Luxury Lake Como 2 Day Itinerary and Summer Travel Guide

This Lake Como 2-day itinerary explains the top things to do on the lake, the best towns to visit, where to stay, and other travel tips.

Lake Como has been at the top of my bucket list for a long time. I was enamored by the picturesque lakes and chic lakeside towns.

Plus, I’ve loved everywhere in Italy I’ve visited so far. A year ago, I was planning my European summer vacation to Munich Germany and was looking for another city in the area to add onto the trip.

Turns out, Milan is super easy to get to from Munich, making Lake Como a clear choice.

Two days in Lake Como is the perfect amount of time to visit a few towns, take a boat ride, and get a feel for the lake. It’s also short enough that you won’t break the bank with the expensive accommodation.

Keep reading to learn what to do in Lake Como and begin planning your own visit.

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Lake Como 2 Day Itinerary

Below, I’ll deep dive where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and what to wear. But first, let’s put it all together into a two-day itinerary for Lake Como.

Of course, this itinerary can be tailored to your interests or timeline.

Day 1: Spend the morning visiting Bellagio, exploring the town, and shopping. In the afternoon, return to Varenna to visit the Villa Cipressi. Get aperitivo at Bar Il Molo then dinner at Visteria.

Day 2: Start the day on a high with a wooden boat tour of the lake. Since the tour ends in Tremezzo, spend the rest of the day exploring the town and get an Aperol Spritz at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. At night, return to Varenna for dinner at Il Cavatappi.

The Top Things to Do on Lake Como

Wooden Boat Tour

The most popular thing to do in Lake Como is a wooden boat tour. These sleek boats are famous in Lake Como and are a great way to tour the lake from the water.

If it’s your first-time visiting Lake Como, you need to fit a tour into your 2 day Lake Como itinerary.

Unfortunately, the boat tours are very expensive, especially if you are travelling as a couple. I opted for the lowest cost option I could find which was through AC boat rentals and around $200 per hour.

The tour started in the town of Menaggio. From there, we explored the lake, driving past famous villas and landmarks.

Although it was of decent value, I found the service to be lacking and wish I had spent a bit more on a better experience.

The tour I would have preferred to do is this one which was highly recommended by one of my favorite travel bloggers.

From her description, the service is much better on this tour and the driver is more engaged. This option leaves from Tremezzo.

Boat Rental

An alternative to a guided wooden boat tour is renting your own boat for the day. This is a much less expensive and more flexible option. However, you miss out on the guide’s information and the iconic experience of the wooden boat.

If you are visiting for the first time, I recommend taking the wooden boat tour. If it’s your second visit, I suggest getting a personal boat rental. That’s what I plan to do when I return.

Villa Tours

Another one of the top things to do in Lake Como is tour the historic villas on the lake. I recommend visiting 1-2 during your two-day itinerary.

Villa Cipressi

The Villa Cipressi botanical gardens were my favorite out of all the villas I visited. Located in Varenna, this Villa is within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Tickets can be purchased onsite and are around 12 euros per person for access to the gardens. You can walk through part of the building, but it is now a hotel with the rooms converted into guest rooms.

The highlight of the Villa Cipressi is the lakeside gardens with a wide variety of flowers and plants, and winding pebble paths.

In addition, there are a lot of great photo spots and viewpoints of the lake. I recommend budgeting around an hour to tour the gardens.

Villa Balbianello

This is the most popular villa on the lake, mostly due to being recognizable from movies like Star Wars and James Bond Casino Royale.

Villa Balbianello is much harder to get to than Villa Cipressi. First, you will need to take a ferry to the town of Lenno. From there, walk about five minutes to the water taxi or 20 minutes to the villa. I recommend taking the water taxi, which costs 6 euros per person and leaves every 10 minutes.

The reason I recommend the water taxi is so you can experience the view of the villa from the water. However, it can get very backed up and you may have to wait up to an hour.

Tickets to Villa Balbianello sell out well in advance, so book online ahead of time. You can either purchase a garden ticket for around 12 euros or a villa tour for around 25.

Overall, the villa and grounds are beautiful, but I prefer Villa Cipressi. Unless you are super interested in villas, I’d skip this one and save a ton of time.

Some other notable villas that I did not have time to visit are Villa Monastero, Villa Melzi and Villa Carlotta.

Visit the Towns

My favorite activity in Lake Como is simply wandering the streets of the towns. I recommend carving out half of each day to explore a town.

My three favorites are Bellagio, Varenna, and Tremezzo.  Since these are all major towns on the lake, they have frequent ferries and are easy to travel between.

When you explore the towns, I suggest wandering down the small streets, stopping in the local shops. In addition, enjoy long meals, tons of gelato, and leisure time looking at the beautiful views.

It can be easy to get caught up in cramming a ton into a 2 day Lake Como itinerary, so be sure to slow down a bit and soak it all in.

Where to Eat

Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines in the world. I could live off of pizza and pasta for every meal easily. The food in Lake Como did not disappoint.

In fact, I had a top 3 best meal of my life in Varenna. Below, I list the best places to eat in Lake Como for aperitivo, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

Aperitivo

Bar Il Molo

Location: Varenna

This was my favorite bar for aperitivo. If you don’t know, aperitivo is the Italian version of happy hour which includes an aperitif like an Aperol spritz or negroni with small snacks.

Bar Il Molo has amazing waterfront views, good drinks, and complimentary nuts and chips. It was so good we visited twice!

Bar Nilus

Location: Varenna

Another great place for aperitivo in Varenna is the Bar Nilus. It is situated above the water and has amazing views. The dinner food here isn’t great, but it’s the perfect spot for a drink.

Lunch

La Grotta

Location: Bellagio

This small pizza restaurant is tucked into a small alley in Bellagio. The pizza is so good, and the servings are huge! Visit this place to escape the crowds for a bit. 

Locanda Cavallino

Location: Varenna

This restaurant is located conveniently next to the main ferry terminal in Varenna. They have tasty, fresh pasta, and some meat dishes. It’s a bit casual and quick for dinner, but is a great spot for a lunch.

Dinner

Visteria

Location: Varenna

This meal was definitely one of the top three best meals I’ve ever had, if not the number one. From the second we sat down, we were blown away by the view, service, and cuisine.

Visteria is located at the Grand Hotel Victoria and looks directly over Lake Como. For food, you can order a set menu or a la carte. The food is absolutely delicious, and not overly fancy.

There is also a complimentary amuse buche, pre-dessert, and dessert course in addition to the four courses you can order. Seriously, be sure to try out Visteria if you are in Varenna.

Il Cavatappi

Location: Varenna

This restaurant was highly rated as the best place to eat in Varenna. I unfortunately was unable to get a reservation, even a month in advance. If you hope to visit, book at least two months ahead of time. I’ve heard great things about the homemade pasta and authentic Italian cooking.

Hotel Florence

Location: Bellagio

This restaurant in Bellagio is picture-perfect with waterfront views, a wisteria trellis, and central location in town. In addition, there is great food for a romantic dinner date.

Gelato

La Passarella

Location: Varenna

Gelateria Del Borgo

Location: Bellagio

Where to Stay in Lake Como

When deciding where to stay in Lake Como, there are two choices – the town and the hotel. There are small towns all around the lake, but a few are the most popular for tourism.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is staying in the town of Lake Como.

Lake Como isn’t a bad place to stay perse, but it is very far from the other popular towns and has a more commercial vibe compared to other options.

Below are my three favorite towns to stay in on Lake Como and the best hotel in each of them. These towns are all located in the mid-lake area and are easily accessible from each other.

Varenna

Varenna is my #1 recommendation of where to stay on Lake Como. It’s super convenient to get to by direct train routes from Milan.

In addition, there are a ton of great restaurants, a super cute lakefront, and it’s less crowded than some other towns.

The best place to stay in Varenna is the Hotel Royal Victoria. It is a historic villa with amazing water views, one of my favorite restaurants in the world, and is closely located to the main area of town.

I stayed at the sister property, the Villa Cipressi, on my trip but would have preferred to stay at the Royal Victoria.

Bellagio

Bellagio is the most popular town on Lake Como and therefore the most popular place to stay. It’s nice because there are a ton of amazing restaurants, great shopping, and 180-degree lake views. However, it is extremely crowded.

If you choose to stay in Bellagio, the best hotel is the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. It’s a short walk from the main town and is situated on a peninsula, provided panoramic views of the lake.

This villa is one of the top things to do in Bellagio, so staying here is such a treat.

Tremezzo

Tremezzo is another great town to stay in on Lake Como. It reminded me a lot of Varenna, but since it is harder to get to, it was a bit quieter.

The main reason people choose to stay in Tremezzo is because it’s home to the most iconic hotel on the lake, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

If you’ve looked up photos of Lake Como online, you’ve likely seen this hotel with orange and white umbrellas and an overwater swimming pool. It’s definitely a splurge, but I’ve heard great things about it.  

Tips for Lake Como Ferries

The best way to get around Lake Como is by ferry. They operate around hourly between the major towns on the lake.

Once you get the hang of it, the ferries are easy to navigate, but they can be confusing at first. Below are my top three tips for navigating the Lake Como ferry system.

1. Use the in-person schedule – There are ferry schedules posted online and on handouts, but I recommend physically walking to the ferry station to confirm the time of your boat.

The times frequently change, so check with the operators to be sure. I found it helpful to check the time of my next planned ferry when I departed my past ferry.

2. Don’t count on the ferry being on time – People assured me that the ferries were always on time. However, I experienced one ferry being an hour late, making me nearly miss my wooden boat tour.

Give yourself plenty of extra time so you don’t end up missing any reservations.

3. Book the mid lake pass – If you follow my advice and stay in the middle lake region, you can save time and money by purchasing the middle lake day pass.

This allows you to visit all the towns in the area for the day and is much more convenient than purchasing a series of one-way tickets.

Lake Como Outfit Ideas

One of my first thoughts when I arrived in Varenna from the train was, “wow, everyone is so well dressed”.

Italy has a reputation for high fashion, and people pulled out their best for Como. Above is a collage for Lake Como outfit ideas.

Some of the common things I noticed were light colored clothing, a lot of linen, and fashionable sandals. Leave your heels at home because the cobblestone streets are notoriously uneven.

Outfits don’t have to be crazy or uncomfortable, and you cannot go wrong with a sundress or matching linen set.

Unlike US lake towns, you won’t see many jean shorts, flip flops, or t-shirts. Everything is one step elevated, whether for exploring during the day or at night.

Check out this collage for outfit inspiration.

Best Time to Visit

I visited Lake Como in the middle of July. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time very much. However, I would not return in the middle of the summer.

The crowds were huge and a bit overwhelming. In addition, the midday sun was very hot.

The best time to visit is early June or September. During these times, the weather will still be warm, and everything will be open, but the crowds will be much more manageable.

On the other end of the spectrum, I don’t recommend visiting during the winter. From November through February, a lot of restaurants and shops shut down for the slow season.

In addition, it will be too cold to do the most popular activities on the water.

How Long to Spend in Lake Como

You can visit Lake Como in anything from one day to around five. On the short end, many people visit Lake Como as a day trip from Milan.

This is a good option if you are tight on time or budget, but will feel rushed and you will only be able to see 1-2 towns.

On the long end, you could easily spend up to five nights in Lake Como. This would allow you to spend a full day in each of the most popular towns and build in relaxation time.

I really enjoyed spending two days in Lake Como. This allowed enough time to explore four different towns, take a boat tour, have a few great meals, and see a couple of villas.

Getting to Lake Como

The best way to get to Lake Como is via the local train from Milan. There are direct trains to two of the most popular towns on the lake – Lake Como and Varenna. From Varenna, you can take the ferry to other popular towns such as Bellagio or Tremezzo.

The train from Milan starts at the Milan Centrale station, with a few stops along the way. Overall, it takes around 90 minutes to get from Milan to Varenna. The ferry schedule depends on which town you are visiting, but you can safely assume you can catch a ferry to any town from Varenna within an hour or less of waiting.

I highly recommend you stay in Varenna since it’s centrally located and easy to reach by train. Below, I’ll explain more about why it’s the best place to stay. However, most of the lake is accessible through a combo of train + ferry.  

Quick Facts

Currency – Euro

Language – Italian, but since it is very touristy, most people speak English.

Weather – Summer weather is typically sunny and 80-90 degrees. The winter is much colder, around 40-50 degrees.

Tipping – Tipping is much less common than in the US, but 10% is appreciated for restaurants or tours.

Potential Trip Extensions

Following your two days in Lake Como, you are in a great position to explore more of Italy. Since you will need to travel through Milan to get to the lake, I highly recommend adding 1-2 days to explore the city.

I combined my recent trip to Lake Como with a couple days in Tuscany and Florence. From Milan, it’s a two-hour train ride to Florence.

From here, you can rent a car for a few days in the countryside, exploring the mountain towns and local wineries.

Summary of this Lake Como 2 Day Itinerary

Lake Como, a long-standing dream destination, charmed me with its stunning lakeside scenery and chic towns.

This 2-day Lake Como itinerary is your ticket to the best the region has to offer.

Whether it’s exploring charming towns like Bellagio, Varenna, and Tremezzo, taking a wooden boat tour, or indulging in villa tours, the itinerary has you covered.

The optimal time to visit is early June or September to avoid the crowds and savor the warm weather.

Don’t miss out on dining experiences either – from aperitivo at Bar Il Molo to dinner at Visteria.

Lake Como’s timeless beauty and classic Italian charm are waiting to be explored, creating memories that will have you wanting to return immediately.

Extend your adventure by discovering Milan or venturing into the enchanting landscapes of Tuscany and Florence.

FAQ – 2 Day Itinerary Lake Como

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