Self-drive boat for 5
A 17-foot Ranieri with a 40 hp Honda engine, sundeck and rear lounge seating. You steer yourself, no licence needed, and set off from Varenna with a map on board.
Varenna · Experiences & tours
Lake Como Boat, Varenna
Self-drive motorboats and private classic-boat cruises from Varenna, past the villas of central Lake Como.
Photo © Lake Como Boat
- WhereVia Venini 13Varenna
- Experiences & toursBoat hire and cruisesSelf-drive boats, private cruises, photographer
- Opening hoursOpen 09:00–19:00
- Contact+39 342 997 1937Official website ↗
Why go
About Lake Como Boat
Lake Como Boat rents boats and runs private cruises from Varenna, on the eastern shore of the lake. Guests can take the wheel of a motorboat themselves, no boating licence needed, or travel with a private captain on a classic wooden boat.
Cruises pass the famous lakeside villas, among them Villa Monastero, Villa Melzi, Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta, and the Nesso waterfall. Durations run from one hour to a full day, and the team suggests three or four hours for a first visit.
Main services
What Lake Como Boat offers
Services from the official website.
Self-drive boat for 6
A 19-foot new-generation Ranieri with a Honda 40 hp engine, comfortable sundeck, rear seating and sun canopy. Fuel, safety gear and basic insurance are included, and you collect it in Varenna.
Hollywood cruise
Private Hollywood Cruise
A two-hour private cruise with an English-speaking captain, passing the lakeside villas and stopping thirty minutes at Villa del Balbianello. The villa ticket is paid separately, and the villa is closed Mondays and Wednesdays.
La Dolce Vita Cruise
A three-hour private tour from Varenna or Bellagio through the middle of the lake, past Villa Carlotta and the Nesso waterfall, with a half-hour stop at Villa del Balbianello, led by an English-speaking captain.
Lunch on the Lake
A four-hour private cruise from Varenna or Bellagio that includes a lunch stop, with a choice of two lakeside restaurants in Sala Comacina. Meals are ordered a la carte and paid separately.
Photographer on board
A professional photographer can join your private cruise, with edited, high-quality photos sent by email within three to five days. Book the boat separately and ask at least twenty-four hours ahead.
Services and facilities
Good to know at Lake Como Boat
- No boating licence needed
- Fuel included on self-drive boats
- English-speaking captain on private cruises
- Sun canopy on self-drive boats
- Pick-up in Varenna
- Book in advance
Gallery
Inside Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Photo © Lake Como Boat
Practical information
Lake Como Boat: address, opening hours and contacts
Address
Via Venini 13, 23829 Varenna LC
Phone+39 342 997 1937
Opening hours
Hours from the official website:
| Day | Open |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Tuesday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00–19:00 |
| Sunday | 09:00–19:00 |
Location
- Contacts
- Contact the business directly by phone, WhatsApp, email or its website. Holiplanet does not take bookings or payments for it.
Getting there
How to get to Lake Como Boat
From Como centre (Piazza Cavour)
About 27 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
From Bellagio
About 3.3 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
From Varenna
On foot: 40 m, about 1 min walk.
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors); road distances are longer and walking times are approximate.
Around the area
Near Lake Como Boat: sights, restaurants and hotels
City Guide · Things to do
Sights near Lake Como Boat
Lake Como villas, villages and viewpoints with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
210 m away
Varenna
Painted fishing-village houses on Lake Como's eastern shore
4 km away
Menaggio
A lakefront village and ferry hub with trails behind it
4.1 km away
Bellagio
The pearl of Lario, where Lake Como's branches meet
4.9 km away
Villa Carlotta
A lakeside museum and botanical garden in Tremezzo
8.1 km away
Villa del Balbianello
A loggia on a wooded promontory, reached on foot or by boat
26.3 km away
Funicolare Como-Brunate and Brunate
Seven minutes from the lake to the balcony of the Alps
27 km away
Duomo di Como (Como Cathedral)
A marble façade and Juvarra's dome, minutes from the lake
27 km away
Piazza Cavour and the Como Lakefront
Como's lakeside living room and the walk to Villa Olmo
27.4 km away
Como Old Town Walls (Città Murata, Porta Torre and Broletto)
Roman grid, medieval walls and Porta Torre in 1.5 hours
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All things to do
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Where to eat
Restaurants near Lake Como Boat
Lake Como restaurants with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
20 m away
Varenna
La Scarpetta
A small family-run pasta place in Varenna where a short menu of fresh handmade pasta is made daily, with sauces meant for the bread.
1.4 km away
Varenna
Hosteria del Platano
A village osteria above the eastern shore of Lake Como, serving slow, homemade cooking and the lake view from its terrace.
5.8 km away
Lierna
Sottovento Lago di Como
A lakefront restaurant in Lierna with a big terrace facing Bellagio, relaxed service and simple, modern cooking built on local ingredients.
6.3 km away
Bellagio
Trattoria Baita Belvedere
A family-run trattoria in the woods above Bellagio, with a terrace view over the lake and the Prealps and a menu rooted in Lombard tradition.
9.6 km away
Bellagio
Polentoteca Chalet Gabriele
A stone-and-wood chalet at 1,012 metres, serving polenta with a view over Lake Como and the Alps.
24.9 km away
Brunate
La Polenteria
A mountain restaurant above Lake Como where polenta is stirred in a copper pot and served steaming at the table.
27 km away
Como
Crotto del Sergente
A Como restaurant serving the traditional dishes of its own land, with a large wine cellar and two welcoming dining rooms.
27.2 km away
Como
Ristorante Canottieri Lario
A first-floor restaurant with a panoramic terrace right on Lake Como, serving revisited Mediterranean cooking with Lariana traditions.
27.5 km away
Como
Terrazza 241
A rooftop restaurant and lounge bar at Hilton Lake Como, open all year with a glass-walled greenhouse and views over the lake.
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All restaurants
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Where to stay
Hotels near Lake Como Boat
Hotels, resorts and villas with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
460 m away
Vezio
Hotel Il Portichetto
A scattered hotel in the hill village of Vezio above Varenna
3 km away
Bellagio
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
A neoclassical lakeside villa in Bellagio with gardens
5.4 km away
Above Bellagio, on the Ghisallo climb
Hotel Il Perlo
A family-run hotel on the hillside above Bellagio
7.7 km away
Bay of Venus (Golfo di Venere)
Albergo Lenno
A family-run lakefront hotel on the Bay of Venus in Lenno
10.4 km away
Bagnana, Lezzeno
Filario Hotel & Residences
A modern lakefront hotel in Lezzeno with 13 rooms
24.2 km away
Como
Villa d'Este
A historic lakeside grand hotel in Cernobbio, with 151 rooms
24.8 km away
Como
Hotel Asnigo Cernobbio
A 30-room hotel in Cernobbio with a lake-view terrace
25.7 km away
Brunate
Bellavista Boutique Hotel Brunate
A small Art Nouveau hotel and family-run restaurant beside the Brunate funicular
26.1 km away
Via Cernobbio
Hotel Villa Flori
A 19th-century villa in its own park above Lake Como
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All hotels
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Experiences
Tours and experiences
Boat tours, seaplane flights, cooking classes and wine tastings with their own Holiplanet page.
80 m away
Varenna
Taxi Boat Varenna
Shared and private boat cruises from Varenna, with a licensed captain who knows the lake and its villas well.
150 m away
Varenna
Fauno Sailing
Small-group and private sailing trips on Lake Como, led by a local skipper, with an Italian aperitivo and Prosecco served on board.
3.3 km away
Bellagio
Enoteca Cava Turacciolo
A restored 18th-century stone cellar in Bellagio where sommeliers guide you through local and Italian wines with cured meats and lake fish.
4.9 km away
Bellagio
Bellagio Boat Tour
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a professional captain, leaving from Bellagio and tailored to your pace.
14 km away
Argegno
B&S Boat Service
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a local captain, from a base in Argegno, with itineraries shaped around your group.
21.9 km away
Moltrasio
Como On Boat
Private boat tours on Lake Como, from one to four hours, starting in Como or Cernobbio and passing the lake's best-known villas and villages.
26.8 km away
Como
Lake Como Experiences & Boat Tours
Private boat tours on Lake Como with an English-speaking captain, from a two-hour cruise to a full day on the water.
27.4 km away
Como
Aero Club Como (seaplane flights)
Take off from the water of Lake Como with an instructor and see the lake from the cockpit of a seaplane.
27.4 km away
Como
PastaClass.it Como Cooking Class
Small-group fresh pasta classes and cooking demos in Beatrice's home, a few steps from Como Cathedral, ending with a shared meal.
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All experiences
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Beyond the lake
Day trips from Lake Como
Milan, Bergamo and the lake villages by train or ferry.
City Guide · about 40 min by train
Milan
The Duomo, the Last Supper, Brera and the Navigli
City Guide
Bergamo
The walled Città Alta, its funicular and the Venetian walls
By ferry
Bellagio
The pearl of Lario, where Lake Como's branches meet
By ferry
Varenna
Painted fishing-village houses on Lake Como's eastern shore
By ferry or on foot from Lenno
Villa del Balbianello
A loggia on a wooded promontory, reached on foot or by boat
→
All day trips
Lake Como City Guide
Holiplanet Journal
Latest from the Journal
Stories and practical guides about Lake Como and Milan.
Holiplanet Journal
Varenna, Italy: What to See on Lake Como and How to Plan Your Visit
Holiplanet Journal
Milan to Lake Como: How to Do a Day Trip by Train and Ferry
Holiplanet Journal
The Story of Como, Told Through Silk
Holiplanet Journal
Milan in a Weekend: Leonardo’s Masterpieces, Hidden Courtyards and Where to Eat
→
All stories
Holiplanet Journal
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Questions
Lake Como Boat: frequently asked questions
Do I need a boating licence?
No. The self-drive motorboats can be driven without a licence, and the team explains how at check-in.
Where do the boats leave from?
Self-drive boats are collected only in Varenna. Private cruises start from Varenna, and some also from Bellagio.
What do I need to bring when I collect a self-drive boat?
A cash deposit of €100 and some form of ID, which are left as security at check-in.
How long should I book for?
The site recommends at least two hours, and three or four for a relaxed visit. One hour mostly covers the central part of the lake.
Is fuel included in the self-drive price?
Yes, fuel is included in the hourly prices of the self-drive boats. Gratuity is not included in the cruises.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The management may cancel or postpone a boat tour in adverse weather, for the comfort and safety of passengers.