Lake Como 5 Best Villas to Visit
Five historic villas on Lake Como are open to the public and accessible by ferry or boat: Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, Villa Monastero in Varenna, Villa Melzi d’Eril in Bellagio, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, and Villa Cipressi in Varenna. Each offers a different experience — from cinematic headlands and botanical promenades to neoclassical art collections and intimate terraced gardens above the water.
This guide covers what you will see at each villa, how to reach it, when it is open, and which villas can be visited together in a single day. It is written by Lake Como Explorer, a local tour operator based in Como that runs guided tours to Villa del Balbianello, Villa Monastero, and Villa Melzi by our private boat.
How to decide which villas to visit
Not all five villas can be visited in one day. If you have a single day on the lake, choose two or three based on what matters most to you.
If you want the most iconic scenery, start with Villa del Balbianello. Its position on a wooded promontory with views in three directions makes it the most photographed estate on the lake, and the filming location of Star Wars: Episode II and Casino Royale.
If you prefer botanical gardens and a quiet atmosphere, Villa Monastero in Varenna offers a long, narrow promenade lined with palms, citrus trees, and seasonal flowers directly along the water. Villa Cipressi, a few minutes’ walk away in the same village, adds intimate terraced gardens and makes a natural pairing.
If you are based in Bellagio, Villa Melzi is the easiest to reach — a short walk from the ferry pier — and its lakefront park is one of the most serene spots on the lake.
If you want a combination of art, history, and gardens, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo has furnished interiors, sculpture, and a large botanical park that climbs the hillside.
The sections below give you the specific details for each villa, including what is included in the visit, how to get there, and which villas are covered by guided tours departing from Como.
Two of these villas, one day, tickets handled
Villa del Balbianello and Villa Melzi — the most iconic and the most serene of the five — are both visited on our Balbianello & Bellagio full-day tour: private boat from Como, guided entry to both gardens, and an afternoon in Bellagio’s lanes in between. Prefer Varenna’s botanical promenade? Villa Monastero anchors our Bellagio & Varenna tour on Mondays and Wednesdays.
1. Villa del Balbianello – cinematic headland near Lenno
Villa del Balbianello is an 18th-century estate built on the tip of a wooded promontory on Lake Como’s western shore, near the village of Lenno. It is managed by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), the Italian National Trust. The villa is best known internationally as the filming location of the lake retreat scenes in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones and the recovery scene in Casino Royale.
What you see: The visit includes the terraced gardens, panoramic balconies with views across three branches of the lake, and the famous loggia framed by clipped hedges and stone balustrades. Independent visitors who book the FAI guided interior tour can also see the rooms filled with maps, expedition artefacts, and personal collections of the villa’s last private owner, explorer Guido Monzino — the first Italian to summit Everest and lead a North Pole expedition.
How to get there independently: From Lenno’s ferry pier, you can walk through the woods along a marked trail, or take a small shuttle boat directly to the villa’s dock at the base of the gardens (sometimes the wait is very long, no service with bad weather). On our guided tour, the group arrives by boat directly at the villa’s own landing. The walk takes approximately 20 minutes.
Practical information: — Open: mid-March to mid-November, closed Monday and Wednesday — Admission: gardens only, or gardens plus guided interior tour (FAI). Included in Lake Como Explorer tours: Yes — on our Villa del Balbianello & Bellagio small-group tour, running every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Up to 10 guests travel by our private boat from Como to Lenno and enter the villa’s terraced gardens and panoramic balconies with a professional English-speaking guide.
2. Villa Monastero – lakeside promenade in Varenna
Villa Monastero is a historic residence on the eastern shore of Lake Como in Varenna, originally built as a Cistercian convent in the 12th century and later converted into a private villa. Today it functions as a museum and conference centre, and its garden promenade is one of the most distinctive on the lake.
What you see: The main attraction is the long, narrow botanical garden that stretches along the waterfront. Walkways are lined with palms, citrus trees, agaves, and seasonal flowers, with stone pavilions, statues, and stairways at intervals. The garden faces west across the central basin, and on clear days the views extend to Bellagio and the mountains behind it. Inside, a sequence of furnished rooms preserves the atmosphere of a scholarly household, with period furniture, decorative arts, and scientific instruments.
How to get there independently: Varenna is served by direct train from Milan (Varenna-Esino station) and by regular ferry from Bellagio, Como, and other lakeside villages. From Varenna’s ferry pier, Villa Monastero is a short walk south along the waterfront.
Practical information: — Open: March to November (garden); house museum has more limited hours — Admission: garden only, or garden plus house museum — Access: walk from Varenna ferry pier or train station — Included in Lake Como Explorer tours: Yes — on our Bellagio & Varenna full-day tour, running every Monday and Wednesday. Up to 10 guests cross the lake by our private boat from Como to Varenna and visit Villa Monastero with a professional English-speaking guide, before continuing to Bellagio in the afternoon.
3. Villa Melzi d’Eril – elegant gardens in Bellagio
Villa Melzi d’Eril is a neoclassical estate on the southern edge of Bellagio, created in the early 19th century for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, vice-president of the Napoleonic Italian Republic. The house remains private, but the surrounding park is open to the public and is one of the most peaceful lakeside walks on Lake Como.
What you see: The gardens follow the shoreline in a series of smooth lawns, mature tree groups, and gently curving paths. Sculptures appear at key points, a small chapel sits among the trees, and a Moorish-style pavilion near the water reflects on the surface on calm days. A small museum inside the garden houses Egyptian and Roman artefacts alongside Napoleonic memorabilia. The atmosphere is one of restraint and balance — there are no grand floral displays, but the views across the water to the mountains are constant and uninterrupted.
How to get there independently: From Bellagio’s ferry pier, walk south along the lakefront. The entrance gate is approximately 5 minutes on foot. No advance booking is required.
Practical information: — Open: late March to late October — Admission: gardens and small museum — Access: walk from Bellagio ferry pier — Included in Lake Como Explorer tours: Yes — Villa Melzi is visited as part of our Villa del Balbianello & Bellagio small-group tour, running every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After the morning visit to Villa del Balbianello, guests explore the gardens of Villa Melzi and the village of Bellagio with their guide.
4. Villa Carlotta – art, history and botanical garden in Tremezzo
Villa Carlotta is a grand 17th-century residence on the western shore of Lake Como in Tremezzo, directly across the water from Bellagio. It is both a museum of art and sculpture and one of the most important botanical gardens in northern Italy.
What you see: Inside, the rooms contain neoclassical sculpture — including works by Antonio Canova and his pupils — paintings, and period furnishings that reflect the tastes of the noble families who owned the villa. Outside, the gardens spread over several hectares, climbing the hillside behind the main building. In spring, the rhododendron and azalea collection produces some of the most intense colour displays on the lake. The rest of the year brings camellias, roses, citrus trees, ferns, and tropical plants in sheltered greenhouse areas. The main terrace in front of the villa offers a wide, unobstructed view across the water to Bellagio.
How to get there independently: Tremezzo is served by regular ferry from Bellagio, Varenna, Lenno, and Como. The villa entrance is a short walk from the ferry pier. Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello sit on the same stretch of western shore — visitors who plan carefully can combine both in a single day, with a ferry or taxi boat between Tremezzo and Lenno.
Practical information: — Open: mid-March to early November — Admission: villa interiors and gardens — Access: walk from Tremezzo ferry pier — Included in Lake Como Explorer tours: No — Villa Carlotta is not currently part of our guided tour routes, but it can be visited independently on days when you are not joining a tour.
5. Villa Cipressi – terraced gardens above the water
Villa Cipressi is a smaller, more intimate estate in Varenna, just a few minutes’ walk from Villa Monastero. It now operates as a hotel, but its terraced gardens are open to the public and offer one of the most photogenic settings on the lake.
What you see: Stone-walled terraces step down from the village level to the waterfront, planted with cypress trees, oleanders, wisteria, and seasonal flowers. Several viewing points along the descent frame the central basin of the lake, with Bellagio directly across the water. In late afternoon, the light across the lake is particularly striking, and the combination of stone, water, and mountains makes this a favourite spot for photographers.
How to get there independently: From Varenna’s central square, follow signs to the hotel. Tickets for the gardens are sold at the reception desk, and from there paths lead down through the terraces to the water. Because Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero are within walking distance of each other, they are a natural pair for a half-day visit to Varenna.
Practical information: — Open: March to November (check seasonal hours) — Admission: gardens only — Access: walk from Varenna centre — Included in Lake Como Explorer tours: No — Villa Cipressi is not part of our guided tour routes. However, guests joining our Bellagio & Varenna full-day tour on Monday or Wednesday may have free time in Varenna to visit the gardens independently, depending on the pace of the day.
Other famous villas and gardens around the lake
Beyond the five estates described in detail, there are several other famous villas and parks that you may want to add if you have extra days. Near the city of Como, for example, stands Villa Olmo, a neoclassical residence with a grand façade facing the water and a park that stretches out behind it towards the hills.
In Bellagio itself, the park above the village belongs to the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, a historic property whose paths climb the ridge between the two branches of the lake. Access is only possible on a guided tour, but those who join one are rewarded with long views down both arms of the lake and a sense of how the nobility once used the high ground to escape the heat.
Taken together, these places show how Lake Como’s shoreline developed over time, with villas on the lake built for different purposes: summer retreats, diplomatic residences, or quiet family homes. They are the outer ring around the core group of popular villas in the central basin, and they can be woven into a longer stay if you are building a slow itinerary around the lake.
Visiting Lake Como villas with a guided tour
All five villas described in this guide can be visited independently using public ferries and walking. However, reaching the mid-lake villas from Como involves multiple ferry connections, variable schedules, and — during peak season — long queues at piers in Como, Bellagio, and Varenna.
Lake Como Explorer operates two full-day guided tours by our private boat from Como, each limited to a maximum of 10 guests. Both tours include guided admission to at least one historic villa — guests walk through the gardens with a professional English-speaking guide, rather than viewing villas from the water. The boat is reserved exclusively for the group, not shared with other tourists.
Villa del Balbianello & Bellagio tour — Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Visits Villa del Balbianello (terraced gardens and panoramic balconies) and Villa Melzi in Bellagio, with a guided walk through the village.
Bellagio & Varenna full-day tour — Monday, Wednesday. Visits Villa Monastero in Varenna (gardens and botanical promenade) with guided commentary, followed by an afternoon in Bellagio.
This combination of private boat, guided villa entry, and small-group format is uncommon on Lake Como, where most bookable tours offer either scenic cruises without villa stops, or large-group coach transfers with limited time on the water.
For visitors arriving from Milan, Lake Como Explorer also offers a full-day tour from Milan with round-trip Mercedes van transfer included, joining the Villa del Balbianello & Bellagio route.
Best time to visit and practical tips
Because Lake Como offers plenty of microclimates and elevations, there is no single best season for everyone. Garden lovers usually choose late April, May or early June, when wisteria, rhododendrons and azaleas are at their peak. Those who prefer swimming and long evenings often come in July or September, when the air is warm but the crowds are thinner than in high summer.
Whatever season you choose, it helps to plan your visit with a simple structure: pick two or three places to visit per day, allow time to sit on a terrace or by a harbour, and leave space for changes of plan if the weather shifts. A short lake Como itinerary might include one day based in Como town, one day in Bellagio and one in Varenna, giving a good balance between movement and rest.
If you are interested mainly in architecture and history, concentrate on the best villas to visit such as Villa del Balbianello, Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi, and leave more time to visit the gardens in detail. Travellers who enjoy hiking can combine their villa days with walks on the Greenway or up to viewpoints above the villages, fitting each visit in Lake Como around ferries and trailheads.
For a longer stay, think about drawing a rough circle around Lake Como and dividing it into segments: south around the city of Como and Villa Olmo, the western shore of Lake Como with Tremezzo and Lenno, the central triangle between Menaggio, Varenna and Bellagio, and the quieter northern towns for day trips by car. That way you can explore Lake Como and mountains steadily without feeling rushed.
Sample Lake Como villa itinerary
If you prefer concrete ideas, here is a simple three-day plan that links several of the best places for villa visits with relaxed time on the water.
Day 1 – Como town and the southern basin
Start in Como town, the historic centre at the southern tip of the lake. Spend the morning exploring the old streets of the city of Como, visiting the cathedral and the waterfront promenade, and getting a first sense of how Lake Como is known around the world. In the afternoon, walk to Villa Olmo, then take a boat back as the light fades and watch the beauty of lake unfold in front of you.
Locals call the water here Lago di Como, and even this busy corner shows how beautiful Lake Como can look in the golden evening light.
Day 2 – Tremezzo, Lenno and the central basin
On your second day, focus on the western shore. Take an early ferry to Tremezzo and visit Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo as soon as the gates open, when the paths are quiet and the flower beds fresh with morning dew. After a couple of hours with art and planting, move on to Lenno for your visit to Villa del Balbianello, finishing the day with a slow boat ride back through the middle of the lake.
This stretch of water holds some of the best Lake Como views, with steep hillsides dropping directly into the water and villages catching the last light.
Day 3 – Bellagio and Varenna
On the third day, stay in the central basin. Begin in Bellagio with a slow walk through the old lanes, then head south along the lake to the entrance of Villa Melzi. After a gentle lap of the park, cross by boat to Varenna and spend the afternoon between Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, perhaps pausing on a bench to enjoy the panoramic views of the lake and the changing colours on the hills.
This outline is only a starting point. Lake Como offers plenty of alternative places to visit, and you can swap days, repeat favourite walks or add extra stops depending on how many villas to visit in Lake Como you feel comfortable packing into your schedule.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Como villas
Which Lake Como villas and gardens should I prioritise if I only have one day?
If you only have a single day and you want to visit as much as possible without feeling rushed, a classic combination is Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello. Together these two form the core of many Lake Como villas and gardens itineraries, giving you art, history, structured planting and wild headland scenery in a single loop.
What if I just want to visit one villa?
Think about what you most hope to see: dramatic scenery, quiet lawns, or detailed interiors. For drama, choose Balbianello; for a mix of art and planting, choose Carlotta; for pure relaxation, choose Melzi or Cipressi. Any of these makes an excellent introduction to life beside a Lake Como villa.
Why these are the best villas to visit in Lake Como
Everyone travels differently, but taken together these five estates form a small, balanced group of beautiful Lake Como villas. They combine lakeside paths, terraces overlooking the lake, quiet corners, art collections and long histories. They also sit close to ferry routes, which means you can stitch them into almost any visit to Lake Como without needing a car.
In the end, the beauty of Lake Como is not just in individual buildings but in the way villas and villages sit between water and mountain. Standing on a terrace at Carlotta or on the headland at Balbianello, watching boats move slowly along the lake and listening to church bells drifting over the water, you understand why this part of northern Italy has become one of the classic places to visit in Europe.