Milan 5-Day + Lake Como

Activities

1. 09:00 Duomo + Galleria + Quadrilatero + La Scala + Savini dinner 12 hours

   Same as 3-Day Day 1.

   Cost: €100-300 TIP: See 3-Day Day 1 for details.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Last Supper + Sforza Castle + Brera + Cracco dinner 12 hours

   Same as 3-Day Day 2.

   Cost: €80-300 TIP: Pre-book Last Supper 2-3 months ahead.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 10:00 Navigli + Quadrilatero shopping + Trattoria Masuelli dinner 10 hours

   Same as 3-Day Day 3 (without the departure).

   Cost: €60-200 TIP: More relaxed pace since you have two more days.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Cadorna → Como S. Giovanni (Trenord regional, 45 min) 1 hour

   Trenord regional train from Cadorna or Stazione Centrale to Como S. Giovanni. €5-10 each way, frequent departures.

   Cost: €5-10 train TIP: Buy at the station or via Trenord app. Validate paper tickets before boarding.
2. 10:00 Como Town + Cathedral + ferry to Bellagio 3 hours

   Walk Como's historic center and waterfront, then board the ferry to Bellagio (45 min). The lake is at its best from the deck.

   Cost: Free Como walk + €5-20 ferry TIP: Buy ferry tickets at the Como docks. The fast hydrofoil is pricier but cuts the time in half.
3. 13:00 Bellagio (Pearl of Lake Como) 4 hours

   Bellagio sits at the fork of the lake — pastel houses, narrow stepped lanes, Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni gardens. The most-photographed town on Lake Como.

   Cost: Variable TIP: Walk the village in the morning before the day-trippers arrive. Villa Melzi gardens €10. Lakeside dining is pricier than inland.
4. 18:30 Bellagio dinner + lakeside sunset 2.5 hours

   Dinner at a Bellagio lakeside restaurant (€30-100). The sunset over the western arm of the lake is the day's photo highlight.

   Cost: €30-100 TIP: Reserve Fri-Sat. Ristorante Bilacus is a long-running Bellagio favorite.
5. 22:00 Bellagio overnight or return to Milan 1 hour

   If you're staying overnight in Bellagio, check into a lakeside hotel; if returning to Milan, catch the last ferry to Como and the train back.

   Cost: Hotel €100-500/night or train €10-15 TIP: Bellagio overnight is highly recommended — the village empties of day-trippers after 19:00. Last train Como to Milan is around 22:30.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Bellagio → Varenna ferry (30 min) 30 min

   Cross the lake to Varenna — a smaller, less crowded village with stepped lanes and a lakefront promenade. The ferry crossing is short and scenic.

   Cost: €5-12 ferry TIP: Bellagio-Varenna ferries run every 30-45 minutes in season.
2. 10:00 Varenna + Villa Monastero 3 hours

   Walk Varenna's lakefront, then visit Villa Monastero — a former monastery turned villa with extensive gardens reaching the water.

   Cost: €10 Villa Monastero TIP: Walking shoes for the stepped lanes. The villa gardens are the highlight.
3. 13:30 Villa del Balbianello (Casino Royale filming location) 2 hours

   A 17th-century villa on a wooded promontory, used as a filming location for Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II. Reach it by boat from Lenno (10 min) or via a 1 km wooded path.

   Cost: €20 villa + €15 boat TIP: Pre-book via FAI website (the villa's owner). Tour of the interior is extra; the gardens alone are worth the visit.
4. 16:00 Varenna → Milan train (1 hour) 1 hour

   Varenna-Esino station back to Milano Centrale or Cadorna. Frequent regional service.

   Cost: €8-15 TIP: Buy via Trenord app. Validate paper tickets before boarding.
5. 18:00 Final Milan dinner + Malpensa departure 4 hours

   Last dinner in Milan — a Brera trattoria or a return to one of the favorites from earlier in the trip.

   Cost: €60-200 dinner + €13 train TIP: Pre-book dinner. Malpensa Express train €13, 50 min.
6. 23:00 Departure from Malpensa or Linate 1 hour transit

   International departures back to Asia, North America or onward in Europe.

   Cost: Malpensa Express €13 TIP: Check-in opens 3 hours before international departures.

Meal Recommendations