Villa del Balbianello
The loggia-crowned villa on its own wooded headland at Lenno, the most photographed house on the lake, open in November and on selected days through December and early January.
Italy
Lake Como
Lake Como is the deepest lake in Italy and the most glamorous of the northern lakes, a long inverted Y of blue water ringed by Alpine foothills, with Como town at the southwest tip, Lecco at the southeast and Bellagio on the promontory where the two arms meet.
Between them lie the villas that made the lake famous: Villa del Balbianello on its wooded headland at Lenno, Villa Carlotta and its botanical garden at Tremezzo, and Villa Monastero, a former convent turned lakefront garden at Varenna. The pastel villages are linked by ferries, hydrofoils and car ferries that are the real way to travel here, so a day on the water is part of every visit. Como town adds a Gothic and Renaissance cathedral and a funicular up to Brunate. This guide is written for the off season, when many villas close, ferry timetables shrink and some hotels shut until spring, and it says plainly what is open now, what reopens in March 2027 and which tickets to book ahead.
Don't miss
Villa del Balbianello
The loggia-crowned villa on its own wooded headland at Lenno, the most photographed house on the lake, open in November and on selected days through December and early January.
Villa Carlotta and Botanical Garden
The neoclassical villa and botanical garden at Tremezzo, open daily until 8 November 2026 and on selected weekends and days until 8 December.
Villa Monastero and Gardens, Varenna
A former convent on the Varenna shore with a house museum and a botanical garden stretching about two kilometres along the water, open Thursday to Monday through the winter.
Como Cathedral (Duomo di Como)
A Gothic and Renaissance marble cathedral on Piazza del Duomo, with the statues of the two Plinys on the facade and a paid visit for tourists since 2025.
Things to do in Lake Como
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Villa Carlotta and Botanical Garden
The neoclassical villa and botanical garden at Tremezzo, open daily until 8 November 2026 and on selected weekends and days until 8 December.
Villa Monastero and Gardens, Varenna
A former convent on the Varenna shore with a house museum and a botanical garden stretching about two kilometres along the water, open Thursday to Monday through the winter.
Bellagio Old Town and Lakefront
The pearl of the lake on its promontory, a free walk of cobbled stairways, silk shops and lakefront cafés that works in any season, though Villa Melzi’s gardens are closed until spring.
2 to 3 hoursDetails →
Varenna Village and Lovers’ Walk
A pastel fishing village on the eastern shore with a lakeside walk, a Christmas Garden at Villa Cipressi and one of the easiest rail and ferry links on the lake.
2 to 3 hoursDetails →
Como Cathedral (Duomo di Como)
A Gothic and Renaissance marble cathedral on Piazza del Duomo, with the statues of the two Plinys on the facade and a paid visit for tourists since 2025.
Como-Brunate Funicular
The seven-minute funicular from Como up to Brunate and its Alpine views, closed from 9 to 27 November 2026 for planned works and running again after that.
Small-Group Lake Como Boat Tour from Como
A two-hour guided cruise in a small boat from Como’s lakefront, seeing the villas of famous owners from the water, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
Self-Drive Boat Rental on Lake Como
Take the wheel yourself on a two-hour rental near Bellagio, with fuel, insurance, life vests and a cooler bag included, for up to five people.
Menaggio and the West Shore
The lakefront town opposite Bellagio and Varenna, with a car ferry crossing, a bus to Lugano and autumn walks to the villages of Croce, Loveno and Nobiallo.
2 to 4 hoursDetails →
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$Hotel Villa Flori
Via Cernobbio, Lakefront
A nineteenth-century lakeside villa on Via Cernobbio in Como with a rooftop terrace, a garden and a restaurant, and one of the few lake hotels that stays open through the winter.
Check rates →
$$$Hotel Metropole Suisse
Piazza Cavour, Old Town
A four-star hotel on Piazza Cavour with lake-view rooms, a terrace restaurant and a lakefront location a minute from the ferries and five minutes from the cathedral.
Check rates →Hotel Barchetta Excelsior
Piazza Cavour, City Centre
A four-star hotel at Piazza Cavour 1 with 84 rooms, lake-view doubles and a bistro, three minutes from the cathedral and close to the lakefront.
Check rates →
$$Albergo Terminus
Lungo Lario Trieste, Lakefront
A lakefront hotel on Lungo Lario Trieste with 50 rooms, a free breakfast buffet, a garden terrace and the boat dock, the funicular and the station within a few minutes.
Check rates →Lake Como guides
First Time on Lake Como: What Is Open, How to Get Around and How Many Days
A practical primer for a first visit to Lake Como in the off season: which villas are open now, how the ferries work, how many days you need and what to book ahead.
Where to Stay on Lake Como: Como Town, Bellagio, Varenna and the West Shore
Where to stay on Lake Como in the off season: why Como town is the dependable winter base, how Bellagio, Varenna and the west shore compare and our four hotel picks.
