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Lake Como Full-Day Tour: Walking, Boating, and Gastronomy Experience with Villa Views
4.8
79 Ratings
Varenna
Experience the beauty of Lake Como on a full-day tour that includes walking, boating, and gastronomy. Visit stunning villas, sample local delicacies, and enjoy breathtaking views of the lake.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
6 days
learn more
Highlights
- Villa del Balbianello - .
- I Giardini di Villa Melzi - .
- Chiesa di San Giorgio - The group will enter the church and receive a detailed description.
- Castello di Vezio - Panoramic castle with a mid-lake view
What's Included
- Guided walking Tour of Varenna
- Tickets to Villa Melzi
- Tasting of locally produced olive oil at a panoramic castle overlooking the lake
- Tickets to the Castle of Vezio
- Tickets to Villa del Balbianello
- Transportation up to the Castle of Vezio
- 2.5h Boat Tour (open top Venetian taxi) including stop at Villa del Balbianello
- Special lunch in a local restaurant: starters, pasta, water, a glass of wine and coffee
- Professional, English-speaking guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Discover Lake Como by land and water on this full-day walking and boating tour, featuring visits to the gardens of Villa Melzi and Villa del Balbianello. Taste local olive oil at a scenic castle with panoramic views of the lake, enjoy a walking tour of Varenna, and learn about the region’s Celtic heritage. Relish a delicious lunch of fish appetizers and pasta at a local restaurant, then take in breathtaking views of Lake Como’s villas and gardens during a sightseeing cruise in a Venetian taxi. Disembark at Villa del Balbianello to capture photos and soak in the view, then continue cruising to Bellagio, where a guided tour of the stunning Villa Melzi gardens awaits, followed by a leisurely lakeside stroll.
- A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
- A maximum of 10 people per booking
- Dress code is casual, comfortable shoes
- A fair amount of walking is involved. The trail to the mill for the morning tasting entails a descent with some steep steps which must also be ascended on the return trip. Please make sure you are physically adapt and wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- The tour runs rain or shine. In case of bad weather conditions it is possible that the tour undergoes some slight changes and that the transfer to Villa Balbianello is done using public transport and not with the private boat taxi due to safety reasons
- Please Note: hotel pickup is not included for this activity, please get in touch in case you wish for us to organise it as an extra.
Location
Varenna
Our Tour starts in front of the Ferry Terminal Ticket Office in Varenna at 1030 am . Just look for the team with a LAKE COMO FOR YOU sign !
If you are arriving from Como, Cernobbio or Moltrasio please do get in touch with us for directions.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(79 Ratings)
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William_t
Jul 22, 2024
Must do!! - The best thing we did on our trip here. You get to see so much and learn so much!
Martina was wonderful and it ended up that my wife and I were the only people that signed up and so we got to have a completely private tour.
Incredible.
Review provided by Viator
Hugh_w
Jun 10, 2024
A fantastic day - What a fantastic day- from friendly and extremely knowledgeable guide , to great locations, to fantastic food. Bravo !
Review provided by Viator
Michelle_l
Jun 6, 2024
Must do - Beautiful views, tasty food, excellent tour. Guide was friendly, informative & the tour is packed with fun.
Review provided by Viator
Lillian_g
May 5, 2024
Great boat and villa tour in Lake Como! - The boat ride and tour of Varenna was wonderful! Our tour guide Nartino provided great explanation of the area and the different villas. Villa Balbianello and Metzi were beautiful to visit. We had only 4 people total on our tour so it was very nice and intimate. The lunch at Varenna was at a posh restaurant with great views of the square. Highly recommend this tour to anyone!!
Review provided by Viator
X6450lkmohamedd
Dec 29, 2023
Excellent establishment - The hotel's atmosphere is conducive to concentration and productivity. The coworking spaces are modern, well-equipped and offer super-fast Wi-Fi, ideal for professionals on the move. Ergonomic seating and well-lit spaces helped create a comfortable working environment.
The hotel staff is exceptionally welcoming and attentive to guests' needs. They were able to create a warm atmosphere which promotes exchanges and collaboration between nomadic workers, managers: Corentin, Amar and Stéphane are very professional as are all the employees: Jean-Baptiste, Maureen, Tatiana, Alessio, Samia, Thomas and doudou .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Madmadbreck
Oct 1, 2023
A must do Lake Como tour! - This is a must do if you are visiting Lake Como! You get to learn some of the history, eat yummy local food and drinks and get to tour two well known (and incredibly stunning) villas on the lake. Our tour guide, Martina, was delightful! She had great information and it was lovely to spend the day with her as our guide. It is wonderful to be in such a small group and it is a good way to see a lot without having to stress over the details. I would absolutely book this again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tatiana_t
Sep 10, 2023
Excellent - Every bit of it was excellent! Great guide!
Magnificent views!
Delicious lunch at a beautiful hotel!
Review provided by Viator
Eric_m
Jul 23, 2023
Tour full of postcard picture beauty - Our guide, Martina, led us on a day of picturesque views, interesting area history, and tasty food. Everywhere I turned, all day long, was a postcard picture view. We strolled, we boated, we dined. It was a lovely way to see this gorgeous area and I highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Taylor_g
Jul 21, 2023
The perfect way to start our Lake Como Trip - My husband and I arrived in Lake Como and booked this tour for our first full day. We thought it would be a great way to introduce ourselves to the lake, and it was exactly that!
Our guide was Pietro, and he was hilarious and knowledgeable and so fun to spend the day with out. Our tour had a total of 8 people. Two couples and a family of four with teenage daughters.
It started off in Varenna with an olive oil tasting, a walking tour, and a really lovely lunch. Pietro told us sooo much about the history of the town. After lunch we got on a gorgeous wooden boat that took us to Villa Balbianello. We were able to hop off, tour the gardens, and get back on to Bellagio. We toured all over the Lake and Pietro told us all kinds of history. A couple of days later we took another tour with another company that followed a similar route along the lake. There was SUCH a difference in amount and quality of information told to us! Pietro told us SOOO much more. We felt fortunate that we had been given so much more history and local lore on our this tour. How much we would have missed out on!
When we got to Bellagio we got off and toured the Villa Melzi gardens, and then said goodbye to our new friends. Truly, Pietro was a joy and it was the perfect way to meet the Lake/get our bearings for the rest of our stay.
It was soooo hot on the day of our tour, but we all still had a great time. It is a fair amount of walking and stairs, especially to the olive oil tasting/Villa Balbianello/Villa Melzi gardens. So, I would warn of that if you have trouble.
Highly recommend this tour at any time during your stay...but doing it the first day gave us so much info that was invaluable for the rest of our trip.
Review provided by Viator
Patrick_h
Jul 19, 2023
Great tour! - Great tour! Our Guide Martina was great! And you definitely feel like you’re getting the VIP treatment.
Review provided by Viator