Lake Como 4-Hour Boat Tour with Bellagio and Varenna Stops

Como and the villas of Cernobbio and Laglio

Como sits at the southern tip of the lake's western arm, and its lakefront promenade is where most Lake Como boat tours begin. As soon as the boat leaves the pier you see the town's cathedral dome and the funicular climbing to Brunate, before the shore opens into a line of nineteenth-century villas with private jetties and terraced gardens.

Cernobbio, a few minutes north, is the first photo stop and the most elegant village on this stretch, known for the historic villas that once hosted European nobility. Further on, Laglio is a quiet village of ochre houses where several famous residences face the water; the boat pauses briefly so you can take in the setting from the best angle, something that is impossible from the narrow road above.

Isola Comacina and Lenno

Isola Comacina is the only island on Lake Como, a small wooded island off the village of Ossuccio. In the early Middle Ages it was a fortified stronghold with several churches, destroyed in the twelfth century during the wars between Como and Milan; today the ruins of its Romanesque churches lie among the trees and the island is an archaeological site. From the boat you see its rocky shore and the old chapel above the water.

A little further north the boat approaches the Lavedo point at Lenno, crowned by Villa del Balbianello with its loggia and terraced gardens descending to the lake, one of the most photographed views of the whole lake. Nearby is Villa La Cassinella. The ten-minute stop gives you time for photos of both villas from the water, the only way to see the full facade of the point.

Varenna, the village on the eastern shore

Varenna is a former fishing village on the eastern shore, and many visitors call it the prettiest place on Lake Como. Its pastel houses are stacked above the water, linked by stepped lanes, and a lakeside walkway with flowered railings leads from the small harbour towards the gardens of Villa Monastero. Above the village stands the medieval Castello di Vezio, and just to the north the short Fiumelatte stream tumbles into the lake.

On this tour you have about an hour in Varenna, with a short guided walk to orient you, which is enough to stroll the lakeside path, see the old church of San Giorgio on the main square and enjoy a gelato by the water. If you are wondering whether Varenna is worth visiting, this hour usually convinces travellers to come back for longer.

Bellagio, the pearl of Lake Como

Bellagio stands on the tip of the promontory where the lake divides into its Como and Lecco arms, so the views open in three directions at once. The village is known for its steep cobbled stairways called salite, lined with silk and craft shops, its arcaded lakefront and the gardens of Villa Melzi, which stretch along the shore to the south of the centre.

You spend about an hour in Bellagio with a short guided walk, enough to climb a few of the salite, visit the Romanesque Basilica of San Giacomo and walk to the tip of the point for the view of both arms of the lake. Many people search for a Bellagio day trip from Como; this tour combines it with Varenna and the villas in a single afternoon without changing ferries.

Orrido di Nesso and Blevio on the way back

On the return the boat follows the eastern shore of the Como arm to the village of Nesso, where a narrow gorge cuts into the mountain and a waterfall drops beneath a small medieval stone bridge before reaching the lake. The Orrido di Nesso is best seen from the water, and the five-minute stop lets you photograph the falls and the houses clinging to the rocks around them.

The final photo stop is at Blevio, a peaceful village of lakeside villas facing Como, including Villa Troubetzkoy with its gardens reaching the water. From here it is a short ride back to the pier in Como, where the tour ends close to the train station and the old town.