Portofino Boat Tour Prices: What Each Fare Buys
A Portofino boat tour can cost $98 or $3,481, and the gap is not the boat. It is what the price covers: one seat, the whole boat, or the boat for one traveller. This guide sets every kind of fare side by side, with what costs extra on the day.
How are Portofino boat tours priced?
In three ways, and you need to know which before you compare. A shared boat prices each seat. Most private boats price the whole boat, for a group of up to five to eight. The private boats from Rapallo price the boat by party size, and the figure shown is for one traveller.
| Pricing | What the price covers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Per seat | One person on a boat of up to 12 | $98 a person |
| Per boat | The whole boat, for a set group size | $557 per group (up to 5) |
| By party size | The whole boat; the price shown is one traveller | $405 for one traveller; more with each person added |
A per-boat price looks high until you divide it by your party. A per-seat price looks low until you multiply it.
What does a seat on a shared boat cost?
$98 to $103 a person, plus €10 fuel on the harbour boat. The Rapallo boat is $98 a person for four hours, with fuel and snorkel gear in the fare. The harbour boat is $103 a person plus €10 fuel in cash for two and a half hours from Portofino itself.
Both cap the group at 12. The abbey is in neither fare, and the harbour boat does not include snorkel gear.
What is the €10 fuel charge?
The harbour boat from Molo Umberto I charges €10 a person for fuel, paid in cash at boarding. It is on top of the fare you booked, so four adults hand over €40 at the pier.
Carry euros in cash. Every price for that boat carries the note beside it, and it is the only fare here with a fee paid on board.
How much is a private boat?
Private boats run from $557 per group (up to 5) to $3,481 per group (up to 7). Length and route decide the price more than the boat does.
| Boat | Hours | From, for the boat | Each, if full |
|---|---|---|---|
| The charter for up to five | 3 to 4 | $557 | $111 |
| The charter for up to five, docking in two harbours | 3 to 7 | $870 | $174 |
| The Genoa boat for up to seven | 7.5 | $1,276 | $182 |
| The wooden boat for up to six | 3 | $1,378 | $229 |
| The charter for up to eight | 7 | $2,785 | $348 |
| The Cinque Terre boat for up to seven | 7 | $3,481 | $497 |
At five aboard, the cheapest charter comes to about $111 each, close to one seat on the Rapallo boat at $98. The private boat tours page compares every one.
The Cinque Terre boat tops the range because it covers seven hours and the whole run down the coast, and all fees and taxes are in its fare. The wooden boat is the dearest half day, at three hours for up to six.
Why do some private boats quote a price for one person?
The four- and eight-hour boats from Rapallo sell the whole boat, but they label the price per person. The figure shown, $405 for four hours and $580 for eight, is what one traveller pays alone. The fare rises with each person you add.
So enter your real party size before you compare. The boat itself is a Corvette for up to seven or a wooden gozzo for up to six.
The eight-hour boat adds a bottle of prosecco, towels and a shower; the four-hour boat leaves snacks and drinks out. Both include fuel, and on both you agree the route with the captain.
What does "fuel included" mean?
Where a listing puts fuel in the fare, you pay nothing more for it. The private boats from Rapallo, the charter for up to five from Santa Margherita and the shared Rapallo boat all do. Other charters do not mention fuel, so ask before you book.
One charter is different. The seven-hour boat to Bogliasco includes a flat €400 of fuel in its fare. Ask the operator what happens if your route uses more.
What costs extra on board?
- Snorkel gear on the harbour boat: a mask is €15 and a snorkel €9 from the crew. Bring your own and save both.
- Lunch: every full-day boat leaves it out. You eat ashore.
- Snacks and drinks: the four-hour boat from Rapallo leaves them out, and the Rapallo shared boat leaves out snacks.
- Towels: the Rapallo shared boat leaves them out. The private boats from Rapallo carry them.
- Tips: never in a fare, and up to you.
When is a shared seat the better buy?
When there are one or two of you. Two seats on the Rapallo boat cost $196, far below any charter. A seat also suits you if you want only an afternoon on the water, or if you are staying in Portofino, where the harbour boat leaves.
The Rapallo boat also sells a child fare for ages 3 to 11, and infants ride on a lap. Check the age bands when you book for a family.
When is the whole boat the better buy?
When there are four or five of you, or you want to choose where to land. A charter lets you agree the stops, dock in Portofino or Camogli, and swim where the skipper can stop. It also carries only your party, which matters for a proposal or a birthday.
Price it for your real party. At four people, the cheapest charter is about $139 each.
Is the abbey in any fare?
No. The abbey at San Fruttuoso charges €10 for an adult at its own door, and no boat includes it. The charter docking in two harbours and the park hike say so plainly. Others simply do not mention it.
Budget it separately if you want to go in, and check that your boat stops long enough. Our San Fruttuoso page has the hours.
How do the walks and kayaks compare on price?
| Trip | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| The kayak from Paraggi | $52 a person | 1.5 hours, gear and an instructor |
| The paddleboard | $62 a person | 1.5 hours, gear and a guide |
| The bus-and-boat day from Genoa | $101 a person | Coach, boat, tour leader, focaccia |
| The private guided walk | $220 a person | About 2 hours with a licensed guide |
| The pesto walk | $261 per person, bookings of two | Ferry, walk, class and lunch |
| The park hike | $649 per group (up to 6) | 3 to 5 hours with an environmental guide |
The pesto walk and the two-town walk price per person with a minimum of two, so the smallest booking is twice the price shown.
What else should you budget for the day?
- The ferry: €20 return from Santa Margherita to Portofino, if your boat does not start there.
- The abbey: €10 for an adult, or €26 for a family.
- The castle: €10, free under 12, at the gate.
- Lunch: only the pesto walk includes it.
- Cash: for the harbour boat's €10 fuel charge and any snorkel gear.
Which fares can you cancel?
Almost all of them. Every trip here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead, except one. The seven-hour charter to Bogliasco is non-refundable, and its card says so.
If the sea cancels a trip, it is the operator's to move or refund. Book the non-refundable boat only when your dates are fixed.
How do you compare fares for your party?
Work out the total, not the headline. Here is what three party sizes pay on the cheapest seat and the cheapest whole boat.
| Party | Seats on the Rapallo boat | The charter for up to five |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $196 | $557 |
| 4 people | $393 | $557 |
| 5 people | $492 | $557 |
At five, the whole boat costs little more than five seats, and it is yours. Our guide to choosing a trip weighs the rest, and the Portofino boat tours page lists every boat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way onto the water?
What does a private boat cost for two?
How is a private boat priced?
What is the fuel surcharge on some boats?
Do I need cash on the boat?
Do children pay less?
Should I tip the skipper?
Can I cancel my booking?
Three ways a boat is priced
Portofino Small-Group Boat Tour to San Fruttuoso & Camogli
Two and a half hours from Molo Umberto I in Portofino harbour: past the lighthouse, over the statue's bay, a swim stop and on to Camogli, with drinks and limoncello, up to 12. Fuel is paid in cash at boarding.
From $103 per person plus €10 fuel surcharge a person, cash at boarding
Check Availability
Private Boat Tour of the Portofino Riviera 4 hours
Four hours from Rapallo with a captain, on a Corvette for up to seven or a wooden gozzo for up to six, the route and any stop agreed with you. Fuel, towels and a shower on board.
From $405 for one traveller; more with each person added
Check Availability
Private Boat Tour Portofino, Golfo Paradiso and Tigullio
Seven hours, or a four-hour half day, with about an hour at each of six stops from Portofino to Bogliasco and a flat €400 of fuel in the fare. Non-refundable once booked.
From $2,785 per group (up to 8)
Check AvailabilityNext: Price your whole party, then compare. Every fare sits side by side on Portofino Tours.