Lake Como Region in 2 days, on foot

This 2-day self-guided walking plan for Lake Como Region covers 12 narrated sights in an easy day-by-day order. Each day is split into a morning and an afternoon loop, and every stop has a two to three minute audio story in the Gingerguide app.

You set the pace: this is a suggested order, not a schedule. Walk it in 2 days, or stretch it out. Reorder freely; Lake Como Region rewards a detour.

Day 1

Morning

1. Como Town and Cathedral: Como is the silk capital of Italy, a handsome lakeside city with a magnificent Renaissance cathedral built over three centuries, a funicular to the village of Brunate, and a long tradition of producing Europe's finest luxury silk fabrics.
2. Villa del Balbianello: Perched on a wooded promontory above Lenno on the western shore, Villa del Balbianello is the most photographed villa on Lake Como, an 18th-century masterpiece of terraced gardens, loggias, and lake views that served as a location for both Casino Royale and Star Wars.
3. Bellagio: Pearl of Lake Como: Bellagio occupies the tip of the promontory dividing Lake Como into its two southern arms, earning its title as the Pearl of the Lake, a supremely photogenic village of steep lanes, flower-draped balconies, and celebrated gardens with views in every direction.

Afternoon

1. Varenna: Eastern Shore Village: Varenna is a car-free village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, considered by many to be the most authentic and least crowded of the lake's celebrated settlements, with a beautiful lakeside promenade, Villa Monastero, and a short ferry ride to Bellagio.
2. Villa Carlotta: Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo is one of Lake Como's most celebrated garden villas, famous for its spectacular spring display of azaleas and rhododendrons, its Canova sculptures, and its extraordinary position above the lake on the western shore.
3. Cernobbio & Villa d'Este: Villa d'Este at Cernobbio is Italy's most famous luxury hotel, a 16th-century Renaissance palace set in eighteen hectares of formal gardens on the lake's edge, historically host to European royalty, the annual Ambrosetti Forum of business and political leaders, and the finest clientele in the world.

Day 2

Morning

1. George Clooney & Villa Oleandra: Villa Oleandra in Laglio is the Lake Como home of Hollywood star George Clooney, his purchase of the villa in 2002 sparked a wave of celebrity interest in the lake and transformed Lake Como's international profile as a destination for the global elite.
2. Lake Como Ferry System: The Lake Como ferry network, operated by Navigazione Laghi since the 19th century, is the essential transport connection between the lake's villages, running regular passenger ferries, hydrofoils, and triangular car ferries across the 46-kilometre length of the lake.
3. Como Funicular to Brunate: The Como-Brunate funicular, built in 1894 and climbing 300 metres in just seven minutes, is one of northern Italy's most charming historic transport lines, connecting Como's lakefront to the quiet hilltop village of Brunate with its sweeping views over the entire southern lake.

Afternoon

1. Lecco & the Manzoni Connection: Lecco, at the southern tip of Lake Como's eastern arm, is the hometown of Alessandro Manzoni, author of The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi), considered the founding novel of Italian national literature, and is set dramatically beneath the serrated ridge of the Resegone.
2. Villa Melzi and Japanese Garden: Villa Melzi at Bellagio is a neoclassical villa built in 1808 for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, first Vice-President of the Italian Republic, featuring one of the finest Japanese gardens in Italy running along the lakeside through ancient trees and a famous pond reflected in the water.
3. Tremezzina & Lenno: Bay of Silence: Tremezzina is the collective name for the string of gentle lakeside villages, Lenno, Mezzegra, Ossuccio, and Tremezzo, on the western shore of Lake Como's central lake, known as the 'Bay of Silence' for its sheltered microclimate, ancient olive groves, and proximity to Villa del Balbianello.

Full Lake Como Region guide and all stops →