from

$175

Milan

Lake Como, Bellagio and Varenna Small Group Day Trip from Milan

Free CancellationTransportation Included

Visit three lakeside villages, enjoy a 90-minute boat cruise, and travel by train and ferry

Free CancellationTransportation Included

5.0

(37)


10 h


Max 14 Guests

reserve now, pay later logo
Lake Como can feel daunting to explore independently, with public transport from Milan hard to navigate alone. That’s why, with a local guide, we’ll take you to renowned spots like Bellagio and Varenna, avoiding the stress of traffic and delays by traveling smoothly by train, so you can relax and immerse yourself in the heart of this stunning region. Enjoy a cruise across sparkling waters and experience the magic of Lake Como on this small group, stress-free adventure.

What's included

Expert, English-speaking guide

Round-trip first-class train and ferry tickets

90-minute boat cruise

Visit Como, Bellagio, and Varenna

Guide tips

Lunch

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Itinerary

Meet your guide near Milan Central Station

Your Lake Como adventure begins near Milan's bustling Central Station. Your guide greets you with a friendly smile and introduces your small group before boarding a first-class express train for the scenic 50-minute ride toward the Alps.

Explore Como

Step off the train into Como, a lakeside city with roots stretching back to pre-Roman times. Wander narrow marble streets while your guide shares stories of the city's past. Pause at the Duomo Cathedral (optional), Italy's last Gothic cathedral, before continuing through Piazza San Fedele to the waterfront at Piazza Cavour.

Cruise Lake Como past celebrity villas and film locations

Board your boat for a 90-minute cruise along the glittering lake. Glide past Villa Olmo's neoclassical gardens, Villa Erba from Ocean's Twelve, and the luxurious Villa d'Este. Continue past Villa del Balbianello, featured in Casino Royale and Star Wars, while the Alps rise dramatically behind you.

Visit Bellagio

Your cruise ends in Bellagio, the village nestled in the lake's famous golden triangle. Stroll cobblestone streets lined with boutiques and soak in waterfront views. Enjoy free time for an authentic Italian lunch at a lakeside restaurant recommended by your guide.

Discover the quiet charm of Varenna

After lunch, ferry across to Varenna, a peaceful village on the eastern shore. Narrow alleys wind between pastel-colored houses draped with flowers. In your free time, visit Villa Monastero's botanical gardens or climb up to Castello di Vezio, a medieval castle with panoramic lake views.

Your tour ends in Milan

Board your first-class train at Varenna station and relax in spacious seats as you glide through the Lombardy countryside. You'll arrive back at Milan Central Station in the evening, just steps from the city center, with a full day of Lake Como memories behind you.

For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change

Select participants and date

Start times are in the product’s local time

Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!

Sun, 27 Sep 2026

Meeting and drop-off point

You will meet your guide in the Central Station of Milan, near the statue of the giant apple. Your guide will have a speciale guide badge with a name & a card sign. This tour’ll finish back where you started, near the Central Station.

Important Details

Good to know:

  • Weather Advisory: This day trip runs rain or shine. Please note that the schedule or means of transportation (trains/ferries) may change due to force majeure or operational reasons (e.g., train strike/railworks, adverse weather conditions).

  • Dress Code (Duomo): Shoulders and knees must be covered for both men and women to enter the Como Duomo. The Duomo visit is optional

  • Accessibility: Because of the areas visited (including trains, ferries, and uneven terrain), this tour is not wheelchair accessible.

  • ID Requirement: A valid passport or ID document matching the name on your booking is required for the train journey and potential checks.

  • Please Note: The maximum of 14 people applies to the land-based portion of the tour. However, the ferry rides between stops and 90-minute cruise use the public lake transport service, which will be shared with the general public.

  • Check-in: Arrive 15 minutes early for check-in at the meeting point so the group can depart on time.

Your day trip from Milan includes:

  • Expert English-speaking licensed guide

  • Round-trip train ticket to Milan in first class

  • Ferry tickets to Como, Bellagio, and Varenna

  • 90-minute boat cruise along the lake

  • Guided walking tour of Como, Bellagio, and Varenna

  • Admission to Duomo of Como (optional)

What to bring:

  • Government-issued ID matching the name provided at the time of the booking (required for train travel and potential checks)

  • Comfortable walking shoes

  • Water and snacks

  • Weather-appropriate clothing (layers are advisable, as it may be windy on the lake)

  • Cover-up (shawl/scarf for the Duomo - please note the visit is optional)

See what people are saying

4.97

37 Ratings

5

36

4

1

3

0

2

0

1

0

Elaina M.

Verified Review

September 25, 2026

Laura B.

Verified Review

September 12, 2026

In Awe of Lake Como

Patricia H.

Verified Review

August 16, 2026

If only I could afford to live on Lake Como! The tour was perfect. We had a decent amount of time to walk each village, have lunch, and do some shopping. The cruise was absolutely amazing with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and villages. Our guide was delightful and knowledgeable, and also placed our group in the most comfortable areas (out of the heat and sun) in each transition between villages. We were able to relax and take in the views, and tour villages with time and comfort.

Kelvyn A.

Verified Review

August 03, 2026

Very enjoyable. But the temperatures must be taken into account. It does pose a health risk. Cold Bottled water should be supplied once or twice. Certainly in the USA it could give rise to a liability issue in my professional opinion. Salvo was a very good guide informative and patient, I would definitely use him again.

Great trip! Can't wait to go back

Jacqueline G.

Verified Review

July 18, 2026

Ms. Angela was an amazing guide. She was full of knowledge, got us the best seats, suggested great places to go for lunch and shopping, and gave us short cuts and what felt like insider tips. She was the perfect guide for what was a beautiful and breathtaking day

Started rough and finished beautifully!

Kayvan L.

Verified Review

June 19, 2026

We showed up early at the meeting point and saw all of the tour guides arrive and leave with their groups, but none of them had us listed as part of their group. We had our email confirmation showing the tour company etc, but did not have a name of our tour guide. Finally one tour guide, Elma, was kind and professional and said she would not leave us behind. She took matters into her own hands and got us to join her group. Elma, showed true customer-obsession in ensuring we were not left behind, even though, we were not officially on her list. Once this mixup was behind us, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the beautiful scenery of Lake Como. The towns were stunning and left us wanting to go back!

Lake Como, Bellagio, Varenna tour

Judy F.

Verified Review

May 27, 2026

The tour guide was very kind & gave us a lot of information that was great! Loved everything we saw on this tour. The train ride back, on the other hand, was a nightmare. I understand that Italian trains can be somewhat not on time, but this went beyond being late. We met at 6:15p for our train, & I just got to my hotel @ 10pm! The train ride back just didn’t show up & no one knew what was going on. We waited (in the heat-I know that can’t be changed) for over 2 hours without knowing why the train was that late. It wasn’t the tour guides fault either, & he handled himself well. Then I find out that Friday the trains are striking (they do this every month). Unfortunately, it just happens that I thought I would try a train instead of flying from Milan to Zurich for another tour that I can’t miss. Now I have that to figure out. I don’t understand the logic of shutting down the trains & totally inconveniencing people’s travel schedules. I have only used the Tour Guy for tours & have always enjoyed them. I have done several before & have another two this trip. Thank you …

Outstanding!

Heather V.

Verified Review

May 26, 2026

Mauro was an awesome guide. He made sure we were together & had a great time despite the crowds & various modes of transportation. Plenty of free time to explore. So much to see! Lake Como was Beautiful! We had a wonderful day!

A Rainy Start, A Beautiful Day on Lake Como

Pi-Yu C.

Verified Review

May 16, 2026

It started out with heavy rain, but luckily we were on the train and boat during the worst of it. Our guide, Francesco, went above and beyond to find us great seats on both the train and the boat. We visited three beautiful places — Como, Bellagio, and Varenna. After lunch, the sun came out, and we were able to fully enjoy the lake. We really appreciate our guide Francesco. His caring and kindness made the trip so much more enjoyable.

Anna

anna N.

Verified Review

May 12, 2026

Outstanding tour. Tour guide interacted with all of us on a one on one basis. All the destinations were wonderful, a glorious sight to be seen.

Wonderful day at Lake Como

Leeanne A.

Verified Review

May 06, 2026

We had a fantastic trip to Lake Como. Our guide, Antonella Boccuto, was amazing. She is super friendly and enthusiastic. Despite rainy weather, she made the trip bright and fun. She is super knowledgeable and told us lots of interesting information about the lake, the towns, the villas and the history. She is very familiar with the area and the logistics and always got us to the front of the line for the ferries and the trains. Our seats were always top tier. She also gave us great suggestions for lunch restaurant and pastry shops! The lake is beautiful and the towns we visited, Bellagio and Varrona, are so cute and fun for shopping and dining. We would highly recommend this trip, especially with Antonella!

Alessandro was fantastic

TRACY B.

Verified Review

April 17, 2026

Alessandro was fantastic

Monica B.

Verified Review

March 26, 2026

Great guide & day!!

Lisa Y.

Verified Review

March 17, 2026

As 2 Texans traveling in Milan for the first time, we had the best time!!! Salvo was a great guide & gave us so much information!! Loved it!!

Greg L.

Verified Review

October 27, 2025

Magnificent Views

Julie B.

Verified Review

October 05, 2025

🇮🇹✨ Alessandro was a magnificent guide 🙌 2-hr ferry to Bellagio ⛴️ (wish it was 1, but I read previous reviews and knew this) — Bellagio so charming 💐, Varenna stunning views 🌄 best enjoyed from a café ☕️💛

A very busy day

Hal B.

Verified Review

September 20, 2025

Emma was personable and informative; she was calm and kept the group together without making us feel constrained. The tour was probably as much as (or more than) we could have accomplished in a day on our own. Most people slept on the bus ride back to Milan! We were exceptionally grateful that the tour arranged all the transportation; it saved us a lot of time and stress. The tour was advertised as “semi-private” and was limited to 12 people. However, we travelled on ferries with the masses and returned to Milan on a bus with 2 other groups so it hardly felt “semi-private”.

Jeremy R.

Verified Review

September 17, 2025

Wonderful!

Jessica Z.

Verified Review

September 09, 2025

We had a lovely with tour with Anna in Como, Bellagio and Varenna! She was very knowledgeable and friendly. We had a small tour of 13 guests which was great BUT perhaps I didn't read the description well enough, I was under the impression the boat tour would also be that small but the boat tour and ferry rides were absolutely packed with a ton of other people. Again, maybe this was a mistake on my part but I do with that had been a little more clear. Purchasing tickets with the Tour Guy was a breeze and again, Anna was a fantastic guide.

Anthony H.

Verified Review

August 14, 2025

Angela was great! She knew all the tips to get through the crowds. I highly recommend.

Very Good Way to Spend the Day

Shan M.

Verified Review

August 11, 2025

Lake Como, Bellagio day trip

Cindy B.

Verified Review

August 09, 2025

Lovely tour. The guide was able to problem solve and think on her feet when the train portion of our trip cancelled. I was stressed for her but she pulled it off by connecting to a train in a different station and salvaged the day. All in all, a good day

Corey L.

Verified Review

August 07, 2025

Good tour.

Gregory K.

Verified Review

June 28, 2025

Worth the money to see it all. Angela was a super host and provided a lot of insight along the way. It’s a long day for sure but so much is seen. Next time will do a shorter tour with more time to spend roaming in the cities.

Stephanie W.

Verified Review

June 27, 2025

FAQs

Where to meet?

You will meet your guide in the Central Station of Milan, near the statue of the giant apple. Your guide will have a speciale guide badge with a name & a card sign. This tour’ll finish back where you started, near the Central Station.

What to bring?

Please bring a valid passport or ID document matching the name provided at the time of the booking. We also recommend wearing comfortable shoes and umbrella in case of rain.

Is this tour run by The Tour Guy?

No, this tour is operated by one of our trusted and vetted partners in Milan.

What if I have concerns about my mobility on this tour?

Unfortunately, because of the areas visited, this tour is not wheelchair accessible. If you have other concerns about your mobility, please contact us in advance and we will do our best to assist you .

What happens if it rains?

We run our Lake Como Day Trip rain or shine. The schedule/means of transportation of the tour can change due to force majeure/operations reasons (eg. train strike/railworks, weather conditions, etc).

Is lunch included in the price of the tour?

No, but you'll have a break to find delicious food. Your guide will suggest several wonderful lake view restaurants in Bellagio.

Does this tour include hotel pickup?

No hotel pickup is included on this tour. You will meet your guide at the designated meeting point near the Milan Central Station.

Can I bring my kids and do I have to pay for them?

Kids are welcome on this day trip from Milan, and there is a reduced fee for kids aged 17 and under.