WHAT TO DO AT LAKE COMO IN 2 DAYS
Lake Como is a beautiful destination in northern Italy. I visited three times so far and normally spend around 2-5 days there.
So I have created this Lake Como itinerary – this quick guide will help you find out what to do + travel tips.
PLAN A 2-DAY LAKE COMO ITINERARY
Before discussing your 2-day Lake Como itinerary, here is some information for your trip.
FAQs
WHERE IS LAKE COMO?
Lake Como is located close to the Swiss and Austrian border in Northern Italy – more precisely, it is located in the region of Lombardy. It is easily reachable from places like Milan or Bergamo and takes about 50 minutes from Milan to Como by train.
Lago di Como has an area of 146 square kilometers, making it the third-largest lake in Italy, just after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. With a maximum depth of approximately 410 meters, it is also one of the deepest lakes in Europe.
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Where to Stay in Lake Como
Okay, bad news first: Lake Como is not really a budget-friendly destination. After spending some time in Switzerland, I was still surprised to see that Como’s prices aren’t that different from those in Switzerland. Accommodations are especially costly, so be warned.
I have visited Lake Como three times. Once, I stayed in a hotel in Como directly, once in an eco-hotel near Como, and once in my van on the shores of Lake Como in Como.
However, if I visited Lake Como again, I would book a room in Bellagio because Bellagio is prettier than Como and you can do some nice trips from there.
Here are some of the best places to stay around Lake Como:
WHERE TO STAY IN COMO
- One of the most luxurious hotels in Como is this 4-star property: Click here to find the best rates for Villa Flori.
- If you want something more budget-friendly and decide to stay in Como, check out this affordable but very well-rated hotel, where you get good value for money.
WHERE TO STAY IN BELLAGIO
- If you stay in Bellagio and want to splurge, check out one of the most luxurious hotels in the area. Click here to get the best rates for Hotel Grand Villa Serbelloni.
- For a more budget-friendly accommodation in Bellagio, check out a 2-star hotel, which is simple but comes with fantastic views. Click here to get the best rates for Il Perlo Panorama.
- Find out more about an eco-hotel I stayed at, or check out my accommodation guide for Lake Como, where I talk about the best areas and hotels to stay in for all budgets.
How to Get Around
Getting around Lake Como by car is possible. However, streets can be narrow, and finding parking spots at the main tourist spots can be difficult. So, I preferred using public transportation – buses and boats – around Lake Como. If you do not depend on your car, I suggest using public transportation – buses and boats.
For boats and buses, I bought day tickets or single tickets. The price depended on where I went, so here are just some numbers.
- A boat day ticket is about 25€. You can get off as often as you want. You can get to Varenna with your boat ticket. However, it takes about two hours to get to Bellagio from Como – and to get to Varenna, it takes even longer. It might make sense to buy the fast ticket for the boat – for an additional 4€ (per route), you will get from Como to Bellagio in about one hour.
- Alternatively, you can buy a single ticket for the boat and take the bus for the return.
- A bus day ticket to Lenno is about 11€ – single tickets are about 4€. Buy them at the ticket station to avoid an additional fee (yes, buying tickets from the bus driver is possible, but you will have to pay some extra money).
THINGS TO DO IN 2 DAYS LAKE COMO
Lake Como comprises, among others, Como and Bellagio. There are many villages and towns along its shores, but with only 2 days in the area, I had to focus on some places. Here is my perfect itinerary for Lake Como (I also added a few alternative ideas for you, just in case).
- DAY 1 – Villa del Balbianello + Pigra + Como
- DAY 2 – Lake Pusiano or Varenna + Bellagio
DAY 1 – LAKE COMO
Okay, a quick reminder: please double-check opening hours, etc. before you set your itinerary in stone. Some places might be closed on certain days, so you might want to/have to tweak the itinerary.
Villa del Balbianello
One place I highly recommend for your itinerary is Villa del Balbianello near Lenno.
Villa del Balbianello is an elegant, romantic 18th-century mansion that has hosted writers, scholars, and travelers and was also the filming location for the James Bond movie Casino Royale in 2006.
It is located on the western shore of the southwest branch of Lake Como and is a great place to start your Lake Como itinerary.
I have not watched the 007 movie (at least, I cannot remember), but I still loved it and highly recommend visiting.
Villa del Balbianello is 38 km (24 miles) from Como. You can reach it by boat or bus. I got to Lenno by bus and then walked for about 20 minutes to the garden. You can only skip that walking part if you take a small water taxi to drop you off just at the garden.
- I paid an entrance fee of about 11€ for the garden and another 11€ for the villa.
- I booked my ticket in advance (definitely recommended from May to September) but saw some who bought their tickets on the spot – however, that was in the shoulder season (April).
- Closed in the winter months.
Pigra
Then it is time for some more stunning views of Lake Como but this time from high above the mountain. Pigra is a small commune located between Como and Villa del Balbianello.
The easiest way to enjoy those nice views is to get the cable car that connects Argegno to Pigra (you can reach Argegno by boat or bus from Lenno). At least, this is how I did it.
It is just a four-minute cable car ride to reach an elevation of 881 meters (2.890 feet) above sea level. I loved the panorama from there – it is just gorgeous, and it is also a quite quiet place – this will probably be one of your most tranquil times during your Lake Como trip.
You can see some of Lake Como (not all though), walk to the village of Pigra, or do some hikes in the area (or you could just hike down).
If you take the bus from Lenno, you will just be dropped off at the cable car station (to your left) in Aregno.
- Tickets are very affordable – I paid around 5€ for a return ticket.
AFTERNOON – EVENING – COMO
Spend the rest of the day in Como and explore the town center there. Plan a few hours to half a day to visit the more prominent town: Como. It is located on the southern tip of Lake Como in Northern Italy.
Como Old Town and Cathedral
Start with Como’s cute old town. It is home to a beautiful cathedral – the Como Cathedral – and has a small old town.
The cathedral is quite impressive – from the outside and also the interior. It is free to visit and is my highlight in Como.
Small cafes were quite intriguing, so I sat down and took a rest while watching people strolling through the streets.
I found some cute shops and I did some shopping there. However, though Como is lovely, I admit it is not mind-blowing. For me, spending 1-3 hours in Como itself is enough.
- Tip: If you are into Italian food, why not do a Como Food Tour? Click here to find out more about food tours in Lake Como.
Market Square & Promenade
Another place I recommend is the Market Square. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Como, where a lot of cafes and restaurants allow you to overlook the gorgeous lake. Again, the market square is nice but not the most beautiful one I have visited in that region.
The promenade in Como is beautiful for (long) walks – depending on your preferences, you could spend a few minutes to several hours here.
Boat Tour
The most prominent resident of Como is George Clooney. If you want to see his house (or better, the villa of George Clooney), you can do a boat tour and see his and many more beautiful villas lined up at Lake Como.
The boat tour in Como was one of the highlights of my first 2-day Lake Como trip. It was fun, especially because I did the trip on a hot day, and I really enjoyed the cool breeze during the Lake Como sightseeing tour.
Alternatively, you can do a Dinner Cruise Tour on Lake Como.
When I visited Lake Como again, I took public boat tours to get around and also enjoy some sightseeing (day passes are around 25€, and you can combine it with a trip to one of the places mentioned above).
If you do a boat cruise, you might not be able to add the below suggestion to your itinerary, but in case you need another suggestion, visit Brunate, a cute uphill town.
Brunate
Besides the boat tour, I enjoyed my trip to Brunate the most. Brunate is a small village on the mountain. It is situated approximately 700 meters above sea level (Lake Como is located about 200 meters above sea level) and offers you great views.
This is also a great place to spend the rest of the day if Como Town does not take your fancy.
It has about 1,800 residents, but in the summer months, it gets much busier when tourists rent houses and apartments.
How to get from Como to Brunate?
You can use a funicular to get up to Brunate. The funicular station is centrally located in Como, just next to the market square.
- Return tickets are around €6, and the funicular ride takes less than 10 minutes.
You hike up to Brunate, but I did not try that out due to laziness; it might take about one hour (4 km/2,5 miles). If you are more into real hikes, you can find some ideas for hikes in the Lake Como area here.
End your day with a cooking course (there is probably no need to discuss Italian cuisine with anyone) or dine at the Lake Como promenade.
Tip: If you want to skip one of the above activities and are looking for an alternative, you can check out the following ideas:
DAY 2 – LAKE COMO
For day 2, I have the following suggestions for you.
Varenna
Varenna is one of the most beautiful places in Lake Como. I truly believe it. This small town is home to one impressive garden, which is one main reason I consider it a must-see.
I think, this garden was the prettiest at Lake Como. It was actually stunning. So, given that Varenna is rather small, it did not take me long to stroll the town, but the garden was well worth a visit!
- There is an entrance fee for Villa Monastero (8€) – I bought tickets on the spot.
Bellagio
Okay, time to visit my favorite area here, Bellagio. You can spend a few hours in the small town or explore Bellagio in a full day.
Old Town
The old town of Bellagio is the best place to add to your Lake Como itinerary. It is charming, colorful, lively, and, compared to Como, I would say, more beautiful.
I fell in love with Bellagio´s old and prominent stairways. The stairways are probably the main attraction in Bellagio, and there is a reason – walking down the stairs makes you feel pretty cool, or at least I felt cool.
Promenade
The stunning promenade of Bellagio is another place to visit in 2 days in Lake Como.
Madonna del Ghisallo
Depending on how fast/slow you have traveled, you could add Madonna del Ghisallo to your Lake Como itinerary.
Madonna del Ghisallo is a hill in Magreglio – at 754 meters above sea level (2,474 feet) – about 10 km (6 miles) from Bellagio.
Cycling fans will enjoy the museum “Madonna del Ghisallo“. As I am not so much into cycling, I just took a peek and then enjoyed the views from there.
- You can get to Madonna del Ghisallo by car or bus. If you are sporty, you can cycle or hike up.
Dine at Trattoria Baita Belvedere
I recommend having dinner at Trattoria Baita Belvedere if you are looking for a unique place. It seriously is the best place to visit in Bellagio to eat (I can guess since I have not tried all the restaurants there) and comes with one of the most beautiful views. Also, the prices are quite affordable (organic and regional food).
Make sure to call them ahead and reserve a table – the seats with a view were quite limited!
CONCLUSION: LAKE COMO ITINERARY FOR 2 DAYS
As you can see, this Lake Como itinerary is quite busy if you only stay there for 48 hours, but it is possible. You could spend more time in the area and do these things in 3 or 4 days – but again, 2 days are enough to see the above-mentioned places. If you stay longer than 2 days in Lake Como, you can even do some fun day trips to Bergamo, Milan, or Lugano.
As mentioned at the beginning, Como is pretty but did not blow me away. Bellagio and the parks, however, did blow my mind. While there are more tourist attractions, the above-mentioned places should be part of your 2-day Lake Como itinerary.
Are you looking for day trips from Lake Como? Here is my idea for a day trip.