Lake Como, Bellagio with Private Boat Cruise Included

It was a well organised tour. We really enjoyed the private boat cruise in the boat. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. They need to update the what to expect/itinerary. It didn't mention we'd go to Lugano, which was a nice surprise, but we'd prefer to know the schedule in advance. Also, we had selected start time 9.15AM, and 2 days before the tour, they informed us that we needed to be at the meeting point at 8.30AM, which was frustrating.

Me and my wife went on this particular tour as a part of our bucket list. The location is spectacular and breathtaking. Our tour guide/leader, Katia Netti, was the highlight of our tour who laid down all the beautiful details and facts in a simple and interesting way which made the trip even more enjoyable. She was not well on the particular day but still she did her best to give all the information of different spots and villas on the road, while walking in Como and also on the boat trip. Bus had its WiFi on the go so that was very helpful for us as tourists. While returning from Como they took us via Lake Lugano, Switzerland which was cherry on top.

I have been asked to review a trip I booked whilst in Milan. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. It was a damp dismal day however this did not detract from the beauty of Lake Como. The low hanging cloud over the mountains gave it a magical feel. Onto the tour, our guide was a very nice lady. She was factual but very difficult to understand. The tour was advertised as English and whilst she did speak English her accent made it difficult to understand. She was a few sentences in before I realised she was speaking English. Tour companies’ please note just because somebody claims to be able to speak English. The target audience, English speaking nationals, need to be able to understand them. Arriving at Bellagio we were informed it was low season and the majority of places were closed. However, the tour guide did advise she would take us to a restaurant she recommended for lunch. We were reminding that because it was low season we had limited choice because most shops/cafes were still closed and not scheduled to open for a week or so when the tourist season started. We had been up very early and were hungry at this point so took her advice, (as did the majority of our group) I have to say the food was very nice at the recommended restaurant Hotel Suisse, however the price was eye watering, 71 euros for two plates of pasta, (carbonara and lasagne) and two glasses of house wine. Guys this was evening a la carte prices for a spot of lunch. However, the warning that majority of places were closed left us feeling we were a captive audience with limited options. My experience of ‘recommended’ places to eat on tours have been positive in the past with lunch time menus presented or a fixed price option. Not here, left the restaurant feeling ripped off. This was compounded by the fact when we went to explore Bellagio, a beautiful little port area, there were lots of places or take away cafes offering much cheaper food options that were open. Our walking tour of Como was a stroll up the main street then left to our own devices to explore for 1.5 hours. The places we visited, Lake Como, Bellagio and Como town were beautiful, however we left feeling very disappointed. We didn’t come away feeling we knew more about the history of the places we visited due to the language barrier and we still feel aggrieved a the prices we paid for a spot of lunch.