Ideas for a 9-day itinerary in the Lake Como region.

Hi everyone, vacation is coming up... Don’t stress about life—with three weeks to go, we’re just starting to plan our days.

If you have any ideas, we’ll be based in Colonno.

Excluding arrival and departure days, we have 9 full days.

Nice hikes? Waterfalls? Towns or villages you absolutely must see? Any zoos or aquariums in this area? I haven’t found anything!

For now, our plans (in no particular order) are:

- A day in Milan - A day in Como - A day in Lugano (on the antiques market day, then returning via Lanzo d’Intelvi for the views) - A day in Locarno (funicular and other attractions)

Maybe a day in Bellinzona—I have to go there during our stay anyway, so why not spend the whole day there?!

My wife wants to take a boat tour on Lake Como.

The GreenWay hike looks nice, especially with a teen, especially since the starting point is behind our rental.

I also spotted the village of Griante because you can hike up to the Chiesa di San Martino church with a great view once you arrive—perfect for our usual picnic...

Anyway, as you can tell, we’re missing ideas for 1 or 2 days. If no one posts, no worries—we’ll figure it out. To be honest, I haven’t really looked beyond the "cities" to visit. But since we’re heading to a very touristy area this time, I thought it might be nice to get some tips!

I went to Lugano for 2 days a few years ago by myself. I swore I’d bring my little family back there. I only visited Lugano, Locarno, and Lanzo d’Intelvi back then.

I couldn't find the edit button... I also wanted to know if there's a website with a flea market/garage sale schedule for Italy? (if that exists like it does here)

Hello, there are some magnificent villas around the lake. I remember visiting two of them during a trip in 2018. - Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo (on the west side) - Villa Monastero in Varenna (on the east side). A third idea: on the east shore, a few kilometers north of Varenna, you can head up to a village called Vezio. There’s a medieval castle (or at least a keep), but above all, it’s the view of the lake from the castle or the top of the keep that’s worth it. You’re about 150 meters above lake level, roughly. You can see the northern part of the lake, the two branches (Lecco and Como), and the tip of Bellagio. Below, the Como branch with the tip of Bellagio.



Have a great trip.

Hello, there are some magnificent villas around the lake. I remember visiting two of them during a trip in 2018. - Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo (on the west side) - Villa Monastero in Varenna (on the east side). A third idea: on the east shore, a few kilometers north of Varenna, you can go up to a village called Vezio. There’s a medieval castle (or at least a keep), but above all, it’s the view of the lake from the castle or the top of the keep that’s worth it. You’re about 150 meters above lake level, roughly. You can see the northern part of the lake, the two branches (Lecco and Como), and the tip of Bellagio. Below, the Como branch with the tip of Bellagio.

Have a great trip.

Thanks so much! I really like the third idea!

I’ll check all of this out tonight, thanks.