10 hours
E-voucher
English
Overview
Lake Como is known as one of Italy’s most stunning districts, but visitors unfamiliar with the area risk missing out on the best locations. Enjoy an in-depth, intimate introduction to the lake and its surrounding towns during this small-group, full-day tour from Milan. A boat cruise is included, plus get-down stops in Bellagio and Varenna.
Operated by
Memento Italy In Style
Ratings & Reviews
Average Rating
4.87
/ 5
503 traveller ratings
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It was most memorable tour
P3620ROmohammeda, Apr 2025
Best tour ever. Chiara is the best. Ask for her. Very knowledgeable and caring person. She wants to make sure every one in her group are okay, listen her guided voice.
Great day trip to Lake Como
7kirstin, Apr 2025
This was our first time visiting Lake Como and thought this tour was the perfect way to experience it if you only have time for a day trip from Milan. Marco and Elma coordinated all the logistics perfectly so that you didn't have to worry about a single thing. For the boat rides, Elma told us which side of the boat to sit on to ensure we got the best views of Lake Como and its beautiful villas. It unfortunately rained the entire time we were on the boat but we were still able to enjoy the views from the enclosed part of the boat. When we had free time in both Bellagio and Varenna, Elma made it easy and clear to know where/when we'd meet back up to be on our way. We had a wonderful time even with the rain, so would definitely recommend to fellow travelers!
Had such a great time,...
Marjereen_M, Apr 2025
Had such a great time, Elma was a wonderful guide - very knowledgeable and professional. Be sure to check the weather and wear layers, the 2 hour boat ride can be chilly if you plan to sit outside (which I strongly recommend you do for the best sightseeing and pictures).
Great tour, Alessandro was the best!
Martin_W, Apr 2025
We had a great time on our tour to Lake Como, Bellagio and Varenna. Alessandro was knowledgeable, full of historical information and entertaining. My deduction of one star is due to the amount of time spent in Verenna, 25 minutes. That was enough time to grab an ice cream and then head to the train station, no exploring. The tour company needs to figure out how to take the direct boat to Bellagio to allow an extra hour in Verenna.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hello, thank you for your positive feedback! Our tour is the only one that includes so many places just in one day in a small group - Como City, Bellagio and Varenna, and in the tour description it is mentioned how much time you spend in each place. In high season, you arrive in Varenna at 16:30 and then depart at 17:35 from Varenna to Milan. The boat ride you mention is from Como City to Bellagio, it departs at 12:00 and in high season it is the only option available. Kind regards, Marco
Itinerary
Como
Take a walk in Como City with your guide. Como has a long history dated back even before Roman empire, was ruled by multiple Italian, German and Austrian emperors due to its strategic location.
You will stop by the Duomo of Como, the last Gothic Duomo built in Italy and the most important religious site of the city.
After that, you will join a boat cruise along the lake that will start in Como City.
50 minutesVilla Olmo
Admire the Alps, film locations & celebrity villas during the lake boat cruise.
Start the lake boat cruise from Como City. Firstly, you will be able to admire Villa Olmo and Villa D'Este. Villa Olmo was constructed after Villa d’Este in 18th century with neoclassic design. Its beauty is complemented with extensive and elegant lake front symmetric gardens, sculptures, fountains and immense English garden in the back.
Villa Erba
Used as a location for the movie ''Ocean 12'' with Brad Pitt, George Clooney & Julia Roberts, this famous villa was originally built in late 19th century by Luigi Erba, brother of the prominent Italian businessman Carlo Erba (founder of the Erba pharmaceutical company), to express his grandiosity.
Cernobbio
After Villa Olmo, you will pass near Cernobbio and Villa D'Este, a 15th-century villa, originally called Villa del Garovo. It is a Renaissance patrician residence & a park of approximately 100,000 square meters.
Villa D'Este was converted into a luxury hotel for the royal people in 1873 and since then kept the name Villa d'Este because of the apparent connection with the famous Villa d'Este in Tivoli in Rome.
In 1925 the famous director Alfred Hitchcock made his movie The Pleasure Garden in this location.
In June 2009, it was selected as the best hotel in the world by the Forbes magazine.
Torno
Admire Torno, one of the most charming villages of Lake Como. It hosts Villa Pliniana, which took its name from Pliny the Elder, who was originally in Como.
Pliny the Elder was a Roman Empire author, naturalist, natural philosopher, and naval and army commander (in the Roman Empire), and a close friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ''Naturalis Historia'' (Natural History), which became an editorial model for the future encyclopedias.
Villa Carlotta
Villa Carlotta is an important villa and a botanical garden in Tremezzo town on the left shore of Lake Como. Today the villa is also a museum, whose collection includes works by various sculptors. The villa was built in the late-seventeenth century by Marquis Giorgio Clerici of Milan.
Villa Del Balbianello
Villa del Balbianello is one of the most famous villas of Lake Como and is also an important film location, where such movies as James Bond Casino Royale & Star Wars were filmed. This villa is particularly famous for its elaborate terraced gardens.
Bellagio
Your boat cruise will end in Bellagio, the jewel of Lake Como. You will immerse yourself in the lake's famous "golden triangle" section, known for its remarkable villas, and breathtaking villages.
Discover quaint boutiques with local art and stop by a lakeside restaurant to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine. Your guide will suggest you a couple of wonderful lake-view restaurants.
2 hoursVarenna
After lunch in Bellagio, you will take a ferry to Varenna together with your guide and discover this ancient village with your guide.
2 hours
Experience
Highlights
Inclusions
- Priority skip-the-line access for boat cruise & guaranteed prebooked seats on the ferry to Bellagio
- Professional local expert English-speaking guide to make your experience informative & entertaining
- Ferry tickets from Bellagio to Varenna are included in the cost
- Lake Como boat cruise is included in the cost with guaranteed seats & reserved skip-the-line access
- Train tickets (first class), ferry, subway & boat skip-the-line tickets are included in the cost
Exclusions
- Lunch
- Drinks
Additional Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- All time for transportation (train, ferry, subway, etc) is already included in the tour duration.
- The tour programme & schedule can change for operations reasons (eg train strike, bad weather, force majeure, technical issues of the boat, etc)
- At the end of the tour the group will normally take the train from Varenna to return to Milan, but if you wish you can stay in Varenna to spend more time there and take on of the next trains by yourself (we will provide the tickets - this must be comunicated before 13:00 on the day of the tour)
- During the summer period, there is a small beach in Varenna if you want to swim a little
- The tour is always confirmed in case of rain
- In the winter time (November-March) the tour starts 1 hour earlier (7:55 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 8:15 meeting point in Central Station), while summer time (Aprile-October) the tour starts 1 hour later (8:55 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 9:15 meeting point in Central Station).
- It is possible to cancel free of charge only up to 24 hours before the tour, after that term it is not possible to cancel free of charge or modify the booking (for any reason)
- Not suitable for travelers with mobility impairments
Guide Languages
English
Cancellation Policy
A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.