Free things to do · Lake Como · Italy
7 free things to do in Lake Como
Lake Como without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Luca Casartelli, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
You can fill at least 2 days in Lake Como without paying an entry fee: Bellagio old town and Punta Spartivento, Varenna and the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, Como Cathedral and Villa Olmo are all free. Stay in Como, Lecco or Menaggio rather than Bellagio for lower room prices, and use ferries and trains for day trips.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 7
- Low-cost extras
- 8
- Cost level
- Expensive
- Lowest hotel prices
- January–February and November
Free sights and experiences
Neighbourhood · Bellagio
1.Bellagio old town and Punta Spartivento
Explore before 10am or after the last day-tripper ferries have left; the lanes are far calmer.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Varenna
2.Varenna and the Passeggiata degli Innamorati
Walk the passageway at sunset, when the light falls on Bellagio across the water.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Photo spot
- Iconic
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Religious site · Como
3.Como Cathedral
Look up at the Broletto, the striped medieval town hall right next to the cathedral façade.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Palace · Como
4.Villa Olmo
The park is a good picnic stop; buy supplies in Como's old town before walking out.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Architecture
- Kids
Nature · Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno)
5.Greenway del Lago di Como
Walk it north to south in the morning and catch a ferry back from Tremezzo or Cadenabbia.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Outdoors
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno)
6.Sacro Monte di Ossuccio
Start from the lakeside road in Ossuccio; the climb takes about 30 minutes at a steady pace.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- Active
Religious site · Colico
7.Abbazia di Piona
Combine it with a day on the quieter northern lake around Colico, which is on the railway line from Varenna.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Bellagio | Bellagio old town and Punta Spartivento | 2–3 hours |
| Varenna | Varenna and the Passeggiata degli Innamorati | 1–2 hours |
| Como | Como Cathedral and Villa Olmo | 45 minutes + 1 hour |
| Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno) | Greenway del Lago di Como and Sacro Monte di Ossuccio | 3–4 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Colico | Abbazia di Piona | 1 hour |
Worth a small ticket
Experience · Central lake
Central-lake ferry triangle
A central-lake day ticket usually pays for itself if you make three or more crossings; buy tickets at the pier office or machines before boarding.
- Time needed
- Half a day or more
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
Viewpoint · Como
Como–Brunate funicular
On a clear day walk about 30 minutes uphill to the Faro Voltiano for a view stretching to the Alps and the Po plain.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
- Outdoors
Garden · Bellagio
Villa Melzi gardens
Walk there along the lake from Bellagio's ferry pier rather than through the village streets; it takes about 10 minutes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
Garden · Varenna
Villa Monastero
Combine it with lunch in Varenna; the garden entrance is a five-minute walk from the main square.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Couples
- History
Castle · Varenna
Castello di Vezio
Wear proper shoes for the cobbled path up from Varenna and go in the morning before the climb gets hot.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours including the walk
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- History
- Active
- Outdoors
Museum · Como
Tempio Voltiano
Pair it with the lakeside walk to Villa Olmo, about 15 minutes away along the shore.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Island · Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno)
Isola Comacina
Take the shuttle boat from Sala Comacina and allow an hour to wander the ruins.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Bellano
Orrido di Bellano
Go after a spell of rain, when the water is at its most dramatic.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
More ways to save
- Stay in Como, Lecco or Menaggio rather than Bellagio for lower room prices, and use ferries and trains for day trips.
- Buy a ferry day ticket if you plan three or more crossings in the central lake.
- Visit in late April, early June or September for lower rates than July and August with most attractions open.
- Bellagio's lakefront, Varenna's walkway, the Greenway and Sacro Monte di Ossuccio cost nothing.
- Assemble a picnic from a village alimentari for a lido or garden lunch instead of eating on the busiest terraces.
- Regional trains from Milan to Varenna or Como cost far less than private transfers.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Lake Como expensive to visit?
Lake Como is expensive for most visitors, but 7 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Lake Como?
Bellagio old town and Punta Spartivento: Explore before 10am or after the last day-tripper ferries have left; the lanes are far calmer.