Bellagio & Varenna - Small Group Tour from Milan with Boat Cruise
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore the most famous lake of Italy on an entertaining 10-hour guided tour in a very small group of max. 12 people. Avoid any tourist traps, crowds & queues on a well-planned trip with a professional local guide. Admire the Alps, film locations & celebrity villas during the lake boat cruise.
Firstly, you will meet your guide in Milan and take together an express train ride to Como.
Join a panoramic ferry cruise ride along the lake and immerse yourself in the lake's famous "golden triangle" section and visit Bellagio & Varenna.
Enjoy pre-booked & guaranteed seats during the boat cruise along the lake with prioritary skip-the-line access to the ferry.
Enjoy a lunch in a lake-view restaurant in Bellagio that your guide will suggest to you.
Admire the majestic historical villas of Lake Como during this entertaining day trip.
Take the express train back to Milan with your guide. The tour will finish in Milan's Central Station.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
All time for transportation (train, ferry, subway, etc) is already included in the tour duration.
The tour programme & schedule can change for operations reasons (eg train strike, bad weather, force majeure, technical issues of the boat, etc)
At the end of the tour the group will normally take the train from Varenna to return to Milan, but if you wish you can stay in Varenna to spend more time there and take on of the next trains by yourself (we will provide the tickets - this must be comunicated before 13:00 on the day of the tour)
During the summer period, there is a small beach in Varenna if you want to swim a little
The tour is always confirmed in case of rain
In the winter time (November-March) the tour starts 1 hour earlier (7:55 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 8:15 meeting point in Central Station), while summer time (Aprile-October) the tour starts 1 hour later (8:55 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 9:15 meeting point in Central Station).
It is possible to cancel free of charge only up to 24 hours before the tour, after that term it is not possible to cancel free of charge or modify the booking (for any reason). In order to cancel the booking, you need to do it from your account, please do not text us or call us to cancel the bookings - it can only be done by you personally from your account
Not suitable for travelers with mobility impairments
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Priority skip-the-line access for boat cruise & guaranteed prebooked seats on the ferry to Bellagio
Professional local expert English-speaking guide to make your experience informative & entertaining
Ferry tickets from Bellagio to Varenna are included in the cost
Lake Como boat cruise is included in the cost with guaranteed seats & reserved skip-the-line access
Train tickets (first class), ferry, subway & boat skip-the-line tickets are included in the cost
Stop by a lakeside restaurant in Bellagio to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine. Your guide will suggest you a couple of wonderful lake-view restaurants. Lunch cost is not included in the tour.
Drinks
In case there are no trains from Varenna to Milan due to works, a private bus will be organized
What To Expect
Como
Take a walk in Como City with your guide. Como has a long history dated back even before Roman empire, was ruled by multiple Italian, German and Austrian emperors due to its strategic location. You will stop by the Duomo of Como, the last Gothic Duomo built in Italy and the most important religious site of the city. After that, you will join a boat cruise along the lake that will start in Como City.
Villa Olmo
Admire the Alps, film locations & celebrity villas during the lake boat cruise. Start the lake boat cruise from Como City. Firstly, you will be able to admire Villa Olmo and Villa D'Este. Villa Olmo was constructed after Villa d’Este in 18th century with neoclassic design. Its beauty is complemented with extensive and elegant lake front symmetric gardens, sculptures, fountains and immense English garden in the back.
Options
MEETING POINT CENTRAL STATION
Meeting point Central Station: In front of Central Station of Milan near the Giant Apple Monument https://maps.app.goo.gl/s6Q7a6KQ3jyNYG6q8
Starting point:
Apple monument, Central Station area, 20125 Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
MEETING POINT NEAR DUOMO
Meeting point Piazza Duomo: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in front of Louis Vuitton store (near Duomo) -https://maps.app.goo.gl/M5aKHyZivsyjzEbZ6
Starting point:
Louis Vuitton Milano Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
MEETING POINT IN COMO CITY
Meeting point Como City: The meeting point in this option is in Milan at 10:20 AM in Como City, in front of the train station ''Como San Giovanni''.
Starting point:
Como San Giovanni, P.le S. Gottardo, 22100 Como CO, Italy
PRIVATE TOUR
PRIVATE LUXURY BOAT RIDE: This tour version includes a private luxury boat ride for 1 hour with a captain
PRIVATE GUIDE: This tour version includes a private guide only for your private group
COMO CITY: Visit of Como City is not included in this tour version (instead you will enjoy a private boat ride & villa visit)
HISTORICAL VILLA VISIT: This tour version includes a visit of a historical villa in Lake Como (the tickets are included in the cost)
Reviews
659 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A good guide is half the success
Irina O,
Jun 25, 2025
- Viator
5.00Angela was an attentive, wise, insightful guide. The boat trip can get a bit hectic and, of course, even though it’s a small group tour, all small groups travel together on the same bus, or train, or the ferry, or the leisure boat, so be prepared for the crowds. Angela helped us navigate through the crowds, I personally liked how she diversified her instructions depending on the tourists’ needs and gave us multiple choices at the hop-off places. All in all, it’s a complex trip but I’m happy with this company and Angela the guide.
Our tour guide Salvatore...
Joe E,
Jun 23, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our tour guide Salvatore was thorough, knowledgeable, and was able to keep a good pace going throughout the tour. Keep in mind that, because of the dependency on public transportation, travel times will vary, especially with the train between Lake Como and Milan.
Amazing tour with Alessandro
Kristy L,
Jun 23, 2025
- Viator
5.00We had an absolutely phenomenal day with our tour guide, Alessandro! Our group was just 13 people in all and Alessandro was a wonderful guide. The communication from the company the day before was very clear and ensured we met our group on time. Alessandro easily navigated subway and rail lines to get us to Como. He also directed us to things he figured we would want to see, as well as told us the best times to meet back as a group to ensure we got the best viewing seats on the boats! The boat ride itself was amazing, the views incredible; Bellagio and Varenna were so cool to see and the restaurant Alessandro suggested was one of the best meals we’ve had in Italy! 10/10!
Great day at Lake Como
Joann S,
Jun 22, 2025
- Viator
5.00We had a wonderful day , Angela was a fantastic guide! She was very informative and gave us great tips on where to sit on the ferry and restaurants to try in Bellagio.
A beautiful adventure
Sharon C,
Jun 21, 2025
- Viator
5.00A fantastic day out. Our guide, Angela was amazing - friendly, organised and knowledgeable providing great advice throughout the day. Beautiful scenery along the way and a good mix of sitting, looking at the views and walking. Highly recommend that one travels to Varenna as it is picture perfect. Nice to travel there on a quieter day and dip my feet in the cool water. It was very hot so be sure to take water and sunscreen if you travel in the Summer months. I had a scarf with me which I soaked with water and used to cool my head, neck and shoulders. Also great to travel with a lovely group of people. The air con in the bus ceased to work and there was heavy traffic returning to Milan but we used the opportunity to chat and demonstrate a bit of resilience!
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