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Como, Bellagio & Varenna: Small Group from Milan with Boat Cruise

4.9 Excellent 1585 reviews
|
10h 30m
|
English
Free cancellation · up to 24 hours before Instant confirmation Live guide

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
1585 reviews
5
1448
4
101
3
21
2
7
1
8
Ratings collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor

Guidekin's take

Lake day, low outlay in our Day Trips comparison.

Trade-off: Shown fare: Central Station; lunch extra.

Last checked: September 24, 2026. Commissions never affect our verdicts.

Overview

Guidekin summary

A small group day on Lake Como by express train from Milan and ferry to Bellagio and Varenna, with first class train, ferry and boat tickets included and seats prebooked. Lunch is at your own cost in Bellagio, the schedule can shift with strikes or weather, and the meeting point is chosen at booking. 4.88 from 1,585 reviews at €99 per person.

From the guide

Explore the most famous lake of Italy on an entertaining 10-hour guided tour in a very small group of 14 participants. 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.

You will meet your guide in Milan and take together an express train 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 priority skip-the-line access to the ferry.

Savour 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. In each village you will enjoy a mix of guided tour and free time.

Take the express train back to Milan with your guide. The tour will finish in Milan's Central Station.

Tour options

The operator sells this tour in 3 versions. Prices are the operator's current list for two travellers; the calendar shows the exact figure for your date and party.

MEETING POINT CENTRAL STATION

from €99 / person
Guide: English

Meeting point Central Station: In front of Central Station of Milan near the Giant Apple Monument https://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.48495101928711%2C9.20312

What this option includes

Starting point:

Centrale Fs, Piazza Duca d'Aosta, 20124 Milano MI, Italy

MEETING POINT NEAR DUOMO

from €157 / person
Guide: English

Meeting point Piazza Duomo: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in front of Louis Vuitton store (near Duomo) -https://maps.app.goo.gl/M5aKHyZivsyjzEbZ6

What this option includes

Starting point:

Louis Vuitton, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

PRIVATE TOUR

from €399 / person (for 4+ people)
Guide: English

PRIVATE LUXURY BOAT RIDE: This tour version includes a private luxury boat ride for 1 hour with a captain.

What this option includes

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. The return from Bellagio to Varenna is by ferry (15 minutes ride).

HISTORICAL VILLA VISIT: This tour version includes a visit of a historical villa in Lake Como (the tickets are included in the cost)

Compared with other Lake Como Day Trips

TourPriceDurationRatingGroup
This tour · #4 of 16€9910h 30m4.88 (1585)shared
Small-Group Lake Como & Lugano: 2 Countries in 1 Day, Boat Cruise€13910h4.96 (1544)shared
Small-Group Lake Como: Bellagio, Varenna, Hidden Gorge & Boat€11910h4.94 (860)shared
Small-Group Lake Como Experience with Boat and Van from Milan€8510h 30m4.97 (235)shared

Ranked #4 of 16 in Lake Como Day Trips by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €70 to €1039, median €113; typical length 10h. 3 of 16 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Compare all 16 Lake Como Day Trips

Schedule & Availability

Runs daily
Departures: 07:45, 08:15, 08:40, 08:45, 09:00, 09:10
Scheduled through November 2027

This tour runs daily, departing at 07:45, 08:15, 08:40, 08:45, 09:00, 09:10. Scheduled through November 2027. These are the operator’s scheduled departures, not a live seat count: availability is confirmed at checkout. Schedule last checked September 25, 2026.

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
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
Visit Como, Bellagio & Varenna. Enjoy a balanced mix of free time and tour
❌ NO BIG GROUPS ➡️ SMALL GROUP ONLY ✅ 14 PEOPLE MAX

What's Not Included

Lunch: 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.
Last Supper Leonardo Da Vinci museum visit is not included in this activity
Arrive 5 minutes before to the meeting point for the check-in. The group will leave immediately.

Itinerary

Milan Stop 1
Express first class train ride from Milan to Lake Como (Como City)
40 min
Como Stop 2
City. Take a walk in Como City with your guide and stop by the Duomo of Como. 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. Admire 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 stunning boat cruise along the lake that will start in Como City.
45 min
Lake Como boat cruise Stop 3
1h 40m
Villa Olmo Stop 4
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.
Pass by
Cernobbio Stop 5
After Villa Olmo, you will pass near Cernobbio and Villa D'Este, a 15th-century villa, originally called Villa del Garovo. It is a Renaissance patrician residence & a park of approximately 100,000 square meters. Villa D'Este was converted into a luxury hotel for the royal people in 1873 and since then kept the name Villa d'Este because of the apparent connection with the famous Villa d'Este in Tivoli in Rome. In 1925 the famous director Alfred Hitchcock made his movie The Pleasure Garden in this location. In June 2009, it was selected as the best hotel in the world by the Forbes magazine.
Pass by
Lake Como Stop 6
Pass by in front of George Clooney's famous Villa Oleandra.
Pass by
Torno Stop 7
Admire Torno, one of the most charming villages of Lake Como. It hosts Villa Pliniana, which took its name from Pliny the Elder, who was originally in Como. Pliny the Elder was a Roman Empire author, naturalist, natural philosopher, and naval and army commander (in the Roman Empire), and a close friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ''Naturalis Historia'' (Natural History), which became an editorial model for the future encyclopedias.
Pass by
Villa Erba Stop 8
Used as a location for the movie ''Ocean 12'' with Brad Pitt, George Clooney & Julia Roberts, this famous villa was originally built in late 19th century by Luigi Erba, brother of the prominent Italian businessman Carlo Erba (founder of the Erba pharmaceutical company), to express his grandiosity.
Pass by
Villa Carlotta Stop 9
is an important villa and a botanical garden in Tremezzo town on the left shore of Lake Como. Today the villa is also a museum, whose collection includes works by various sculptors. The villa was built in the late-seventeenth century by Marquis Giorgio Clerici of Milan.
Pass by
Villa Del Balbianello Stop 10
James Bond Casino Royale & Star Wars film location. Villa del Balbianello is one of the most famous villas of Lake Como and is also an important film location, where such movies as James Bond Casino Royale & Star Wars were filmed. This villa is particularly famous for its elaborate terraced gardens.
Pass by
Bellagio Stop 11
Your boat cruise will end in Bellagio, the jewel of Lake Como. You will immerse yourself in the lake's famous "golden triangle" section, known for its remarkable villas, and breathtaking villages. Discover quaint boutiques with local art and stop by a lakeside restaurant to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine. Your guide will suggest you a couple of wonderful lake-view restaurants.
1h 50m
Bellagio Stop 12
Enjoy a quick ferry ride from Bellagio to Varenna
15 min
Varenna Stop 13
After lunch in Bellagio, you will take a ferry to Varenna together with your guide and discover this ancient village with your guide. Enjoy a guided tour with your guide and free time (during which you can visit Villa Monastero or Gates of Heaven) After visit of Varenna, you will take the train back to Milan together with your guide.
1h 30m
Stazione Centrale Stop 14
Express first class train ride from Varenna (Lake Como) to Milan
55 min

Departure & Return

Start point

Your guide will meet you in front of Central Station of Milan near the giant apple statue (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.48495101928711%2C9.203128814697266). The guide will have a professional guide's badge. A day before the tour we may also share the exact name & direct contact of the guide., Your guide will meet you in Como City, directly in front of the train station Como San Giovanni. The guide will have a professional guide's bagde. One day before the tour we will also provide you the exact name & direct contact of the guide., Your guide will meet you in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (near Piazza Duomo) in front of Louis Vuitton store. The guide will have a professional guide's bagde. One day before the tour we will also provide you the exact name & direct contact of the guide.

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End point

The tour will end in the Central Station of Milan.

Additional Information

  • 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/buses 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. Tour duration is approx. 10 hours (the tours ends in Milan Central Station).
  • In the winter time (November-mid March) the tour starts 1 hour earlier (7:45 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 8:10 meeting point in Central Station), while summer time (April-October) the tour starts 1 hour later (8:40 AM meeting point in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and 9:10 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). No-shows are non refunded. 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
  • If you wish to visit Last Supper on the day of the tour, please book it separately in the early morning or late eveving.
  • Bring an ID (passport, ID or driving license - an original, not a photo), this can be requested by train company
  • If you wish to visit Villa Cipressi (Gates of Heaven) or Villa Monastero during your free time in Varenna, you can buy the ticket directly there in the villa
  • Not suitable for travelers with mobility impairments

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

1+ daysFull refund
0-1 daysNo refund
From € 99 / person