Boat Tour Stresa: An Exclusive Alternative to Hop-on/Hop-off – Sail Privately Across Lake Maggiore

The hop-on/hop-off boat trip from Stresa is rated 4.6/5, runs every 30 minutes and costs between €8 and €15 per person depending on the island combination. The landing fee is €0.50 per island. A boat trip from Stresa takes you to the islands, but the timetables decide how long you stay. Tickets for these boat tours can be booked directly at the piers or online; they cover the transfer, not the experience.

The key differences at a glance

• From A to B vs. an experience: The public boat service is a transfer between piers. Our cutter is a floating living room with a shaded deck, cushions and a cool box.
• Mass timetable vs. free scheduling: Instead of boats every 30 minutes, a tour that adapts to your group. You decide whether to spend 20 minutes in front of Isola Bella or an hour.
• Engine noise vs. wind and water: The Striga Constanze sails whenever the wind allows. The diesel engine only runs when needed, quietly and reliably.
• Standard route vs. tailor-made tour: Public tours offer return trips to the islands on a fixed route. We adapt the focus to your wishes: sightseeing, romance, family, meditation or exit game.
• Ticket per person vs. fixed price per boat: A transparent fixed price for up to 8 guests (up to 12 guests on request), instead of individual tickets plus landing fees plus admission plus surcharges. With 6 people on the 3-hour tour you pay around €82 per person instead of €85 per person for a shared day tour with admissions and aperitif, but exclusively for your group.

If you'd like to know how a private boat tour from Stresa works in practice and what advantages it offers, read on in the next section.

Instead of a public boat service, the Striga Constanze offers an experience shaped around your wishes:

• Calm instead of mass traffic – Your own deck for your group, no crowding at the railing, no boarding and disembarking every few minutes. Public boats carry 25 to 60 passengers; with us it's a maximum of 12.
• A traditional gaff cutter instead of a standard motorboat – 55.7 m² of sail area, wooden elements, a red gaff sail, a ship with character. No provider on Lake Maggiore offers comparable trips on a traditional gaff-rigged sailing boat.
• A flexible route in the Borromean Gulf – Depending on the tour: views of the Stresa skyline, a cruise along the Borromean Islands, a stop in front of Santa Caterina del Sasso, continuing to the Castelli di Cannero with their pirate legends.
• Privacy for special occasions – A marriage proposal with a view of Isola Bella, a small wedding on the water, a birthday trip with friends, a honeymoon evening at sunset.
• Swim stops and aperitivo – Jump into the clear water far from the public piers. The combination of clear water and alpine scenery leaves a lasting impression; plus an aperitivo on board against an alpine backdrop.
• The skipper as your personal guide – Stories about Stresa, the Borromean Islands and the pirate brothers Mazzarditi instead of anonymous loudspeaker announcements. In German, English or Italian.

You'll find out exactly how such an exclusive tour works in the next section.

Here are three typical pieces of feedback:

"A magical morning. The lake was mirror-smooth, the light was dreamlike, and when the monastery suddenly appeared out of the rock, we were simply speechless. We are happy to recommend it!"

Julia & Marc W., May 2025

• A couple from Munich had first booked the public hop-on/hop-off tour and were disappointed by the crowds at the pier. For the last day of their holiday they booked the sunset tour on the Striga Constanze. Their feedback: "Finally the peace and romance we were looking for on the lake."
• A family with two children (aged 6 and 9) wanted a pirate ship, the parents a break from the crowds. The family pirate tour with the castle ruins of the Castelli di Cannero and the stories about the Mazzarditi brothers became the highlight of their time at the lake.
• A photographer from Berlin was looking for special perspectives on Isola Bella and the Stresa façade without other tourists in the frame. His verdict after 4 hours on board: "The flexibility with the photo stops was perfect. No other service offers that."

In the next section you'll find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the private boat tour from Stresa.