Lake Como Hike

Meet your guide(s) after breakfast in the lobby of your hotel and depart on foot to the Monte Brunate cable car which whisks us up 493 meters to an altitude of 692 meters. You will be treated to a magnificent panorama before turning to follow our route which takes us up the lake. We remain high above the shore to reach the village of Palanzo, a medieval village made up of charming stone houses, and an intriguing wine press that dates back to 1572. We have a scenic lunch from the shaded rooftop terrace of the local trattoria. A short after-lunch hike brings us to the dock in Torno to catch our ferry back to Como. You will have time to peruse Como’s chique shops are chill out in a piazza over an Aperol Spritz. We meet up again to go to dinner to a very chic Pizzeria/Restaurant where you can enjoy a pizza or order from the menu. The Hike: 13 kms/7.6 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 455m/1450 Elevation loss: 940 m/300ft. Duration: About 4.5 hours of moving time.  Overnight Como. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

This morning you have a ferry ride that calls in at all ports as it makes its way up the lake. Quaint villages and romantic villas slide by as you gently cruise up the lake beneath the imposing mountains that line Lake Como’s shore. We disembark in Lenno and follow an ancient pilgrimage path to the 15th-century Sanctuary of the Madonna before taking an old path that links mostly abandoned terraces and farms to the village of Ossucio. Have lunch in an exquisite little piazza right next to the water, then enjoy a guided visit of the unforgettable Villa Balbianello. Originally built in 1787, the villa is now owned by the Italian National Trust. Its last private owner, Count Guido Monzino was an Italian mountain climber and adventurer who led over 20 expeditions worldwide, including to the North Pole, Everest, and Equatorial Guinea. He was also heir to a fortune and he filled the villa with priceless art and collections from his travels. The romantic setting of the villa has been featured in many films. We return to Lenno and enjoy a delicious gelato before settling in at our little boutique hotel which is located on a quiet bay. It is the ideal place for you to hang up your hiking boots, sit back, and enjoy the beauty of Lake Como. The Hike: 11 kms/6.5 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 735m/2350 Elevation loss: the same. Duration: About 4.5 hours of moving time.  Overnight Lenno. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

Today's hike takes you into the hills above the lake. We lead you on tiny trails and ancient passages through a string of villages and hamlets to the Villa Carlotta. We enjoy our picnic at what is surely one of the best picnic tables in Italy, set amidst the splendid gardens of the 17th-century villa that was once home to Prince Albert of Prussia. You have free time to explore the fabulous park and gardens as well as the interior of the villa before a return walk along the lake that takes us to Lenno. Dinner tonight is at the lovely Restaurant Santo Stefano. The Hike: 9 kms/5 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 310m/990 Elevation loss: the same. Duration: About 3 hours of moving time. Overnight Lenno. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

The beautiful village of Bellagio beckons us from across the water. We take a morning ferry to Bellagio and hike through the gorgeous park and gardens of the Villa Melzi before heading up an old cobbled path and into the hills behind Bellagio. We walk through thick beech forest and past stone farmhouses to the aptly named Baita Belvedere for lunch. The view over the two arms of the lake with Bellagio village at the tip of the peninsula is without compare. After lunch, you can choose to continue the walk and descend to the lake or opt for a van transfer, and then loop around the Bellagio peninsula passing once-glorious villas to the tiny fishing port of Pescallo. You have free time in the afternoon to peruse Bellagio’s shops and boutiques before a wine tasting in a remarkable enoteca, whose origins go back 500 years. Tonight is a free night so you are free to choose where you wish to dine. Your guides will have plenty of suggestions.  The Short Hike for shoppers: 4.2kms/2.5 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 88m/285ft Elevation loss: the same. Duration: About 1.5 hours of moving time. The Hikers Hike: 8.5kms/5 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 408m/1,300ft Elevation loss: the same. Duration: About 2.5 hours of moving time. Overnight Bellagio at the Hotel Florence in lake view rooms (or similar). Hotel and breakfast are included. Dinner is not included.

A short ferry ride to the village of Bellano takes us to the north shore of the lake. Set out for a lovely hike that climbs above the water to eventually arrive at the medieval Castle of Vezio, from whose stone ramparts you will have a bird’s eye view onto Bellagio, just a few kilometers away. Speaking of birds, Vezio Castle is home to a nursery that breeds, nurses, and trains birds of prey. Falcons, eagles, and owls perch amongst the trees and look down on us as we explore the castle. Then we descend to the lovely village of Varenna, where you have some free time before taking a ferry back to Bellagio. Our farewell dinner is at one of the area’s best establishments, the Ristorante alle Darsene di Loppia. The Hike: 9.4 kms/5.7 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 425m/1350 Elevation loss: the same. Duration: About 4 hours of moving time. Overnight Bellagio. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included. 

The tour ends after breakfast. We do not include a group transfer since the departure options are too numerous. You can return by boat to Como (25 minutes by hydrofoil, 1.5 hours by slow ferry, or 1 hour by bus) and pick up a train from Como to Milan, or you can take a train from Varenna, which is a short ferry ride from Bellagio. We can also arrange a private car and driver to take you directly to Milan or the Milan or Bergamo airports.  We will be able to help you out with your post-tour travel arrangements.  Breakfast included. Final transfer not included.

Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes they are bad, like a trail has been washed away. The result is that we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is to always provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary prior to departure.