Lugano, the capital city of the Ticino kanton, has a lovely Mediterranean climate. With most of the summer months being sunny and hot, the city is perfect to enjoy from the lake. This can be a swim, a boat tour, but also from a Pedalo. Never used these little boats before? Then your trip to Lugano is the perfect opportunity to get familiar with the pedalo on Lugano lake!
A pedalo is a little boat that is powered by the people sitting in the boat moving pedals with their feet. This gives the pedalo the nickname waterbike.
In the middle of the city of Lugano, right by the lakeshore, there are plenty of options to explore the waters of Lake lugano. While some might opt for the fast motorized speedboats, the traditional red pedalos in different shapes and sizes have been popular for decades.
Prices for the pedalos on Lake Lugano
Despite what you might think, taking a pedalo out on Lake Lugano is actually quite a budget-friendly activities, with prices starting as low as CHF 8 to rent a small Pedalo for 30 minutes or CHF 16 for an hour. This is a lot cheaper than renting a speedboat or even taking most public boats around the lake!
This gives you plenty of opportunity to get the hang of ‘waterbiking’, finding a calm spot on the lake and enjoying the views.
Pedalo type | Price |
Piccolo Pedalò (max 3 people) | 30 minutes – CHF 8 |
Piccolo Pedalò (max 3 people) | 60 minutes – CHF 16 |
Grande Pedalò (max 4 people) | 30 minutes – CHF 9 |
Grande Pedalò (max 4 people) | 60 minutes – CHF 18 |
When on your pedalo, take in the beauty of the Lugano city center built on the hillside, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Bré. Be careful for other boats on the water though, the Lugano lake has quite some boat traffic!


