Lake Como Travel Guide

TravelLife

Jun 30

After painting en plein air for a week in Venice, Italy, with the Leo Marchutz School, it was time for a proper vacation! Brantley met me in Venice, and we traveled by train to Lake Como, where the mountain vistas, sparkling water, and flower-filled villas did not disappoint!

Our Itinerary

(April 28–May 4, 2026)

Day 1: Travel

Day 2–6: Lake Como

Menaggio
Bellagio, Varenna, Bellano
Menaggio
Lugano, Como, Tremezzina
Lenno

Day 7: Travel

Day 1

Menaggio was our home-base for the week. To get there we took a train from Milan to Varenna, and then a ferry to Menaggio. It’s about a 7-minute walk downhill from the train station to the ferry, so if you can travel light that helps!

Day 2

Menaggio

Menaggio is part of the Golden Triangle — three colorful villages, all accessible by ferry. Menaggio was the quietest of the three, making it a perfect place to start and end each day!

We found an Airbnb next to the main square, so it was easy to walk around, and the promenade was just across the street.

Our Airbnb was in this building in Menaggio.

Around the corner from us was the cutest patisserie, Cassera Moretti. We had cappuccinos there almost every day, and the desserts were heavenly!

There was also a great gelato place, Gelateria Dulcis In Fundo, which we frequented most nights.

We took it easy on our first full day in Lake Como and splurged on a spa day at Grand Hotel Victoria!

Day 3

Bellagio — Villa Melzi D’Eril

We got an early start the next day, hoping on the ferry to Bellagio to beat the crowd.

First, we went to I Giardini Di Villa Melzi D’Eril. We wandered the grounds; visited the museum, which houses a bit of art and history; and popped in the beautiful, little chapel.

Then we walked the cobblestone streets of Bellagio, which is filled with lots of cute shops, and stopped for a delicious lunch at Ristorante Barchetta!

Varenna — Hotel Villa Cipressi, Villa Monastero

After lunch we took the ferry to Varenna, which I would argue is the prettiest village in the Golden Triangle. We strolled along the red-railed walking path by the water; it’s called Lovers’ Walk.

We stopped at Hotel Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero, which are side-by-side and have stunning gardens with the most incredible views of Lake Como. Brantley and I love gardening, so we visited as many villas as possible, these were two of my favorites!

Bellano — Gorge

We decided we had time for one more adventure, so we took the train from Varenna to Bellano to see Orrido di Bellano, a natural gorge!

This one is a little off the beaten path, but worth the trip! You walk through a narrow canyon to the waterfall and brilliant blue water.

After a tasty bite and a spritz at Truth Cucina Italiana, we took the ferry back to our Airbnb for the night.

Day 4

Menaggio — Hike, Sunset Cruise

We packed a couple of sandwiches from Cassera Moretti and hiked up to Chiesetta degli Alpini, a little chapel with a spectacular view!

Then we continued our hike — looping through upper Menaggio (where we stopped for gelato), Loveno, Nobiallo and back home. It was about a 7-mile hike, and a great way to explore more of the area.

We got back in time for a sunset cruise, followed by dinner at Osteria Il Pozzo!

We made reservations for the boat ride that morning. We went with a group, which was more cost effective, and it ended up being just two other families. So it worked out great, and Brantley and I had the back seat to ourselves!

Day 5

Lugano, Switzerland

We took a day trip to visit the neighboring Lake Lugano, in Switzerland. It was a little over an hour by bus, and we left early in the morning. We spent a couple of hours exploring markets, enjoying Swiss chocolate and walking along the edge of the lake.

Como

From there we took the train to the city of Como. It was around noon on a Saturday, so the city was bustling by the time we got there. We grabbed a quick bite and decided to hop on a bus to Tremezzina to visit Villa Carlotta instead.

Tremezzina — Villa Carlotta

The bus was excellent for a morning excursion, but packed and hot for a weekend afternoon. Nevertheless, we made it to Tremezzina!

We immediately headed to the Villa Carlotta Bistro to get a spritz and relax, before walking through the gardens.

Villa Carlotta was our favorite garden! Really it was several gardens in one — from a fern valley to an olive grove to a rock garden with succulents. Plus, the azaleas and roses were insanely gorgeous!

Villa Carlotta rock garden and succulents

Day 5

Lenno — Villa del Balbianello

We booked tickets for Villa del Balbianello a few days before our visit. It’s a popular spot due to its film features — Star Wars Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale. So I’d definitely recommend booking tickets early, otherwise you’ll likely have a long wait to get in.

To get there, we took the bus to Lenno, and then it’s a about a 25-minute walk to the villa. (You can also take a taxi boat.)

The location and the grounds are certainly beautiful, but Villa Carlotta was still my favorite! Closely followed by Hotel Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero.

After walking around the villa we headed back down to Lenno and strolled through a market along the water. Then we caught the bus back to Menaggio to pack!

Day 7

After a quick breakfast, we said goodbye to our cute home for the week! We caught an early ferry to Varenna, rolled our suitcases up to the train station and continued on our journey.

We originally planned to take the Bernina Express through Switzerland, but that train got cancelled, so we headed on to France instead. I’ll share more about our last few days in France soon!