Boat Tour from Garda

Being straight about this stretch

The town of Garda sits in a wide bay on the eastern shore, with the wooded headland of Punta San Vigilio just to the north of it. It is one of the prettiest short stretches of coast on the lake and one of the least boat-commercial: we have not verified a boat company based in the town itself. The shore is worked from Bardolino, a few minutes south, and by taxi boats that run lake-wide.

That is not a problem, it is just a different way of arranging the day. Rather than walking to a kiosk, you tell us the hour and the shape of the trip and we bring a boat to you.

The two honest options

A skippered boat from Bardolino. The companies there work from Lungolago Cipriani and Punta Cornicello, and one of them also operates from Castelletto di Brenzone further up the same shore. Commercial skippers on the lake are professional captains. A pick-up on the Garda waterfront is a conversation, not an obstacle.

A small boat you drive yourself. Boats under 40 hp need no Italian nautical licence, only ID, and the rental fleet is built to that limit. They seat 5 to 7 and rent at 100 to 330 EUR per hour including fuel with a 250 EUR deposit, against lake-wide day rates of 130 to 280 EUR. Take the rules with you: 300 m off the shore, 20 knots by day, 5 at night, 3 in port.

Ferry, taxi or charter

For simply crossing the lake, the scheduled boats are the cheap answer — the main timetable runs 16 May to 4 October, with the Desenzano-Sirmione-Riva line from March and the Maderno-Torri car ferry all year. When the timetable does not suit, a water taxi does: set south-basin routes are priced per person at 10 EUR to 35 EUR depending on the leg, and a private taxi boat starts from 100 EUR. Garda is also within reach of Isola del Garda, which is served from eight ports with crossings of 10 to 60 minutes.

Season and weather

April to October, with the rental season stated as 1 April to 31 October, 09:00 to 19:00. You are in the calmer southern half of the lake, with the wind turning twice a day and the odd summer thunderstorm. Weather calls are the skipper’s; the norm here is free cancellation 24 to 48 hours ahead and a refund or reschedule.

Next door, the boat tour from Bardolino and the Bardolino wine tour. For getting across rather than around, the water taxi. The whole lake is on the Lake Garda page; boats elsewhere on boat charters. Request availability with your date, your group and where you are staying.

Good to know

How much does the ferry cost from Garda to Sirmione?

It depends on the leg and the boat, and the fares are published by route rather than as one figure, so we will not quote you a number we cannot stand behind. What we can say is the shape of it — scheduled ferries are the cheap way to move around the lake, and a private water taxi is quoted per boat or per person on set routes when the timetable does not suit you.

Are there boats based in Garda town itself?

We have not bench-checked a company based in the town, and we would rather say that than pretend otherwise. The east shore here is covered by the companies at Bardolino a few minutes south, and by taxi boats that work the whole lake — so a boat from Garda is entirely possible, it just starts with a phone call rather than a walk to a kiosk.

When can you go out?

The lake season is April to October, and the clearest published marker is the licence-free rental season on this shore, 1 April to 31 October, 09:00 to 19:00 daily. Outside that the east shore is quiet and boats need arranging rather than finding.

Request availability

Tell us the dates and the kind of day you have in mind. A real person checks availability directly with the local skipper, guide, chef or driver and replies with honest options and prices. Nothing is booked until you confirm.