Bellagio travel guide

Bellagio, Italy

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Bellagio

Introduction

Bellagio sits on Lake Como, known by its Latin name Lario, at the point where the lake's two southern arms branch to form the Triangolo lariano. The town occupies the tip of this promontory, looking out across the lake's northern arm towards the Alps, a position long noted for its scenic beauty.

It is a comune in the Province of Como, in the Lombardy region, and belongs to the Comunità montana del Triangolo lariano, which is headquartered in Canzo.

Before you go

Before you go, note that tourist information in Bellagio is seasonal. The main Tourism Information Office, on the second pier at Pontile 2 on Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, operates from mid-March to mid-November and closes over the winter months. A second option, the Promo Bellagio office, sits in the stone tower on Piazza della Chiesa. Both can help you plan your time in the town. If you're travelling with luggage, the Tourism Information Office offers a left-luggage service, which is worth knowing before you arrive given Bellagio's stepped lanes and waterfront piers. Plan your visit around the operating season if you want in-person advice, and check ahead in the colder months when the main office is shut.

Getting there

Bellagio sits on a promontory in the middle of Lake Como, so you can arrive by road or by water. From Como, bus route C30 runs to Bellagio via Nesso and takes about an hour and ten minutes; tickets are sold in bars, including the one at the train station.

Getting around

Bellagio is small enough to explore on foot, and walking is the most practical way to move between its different parts. The town is split between the lakeside area and the upper village, and the two are connected by a network of stepped alleys and staircases that climb the hillside. These passages are the main routes through the historic centre, so expect some uphill walking as you move between the waterfront and the streets above.

Where to stay

Bellagio's accommodation is limited, so book ahead if you plan to stay overnight. The town's most famous address is the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni on Via Roma, a landmark since the late 19th century and the only five-star property in Bellagio.

Food & drink

For a bite during the hottest hours of the day, head to the San Giovanni neighbourhood, where you'll find a family-run bar and restaurant right on the lake at Via alla Spiaggia. It opens only for the summer season, roughly five months of the year, and draws both visitors and locals with its rustic food and friendly atmosphere. Younger members of staff speak excellent English, so ordering is easy if your Italian runs out. Beyond this lakeside spot, the source offers no further detail on where to eat or drink in Bellagio, so plan to explore the town's options on arrival rather than relying on a fixed list.

What to see and do

In Bellagio you can visit two historic villas. Villa Melzi, on Via Melzi d'Eril, opens from late March to October; your ticket includes the garden, the Neoclassical Chapel and the museum. Villa Serbelloni, reached from a meeting point at the Promobellagio office in the medieval stone tower in the main square near the church of St. Giacomo in the upper part of the historic centre, about a ten-minute walk from the ferry pier, is open mid-March to October, Tuesday to Sunday, by guided tour only, with a minimum of six people. Don't confuse it with the nearby Grandhotel Villa Serbelloni, which shares the name. The tour lasts an hour and a half and involves uphill walking; the guide, who studied in Oxford and speaks excellent English, tells stories about the villa, including that Napoleon was here and that it was owned by a member of the Rockefeller family. There are no visits inside. For something more active, take a cruise around the lake.

Three days in Bellagio

Day one: Base yourself in Bellagio, the pearl of Lake Como, and start with the waterfront at the Pontile and Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, where the lake and the Alps frame the view. From Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, walk up Via Roma to the Chiesa San Giovanni. In the afternoon, visit the Villa Melzi Gardens along the lake. For information on what is open, the Tourism Information Office and Promo Bellagio can help you plan.

Day two: Take a ferry across Lake Como to Varenna, a village on the opposite shore, and to Lecco at the southern end of the lake. The ferries link Bellagio with these towns, so you can cross the water and return the same day. Back in Bellagio, walk Viale Domenico Vitali and the area around the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, and note the Hotel Fioroni and the TotalErg along the way.

Day three: Explore the Lario and the Triangolo, the three arms of the lake, and the Comunit and Canzo area in the Province of Como, Lombardy. From Como, you can reach Nesso and other lakeside spots by road or by ferry. If you visit between March and November, the season is at its best; before you go, check with the Tourism Information Office or Promo Bellagio for what is open.

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