Ristorante La Punta
What to order: the lake antipasto and the riso in cagnone with perch fillet, or the grilled agoni.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 46.00° N · 9.27° E
Varenna and Bellagio in a day, by train from Milan and by boat from shore to shore.
An hour from Milan by train: a boat from Varenna to Bellagio, kayaking round the point, perch at La Punta and the walkways of the Orrido di Bellano before the train back.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Milán fromBarcelona 1 h 45Palma de Mallorca 1 h 45Zaragoza 1 h 45Bilbao 2 hSantander 2 hValencia 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 15A Coruña 2 h 30Málaga 2 h 45
Part of Lake ComoItalian LakesAlpsFilm locations
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h each way
From MilanTrain, about 64 min
From SpainFlight to Milan and train
BoatDay ticket from €8
WalkingAbout 2 h in stretches
DifficultyEasy
With childrenFrom age 8, because of the kayak
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Milan 1 h by train
Milano Centrale – Varenna-Esino, Tirano line; walk down to the quay
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1
Boat Between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio
one-day free-circulation ticket, from €8; Varenna – Bellagio, about 15 min
- 15 min on foot
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2
Kayak Around the Point of Bellagio from Pescallo
Bellagio Water Sports · 11:30 departure from Pescallo · prior booking
+39 340 39 49 375
- 15 min on foot
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Ristorante La Punta
non-stop kitchen from 11:30 to 22:00 · book by phone
Via Eugenio Vitali, 19, 22021 Bellagio · +39 031 951888
Restaurant €€€Book - 45 min by boat
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4
Orrido di Bellano, Walkways over the Gorge
boat to Varenna and a short train to Bellano; €5 with the train or boat ticket
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Back home 1 h 15 by train
from Bellano to Milano Centrale on the Tirano line, via Varenna
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Boat Between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio
A day trip from Milan to Lake Como without touching the car. The regional train drops you at Varenna in a little over an hour; from there, the public boat crosses to Bellagio in a quarter of an hour. You paddle round the tip of the peninsula, eat lake fish where the three arms meet and, on the way back, enter the gorge of the Orrido di Bellano before the train to Milan.
Getting there from Spain
Fly to Milan (Malpensa or Linate) or to Bergamo and spend the night before in Milan. From Milano Centrale leave the Trenord regional trains towards Tirano, which stop at Varenna-Esino. It is the simplest way to reach the centre of the lake: you do not need a car all day.
The day, hour by hour
8:20 · Train to Varenna. From Milano Centrale, about 64 minutes. From Varenna-Esino station you walk down to the quay in about ten minutes.
9:40 · Boat to Bellagio. At the quay ticket office, buy the one-day free-circulation ticket: with three trips it already pays off. The ferry takes about 15 minutes and you reach Bellagio with the village still quiet.
11:30 · Kayak round the point. Cross the peninsula on foot to Pescallo beach. With Bellagio Water Sports you set out in a group of six at most, with a guide, and round the point beneath Villa Serbelloni in about 90 minutes. Book beforehand: the website does not publish the price on the tour page, you see it when you book. You must be 8 and able to swim.
13:30 · Lunch at La Punta. Walk to the tip of the headland. Since 1963 the same family has cooked the lake here: lake-fish antipasto, riso in cagnone with perch, grilled agoni. The kitchen does not close all day, so there is no rush.
16:00 · The Orrido di Bellano. Boat back to Varenna and a short train to Bellano. The walkways hang above the gorge of the Pioverna as far as the great waterfall; it takes 45 minutes. Show your train or boat ticket and you pay €5 instead of €8.
17:15 · Return to Milan. Train from Bellano, the line passes through Varenna again.
What it costs
The boat, from €8 for the day ticket. Lunch at La Punta, about €50 per person without wine. The Orrido, €5 with a ticket. The kayak is paid separately when booking, and the regional train is bought at the station or on the Trenord app.
Time8 h
Change the route
If you do not want to row: in the afternoon, the Viandante stretch from Varenna to Bellano on foot, and the Orrido on arrival:
Sentiero del Viandante from Varenna to Bellano
From February to October, to eat in Varenna facing the quay; call first, the website does not publish the hours:
Locanda Cavallino
With rain, without kayaking: boat to Lenno and the Balbianello garden with a booking:
Villa del Balbianello by Boat from Lenno
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Locanda Cavallino
What to order: the mixed lake-fish antipasto and the perch risotto, the house dish.
Crotto del Sergente
What to order: the pumpkin risotto (for two), the trout ravioli or the lake fish guazzetto with riso in cagnone.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Lake Como
From April to October, any day: La Punta is open daily from 11:30 to 22:00 and the kayak goes out every day with a booking. In winter there are fewer boats and the Orrido opens with reduced hours on weekdays.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the kayak the day before
Places are few, six on the 11:30 departure.
- 2Keep your train ticket
At the Orrido it gets you a discount.
- 3Check the last boat
In the low season the boats finish earlier; download the day's timetable.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Milan to Varenna by train?
About 64 minutes with no changes from Milano Centrale, on the Trenord regional trains towards Tirano.
Do you need to book the boat?
No: the ticket is bought at the quay ticket office. The kayak does need booking.
Can it be done with children?
Yes, if they are 8 and can swim for the kayak; if they are younger, swap the kayak for a walk round Bellagio. The Orrido suits all ages.
Where do you eat on Sunday?
At La Punta, which is open every day from 11:30 to 22:00.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/italy/lombardy/lake-como/itineraries/varenna-bellagio-orrido-day-from-milan-by-train-and-boat
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.