If you are planning a trip to Italy, make sure you add Lake Como to the list of places to visit. From waterfront dinners to boat rides to shopping and beautiful scenery, Lake Como is a destination that will transport you to a different world. In this Lake Como travel guide, I will take you through everything we experienced while visiting the beautiful town of Bellagio.
In this travel guide, I will break down where we stayed and all that we did while visiting Lake Como, specifically Bellagio. After that, I will break down the main attractions that they have around Bellagio and the neighboring towns. If you are planning to visit Lake Como, be prepared to deal with the ferry system. I will warn you, it isn’t always easy!
Lake Como was one of my favorite stops on our month-long trip to Italy! After Milan, Lake Como was a much needed change of pace to relax. Let’s get into this Lake Como travel guide!
Lake Como
Where we stayed
We spent four days and three nights in the town of Bellagio. There are so many options to choose from when finding a place to stay on the lake. We chose to stay in the town of Bellagio for several reasons.
First, this is the most popular destination to visit on the lake and in the famous triangle. We figured if we stayed here, we wouldn’t have to put as much stress traveling to and from the town. Second, there are so many places that you can ferry to and from around the lake. Almost all ferries visit Bellagio and it would be easy to return to (so we thought.. more on this below). Third, We had family members that visited the year before and told us that it was the best decision to stay in Bellagio.
We stayed at Hotel Bellagio. It is located in the heart of the town and we had easy access to the main strip and water views. They had complementary breakfast which was so nice! They had several coffee options, yogurt and fruit and plenty of pastries! The employees were so kind and always made sure we had everything we needed. Honestly, this was my favorite hotel that we stayed at in all of Italy!
What we did in Bellagio
There is a reason that Bellagio is the most popular town to visit. The views are spectacular, the shopping is abundant and the food is delicious! There are plenty of ways to spend your time exploring the incredible town.
We spent the first day relaxing and shopping. We traveled in from Milan which was a very busy and hectic city. When we arrived at Lake Como, it was a complete 180 in pace and it was exactly what we needed!
The second day we used the ferry to visit Menaggio. This town was much smaller but absolutely stunning! They had the most beautiful flowers all over the town along the water that Bellagio didn’t! They had shopping and restaurants throughout the Piazza but it was much less compared to Bellagio. This town had a much slower pace compared to Bellagio and Verena!
On our last day, we chose to take it slow. My favorite activity, we did laundry (real life of traveling abroad) and shopped! We found a beautiful local art gallery filled with watercolor paintings. We spoke with the artist and she loved my husband’s broken Italian! I searched everywhere in each city for artwork to take home and this was by far the best! I highly recommend stopping by her art studio (ENTER NAME OF STUDIO HERE)
What to do in Bellagio
Bellagio has incredible attractions on top of the beautiful scenery and shopping. You can visit the Gardens of Villa Melzi. We spent about two hours walking the grounds and taking it all in. We went right when it opened to avoid the crowds and it was stunning.
Other sites that you can visit either at Bellagio or around Lake Como are Villa Del Balianello, which is located in Letto, and is one of the most visited villas on the lake. It is known from Star Wars and James Bond – Casino Royale. Como Cathedral, Villa Olmo, Villa Carlotta and the botanical gardens are more beautiful sites to see!
Another activity that you can do is rent a boat! You can rent it for a few hours or the entire day. If you have the chance, definitely take a dip in the lake! We were not able to go on this trip and I regret it so much! I am definitely adding it to my list of must do activities next time we visit!
Shopping in Bellagio
Shopping in Bellagio is a must! There are so many local shops that you can grab a souvenir from. Bellagio is known for their silk. If you plan on doing some shopping, definitely pick up a few silk souvenirs! I grabbed a neck scarf and a tie for my husband.
There were two shops that I felt had the best options. Frey Como is a small shop that has beautiful patterns to choose from. This is where I found my scarf. Azalea is probably the most popular silk store in Bellagio. This is where I found great silk ties!
Where to eat in Bellagio
Breakfast
There are several restaurants around Bellagio. A delicious option is Bar Pasticceria Rossi which is a great spot for breakfast or an aperitivo. We ate breakfast here and had drinks one evening. It is right on the water and the perfect spot for people watching!
Lunch
For lunch, we ate at Dai Viga several times and loved everything that we ate! To order, you select from several pasta and sauce options to build your own pasta plate. The line can get long and seating is limited so try not to go here when you are starving.
Another lunch spot I liked was La Bellagina. This was farther away from the center of town so it was much less crowded! We both enjoyed our own pizzas with a beautiful view on the terrace! We also got to walk around the outside of town and see some incredible scenery! Our favorite lunch spot, however, was Mr, Panino. A quick sandwich shop right outside of our hotel!
Dinner
As for dinner, there are several options to choose from! For a nicer option, we ate at Hotel Suisse Restaurant on the upper terrace. I ordered fettucini tossed in a cheese wheel and my husband ordered braised beef. I will admit, this was not our favorite meal. The view was beautiful but the food was average and the service was horrendous, especially considering this was our most expensive meal in Como.
A popular spot, but a difficult one, is Trattoria San Giacomo. Located at the top of Salita Serbelloni, this is a very popular dinner spot. It is difficult to eat here because they don’t take reservations and they have such a small space. You can wait to get your name on the list as soon as they open if you don’t mind waiting! There are plenty of spots to have a glass of wine nearby while you wait!
Dispensa 63 is another great option for dinner. We did not eat here but I read great reviews from other travelers. I would recommend making a reservation as they do fill up quickly for dinner!
How To Travel To Lake Como
We traveled to Lake Como from Milan. Lake Como is a very large lake with many towns surrounding it. We travelled specifically to Bellagio to visit the Triangle cities which is the most popular tourist location. To get to this spot, you will take a train from Milan to Varena. However, we had a different experience.
When we visited Italy, they were preparing for the 2026 winter olympics which were held in Milan. One of the updates they made was upgrading the train rails. This meant that the second half of the train ride was closed due to construction. We had to take a train from Milan to Lecco and then a bus to Bellagio.
Italians are very good at many things. Organized travel systems are not one of them. We stepped off the train not knowing where to go or where the bus was. All we knew is that there was an entire train worth of people all trying to get to various locations from one bus stop. Thankfully we found our bus ONE MINUTE before it left. It took us about 45 minutes to get to Bellagio but once we arrived, it was so peaceful!
Lake Como Ferry System
If you are not familiar, the best way to travel around the lake is by ferry boat. They have ferries that can take you to various towns all around the lake. It can be complicated and I do recommend buying tickets in advance if you can.
One of the most important things to do beforehand is to plan your travel in and out of town ahead of time. Most people will travel from Milan to Varena. Many people will do a daytrip to town hop throughout the day and then take the final train back to Milan. If this is your plan, make sure you buy your train tickets in advance because they will sell out!
One of the biggest mistakes that travelers will make when they are staying in Bellagio or Mennagio is purchasing their ferry ticket when they get there. The lines can grow long very quickly. I read horror stories of people waiting in line with their luggage for up to 4 hours. The ferries do not run 24/7 so it is important to make sure that you have transportation. Otherwise, you risk getting stranded in a different part of the lake.
My thoughts on Lake Como
If I could go back and spend a month alone on Lake Como, I would. Everything you hear about it being magical and absolutely stunning is correct. There are so many attractions to see and food to eat. I don’t think any amount of time would be enough to visit this part of the world.