How to Spend 2 Days in Lake Como

If you’re planning two days in Lake Como, you have enough time to experience the best of Italy’s deepest—and some say, most photogenic—lake. Explore by boat, enjoy food tastings, and discover mountain trails and other adventures. Here are our tips for a 2-day stay in Lake Como.

Day 1: Discover the Lake

**Morning:**Ferries are the favorite mode of transport for getting around Lake Como; they chug along the west and east coasts to all the key towns and sights. Avoid figuring out timetables and tickets by choosing a tour that covers the lake’s star attractions, with a guide for background and observations. Most stop at towns such as Varenna and Bellagio and include cruises to showcase the scenery and call at the must-see Villa Balbianello or Villa d’Este.

**Afternoon:**If you didn’t join a day trip earlier, focus on the lake’s culture or particular highlights this afternoon. Explore Como and Bellagio on walking or Segway tours, or discover the secrets of pasta and other regional specialities during a cooking class. Alternatively, swap the kitchen for eating, sampling Como’s favorite snacks and delicacies on a food tour.

**Evening:**Tonight is perfect for easing back. Join the locals’ daily ritual of a passeggiata, admiring the lake before dinner next to the water or a bustling piazza. Or, discover another side to Como town on an evening walk that reveals some of the strange events in its 1,000-year history.

Day 2: Exploring Further

**Morning:**Experience Lake Como from a fresh angle, riding a bike or riding pillion on a motorcycle tour along waterfront roads. Other options include hiking mountain trails above the lake or peaceful kayaking expeditions along its shores.

**Afternoon:**Change your perspective again with a helicopter tour, hovering above the blue-green lake as your pilot points out sights and the snow-tipped Alps beyond. Travelers interested in viticulture might prefer a wine tour, sampling top-notch varietals produced by local wineries.

**Evening:**If you missed out on an earlier helicopter flight, book one for sunset for unforgettable aerial views of the lake. Otherwise, take a sunset cruise past villas and gardens to a lakeside restaurant for dinner—a quintessential Lake Como experience.