A Portofino boat tour shows the side of the promontory you cannot reach by road: the abbey of San Fruttuoso sits in a cove with no car access. Two small-group tours lead Viator. The boat tour to San Fruttuoso, from Portofino, is rated 5.0 across 112 reviews, from about $103. The boat, walk and pesto day, from Santa Margherita Ligure, is rated 4.9 across 133 reviews, from about $261, with lunch.
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The verdict
The boat tour to San Fruttuoso is our pick for a Portofino boat tour. For two and a half hours, a skipper takes a small group along the coast toward San Fruttuoso and Camogli, with drinks and snacks on board. Every rating is four or five stars.
The pesto day is more of a food outing. You take the ferry from Santa Margherita to Portofino, walk the village with a guide, make pesto, taste focaccia and eat a light lunch by the harbor. However, it costs more than twice as much, and one mixed review calls it overpriced.
Neither tour is wheelchair accessible.
On the San Fruttuoso tour, the listing names a fuel surcharge and snorkeling gear among the exclusions, so check the final price at booking. The pesto day starts in Santa Margherita Ligure, not Portofino, and the ferry is included.
Which one is for you?
Take the San Fruttuoso boat tour if
- You want the highest rating: 5.0 from 112 travelers.
- You want the lower price, from about $103.
- You want to see the coast from the water.
- You are staying in or near Portofino.
Take the pesto day if
- You want to make pesto and eat lunch.
- You are staying in Santa Margherita Ligure.
- You want a guided walk in Portofino too.
- Food is the highlight of your trip.
What each price covers
The San Fruttuoso boat tour, from about $103
Included: a professional skipper and an assistant on board, snacks, bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks.
Not included: hotel transfers, the fuel surcharge and snorkeling equipment.
The pesto day, from about $261
Included: a pesto cooking class, a light lunch by the harbor in Portofino, a focaccia tasting, a professional tour leader, and the round-trip ferry from Santa Margherita Ligure.
Not included: transport to the meeting point.
Where each one starts
- San Fruttuoso boat tour: Molo Umberto I 9, in Portofino harbor.
- Pesto day: Piazza Martiri della Libertà 1, in Santa Margherita Ligure.
Side by side
| San Fruttuoso boat tour | Pesto day | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5.0 from 112 | 4.9 from 133 |
| Five-star reviews | Nearly all | 123 (92%) |
| Price | from about $103 | from about $261 |
| Length | 2 h 30 min | 3 hours |
| Boat | Small group | Public ferry |
| Food | Snacks and drinks | Pesto class and lunch |
| Start | Portofino | Santa Margherita Ligure |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 24 hours before |
What travelers say
On the pesto day
Francesca was fabulous- fun and knowledgeable.
Karen_D, September 2025, via Viator
Bring your appetite and love of history and food and comfy walking shoes.
Antonella_F, August 2025, via Viator
Both are reviewed mostly with five stars. On the San Fruttuoso tour, every rating is four or five stars; on the pesto day, 123 of 133 ratings are five stars, and three stars or lower make up about 5% of the reviews.
How Portofino fits a trip to the Italian Riviera
Farther east, the Cinque Terre boat tour covers the five villages from the sea, and in Genoa the Genoa food tour covers focaccia and pesto on foot.
Coming from Florence? See the Cinque Terre day trip from Florence and our northern Italy itinerary. Arriving by cruise ship in Genoa? Our Genoa shore excursions comparison includes a Portofino day from the port.
Questions travelers ask
Which Portofino boat tour should I book?
The small-group boat tour to San Fruttuoso, rated 5.0 from 112 reviews on Viator, from about $103 (checked September 2026). For food, the boat, walk and pesto day, rated 4.9, from about $261.
Can you reach San Fruttuoso by car?
No. San Fruttuoso is reached by boat or on foot, which is why a boat tour is the easy way to see it.
Where do Portofino boat tours start?
The San Fruttuoso tour leaves from Portofino harbor; the pesto day starts in Santa Margherita Ligure, with the ferry included.
Is lunch included?
On the pesto day, yes, a light lunch by the harbor. On the boat tour, snacks and drinks are included.
Can I cancel a Portofino boat tour?
Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
Book the San Fruttuoso boat tour for the coast; book the pesto day for a guided walk, a class and lunch.
Editorial assessment by Italy2Love, September 2026. Inclusions and exclusions, meeting points, prices, ratings, review counts and cancellation terms read on both Viator product pages (product codes 51921P88 and 68388P1), September 2026. Reviews quoted with attribution to their authors and to Viator. Next review March 2027, or sooner on any change to either option.