It’s our favorite village on Lake Como. We loved wandering through the pretty, colorful streets of the historic center and strolling along the lakefront.
Below you’ll find all the information you need to plan your stay, what to see and do in Varenna and our points of interest on our map.
What to do in Varenna?
Varenna is an authentic village where you’ll immediately feel at home. We recommend a stroll around the port, with its many colorful houses and bars and restaurants overlooking Lake Como and its beaches. Don’t forget to take a nice photo of the lovely hanging cornice.
Visit the old town
You’ll love strolling through the narrow streets , admiring the colorful houses and majestic lakeside villas. Take to the skies for panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains! Nature is everywhere at Lake Como, so make the most of it.
Boats : Find all the information you need about boat times and prices on the Navigazion Lago Como website. (about €15 for a day).
Villa Monastero and its gardens
This is the villa to visit during your stay in Varenna. This former monastery is still furnished, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its incredible garden. We loved strolling among the fruit trees and palm trees, while enjoying the magnificent views of the lake! In short, a must!
The villa also houses a museum, the Casa Museo, which brings together four centuries of history. Casa Museo’s 14 rooms are fully furnished with precious materials and luxurious decorations.
This is one of the villas to visit during your stay on Lake Como. The villa is open to the public, you can visit its 14 rooms which are incredibly furnished and you will be especially pleasantly surprised by its incredible garden, we loved walking among fruit trees, palm trees … while enjoying beautiful views of the lake! In short, a must!
Information and prices on the official Villa Monastero website.
Degli Innamorati di Varenna” hanging cornice
As soon as we got off the ferry, we set off along the magnificent suspended cornice that runs alongside the lake – a great way to get started. No sooner had we set foot in Varenna than we were already keen to take lots of photos. We then continued our walk along the lake, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
Vezio Castle
This castle is located 20 minutes’ walk from Varenna. Yes, it’s a bit of a climb, but you’ll be rewarded when you reach the top. You can visit the castle and especially enjoy the breathtaking 360° view from the top of the castle tower.
Boat cruise from Varenna
Favourite ❤️: Exploring Lake Como from the water is the perfect activity for your stay. From the town of Varenna, we recommend this cruise for a breathtaking view of Varenna, before setting off to discover the lake’s treasures and all its emblematic villas(Villa Balbianello, Villa Melzi Gardens…).
➡️ We advise you to book your tickets for a cruise from Varenna to Lake Como online in advance (approx. €40 per person), especially during the tourist season, as these excursions are very popular and the number of places is limited. Bellagio Boat Servicei, the company operating the cruise, has an excellent reputation. Duration 1h30 minutes with audio guide in French.
We recommend booking via Get Your Guidebecause cancellation conditions are flexible: you can be reimbursed up to 24 hours before the start of the cruise.
Where to stay in Varenna?
To fully enjoy the charming village of Varenna, we recommend staying in the center.
➡️ As you can see, there’s very little well-placed accommodation in Varenna, so we advise you to book as far in advance as possible (in high season, expect to pay around €200 per night).
We’d like to suggest a second address if the first is unfortunately sold out.
Albergo Del Sole, which we have tested and approved. The hotel is located right in the center of Varenna, on a lovely little square– you can’t get more authentic than that! We were just a stone’s throw from the lake and the Villa Monastero. The Italian restaurant is also very good, with pizzas topped with the finest ingredients. The bedding is comfortable! In short, we hope you enjoy your stay here as much as we did!
(from €175 rated 8.6 / 10 on Booking)
Hotel Montecodeno: if the former is fully booked, this is also a good option that my sister tried out on her vacation in Varenna. The apartment is pleasant, clean and bright with a beautiful view, only a 5-minute walk from Varenna (from €185).
More generally, if you’re looking for an area of Lake Como to sleep in during your stay. To make your visit easier, we’ve included an article detailing the most interesting villages to stay in on Lake Como, along with our best hotel addresses.
You can get an idea of the prices with the map below:
Our good addresses restaurants
- Al Prato Restaurant: an excellent restaurant with a beautiful terrace, the delicious Italian dishes are cooked with fresh products and presented with care. The creamy risotto is incredible. If you still have a little room, try the desserts. In short, a must during your stay!
- Il Cavatappi: a small trattoria that offers high quality dishes with fresh products as often in Italy. Everything is good, and we recommend you try the orecchiette with pesto “della nonna”. Come early, as space is limited and there are only a few tables on the terrace.
Our map of Varenna
How to get to Varenna?
By car
If you’ve rented a car, you can easily reach Varenna after your visit to Milan, from Como or Lecco. The national road that runs alongside the lake is in very good condition and offers some great views!
How do I rent a car?
To compare rental prices, we advise you to use an aggregator that compares the prices of hundreds of car rental companies to find the best price. To give you an idea of the cost, we found a car for €50 a day at Milan airport.
By ferry
You can also take a ferry from Como or Menaggio to Varenna. You’ll enjoy magnificent panoramic views over the lake, and of course you’ll have no trouble parking!
Ferry: Find all the information you need about the schedules and prices of the boats on the website of the Navigazion Lago Como.
Excursion from Milan
From Milan, you can book your ticket for a day trip to Lake Como, by bus, with stops in the most beautiful towns, Como, Bellagio and Varenna, as well as a 1-hour boat cruise to enjoy beautiful panoramas in the middle of the lake.
How to visit Bellagio and Varenna on the same day?
You can actually visit both villages, Bellagio and Varenna, in the same day, the easiest way is to go by ferry (about 15€ for a day).
How to rent a boat on Lake Como
Exploring Lake Como by boat is a must-do activity during your stay, and we’ve devoted an article to detailing the different options for exploring the lake by boat.
We hope you enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of this village as much as we did. If so, we invite you to apply for 5 stars below.
We wish you an excellent trip! Don’t hesitate to drop us a line below to let us know if you’re planning this trip, ask any questions you may have or share on social networks, our Instagram, we’ll get back to you with great pleasure.
