from an extended trip to Italy, and a highlight was touring Lake Como with Luca. He was extremely informative and friendly. We would highly recommend using Luca and Taxi Boat Varenna for all your Lake Como tours. read less

A wonderful experience on Lake Como After reading about Lake Como in travel books I decided I did not want to waste time taking the ferry to and from the various towns. Taxi boat Varenna was well worth the cost in our opinion. They... read moreAfter reading about Lake Como in travel books I decided I did not want to waste time taking the ferry to and from the various towns. Taxi boat Varenna was well worth the cost in our opinion. They picked us up promptly in Varenna and we spent a glorious afternoon on the lake. We took the "George Tour" and added a one hour tour of Villa Balbianello to it. It was all prearranged for us. Your private boat drops you off right at the dock below the villa and you simply stroll up the path and give them your name at the booth. The tour of the Villa is also well worth the money. It was very fascinating. The rest of the afternoon we motored by gorgeous villas and even waterfalls. More read less

Angelo Tomas Well managed, very easy to get information where to go. In peak times it can be overcrowded. But overall it is very helpful and is not expensive to travel around different villages.

Fabulous experience Made reservations for a three hour tour for two couples for the first day of our trip. I failed to see their map for location of pick up but found the boat exactly at the meeting time of... read moreMade reservations for a three hour tour for two couples for the first day of our trip. I failed to see their map for location of pick up but found the boat exactly at the meeting time of 9AM.
Matteo greeted us and inquired as to whether we wanted just a ride or a ride with explanations of what we were seeing. We requested the explanation. The weather was perfect. We stood up most of the time to fully enjoy the views. Seating is available.
All four of us thought the three hour tour was fabulous and provided a great view of Lake Como and surroundings and showed us areas that we wished to return to. Matteo was very nice. More read less

Amazing Tour! Thanks Matteo!! Matteo was our guide and we did a private boat tour from Varenna of Lake
Como, he was so fun and helpful and knew all the history about everything. We also reserved Prosecco for the boat. We will definitely do this again!

Great Boat Ride and Tour! The boat was beautiful. We enjoyed how there was a limited number of people on the tour. The villa was spectacular.
Only thing I'd change would be our guide to point out more of the sites.