Arrival in Bellagio

Upon your arrival in the charming lakeside town of Bellagio on Lake Como, you check into your lake view room at the Hotel Belvedere. With its commanding position over the town and lake, this historic family-owned hotel is set in extensive landscaped gardens, a swimming pool, and terraces down to the lakeside. Settle in to views of crystalline water backed by lush hillsides to enjoy the afternoon and evening in Bellagio.

Considered one of Italy’s most beautiful sites, spread over a promontory in the center of Lake Como, the town of Bellagio is paired perfectly with its setting. Its narrow cobbled lanes and stairways sloping to the lake are lined by handsome old houses with ornate flower-bedecked balconies. The endlessly fascinating waterfront, equipped with rows of open air cafés, invites lingering and watching the ferries, boats, and hydrofoils gliding to and fro between lakeshore towns, mountains hovering above.

Attracting nobility and wealth for centuries, beautifully maintained historic villas and gardens line the shores of Lake Como, such as the Villa Melzi (visited on tomorrow’s walking tour), the Villa Serbelloni, the Villa Crella, and the Villa Carlotta. The Villa Serbelloni (not to be confused with the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni) stands majestically on the hillside overlooking the town and lake and is now a study and conference center for the Rockefeller Foundation; however, it dates back to the times of Pliny the Younger. The Villa Crella on the hillside above the hamlet of San Giovanni is just a short distance from Bellagio. The 17th-century Villa Carlotta is just a short ferry ride to Tremezzo, from which you can look back over the lake for a beautiful view of Bellagio.

Dinner is on your own this evening in one of Bellagio’s many fine restaurants or trattorias. A list of recommended restaurants is available for dining ideas.

Private guided walking tour of Bellagio; 3 hours, easy (good walking shoes suggested)

After a sumptuous buffet breakfast at your hotel, you set out on a half-day walking tour of the historical center of Bellagio and its hamlets along the promontory. The tour includes the main historical center of Bellagio and its Church of San Giacomo, the lakeside area, the Villa Melzi Gardens, the hamlets of Loppia, Taronico, and Pescallo. The Villa Melzi is a white neoclassical building standing on the lakeshore between the main promontory of the historical center and the hamlet of Loppia. Built in 1808 for one of Napoleon’s high-ranking officials, it has remained in the same family. Its lovely grounds were the first example of English-style gardens to be constructed on Lake Como.

Winding up the tour, a drink or lunch in a waterfront café is the perfect rest before continuing your afternoon explorations. One suggested visit is the stunning Villa Balbianello in Lenno (your hotel can assist with transfer arrangements). The location of many recent films from such as “A Month by the Lake,” “Star Wars Episode II,” and “Casino Royale,” it was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. Now owned by Italy’s National Trust, the last private owner, Count Guido Monzino, was a wealthy explorer and adventurer whose collections of rare Asian art, antique French and English furniture, paintings and much more are on display in the villa. And you can see why its sumptuous eclectic gardens are a perfect lakeside film location (Villa Balbianello is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays except holidays).

Other activities nearby that your hotel can assist with (at your expense) are tennis (a short walk from the hotel), waterskiing (also 5 minutes from hotel), or golf, just across the lake in Menaggio, with beautiful lake views.

Returning to Bellagio in the later afternoon, you are free to stroll the town, relax on the lake or poolside at your hotel before dinner on your own.

Half-day private excursion to Como with expert driver; 5 hours

A drive to the city of Como provides a comprehensive perspective on the Como “branch” of the three-branched Lake Como, as well as a visit to what is considered the lake’s and province’s “first” city. Winding on the road through villas and gardens for about an hour, Como’s elegant historic center can be explored on foot from its classic Piazza Cavour, nearby 14th-century Duomo cathedral, the Basilica di San Fedele, and the main street Via Vittorio Emanuel II, running through the walled city, which is lined with majestic 18th-century palaces. The city is especially known for being the center of the European silk industry; for centuries silk worms were raised on the leaves of mulberry trees lining the lakes. Now, you have the opportunity to visit one or more of the many silk outlets here.

This full morning concludes with an afternoon return transfer to your hotel in Bellagio, where you are free to enjoy the remainder of the evening.

Departure

Following breakfast in the hotel, you check out and depart at your leisure for your onward travels.