Portofino
Private Day Trip from Milan
The horseshoe harbour, the walk up to Castello Brown and the lighthouse, and a long lunch by the water, with Santa Margherita next door. Door-to-door by private Mercedes, 10 hours, fixed price from €990 per car.
Book this day trip
Portofino & Santa Margherita · private and tailor-made
Book this day trip
See the price for your car now, then send the request: we confirm the driver and send a secure payment link. The itinerary is yours to change: tell us your stops in the notes.
- CarsMercedes E-Class up to 2 guests, V-Class up to 6
- Pick-upYour hotel in Milan, or Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo (+€60)
- PaymentNothing now: we confirm, then send a secure link
Portofino from Milan, with time to slow down
Portofino is a former fishing village at the tip of a wooded headland, a protected park on land and a marine reserve at sea. Its harbour is small enough to walk around in ten minutes, which is exactly why the best of it is a little higher up: the church of San Giorgio, Castello Brown with its garden over the water, and the path through the pines to the lighthouse at the point. It is about 170 km from Milan, around two hours fifteen to two and a half hours each way, and the most famous of the coastal day trips from Milan.
This tour puts Portofino at the centre of the day, with Santa Margherita Ligure as the base: the two are 5 km apart on a narrow coast road that passes the cove of Paraggi. Car access to Portofino is limited by a single, pricey car park that fills up on busy days, so your driver will choose between the road and the short boat ride from Santa Margherita depending on season and traffic. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €990 with an E-Class for two, from €1,110 with a V-Class for up to six.
Portofino Day at a Glance
Portofino Day Trip Itinerary
A 10-hour day with most of it in Portofino, and Santa Margherita for coffee in the morning and an aperitivo before heading home.
Tailor-made, always. This itinerary is our suggestion only: every MilanobyCar day trip is tailor-made. Change the stops, the order and the timing as you like, or tell us your own plan in the booking notes.
Your driver, your local insider. Our chauffeurs are not licensed tour guides and do not guide you inside museums or sites, but they know these places well from years on the road: ask them for the best viewpoints, where to eat, where to stroll and how to avoid the busiest spots. If you would like a licensed guide, we can book one for you.
Pick-up at your hotel in Milan
Your driver meets you in the lobby. The A7 crosses the Apennines to Genoa, then the A12 follows the coast to the Rapallo exit for Santa Margherita.
Coffee on the harbour, then on to Portofino
A first stop on Santa Margherita’s seafront. From here it is either the boat across the bay or the coast road past Paraggi, whichever is quicker that morning.
San Giorgio, Castello Brown and the lighthouse
From the piazzetta, steps climb to the church of San Giorgio and on to Castello Brown, an old Genoese fortress turned into a villa by a British consul in the 19th century. The path continues through the pines to the lighthouse at Punta del Capo, about a kilometre further.
Seafood by the harbour
Trofie with pesto, focaccia and the catch of the day, at a table on the harbour or tucked into the lanes behind it. Prices on the piazzetta reflect the view; your driver can point you to good places and book ahead.
Boutiques, or a swim at Paraggi
Take a slow walk past the boutiques around the harbour, or stop at Paraggi, a small cove with a sandy beach and clear water halfway back to Santa Margherita. In summer the loungers fill up early.
Back to your hotel in Milan
An aperitivo in Santa Margherita if you wish, then about two hours fifteen back to Milan, door to door, or to Malpensa, Linate or a hotel elsewhere.
Portofino Day Trip Prices — 10-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 10-hour day with distance included, whatever the number of passengers. Saturdays and Sundays +20%, major holidays +50%, airport pick-up +€60. Extra hours €75 with the E-Class, €85 with the V-Class, bookable in the form below.
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Executive luxury sedan
- •English-speaking chauffeur
Included in the price
- ✓Private Mercedes and English-speaking chauffeur for the whole day
- ✓Door-to-door pick-up and return in Milan
- ✓Fuel, motorway tolls and parking for the car
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting while you visit
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Boat tickets Santa Margherita – Portofino
- ✕Castello Brown entry
- ✕Beach club loungers at Paraggi
- ✕Meals and drinks
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Portofino: The Route
About 170 km: the A7 Milan – Genoa motorway over the Apennines, the A12 to the Rapallo exit, then the coast road through Santa Margherita and Paraggi. Around two hours fifteen, more on summer weekends when traffic on the last stretch is regulated.
Portofino Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Portofino by private car or by train?
There is no railway station in Portofino. By public transport from Milan you take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure, often with a change in Genoa, then a bus or boat for the last stretch. A private car takes you from your hotel to the harbour, waits for you, and gives you the freedom to stop at Paraggi or Santa Margherita whenever you like.
What makes Portofino worth the trip?
Beyond the famous harbour, Portofino is a nature reserve on land and at sea, with footpaths through pine and holm oak that open onto views few day visitors see. Give it a full day, not an hour between other stops, and it is a very different place from the postcard.
How much is a Portofino day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €990 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €1,110 for up to six in a V-Class, for 10 hours with driver, fuel, tolls and parking included. Boat and entry tickets are extra. The exact price for your date appears in the booking form.
Book Your Portofino Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
10 hours, English-speaking driver, door-to-door. Portofino and Santa Margherita at your own pace.
or call +39 335 821 0912