Lake Como - Varenna & Bellagio Exclusive Full-Day Tour
Description
On this full-day tour you will visit the two most picturesque villages on Lake Cono: Varenna and Bellagio. We will meet in Como city where the tour will start with a wrap up of Como city’s history from Roman to modern times. After that, we will be taking the fast boat/hydrofoil directly to Varenna (about 50 min) showing you along the way (20 miles) all the villages with their historic villas and stunning gardens on Lake Como, e.g. Villa of G. Clooney, Villa del Balbianello (setting place for Star Wars and James Bond Casino Royale), Villa Pizzo (wedding venue of John Legend), Ex-Villa of G. Versace, Villa Carlotta, Villa Cassinella (setting of the series Succession) and many more. In Varenna we will do a walking tour enjoying marvellous views. After that, we will take the boat to Bellagio (15 min) where there will be first a lunch break of about 1 hour and a walking tour thereafter. Then, we will return with the hydrofoil boat back to Como city (6/7 pm).
Tour Options
Itinerary
At the beginning of the tour from the main square in Como, Piazza Cavour, the visitors will be explained the main sights and tourist attractions of the city. Furthermore, they will receive tips and information about activities thay can do during their entire stay. Also practical questions of any kind will be answerted by the guide.
During the boat ride, travellers will have a chance to admire the particular landscape mix of Lake Como with its pre-alpine and Mediterranean features Villages on the lakeshore will be pointed out and its historic/famous villas described (e.g. Villa d'Este, ex-villa of G. Versace, villa of George Clooney, Villa Carlotta, Villa Melzi etc.).
We will visit the most romantic town on Lake Como with its winding staircases and the famous Lovers Walk.
We will visit the main church in Varenna, the San Giorgio Church. Architectural style and main art pieces will be explained.
We will visit the oldest church in Varenna, the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. Architectural style and main art pieces will be explained.
In this famous village we will walk through the narrow streets and picturesque staircases, enjoy the view from the Promenade Europa and stop at the L.F. Kennedy monument.
We will visit the main church in Bellagio, the Basilica di San Giacomo. Architectural style and main art pieces will be explained.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(180)
An exceptional trip around Lake Como; the guide had a vast knowledge about the villas , important people living there, a lot of history knowledge as well. Very friendly organisational team. The group we travel with were also very friendly, we shared a lot of good stuff from our countries, spots to visit, etc.We had a great day. I highly recommend this tour.
Best decision to book this tour. Took all the hassle out of queuing for ferry tickets. And had the fast hydrofoil boat to Varenna. Very knowledgeable and passionate tour guide that showed us so much that we would have missed. Highly recommend.
Our Lake Como – Varenna & Bellagio Exclusive Full Day Tour was truly the highlight of our entire trip. Greta was an exceptional guide — knowledgeable, engaging, and incredibly poised. Even though she mentioned she was new, she handled the tour like an absolute pro. Her insights into the history, local culture, and unique character of each town added so much depth to the experience. We never felt rushed, and her warm personality made the day feel relaxed and enjoyable. The itinerary was beautifully paced, the scenery unforgettable, and Greta’s commentary brought everything to life. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide or a more memorable day. Highly recommend.
We had a great experience on this tour, and Greta was wonderful. We were traveling as a family with children, and Greta was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and especially great with the kids. She shared so much interesting history about Lake Como, Bellagio, and Varenna, and made the experience engaging and enjoyable for everyone. One of the most valuable parts of the tour was having Greta guide us through the ferry system. Ferry timing, lines, and boarding around Lake Como can feel overwhelming, especially during busy season, and having someone confidently navigate it all for us—making sure we were in the right place and able to board without stress—was extremely helpful. We especially appreciated Greta’s flexibility throughout the day and how thoughtful she was with our family. We enjoyed Gelato in Varenna and then a late lunch in Bellagio. Parents: It is important to pack water, snacks, and sunscreen and to wear sunglasses and comfy shoes. The only suggestion we would offer is that it would be nice to have a bit more time dedicated to Como itself. That portion felt fairly brief, and we would have enjoyed hearing and seeing a little more there. Overall, Greta’s warmth, professionalism, and local knowledge made this a memorable experience for our family. We would definitely recommend this tour—especially for families visiting Lake Como with children.
Michael was an outstanding tour guide during our Lake Como experience. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area, its history, and local culture, which made the tour both informative and enjoyable. He kept the group engaged the entire time and was always professional, friendly, and helpful. What truly stood out was how attentive he was after the tour, making sure we understood the best and easiest way to get back to our hotel. His guidance and willingness to help went above and beyond. We highly recommend Michael to anyone visiting Lake Como — he truly made the experience memorable!
Fantastic excursion! Ricciardo was incredibly informative and shared fascinating insights about the history, culture, architecture, and local traditions of the Lake Como region. Despite the crowds in both Varenna and Bellagio, everything was perfectly organized, especially the ferry arrangements, which made the day completely stress-free. The scenery was breathtaking, the pace was excellent, and the entire experience felt seamless from start to finish. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lake Como!
What an amazing day, everything was organised to make it seamless. The area is absolutely beautiful and our guide was fantastic. Couldn't ask for more.
Wonderful excursion! Ricardo our guide was very knowledgeable and provided information on architecture, history, religion, culture, villas, and the notable people of the region past and present. Full day and was very busy in both Varenna and Bellagio, so it was great to have Ricardo handle all the ferry tickets. I highly recommend the tour!
Good day Wonderful experience to visit beautiful Lake Como towns of Varenna and Bellagio. But felt it was quite costly for the tour especially as Perspex windows on fast ferry were damaged making visibility very poor So lake tour was disappointing and crowded
Good day, Thank you for your kind words about Varenna and Bellagio — we are pleased you enjoyed visiting these beautiful towns. We always do our best to secure the best possible seating for our guests to ensure good visibility during the journey. For our tours, we use the fast ferry because the lake is very large, and this allows us to cover more locations in a single day. The fast ferry is operated by a different company, which is the only provider of this service on Lake Como. As such, aspects like windows, and crowd levels are outside of our direct control. As for the crowd levels, Lake Como is a very popular destination, and high demand —especially during peak periods-can result in busy conditions in the towns visited. Regarding the price, this is a small-group tour and, on your date, the group consisted of only three participants with a dedicated guide for the full day (approximately 8 hours). Normally, we operate with a minimum of four participants, but in this case we made an exception to avoid cancelling the tour. The cost not even totally covered the ferry tickets and the guide’s full-day service. Warm regards, Como Tours
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, very enthusiastic about Lake Como and was more than happy to take many photos of us. We learned so much more to her guide about the history of Lake Como and all the historical and beautiful sites. I highly recommend this tour and this tour guide. It was our pleasure to be in her company as she guided us to Lake homo. It was a 6-hour tour but it went by so fast because there's so many beautiful things to see and she was so informative. And we personally would like to say thank you and we hope to see you again.
