3-Day Lake Como Itinerary & Guide
Lake Como is a stunning lake in the Lombardy region at the northern border of Italy. It’s a bucket list destination, and it's no wonder celebrities often vacation or even own houses here (hello, George Clooney!).
You could easily spend a week or more here if you really want to see all the towns and villas around the lake, but spending three days in Lake Como is ideal if you have other destinations you’re planning to visit in Italy (do not skip Venice!).
We spent three nights in Lake Como—specifically Varenna—as the first stop on our two-week trip to Italy and were wowed by the picturesque mountains, sparkling lake, and luxurious villas.
Lake Como is the third-largest lake in Italy by area and the fifth-deepest lake in Europe. It’s pretty large! The lake is shaped a bit like an upside-down “Y” or the bottom half of a stick figure.
Locations of a few notable towns:
The bottom-left point is Como.
The point where the lines of the upside-down “Y” meet (or the crotch if we’re going with the stick figure analogy) is Bellagio.
Varenna is on the east side of the lake north of Bellagio.
Across the lake from Varenna is Menaggio.
South of Menaggio and across the lake from Bellagio is Tremezzo, home to the famous Grand Hotel Tremezzo (where many celebrities have stayed).
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Best Time to Visit Lake Como
Lake Como is a destination you can visit year-round, with each season offering something different. I always prefer to travel during the shoulder months before and after summer to avoid the summer crowds.
Spring in Lake Como brings the blooms and mostly even temperatures day and night, while late summer/early fall has warmer temperatures (my favorite time to visit Europe!).
Summer brings hotter weather, more hours of daylight, and of course, more visitors. This is when Lake Como and the rest of Europe are much livelier and active since most people visit in July and August.
It may come as a surprise that Lake Como gets quite a lot of rain! This is how it maintains the lush gardens and greenery you will find all over the lakeside towns. May and June get the most days of rain, though all the other months get between 5-9 days of rain.
We actually had quite a lot of rain one of the days when we visited Varenna in September. It was sunny and warm one day, then cold(er) and rainy the next.
No matter what time of year you visit, bring a good travel umbrella! The best travel umbrella you can get is the Weatherman, we love ours but it’s expensive. A more affordable, but still well-rated option is the Gorilla Grip umbrella.
How to Get to Lake Como
If you’re flying to Italy, Milan is the closest city to Lake Como with an airport and where you should fly in to. Once you arrive at the airport, you can rent a car or take the train to Varenna.
Milan has three airports and all flights from the U.S. and most other countries fly into Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). This airport is in a town called Ferno, about an hour outside of the city center.
To reach Lake Como from Milan, you have two options:
If you choose to rent a car, the easiest and smoothest way is to book ahead of time from one of the car rental companies that has a location inside the MXP airport. This way it’s a quick walk to their desk, you sign the paperwork, and then get your car directly from the airport garage.
If you choose to take the train, routes can vary by time of day and year. One of the quickest routes is to take the train from Milan Malpensa Airport to Milano Centrale via Trenord (about 1 hour). Once you get to the city center, exit the train and get on another Trenord train going to Sondrio. Get off the train at the Varenna Esino stop.
We opted to rent a car as our flight got in at night and navigating multiple trains at night with luggage sounded less than ideal. We ended up renting a car from Budget at the airport and had a wonderful experience with them.
Quick personal anecdote: We originally booked months in advance with a local car rental company outside of the airport called Rental Plus, but they gave away our car since we didn’t arrive within an hour of the pick-up time we selected based on when we assumed we would arrive (their policy in the fine print).
This is why I recommend sticking with one of the big-name car rentals, even though they can be more expensive, at least you’re guaranteed a car when you arrive, even if you arrive later than expected.
Depending on what time your flight arrives, you may not have time for any activities or a sit-down meal in Varenna (we didn’t). If that’s the case and you’re driving to Varenna, make a stop to grab some food before arriving at your accommodation.
We stopped at Pane & Trita since it was one of the only places open late and got a large pizza to share in the car. The pizza was delicious — maybe it was just because we were starving? It doesn’t come sliced, so grab a to-go knife if you take it on the road.
If you do arrive early enough for dinner at a restaurant in Varenna, Al Prato Restaurant and Il Cavatappi are both nice options.
3-Day Lake Como Itinerary
Your three days in Lake Como will be spent luxuriating in the gorgeous village of Varenna. You have the option for a day trip to Bellagio, but Varenna is beautiful enough that you really don’t need to leave it.
Although we enjoyed Varenna and all its beauty, I couldn’t help but feel like I wasn’t having an authentic Italian experience. The perfectly manicured greenery and sparkling clean streets—though lovely—felt artificial and oriented towards tourists.
The further you get from the center of Varenna, the more genuine the town feels. It’s just the main square and lakeside areas where the majority of visitors and day-trippers go that feel somewhat artificial.
Though there are dozens of towns around Lake Como, Varenna is the one that most people say is their favorite. It has all the luxury and charm of the slightly more popular Bellagio, but it’s less busy and even more beautiful.
Day 1: Lake Como Boat Tour & Lakeside Walk
Assuming you arrived the previous evening, this will be your first of three days in Lake Como, specifically Varenna.
You’ll start your morning with a romantic, scenic walk along the lakeside path before having a typical Italian breakfast of coffee and dolce. From there, you’ll take a private boat ride on Lake Como and arrive back in Varenna to explore the town.
Bring your travel umbrella, wear a cute outfit for the boat ride (amazing photo ops!), and bring a light jacket in case the weather cools down or it gets chilly on the water.
Lover’s Walk & Coffee
This is a short path along the edge of Lake Como is perfectly named Lover’s Walk. It’s a romantic path with lake views, greenery, and red railings perfect for a morning stroll.
There’s also a red heart that’s a perfect frame for a couple’s photo with the lake and mountains in the background!
This is a popular area and gets crowded once day trippers arrive on the train. Get here before 9 or 10am for a more peaceful experience and to have the path mostly to yourself.
If you want to grab a coffee and pastry before the next activity (a private boat tour), Bar il Molo is a famous spot and has lovely lake views. It doesn’t get rave reviews, but the coffee was good and the location is convenient since it’s just steps away from where the boat tour begins.
Lake Como Private Boat Tour
Book a boat tour to see the stunning lakeside towns from the water and to get a better sense of the geography. Through all my travels, I’ve found that exploring a place by boat gives you a wider perspective of it and makes it easier to get a lay of the land.
There are multiple boat tours to choose from that start and end in Varenna. Taxi Boat Varenna is the one we booked and one I personally recommend!
They offer a variety of private and shared tours with different itineraries. Their boat tours pick up and drop off in Varenna – perfect if you’re staying in this area.
Taxi Boat Varenna has a few different tours to choose from, depending on what areas you want to see. We picked Tour N.3, a 2.5-hour tour that started at 10am and took us by most of the famous villas and the Nesso Waterfall.
The boat captain pointed out each villa and lakeside home and was knowledgeable about their history and owners. He made sure to stop in front of each one so we could take all the photos we wanted and even handed me a captain’s hat to wear for some photos in front of the waterfall!
The total price was 840€ for 9 people in September 2024. It was 600€ for 5 or fewer people, then 60€ for each additional person.
Note: You stay on the boat for the whole tour; it isn’t a hop-on-hop-off tour.
Lunch in Varenna
Once you arrive back on land, you have options for lunch. You can stay in the main area of Varenna and find a restaurant there or head up the hill to one of the restaurants further away from town.
If it’s too crowded by lunchtime and you aren’t able to get in anywhere in downtown Varenna, then you will likely have better luck up the hill.
Alternatively, you can make a reservation in advance to ensure you have a table at your first choice of restaurant!
Explore Varenna
Since it’s your first day in Lake Como and you’ll be staying in Varenna (if you follow this itinerary), take some time to get familiar with the town!
You can keep this a low-key, casual exploration day since you may be exhausted from traveling if Lake Como is your first stop on a multi-destination Italy itinerary.
Walk through the streets, find little views of the lake between buildings, and make note of any areas you want to come back to one of the following days. Below are a few points of interest you may want to check out!
Chiesa di San Giorgio
This is an old church in the heart of Varenna from the 13th/14th century with stone interiors, paintings, and an altar. You can walk in to see the interior — it is open every day from 8:30am – 7pm.
If you want to go in, be sure your knees, shoulders, and chest are covered — this dress code applies to any church or cathedral you visit in Italy. You can keep a shawl and/or long skirt in your backpack to throw on before heading into a church if you don’t want to walk around all day fully covered.
Relax at the Beach
Labeled only as “Spiaggia” (beach in Italian) on Google Maps, this tiny, rocky beach is a hidden gem in Varenna. If you want to escape the crowds in town, head down to this beach for some peace and relaxation.
The entrance is an unassuming opening on a stone wall — when you’re facing the entrance to Villa Monastero, the opening to the beach path is to the right.
Though you can’t swim in the middle of the lake and areas like Como are too polluted for swimming, there are beaches along the coast where you can wade into the water. This beach is one of them, but keep in mind that this water is not going to be warm!
Picturesque Archway
To the right of Hotel Royal Victoria, there’s an archway that leads down a cobblestone street to the lakeside. Standing at the top gives you gorgeous views of the blue lake framed by the warm orange and yellow buildings.
Path to the Ancient Port of Varenna
In the same square as the picturesque archway, find Albergo del Sole Ristorante Pizzeria (directly across from the archway).
There’s another archway to the left of this restaurant that leads to a path through pretty streets and buildings. If you follow this path, and likely other people, you’ll eventually arrive at the Ancient Port of Varenna.
This is where you were picked up for the boat ride, so it should be familiar! These neighborhoods are lovely to walk around and explore if you didn’t get a chance to earlier.
Dinner
As I mentioned earlier, Al Prato Restaurant and Il Cavatappi are highly rated options for dinner in Varenna. They have excellent reviews and are located in the heart of town.
It can be tricky to find decent restaurants in a place as touristy as Lake Como, but I usually look for places with at least a 4.4-star rating on Google, ideally 4.6 and above if the area is exceptionally touristy.
We didn’t get the chance to dine at either of these restaurants, but I bookmarked them both before our trip due to their incredible reviews and enticing menus.
Day 2: Villa Tour & Exploration
Your second full day in Varenna will be spent visiting Villa Monastero and then exploring more of Varenna or taking a day trip to Bellagio (or another neighboring town!).
Lunch With a View
Head up the hill to get an authentic Italian lunch in a garden with views overlooking the lake at La Veranda dei Pescatori.
They have friendly service, delicious homemade food, and unbeatable views. We came here multiple times during our short few days in Lake Como and loved it every time.
Villa Monastero Tour
If you only know one thing about Lake Como, it’s probably that they have gorgeous villas at the edge of the lake. Varenna has one of the best villas that you can tour: Villa Monastero.
It’s a stunning Nordic-style villa with sweeping views of Lake Como. Though it started as a convent built in the 12th century, the villa there today was built on top of the convent in the late 1500s and modified by different owners throughout the centuries.
Although it was raining as we explored the gardens at Villa Monastero, it was still beautiful, albeit wet. We bought tickets at the entrance, though you can get them online too.
It’s 13€ per person to tour the museum and garden or €10 if you just want to see the garden.
Your ticket gives you access to the garden and house museum.
Varenna or Bellagio
You can either choose to stay in Varenna and explore more of the town or hop on a boat or ferry to explore Bellagio and/or Tremezzo.
If you choose to explore Varenna, the town is small and easy to stroll through. Just wandering the narrow streets and steep staircases is an adventure in and of itself!
Find a nice cafe to enjoy the views and coffee, get lunch at a local restaurant, indulge in gelato, and visit a wine bar for some local wine and small plates.
If there’s anything you saw yesterday that interested you, this is the time to visit it again. Go for a stroll at Lover’s Walk again or even book another private boat ride with a different route than you took the first day!
There’s also a culinary school in Varenna where you can take a cooking class, hire a private chef, or organize a catered event. Though we didn’t take a class, I feel confident recommending it since they have over 100 5-star reviews on Google!
If you choose to visit another village, head to the boat landing stage and wait in line for the next boat or ferry (traghetto in Italian) to Bellagio or Menaggio.
The line can get pretty long but the ride is just 15 minutes across the lake on the ferry (traghetto) or 30 minutes by boat. It costs just under 5€ per person each way. You can buy ferry or boat tickets online for one-way or round-trip, but you can also get them at the boat landing dock.
Alternatively, you can buy a day pass online that gives you unlimited boat trips (not ferry) in one day for 15€ between your two chosen stops (e.g., Bellagio and Varenna) — online only and sells out in advance.
The main attractions in Bellagio are Villa Melzi, the Church of San Giacomo, and the shops. Although I opted to skip the day trip to Bellagio, my mom and sister went and decided that they liked Varenna better.
Bellagio is the most popular village on Lake Como, so it may be worth a visit even if Varenna is better — it’s up to you!
The main attractions in Tremezzo are Villa Carlotta and Hotel Tremezzo. To get here you can take the passenger ferry from Varenna to Tremezzo, which first makes a stop in Bellagio.
Day 3: Visit the Village of Perledo
On your last day in Lake Como, make your way up into the hills to visit the peaceful, quaint village of Perledo. The house we stayed in was halfway between the lakeside area of Varenna and the hilltop village of Perledo, so we visited it a few times!
You can walk there from downtown Varenna, but it’s a long, curvy walk uphill. There are pedestrian stairs that cut through the corners to shorten the distance during the first half of the walk.
Alternatively, you can drive and park in the public parking lot at the top.
Perledo looks like it came straight out of a fairytale! It has sweeping views of the lake below and is a nice reprieve from the midday crowds in Varenna.
The town is completely quiet aside from the sounds coming from open windows of apartments, like a woman singing or the muffling of a television.
Though there aren’t many things to do in Perledo, it’s worth a visit!
Chiesa di San Martino
This is the large church that marks the central area of town with its large bell tower, which tolls every hour on the hour (possibly every half hour). There’s a large courtyard in front of it where you can take in some of the best views of Lake Como and Varenna below.
The doors were open every time I visited and we walked in to admire the ornate interior and altar. Again, make sure you’re dressed appropriately for entering a church in Italy — covered shoulders, chest, and knees.
Lavatoio di Pozzallo (Perledo)
If you’re facing the church, start walking down the alleyway towards the right until you reach an ancient-looking stone archway.
Before you walk through the archway, you can take a look at the religious grotto-like area set up by the church. I’m not religious at all, but found it beautiful nonetheless!
From there, walk through the stone archway down the grassy path (watch out for dog poop) until reach the end and come upon a building to the right.
This building is an old washhouse where residents of the town would wash their clothing. A sign posted on the building says it is still in use today by some women in the village who wash their linens the traditional way they were taught by their mothers and grandmothers.
The lavatoio (washhouse in English) in Perledo seems to have been restored recently, as pictures in Google reviews from 2023 show it as much more run down. It’s not the most exciting sight, but the building itself is beautiful and there is running water in the pipes!
Church Cats
My favorite part of Perledo, or any place for that matter, is the local cats! There’s a colony that lives in the back of the Church of Saint Martin and hangs out in the nearby fields.
They appear to be well cared for with multiple areas set up for them to sleep and food and water bowls set out. You cannot pet them or get close as they are feral, but if you’re lucky they’ll pose for some photos!
We saw about seven different cats all hanging around, but I suspect there are many more we didn’t see.
Chiesetta di Santa Lucia
Another church in Perledo, though much smaller than the Church of Saint Martin, is Chiesetta di Santa Lucia (Church of Saint Lucia in English).
It’s a lovely light pink church with a small fountain on the exterior wall to the left. If the doors are open, you can peek inside.
As much as I love to internet sleuth on the history of every place I visit, I couldn’t find any reliable information about this small church, but I assume that it’s a community church attended by the residents of Perledo.
Alimentari Perledo di Paganin Valentina
Your last stop before leaving Perledo is the small grocery store. I love to visit grocery stores in other countries and see what kind of items they sell!
This one has plenty of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses. They also carry pasta, sauces, boxed and canned goods, and drinks. It may be small, but it’s well stocked.
We loaded up on some fresh pasta, sauce, and cheese to make dinner at our accommodation one night and it was delicious!
Where To Stay in Lake Como
Varenna is where I recommend staying not just because it’s beautiful, but because it has a train station, is easy to visit other villages (like Bellagio) thanks to its central location, and has enough sights and activities to keep your days full.
Most people tend to recommend Varenna as the best area to stay and as someone who stayed there, I agree! It’s not too busy compared to other popular areas, though it does still see crowds when the day-trippers arrive on the train around noon.
We stayed at a large house up in the hills since we had a big group and very few accommodations had enough bedrooms for everyone, but I wouldn’t recommend it and it doesn’t seem to be available to book anymore.
I would recommend staying closer to the lake level near town as being in the hills was pretty inconvenient to get to and from town.
Hotels and accommodations in ideal locations within walking distance of the main areas of Varenna:
Accommodations in Varenna
Luxury Hotels
Hotel Villa Cipressi (4-star / lake views)
Hotel Royal Victoria (4-star / lake views)
Luxury Apartments
Varenna Caffè Apartment (1 bedroom / beachfront & lake views)
Elizabeth House Varenna (3 bedrooms / lake views)
Casa Posta (2 bedrooms / lake views)
Divina Vita Apartments (1 bedroom / lake views)
Mid-range/Budget Apartments
Hotels in Other Villages
What to Pack For Lake Como
Lake Como is a place where you can dress up as much as you want! I saw tons of people wearing long, beautiful dresses to walk around in and take photos in Varenna.
As much as I love long dresses, if I’m walking around a lot I want something more mid-length if not short. This gives my legs more range of motion and keeps me from tripping over the bottom of my dress on those cobblestone streets.
You can read my full guide about packing for European summer with all my tips and outfit ideas for a general packing list. For Lake Como specifically, these are my recommendations for clothes and items to pack:
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