Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by Sammie
13 of the Best Things to do in Lake Como
It’s hard to find things to do in Lake Como when it’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit and pouring outside. But we prevailed and did what we could. This little blog blurb is going to go over what we did in Como and what we desperately wanted to do.
Disclosure: I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links at no additional cost to you! The income goes to keeping this site updated and free for everyone!
I asked my mom where she wanted to meet me for my one week off of shows in May. I work in a circus in Macau, China and three times a year our show closes and gives us some glorious time for travel. This time around was for my momma and she had her eye on Lake Como. My dad and stepmother have gone multiple times and rave about it endlessly. “It’s the greatest place on Earth, hands down.” “If I could die there, I would happily…”
“It’s the greatest place on Earth, hands down.”
“If I could die there, I would happily…”
Trying to slowly get better at using my Fujifilm Camera. Lake Como was a good excuse to take an absurd amount of photos.
Therefore, with their travel obsession exploited and some key research completed, I thought we were pretty well-equipped. I had seen the weather report, which said cold and rainy, so I packed a raincoat and hoped for the best. Well, the best was one day of sunshine and a hell of a lot of days of freezing rain, one stomach flu, and a beautiful landscape to pair with it all.
Is Lake Como worth visiting?
Absolutely! I wouldn’t have written this post had I thought Lake Como was not worth visiting. That being said, I think Lake Como is far more enjoyable with better weather, but I think we can say that about more places ;).
Lake Como is as picturesque as it gets. Lakeside verandas and walkways, gelaterias next to wine bars and cozy cafés. And besides saying oooh-ing and ahhh-ing every other breath at the scenery, there are plenty of things to do.
Not a bad view stepping off the train at Como Nord Lago Station.
My list of 13 Things to do in Lake Como.
(For Rain & Shine)
NOTE: When we say Lake Como, it’s quite a big area. The two main cities include, yes, Como and Lecco, but there are far more to explore between these two.
The next big boys to look into are Bellagio, Vareena, and Menaggio. But that still doesn’t include where we stayed (Tremezzo), our dad’s favorite Cernobbio and Lenno, or the highly loved Nesso or Bellano. When one “goes to Lake Como,” you’re going to be enjoying a lot more than just Como, I can promise you that.
— 1. Hike the village studded trails —
My adorable momma starting her hike along the Greenway towards Chiesa San Martino.
Our one glorious day of sunshine included a picture perfect hike for my sister, my mother and her new hip, and me. I highly recommend the Lake Como Greenway straight to the Chiesa San Martino via Griante hike. It takes you right along the waters edge then into the villages to say hello to the locals watering their gardens. The hike finishes with rewarding you an incredible view over Lake Como at Chiesa San Martino.
If you’re interested in Hiking in Lake Como, check out some other options HERE.
— 2. Visit Villa Carlotta —
Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo is an unworldly “garden” with plants collected from all over the world. With our one day of sunshine behind us, it was up to us to figure out how to enjoy Lake Como in the torrential downpour. I am not recommending visiting Villa Carlotta while it’s raining; however, I will say I still enjoyed it immensely despite the rain.
Calling the villa’s garden a “garden” does not do it justice. It’s an immersion of a botanical enthusiast’s dreamscape. You’ll forget there are any people around if you have time to go deep enough into the gardens to escape the crowds.
— 3. Hire a private boat to enjoy Lake Como—
A must-do in Lake Como. We splurged on hiring a private sunset boat after our hike, because we wanted to take advantage of the last few hours of sunshine and good weather. This was the highlight of our trip.
With our wine glasses full of Verdesse, we got to see the Villa Balbianello (Star Wars Villa), Villa Lucertola of the Guinness Family, Richard Branson’s quaint Villa La Cassinella, and more. All of the villas are incredible but having the right guide made all the difference. Plus ours gave us unlimited white wine ;).
— 4. Visit the Star Wars Villa, Villa del Balbianello
Unfortunately, we were not able to personally make it here, but we wanted to! The trees are so perfectly pruned, you could imagine you’re walking in a postcard of Lake Como. Besides being the famous filming location of Naboo in Star Wars, it also served as the lake retreat in James Bond’s Casino Royale.
However, you need to book ahead for Villa Del Balbianello. It’s a highly popular villa! Even in the shoulder season, we weren’t able to get tickets the day before. I would suggest getting tickets for Villa Del Balbianello 3-4 weeks in advance.
How to get there: Arrive to Lenno. From Lenno, you can take a 7-minute water taxi or enjoy a 20-25 minute hike through the woods.
— 5. Take a food tour in Como City
Due to the rain (again), we were looking for less common tours and activities that would give us a look into the city but didn’t keep us out in the rain for too long. If you want to get a great tour of the city of Como, I’d highly suggest it in between bites of pizza, a glass of wine, and some gelato.
However, I won’t suggest the tour that we personally went on because it felt more like a dealer’s choice tour rather than showing us the best of what the city has to offer. But some highly rated tours that were on our list are listed below.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to partake 100% on the tour. (The stomach flu hit me really hard and I needed to leave the tour early.) The tour review is thanks to my food critic mother and sister. You can trust them. They know their pasta. And, honestly, life is too short to eat mediocre pasta anywhere, let alone Italy of all places.
— 6. Buy something Silk in Bellagio (or anywhere in Lake Como) —
Como is the silk capital of the western world and they mean business. Crafted with expertise, this is the Como souvenir of choice for tourists far and near. I stupidly did NOT buy the silk shirt I had tried on in Bellagio, and I still regret it. Some great shops to check out for silk garments are:
1. Pierangelo Masciadri
2. Frey Boutique
3. Azalea
Side Note on Bellagio:
To be honest, we had a few locals tell us to not waste of time in Bellagio due to the crowds but my mom wanted to check it out so we obliged. And though, yes, there are an exceptional amount of tourists, I still loved it. It’s quite charming with the steep stone staircases lined with wine cellars, silk shops, and gelaterias. I recommend giving it a look if you can stand the crowds.
— 7. There’s Always the Funicular in Como City —
Another experience I had to pass on because I was fighting off a fever (my body was doing me no favors on this vacation). But my mother and my sister gave it a check and reported back to me.
The funicular is a popular attraction in Como, but they were less than enthused by the experience. The funicular cars do not run often so they were left to wait inside the train car for an hour while they waited for it to fill. By the time the got up they had so little time, they couldn’t do the hike, and had to immediately get back in line to wait for a funicular car down. Not sure if this activity is worth the chatter but it is available if you feel like you’ve done everything else.
— 8. Take a cooking class —
Taking a cooking class is always a good idea in Italy. From all of my time in Italy, I believe I’ve taken somewhere close to 8 cooking classes, and haven’t been let down once. This was our other option for a rainy day activity, but we decided to try the food tour instead.
Had we decided to do a cooking class, it would have been easy to find one in Como City; there are tons available. Go on! Go learn how to make pasta with a glass of wine in your hand!
— 9. Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati (Walk of Lovers) and explore the grounds at Villa Monastero. —
The Passeggiata degli Innamorati (Walk of Lovers) is short but worth it. Located in Varenna, the whole hike is just under a mile but offers unmatched photo opportunities. It’s a covered path right along the water’s edge, hugging the cliffside. The path is filled with lush greenery and flowers, creating a vertical bed as you walk along the suspended bridge. This is an easy activity on your way to visit Villa Monastero.
— 10. Enjoy Lake Como’s Beach Clubs —
Calling it a beach club in my opinion is misleading but that IS what they are called. Had the weather cooperated, you would have found all three of us chilling at one of the many poolside clubs.
These clubs are luxe. The pools are floating on the lake itself so, if you’re like my sister, you can enjoy the nature without doing the nature. Many of these “beach clubs (what they call them even if they are pools without a beach) are closes to visitors NOT staying in the hotels. However, the following list is open to guests and non guests alike.
- Victoria Beach (Menaggio)
- Lido di Cernobbio
- Lido Villa Olmo (Como)
- Lido di Lenno
- Lido di Bellagio
— 11. Cheer on Lake Como’s Soccer Team—
Bet you didn’t know that Como locals are football fanatics? Or maybe you did, because…Italy. Either way, the option to watch a local football (soccer) match featuring Como’s team “Como 1907” is available! The stadium has a prime location right in Como city, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Grab a ticket in advance if this interests you because they often sell out. You can get tickets HERE.
Note on Como 1907:
If you aren’t able to watch a game LIVE, consider heading to a local sports bar to catch a game. Whether you’re a fan or not, watching the locals cheer on their teams is a sport in and of itself.
— 12. Get Your Museum Fix—
I like museums. I don’t love museums. These museums are for the non-museumy people and the museum-y people.
Silk Museum– The only museum in the world capable of showing the entire silk production from silk worm start to high fashion hand painted finishes. Silk is one of the most historically significant exports of Como, in my humble opinion, it’s worth it to learn about this industry’s past.
International Museum of Vintage Boats- I’m from Chicago, I’m not a boat person. But being in Como gave me the feels for these adorable vintage boats. This museum has over 400 historic vessels and can turn any land animal into a boat nerd.
— 13. Visit Villa Monastero—
Go to Villa Monastero for the botanical gardens. I can name exactly 3 different types of trees, but that doesn’t keep me from being interested in the over 900 various species of plants living out their best lives at Villa Monastero.
Besides having a garden offering panoramic views of the lake, this villa is renowned for its scientific significance, too. It impressively hosted the Nobel Prize winner, Enrico Fermi, who held lectures here in 1954…But I don’t know who that guy is. Apparently, he won the prize for his work on artificial radioactivity induced by neutron bombardment and the discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons. So that’s cool, I guess.
Day Trip From Lake Como:
Check Out Lake Garda
If you’re looking to get out of the city. Check out Lake Garda. Some may say it’s even more beautiful than Lake Como! It has fewer tourists, romantic medieval villages, and dramatic scenery. If you’re into nature, Lake Garda is known for its incredible hiking, horseback riding trails, and windsurfing in Riva del Garda.
Warnings about Lake Como
- Getting around is difficult. There are almost no taxis. They have a limited number that operate in the center of Como city.
- Carefully choose where to stay. Ferries and buses do not run late, so you will most likely be eating dinner in the neighborhood where you choose your accommodation.
- Lake Como is beautiful in all weather but when it rains it drastically cuts what there is to do in the city. We managed, but it made our trip less than ideal.
- Don’t make the mistake we made. Take note of where your hotel is in relation to the bus stops and the ferry terminal. You will need to drag your luggage the last bit to get to your accommodation. We had to walk in 90-degree heat with our checked luggage for over 30 minutes. It was rough.
- The food was good, but I’ve had better in Florence and Milan ;).
Don’t forget to do your research!
Check out my post, “What People Won’t Tell You About Lake Como,” for some great insights before booking your trip!
Lake Como is famous for good reason. It’s gorgeous. But its scenery is the main draw. Do your research before your trip to make sure you get the most out of your holiday!
What were your honest thoughts on Lake Como? Share them below!
