10 BEST Places to Visit in Lake Como

1. Varenna

Varenna is a small beautiful town located on the eastern shore of Lake Como. It is known for its picturesque setting, with views of the lake, and the surrounding mountains. Due to the town's access to a train station (not all towns at Lake Como have it), Varenna is connected via daily trains from Milan which makes it a great place to start your trip around Lake Como.

The town has a rich history dating back to Roman times, and it is home to several historical and cultural landmarks, such as the Castello di Vezio, an imposing 12th Century villa with a beautiful view over the lake, and the Villa Monastero, a waterfront villa featuring terraced gardens and a mansion with opulent 1800s decor.

Other than the history, Varenna also has one of the most beautiful lakeside promenades out there. One of the highlights of Varenna is to strolling along the beautiful Greenway dei Patriarchi, a romantic lakeside walk that will take you to Varenna's beautiful old town.

Here during sunset is where you will feel like you are in a fairy tale as you are surrounded by colorful flowers, a glistering blue lake set against the Italian Alps, and the beautiful golden hour showering all over you.

If you are not sure where to begin your exploration in Lake Como, Varenna is the best place to start. It has all the qualities that make Lake Como towns so charming, it is small and easily walkable, and best of all, you can get here in less than 2 hours directly from Milan via trains, so do not forget to visit Varenna while you are here.

Want to visit Lake Como as a day trip from Milan? Check out:One-Day Lake Como Itinerary from Milan

2. Bellagio

Bellagio or as it is sometimes referred to as the pearl of Lake Como is another cute charming little town located right at the center on a peninsula that protruded into the lake, essentially creating the lake's iconic inverted y shape.

The town is known for its picture-perfect backdrop of the Alps as well as its colorful narrow streets that are popular among influencers, crisscrossing up the hillside, surrounded by stunning architecture, cafes, and restaurants you can indulge yourself in.

Basically, Bellagio is the exact image of what you imagine Lake Como would look like. Cute, charming, fairy-tale-like, and beautiful, all in one. It is also probably one of the most crowded villages out of all and if you want to enjoy Bellagio in peace, I highly recommend you visit the town in the early morning before the day trippers arrive.

Notable attractions in Bellagio include Villa Melzi D'Eril, a picturesque botanical garden and beautiful lakeside paths, Castello di Bellagio, a hilltop castle with a great view, Punta Spartivento, a beautiful observational promenade with a great view of the lake, and Basilica of St. Giacomo, a beautiful church located in the town's center. Definitely one of the best places to visit at Lake Como.

3. Menaggio

Menaggio is another small charming town located on the western shore of Lake Como and it is known for its beautiful narrow streets, hillside town, and beautiful promenade full of lovely cafes and restaurants.

There is a nice walking trail in Menaggio you can take that will take you from the shore of the town uphill through the charming hillside area along narrow colorful cobblestone streets until you reach Menaggio Castle, a castle that dates back to the 11th century and located on a hill overlooking the town.

Other notable tourist attractions in Menaggio include Lido di Menaggio, a popular spot for swimming and sunbathing in the summer months, St. Stephen's Church, a beautiful church of architectural and historical significance, and Percorso salute Parco Val Sanagra, a beautiful park set against the Italian Alps.

Due to the location of the town on the western shore of the lake, it is also near other important landmarks like Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello, the places we will be discussing next, making it a great place to begin your journey exploring the other side of the lake. So if you want to explore the western shore of Lake Como, be sure to start your journey from here.

4. Villa Carlotta

Not too far from Menaggio, you will find Villa Carlotta, a historic villa built in the late 17th century, known for its elaborate garden design, the incredible view overlooking the lake, and one of the most beautifully decorated villas here.

The garden inside Villa Carlotta is incredible. Located right at the entrance of the villa, you will have to walk through it before you can get inside the villa. The garden features a wide variety of plants, flowers, and sculptures that will make you feel like you are walking around a medieval castle instead of a villa.

Inside the villa, you will also find a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the villa, beautiful art collections, and exhibitions you can enjoy. Inside you will also have a chance to glance over the balconies of the villa and see the beautiful garden of Villa Carlotta set against the backdrop of the lake and the Italian Alps.

You can spend between 1 - 2 hours at Villa Carlotta depending on which route you want to take to the garden. The villa is open from 10 AM to 7 PM every day and the entrance fee is 15 EUR per person. To visit off-season, you can book your visit online here.

5. Villa del Balbianello

Villa del Balbianello is probably one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Lake Como. This villa is the very place where they shot some of the Naboo scenes in the prequel Star Wars movies, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones as well as 007: Casino Royale.

Villa del Balbianello is an 18th-century villa that has been used for various purposes, including as a monastery, a hospital, and a private residence. It is now owned by the National Trust of Italy and is open to the public for tours as well as occasionally open for wedding photographers and film crews to shoot scenes.

Getting to this villa requires a bit of walking. To get here, you will first have to take a bus to Lenno, the closest town to the villa, and once you are there, you will have to walk along the shoreline for around 30 minutes until you arrive at the entrance.

One of the best features of this villa is its terraced gardens that feature a variety of plants, including rare and exotic species like Holm Oak or the Umbrella tree.

There are several paths and walkways throughout the gardens, as well as fountains, statues, and other decorative features with a mix of Italian and classical styles that you can check out.

You can easily spend 2 hours exploring just the gardens alone. The villa is open from 10 AM to 6 PM every day EXCEPT Monday and Wednesday which is rather random. Be sure to plan your visit accordingly if you want to go inside Villa del Balbianello. The entrance fee is 22 EUR per person. Definitely one of the best places to visit at Lake Como.

6. Duomo di Como

Duomo di Como, also known as the Como Cathedral, is a cathedral located in Como, the capital city of this region in Italy, and considered to be the largest city here.

The cathedral was built in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Romanesque style. It has a beautiful façade with a large rose window and three portals and is decorated with a variety of sculptures and reliefs.

Inside, the cathedral has a large nave and two aisles, with a series of chapels and altars on either side. The cathedral also has a beautiful bell tower that was completed later on, in the 14th century.

The cathedral is located right in the center of Como and is a major landmark in the city. The interior really blew me away and it really made the journey to visit Como on the southwestern shore of the lake even more worthwhile. If you are looking for a reason to get out of the small towns of Lake Como and see what life is really like here, be sure to visit Como and drop by this cathedral.

7. Faro Voltiano

Faro Voltiano is a hilltop lighthouse in Brunate, a small mountain town located atop the hill overlooking Como and it can easily be reached by a funicular ride from Como's city center and a bit of hiking.

Straight from Como, you can catch a funicular ride from the funicular station for about 5.5 EUR per person and it will take around 30 minutes to reach Brunate. The queue to get up the funicular can be very long so be sure to spare around 30 minutes each way for when you have to take the funicular or you can get up early and catch the morning ride up. The funicular operates from 6 AM to 10:30 PM every day.

Once you arrive in Brunate, you will have an incredible view of Como and its surrounding. Although, for a better vantage point, I highly recommend you continue to hike to Faro Voltiano which takes about 30 minutes going uphill and once you arrive at the lighthouse, you can pay the clerk there 2 EUR to get access to the top of the lighthouse.

From up there, you have an incredible panoramic view of Lake Como as well as its mountainous surroundings. Out of all the viewpoints I saw in Lake Como, this is hands down the best one and will really allow you to realize the true scale of Lake Como.

Heck, you can even see the inverted y shape of the lake from up here! If you are looking for the best view over the lake without flying a drone, Faro Voltiano lighthouse is the best place to be.

It is a bit of a walk and can take hours to complete so be sure to spare some time to visit the lighthouse and explore Brunate. All in all, I think between Como Cathedral and the views you get from this lighthouse, that should be enough of a reason for you to not skip Como like most people recommend and see for yourself what this city has to offer.

8. Orrido di Bellano

Not too far from Varenna, you will find Bellano, a small town only one train station away, known for its famous Orrido di Bellano, a deep, narrow, 15 million-year-old gorge with a series of waterfalls and footbridges anchored on the high walls overlooking the gorge you can stroll around on.

It is a great place to visit as a half-day trip from Varenna and due to its proximity to waterfalls, you won't find any better place to escape the summer heat of Italy than here.

The walking path takes about 20 minutes to complete and it will lead you through the narrow valley along the rocky walls where it will eventually lead you to a small waterfall that feeds into the lake.

To get to Orrido di Bellano, all you have to do is catch a train from Varenna and get off at Bellano, and then you have to walk to the gorge. The whole journey should take no more than 20 minutes. The entrance fee is only 5 EUR per person which is very affordable compared to other tourist attractions in the area.

9. Villa Monastero

Not too far from Bellagio, you will find Villa Monastero, another stunning villa built in the 12th Century as part of a monastery, before it was transformed into a Nordic-style villa in the 17th Century.

The waterfront villa is known for its incredible terraced gardens with crisscrossing walking trails that run along the shore of the lake as well as the opulent 1800s decor you will find inside.

It is a nice 30-minute walk from Bellagio through the garden before you arrive at the villa. The villa is open from 9:30 AM to 8 PM every day except Sunday and the entrance fee is 13 EUR per person for access to both the garden and the museum inside the villa.

10. Domaso

Last but not least, Domaso which is an extremely off-the-beaten-path place in Lake Como that I accidentally discovered since my hostel was here, is a small lakeside town located on the northwestern side of the lake and it is home to some of the best views of the Italian Alps here.

The town itself is nothing special with a few houses here and there but its beaches and the proximity to the Italian Alps allow it to have some of the best mountain views around Lake Como.

It also doesn't get as many tourists as other places which makes it even more attractive to visit for those who are looking to go off the beaten path.

To get to Domaso, you will have to take bus #C10 from Menaggio and get off at Domaso. It should take about one hour before you arrive on the street of the town. From there, you can walk towards the water and enjoy a stunning view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

There is also a nice lakeside restaurant called Lake Como Beach Bar & Restaurant with patches of green grass for you to lie down and sunbathe while your significant others swim in the lake.

You can stroll even further up north along the shore to get a clearer view of the Alps or go southward where you will find a small little town with beautiful old buildings, nice lakeside walking paths, parks, and restaurants that you can come to expect from small towns at Lake Como.

It is a nice little off-the-beaten-path place that can easily be reached via buses and if you have time to spare at Lake Como and would like to enjoy the place free of tourists, be sure to check out Domaso.

Further Reading for Northern Italy

I hope you found this Italian travel guide useful. If you want to read more about Italy, here is a selection of articles you might like:

• First time visiting Italy? Here are the 15 Best Places to Visit in Italy.
• Want to see the highlights of Italy in 2 weeks? Be sure to check out our 2-Weeks Backpacking Italy Itinerary.
• Want to travel around Italy for one month, from the Dolomites in the north to Sicily in the south? You are going to love this backpacking itinerary packed with information: One Month Backpacking Italy Itinerary
• Looking for a complete itinerary for Northern Italy? Check out: 2 Weeks Backpacking Northern Italy Itinerary.
• Every trip to Northern Italy starts in Milan. If you are a first-timer, here are the 16 best things to do in Milan.
• Have a day to spare in Milan? Why not spend it in the hilltop fortress of Bergamo. Here are the 11 best things to do in Bergamo.
• Ah... Venice, the city of art, culture, and the birthplace of the Renaissance. You just can't visit Italy without seeing it with your own eyes. To help you plan a trip there, here are the 15 best things to do in Venice.
• For a complete backpacking guide to Lake Como, check out: The 3-Day Lake Como Itinerary For Those Without A Car.
• Want to visit Lake Como as a day trip from Milan? Check out: One-Day Lake Como Itinerary from Milan.
• For an off-the-beaten-path place to visit in Northern Italy, you can't go wrong with Bologna. For a complete travel guide, check out the 10 Best Things to Do in Bologna.
• Want to explore the Dolomites but not sure where to begin? Check out the 10 Best Places to Visit in the Dolomites.
• For a complete backpacking itinerary for the Dolomites, check out: the 7 Days Dolomites Itinerary For Those Without A Car.
• At the heart of sunny Tuscany lies Florence, one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Italy. If you are planning to visit Florence, check out: 16 Best Things to Do in Florence.
• Cinque Terre, known for its picturesque stacked houses on cliffs and coastlines, is the perfect destination for those looking to escape the bustling city life in Northern Italy. To start planning, be sure to check out: A Complete Guide to Backpacking Cinque Terre.
• Planning to visit Pisa and the Leaning Tower? Check out: 10 Best Things to do in Pisa.
• Siena, a medieval town in Tuscany, will transport you back to the Middle Ages the moment you step in it. If you want to visit Siena, here are the 10 Best Things to do in Siena.
• For a complete 7-day backpacking itinerary in Central Italy that will take you from Rome to Pompeii to the Amalfi Coast, be sure to check out: 7 Days Backpacking Central Italy Itinerary.
• Not convinced by my words? Here are 125 photos that will inspire you to visit Europe.
• To see all the articles about Italy, visit the Italy Travel Guide page.
• Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
• Looking for more travel guides for Europe? You can find more on my Europe Travel Guide page.
• Or, if you want something more specific to the region, visit our Southern Europe Travel Guide, Western Europe Travel Guide, or Central Europe Travel Guide pages.
• For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.