BellagioStory N° 68
Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Balbianello
Three days on the Alpine arm where the lake forks at Bellagio — a slow boat morning between three pastel villages, a private-garden tour of Villa del Balbianello (the Star Wars + Casino Royale location), a Como-bay sundown aperitivo, and dinner on a Varenna stone terrace as the ferries make their last run.
The itinerary.
3 days · 15 stops
Friday
Day One
MXP airport, drive 80 min north to Bellagio (on the forked promontory between Como + Lecco arms), check into a lakefront villa-hotel, late-afternoon Bellagio cobbled-stairs walk, sundown aperitivo on the Punta Spartivento.
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MXP → Bellagio drive
80 min by rental car or private transfer. Alternative: MXP shuttle to Milano Centrale (60 min), Trenord train to Varenna-Esino (80 min), ferry across to Bellagio (15 min) — 4 hours total.
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Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
1873 neoclassical grand hotel on Bellagio's lake-tip — 95 rooms, the original Habsburg chandeliers in the Salon Reale, lake-edge pool, Michelin-starred Mistral restaurant. classic room lake-view suite. villaserbelloni.com
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Bellagio Salita Serbelloni walk
The cobbled-stair lanes climbing from the lakefront up the Bellagio promontory — Salita Serbelloni, Salita Mella, Salita Plinio. Artisan workshops (silk scarves, leather, ceramics) every 20 m.
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Punta Spartivento aperitivo
10-min walk north from Bellagio centre to the literal tip of the peninsula — the only point in the lake where you see all three branches at once. La Punta restaurant on the rocks does Negronis at sundown.
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Mistral, Villa Serbelloni — dinner
Michelin-starred dining room with the lake floor-to-ceiling. Chef Ettore Bocchia's molecular-Italian tasting menu. Jacket required.
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Hotel
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio villaserbelloni.com
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Getting around
- MXP → Bellagio: 80 min by car or 4 hours by train + ferry combo.
- Within Bellagio: walking only on the steep cobbled stairs.
Saturday
Day Two
Lake-villa day — morning ferry to Villa del Balbianello, lunch at Varenna by ferry, afternoon Villa Carlotta gardens, evening Menaggio sundown.
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Bellagio → Lenno ferry
Navigazione Lago di Como hourly ferry — 20 min. Lenno is the access point for Villa Balbianello.
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Villa del Balbianello
1787 villa on a wooded peninsula — the most-photographed property on the lake (Casino Royale's M briefing, Episode II of Star Wars). Owned by the Italian National Trust (FAI) since 2002. Guided villa interior tour by reservation. Garden free with entry — terraced loggias, century-old camellias, the cypress-framed lake view. fondoambiente.it
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Lenno → Varenna ferry
Navigazione Lago di Como, 40 min. Eat lunch on board (the ferry has a small bar) or wait for Varenna.
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Varenna lunch + walk
Pastel-coloured fishing village on the lake's east shore — narrow lanes (Vicolo dell'Amore), the Passeggiata degli Innamorati clinging to the cliff. Lunch at Vecchia Varenna (terrace overlooking the harbour, lake fish + risotto al pesce persico).
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Varenna → Tremezzo + Villa Carlotta
Cross the lake by ferry (15 min) — Villa Carlotta's 8-hectare garden has 150 azalea + rhododendron species in bloom April–May. The villa itself holds Canova's Cupid + Psyche marble. villacarlotta.it
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Menaggio sundown
Ferry to Menaggio (10 min from Tremezzo) — the lakefront has the best west-facing sundown view on the lake. Aperitivo at Bar il Molo on the pier.
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Hotel
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni villaserbelloni.com
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Getting around
- Bellagio ↔ Lenno / Varenna / Menaggio: Navigazione Lago di Como ferries every 30–60 min.
Sunday
Day Three
Slow morning at Bellagio, ferry to Como city, walk the Duomo + the lakefront, train back to Milano, fly out from MXP.
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Bellagio → Como ferry (fast)
Navigazione Lago di Como fast hydrofoil — 45 min direct. Slow ferry 2 hours hits every village on the west shore.
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Como Duomo
14th-century cathedral on Piazza del Duomo — late Gothic façade with Renaissance + Baroque additions blended into the original. Free. Pasticceria Monti on the piazza for cappuccino + sfogliatella.
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Brunate funicular
From Como's lakefront, the 7-min funicular climbs 500 m to Brunate village — the panoramic of the entire lake's south basin from up here.
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Como → MXP airport
Trenord regional Como San Giovanni → Milano Centrale (45 min), then Malpensa Express to MXP (50 min). Or direct Como → MXP shuttle bus (90 min — book Flixbus).
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Hotel
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Getting around
- Bellagio → Como: 45 min hydrofoil or 2 hour slow ferry.
- Como → MXP: 95 min total via train, or 90 min direct shuttle.
Location.
Frequently asked
How many days do you need for Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Balbianello?
3 days. The itinerary runs from Friday to Sunday and covers 15 curated stops across 3 days.
How much does Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Balbianello cost?
Luxury — signature hotels and reserved access.
Where do you stay during Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Balbianello?
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio is the recommended base for the trip; the full hotel list per day is in the itinerary section.
What's included in the Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Balbianello itinerary?
Day-by-day stops at 15 restaurants, museums, viewpoints and landmarks; transportation hints between each leg; and a hotel base in Bellagio.
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