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- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
ABOUT THIS ITINERARY
While you could spend weeks relishing this amazing place, this 1-day Lake Como itinerary will help you see the most important sights in a single day. You could also do this itinerary as a day trip from Milan.
ABOUT LAKE COMO
Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is the place of dreams. No where else can you witness such awe-inspiring natural beauty, while simultaneously enjoying all the comforts of Italy (charming people, delicious food, etc). Lake Como isn’t a place with a lot of museums and stuffy sights. The most important thing you can do here is find a beautiful place to sit, relax, and stare into this beguiling lake.
Table Of Contents - Lake Como Itinerary
STAR RATING KEY:
★★★ Top priority
★★ Highly recommended
★ Worthwhile
No Star – Skippable if not interested
Lake Como Itinerary For 1 Day
Villa Carlotta
Villa Carlotta is one of the gems of the lake. The villa interior is nice, but that probably won’t take you long to see. The highlight here is the gardens. People come from all over the world to see these beautiful gardens with their gorgeous lake background. The flowers are particularly stunning in the spring, when the flowers are in full bloom.
Getting There: There is a dedicated ferry stop for Villa Carlotta, try to get off there if you can. It is also only a few minutes walk from the Tremezzo ferry stop.
Cost and Hours: €12 per adult. Open daily 10:00am-7:00pm. From November to March, reservations required – email [email protected]
Address: Via Regina, 2, 22016 Tremezzina CO, Italy
Website: www.villacarlotta.it/en/
Villa Melzi Gardens
These gardens are located along an extended lakefront promenade. This is not really an extensive garden – it’s more of a beautified lakefront stroll, surrounded by flowers, trees, etc. This place is a great excuse to take a relaxing walk in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It is also a fantastic place to take photos. With its location so convenient to Bellagio, we recommend everyone visit.
Cost and Hours: €8 per adult. Open daily 10:00am-7:00pm.
Address: Lungo Lario Manzoni, 22021 Bellagio CO, Italy
Website: www.giardinidivillamelzi.it/en/
Explore Bellagio
Bellagio is the most important town to visit on Lake Como. It has the best combination of size and charm. With its beautiful stepped streets and long lakefront promenade, there is nothing else like it in the world. Spend the rest of your day wandering around this town. Make sure you make it all the way past Villa Serbelloni to the tip of Bellagio. Walk until you see the grassy plateau with benches (Parchetto della Punta), and pause to take in the unique view of Lake Como you can only get from this spot. After you’ve done this, you can spend the rest of your time wandering up and down the stepped lanes in the middle of town between the lakefront and the main shopping street at the top of the hill, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. From this street, you will have unequaled views of stepped lanes with the lake background. Have your aperitivo and dinner in Bellagio before heading to your hotel.
If You Have Time
Villa del Balbianello
This is a very interesting and completely different sight than the Villa Carlotta. The gardens are not as extensive or beautiful as Villa Carlotta’s, but the Villa del Balbianello itself is much more interesting. Unlike Carlotta, there is a required guided tour which tells the story of the villa’s owner and his expeditions around the world.
Getting There: Getting to Villa del Balbianello isn’t as simple as getting to Villa Carlotta. Get off at the Lenno ferry stop and turn left. Walk along the lakeside road for about 10 minutes to the end of the harbor, where you will run into a gate that reads “Villa del Balbianello.” There are two paths: one harder, one easier. Choose your path (we took the easier one) and head in. Eventually the paths spit you out right in front of the villa. You won’t get lost. Of note, you can take a speedboat near the gate which will help you avoid the walk, but we recommend taking the stroll if you can.
Cost and Hours: €22 per adult. Open 10:00am-6:00pm Tue, Thu-Sun. Closed Mondays and Wednesdays.
Practical Info
Getting Around Lake Como
You can’t really use a car in the best Lake Como towns – you get everywhere by foot or ferry.
Getting To Lake Como
How you get to Lake Como will depend on where you’re staying. The two main options are car or train. If you’re staying in Varenna, go for the train. If you’re staying in Bellagio, Tremezzo, Menaggio, or Lenno, it could go either way. We personally prefer to avoid driving in Europe as much as we can, so we would take the train to Varenna, then catch a ferry to our final destination. If you do decide to rent a car, you can certainly drive directly to your destination and park your car for the length of your stay.
Where To Stay In Lake Como
The main towns in the tourist part of Lake Como are Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo, Lenno, and Menaggio. The best ones to stay in are Varenna and Bellagio. These are equally good, it just depends on what you’re looking for in your stay.
If you are coming by train, are looking for more affordable accommodation, and don’t mind taking a ferry to get to other sights, Varenna is for you. It is also a good place to avoid the crowds. This is where we stayed the last time we went to Lake Como, and it was great.
Bellagio is a better fit if you want to spend more time nearby your hotel/rental, rather than venturing out by ferry every day. Just know you will have to shell out a bit more for your accommodation. You should also stay in Bellagio if you are visiting during the off-season (November-March), as many of the other towns’ restaurants and shops may be closed.
Of note, if you are able to stay in the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, then you should absolutely do it. The lack of dining options in the tiny town of Tremezzo (which made us not recommend it in general) is not an issue if you stay in this hotel, as they have a number of restaurants there. It is also convenient to both Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello. This is the best hotel on Lake Como. Unfortunately, most people will not be able to enjoy this experience, as the price tag is nothing short of exorbitant.
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