Lake Como day trip from Milan
A day trip to Lake Como from Milan: Varenna, the gardens of Villa Melzi and the town of Bellagio, Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo across the water, and Villa Monastero back in Varenna. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Lake Como in 1 day
Day 1
Varenna
Small lakeside village of pastel houses on the eastern shore, with a waterfront path and narrow lanes rising from the ferry pier.
Villa Melzi Gardens
Lakeside park of a neoclassical villa just south of Bellagio, with azaleas, old trees, a Japanese pond and statues.
Bellagio
Town on the point where the lake's three arms meet, with stepped lanes, arcaded shops and views up and down the lake.
Villa Carlotta
Eighteenth-century villa at Tremezzo with a museum of sculpture and paintings, including works by Canova, and large botanical gardens.
Villa Monastero
Former convent turned villa in Varenna, with a house museum and a long garden of palms and citrus trees along the shore.
Watch: Lake Como
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
From Milan take a regional train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, about 1 hour; the station is a short walk above the ferry pier. Lake ferries link Varenna, Bellagio and Tremezzo or Cadenabbia for Villa Carlotta in a few minutes to about half an hour per crossing.
Staying in Milan? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Lake Como
April to June is the best time, with gardens in flower and mild weather, and September and October are warm and calmer. July and August are hot and crowded, especially at weekends, and from November to March ferries run less often and several villas close.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Lake Como on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Lake Como on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Lake Como on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Lake Como
- Buy a mid-lake ferry day pass if you will make three or more crossings, and check the time of the last ferry back to Varenna for your train.
- Take an early train from Milan; Varenna and Bellagio are much quieter before the late-morning crowds.
- Villa Melzi, Villa Carlotta and Villa Monastero gardens are seasonal, open roughly spring to autumn; check before a winter visit.
- Villa Carlotta's azaleas and rhododendrons are at their best in April and May.
- Wear comfortable shoes: Bellagio and Varenna are built on slopes with stepped lanes between the waterfront and the upper streets.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Bellagio: Luca Casartelli, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Varenna: DD991, CC0
- Villa Carlotta: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0
- Villa Melzi Gardens: Yiyi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Villa Monastero: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
