Gathering the gems worth your time…
Destination guide
Lake Como
Italy
Lake Como (Lago di Como; also called: Lario) is in the provinces of Como and Lecco in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is part of the Italian Lake District.
Introduction quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Sources gathered & checked 6 days ago
At a glance
- Best time to go
- March–May and September
- Getting around
- Bus · Train · Motorcycle
- Vetted picks
- 25 places to see, do, eat, and stay
- Real coverage
- 10 vetted creator sources
AI insights
Tripest editorial research (YouTube travel guides, published guides)
Base yourself mid-lake in Varenna, Bellagio or Menaggio — the ferry triangle between them is the whole experience; Como town is two slow-ferry hours away from it.
Pick a hotel within a 5-8 minute walk of the ferry pier; it matters more than any other criterion on this lake.
The Varenna-Bellagio ferry is a quick hop, but buying a mid-lake day pass pays off if you plan multiple crossings to explore other towns.
Queue at the ferry ticket office right at opening; fast hydrofoil tickets must be bought at the counter and sell out quickly during peak season.
Villa del Balbianello (Star Wars and Casino Royale filming site) caps daily visitors, closes Mondays and Wednesdays, and must be booked online in advance.
May, June and September give warm weather with far fewer day-trippers than the July-August ferry crush.
How these 25 picks are sourced
2 of 25 are named by a second, independent source — Michelin Guide — and each card names its own. The remaining 23 rest on the reference article alone: we list them because Wikivoyage or Wikipedia documents them, not because anyone else vouched for them. We also watched 10 creator videos, 4 of them from local channels rather than visiting ones. 24 of the 25 descriptions are quoted word for word from Wikivoyage under CC BY-SA rather than written by us, as is the introduction above — each of those cards says so. What we add is the checking, the corroboration above, and the choice of which places are worth your time at all.What we can't promise is that it's still true. Venues close, hours and prices change, and we don't re-check them — a place here closed for good and sat on this page for a year before anyone noticed. The insights are AI-written from these sources and can be wrong too. Confirm anything you'd be sorry to be wrong about before you set out. Terms.
Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
COMO in 2 giorni: weekend sul Lago di Como | Guida di viaggio
Filippo & Nadia - Posti nel Mondo · 60K viewsLocalit
Lake Como, Italy: Bellagio and Varenna - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite
Rick Steves' Europe · 693K views
TOP 10 cosa vedere lago di Como
Come si viaggia · 49K viewsLocalit
Milan, Italy and Lake Como - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite
Rick Steves' Europe · 219K views
Lago di Como: cosa vedere in tre giorni.
Avvocato del Viaggiatore · 7K viewsLocalit
Lake Como is BREATHTAKING! (we didn't want to leave)
Jill and Hannah · 48K views
LAGO DI COMO: Cosa Fare in 3 Giorni - GUIDA COMPLETA
Che facciamo sto weekend? · 6K viewsLocalit
ULTIMATE LAKE COMO TRAVEL GUIDE
Andrew & Kait · 15K views
Como, Italy - Travel Guide
Barnyz · 13K views
COMO ITALY | First-Time Visitor’s Guide with the Top 10 Highlights
januslog · 7K views
Best time to go
Best window: March–May and September
No month to avoid, though the shoulder seasons are the pick.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
IdealGoodOkayOff-season
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bus
Frequent buses run up the Western Shore from Como to Menaggio. A few then continue on to Colico.
By train
On Lake Como a railway is available only on the eastern shore of the lake, with stations between Lecco and Colico. Regional trains stop in all stations; while direct trains only in few of them; the stations on Lake Como are: Lecco (also direct trains),…
By motorcycle
The entire lake area is popular with motorcyclists from all over Europe.
By bicycle
On Lake Como you can ride with rental bike shops available for easy biking itineraries and rental services without guide, bikes can be rent with special accessories and with free delivery at hotels and B&B.
By boat
Several boats and hydrofoils a day travel all the way up the lake from Como to Colico stopping at most of the towns en route. The distances are long, so you shouldn't expect to visit more than 2–3 villages in a day.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check. Single source means the opposite, said plainly: the reference article lists it and nothing else we checked does.
Villa Serbelloni
Worth itAlso recommended by Michelin Guide
meeting point at the Promobellagio office in the medieval stone tower in the main square (near the church of St. Giacomo) in the upper part of the historic centre, 10 minutes walk from the ferry pier· Moderate
Don't confuse it with the nearby Grandhotel Villa Serbelloni, which has the same name. A tour lasts 1h30 and involves uphill walking. The tourist guide studied in Oxford and has excellent English.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Basilica di Sant'Abbondio
Single sourceVia Regina 35
A Romanesque basilica built in 11th century; inside some 13th-century frescos.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Tempio Voltiano
Single sourcethe round building on the waterfront
A nice stop on your stroll along the waterfront, the temple to Volta is designed in neoclassical style. It houses an exhibition about Volta (a native of Como who invented the electric battery).
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Upper Esino (Esino superiore)
Single sourceThis is one of the two centres of Esino, which was two villages (Esino Superiore and Esino Inferiore) until 1927; each village had its own church and there was a common church in the…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Ortanella
Single sourceA frazione (municipal subdivision) of Esino outside the main village at around 10 minutes by car or 1 hour by foot from the centre.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Cainallo
Single sourceA località (locality) of Esino outside the main village at around 15 minutes by car or 1 hour by foot from the centre.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to do
Climbing (Esino Lario)
Single source· Free
In Esino there is a climbing wall outside the sport hall.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Colico Beach
Single sourceCove and beach on Lake Como, green beach with free access; bar facilities, large parking, kitesurf and windsurf rent service.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Lido Villa Olmo
Single source· Cheap
Lido on the edge of Lake Como just next to Villa Olmo - gives travellers the chance to swim in the lake, which is very tempting on hot summer days.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Mountain ranges
Single sourceLake Como is surrounded by some imposing peaks, which are reflected in its waters and render the landscape unique.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Visit the Roman Stone and Strada Regia
Single sourceTorno, one of the most picturesque villages perched on this lake shore, is the starting point for the itinerary to Piazzaga.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Monte Croce
Single sourceTrail 23
An excursion from Vo' di Moncodeno and reachable in 45 minutes. The walk is pretty steep but it is manageable by children (from 4-5 years old and it will take 1½-2 hours).
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to eat
Mistral
Worth itAlso recommended by Michelin Guide
Bellagio's Michelin-starred dining room in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, with the lake in full view.
Vetted sources
Ristorante Il Crotto
Single sourcefacing the harbour but on the main car road; looks like a villa
This local Italian restaurant has been around for 162 years and 8-generations strong. The price is high but the style romantic country casual. The Missoltini (fish is indigenous to the area) is recommended.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Riverside Snack Bar
Single sourceSan Giovanni neighborhood
This family run bar and restaurant is only open for five months of the year during the summer season and is popular with both tourists and locals for its fantastic rustic food and friendly…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Bar Pizzeria Ristorante 58
Single sourceCenter - upper area
Modern, with around 60 seats inside and a terrace. Italian cuisine with regional specialities, it also serves pizza not every day. The menu has some interesting receipts designed with a contemporary interpretation of traditional…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Birreria
Single sourceCamnago Volta, bus n 4
Relax in the bohemian and friendly atmosphere of this pub, where you can sit down at the wooden tables and enjoy beer (and any other drinks) and snacks.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Area picnic Cainallo
Single sourceoutside the centre - Cainallo· Free
Lighting fires outside picnic area is prohibited. You can apply to the city council for a permit.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Area picnic Ortanella
Single sourceOutside the center - Ortanella· Free
Lighting fires outside picnic area is prohibited. You can apply to the city council for a permit.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Villa d'Este
Single sourceon the west bank of Lake Como in the town of Cernobbio, 3 km north of Como centre
Villa d'Este used to be the residence of the Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and nowadays it's a luxury hotel.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Single sourceVia Roma, 1· Expensive
The most famous hotel in Bellagio since late 19th century, and the only 5-star one.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Rifugio Bogani (Capanna Monza)
Single sourceGrigna Settentrionale· Moderate
Managed mountain shelter with beds and restaurant. Around 50 bunk beds.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hotel delle Fiere
Single sourceVia Trieste and Via Piccinelli, Mozzate· Expensive
4-star wellness hotel in Mozzate, between Como and Milan.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Free camping in Ortanella
Single sourcefollow the street to Ortanella and turn right in the direction of San Pietro· Free
The camping area is indicated with signs; it is not equipped but it has a fountain at a very short distance and there are picnic areas and the Percorso vita around.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Baitello dell'Amicizia
Single sourceMonte Croce
A mountain shelter built and managed by ANA Esino Lario.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Build your day
Pick the places you want in Lake Como, Italy and we will put them on a map in an order that does not cross the city twice.
Where to next
Nearby cities in Italy we’ve vetted too.
- BergamoWalled hilltop Città Alta above the modern town.
- MilanFashion, the Duomo, and northern style.
- VeronaRoman arena, Romeo & Juliet, and Lake Garda nearby.
- ParmaHome of Parmigiano and prosciutto — a foodie pilgrimage.
- TurinElegant arcades, chocolate, and the Alps at the doorstep.
- GenoaGritty maritime port, pesto's birthplace, gateway to Cinque Terre.
Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.