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Cruise the lake by steamer, Lake Como

Scenic & Viewpoints

Cruise the lake by steamer

Lake Como · Lombardy

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Scenic & Viewpoints
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Lake Como · Lombardy
DURATION
A full day for the lake, or a few hours for a single leg
DIFFICULTY
No effort — board the steamer and sit on the deck.
BEST TIME
Spring to autumn; the boats run a reduced service in winter.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The single best way to see Lake Como is from the water, on the public steamers that have run the lake since the 19th century. The boats run from Como at the southern tip up through the lake’s western arm to Bellagio, across to Varenna and Menaggio at the mid-point, and on to Colico at the northern end, stopping at the villas and villages along the way. Sitting on the open deck as the villas and gardens pass, with the Alps above and the water below, is the experience that defines the lake, and it doubles as the transport between the towns.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The mid-point triangle — Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, the three towns at the lake’s centre, linked by the car and passenger ferries.

02

The villas from the water — Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello and the other shore villas seen from the deck as the boat passes.

03

The northern lake — the narrower, alpine upper lake beyond Bellagio, with the villages of Gravedona, Domaso and Colico.

04

The Alps above — the snow on the peaks well into spring, the backdrop to every view.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
The steamers run from Como, Varenna, Bellagio and the other lakeside towns; a day pass is the best value for hopping between villages.
Best Time
Mornings for the calm water and the clear views; spring and autumn for the light.
Context
The boats are both sightseeing and transport — they are the way to get between the lake’s towns.

MAP & LOCATION

Cruise the lake by steamer

Cruise the lake by steamer, Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy

45.9878, 9.2617

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Bellagio, Lake Como
Town

Bellagio

The village at the point where the lake’s three arms meet, known as the “pearl of Lake Como” — a cluster of pastel houses, cobbled lanes and lakeside villas on the promontory opposite Varenna.

View attraction
Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como
Historic House

Villa del Balbianello

The 18th-century villa on a wooded promontory at Lenno, with terraced gardens and the museum of the explorer Guido Monzino — one of the lake’s most beautiful and most filmed villas.

View attraction
Varenna, Lake Como
Town

Varenna

A fishing village on the lake’s eastern shore, with a waterfront promenade, the medieval church of San Giorgio and the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.

View attraction
Como, Lake Como
Town

Como

The town at the southern tip of the lake’s western arm — the lake’s principal town, with a medieval centre, a Gothic cathedral and the funicular up to Brunate for the panorama.

View attraction

MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Lake Como

Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como, Lake Como
Nature & Hiking

Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como

A 10-kilometre lakeside path along the western shore between Colonno and Cernobbio, passing through villages, villas and olive groves — the most accessible walk on the lake.

View experience
Visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta, Lake Como
Nature & Hiking

Visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta

The 20-hectare botanical garden of Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo, with its rhododendrons, azaleas, bamboo grove and the museum of the villa’s sculpture and art.

View experience

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Trattoria San Giacomo — a beloved local trattoria in Bellagio for lake fish and risotto, no reservations

02

Ristorante La Vista — the terrace restaurant at Hotel Albergo Milano in Varenna, with lake views and refined cooking

03

Al Prato — a quiet garden restaurant in Bellagio for modern Italian cooking, book ahead

04

Vecchia Varenna — a canal-side trattoria in Varenna for traditional lake cooking

05

Gatto Nero — a family-run restaurant on the Brunate hill above Como, with the view and the cooking to match

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Grand Hotel Tremezzo — a grand lakeside hotel at Tremezzo with a floating pool and gardens, opposite Bellagio

02

Hotel Florence — a charming hotel in the centre of Bellagio, with a garden and a restaurant

03

Albergo Milano — a family-run hotel in Varenna with lake-view rooms and a terrace restaurant

04

Hotel Du Lac — a simple, well-placed hotel on the Varenna waterfront, good value

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NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

Milan

Milan

Lombardy

Bergamo

Bergamo

Lombardy

Lake Maggiore / Stresa

Lake Maggiore / Stresa

Piedmont

INTERESTS

Explore by what you love

Winter

PART OF

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