LAKE COMO DAY TRIP
a guide to the best things to see

Living in Como makes me feel very lucky. If you are planning a day trip to Lake Como, I’m sure that you need some help to choose among the many things to do and see. I will tell you what I’d do, putting myself in the shoes of a tourist who has very little time.

Are you ready? Let’s start a virtual Lake Como day trip!

Como, 8:30-10:30 am

Start your tour from the town where I was born, Como.

Here you can spend a couple of hours, say from 8:30 to 10:30 am. After drinking a coffee in a bar in the town center, see two of the most beautiful churches in the city: the Basilica of San Fedele and the Como Cathedral.

If you are fast enough, a walk along the lake is just what you need.

Take some pictures of the neoclassical Volta museum and Life Electric, two of the best things to see during your day trip to Lake Como.

Argegno, 10:30 am-12:30 pm

Buy a daily ticket at the boat landing in Piazza Cavour, and take a hydrofoil that will lead you to the lakeside promenade of Argegno (approx. 1 hour trip). It’s almost noon… time for a little break!

Relax in a bar on the lakefront and take a glass of white wine, while admiring the opposite shore and its scattered houses. The historic center of Argegno is quite small but quaint, definitely worth a visit.

Bellagio, 12:30-3:00 pm

Around 12:30, take a fast boat that will take you to Bellagio in 25 minutes. During your trip, just relax and take some pictures of Villa Balbianello and the beautiful towns along the coast.

It’s hard to choose what to see in a Lake Como day trip, but don’t miss to visit to Bellagio. Once you get there, turn right and head for Villa Melzi (the villa is open from March to November, keep this in mind!). There, you have to spend at least 45 minutes, in order to admire the manicured gardens of the complex and the grandeur of the villa.

If you take the northern exit, you’ll find yourself on the lakeside promenade of Bellagio. Take one of the alleys on the right that lead to the town center, which is full of leather shops, perfume stores, small restaurants and much more… Be careful not to spend all your money there!

Menaggio and Tremezzo, 3:00-6:00 pm

Getting from Bellagio to Menaggio will only take you 15 minutes by ferry. When you get to Menaggio, walk on its elegant lake promenade and have a coffee in Piazza Garibaldi.

After taking some pictures of the hills in front of you, head to the main road and wait for the C10 bus that will take you to Tremezzo in a few minutes.

Don’t miss to visit the beautiful Villa Carlotta, whose gardens are definitely one of the best things to see during a day trip to Lake Como.