Things to do in Tremezzo: Villa Carlotta and Villa Del Balbianello + Itinerary
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Tremezzo is a small but beautiful Italian town on the shore of Lake Como.
Are you interested in discovering the best things to do in Tremezzo? Then take a look at this post!
🌺 Villa Carlotta is the reason to be in Tremezzo. Ferry stop 400 m from the gate, no uphill walk, €17.50 for adults in 2026.
🌸 Villa del Balbianello is closed Mondays and Wednesdays. It is in Lenno (next to Tremezzo).
🏘️ Tremezzo is part of Tremezzina. Since 2014 it shares a municipality with Lenno, Ossuccio and Mezzegra, which is why so much sits within a short hop.
🚶 Walk the Greenway. 10 km (6.2 mi) from Colonno to Cadenabbia on the old Roman Strada Regina, straight through Tremezzo, about 3.5 hours, and it is free.
⛵ Isola Comacina is the lake’s only island. Taxi boat from Ossuccio, €7 ($8) return, open May to the end of October.
🚗 A car helps here. Ferries and the C110 bus cover the main stops, but this shore is more spread out than the central towns.
💰 Three hotel tiers. Hotel La Perla for value, San Giorgio for lakeside mid-range, Grand Hotel Tremezzo if you want an ultra-luxurious stay.
🍝 Eat uphill, not on the promenade. The best food we found is in Rogaro and the hills above Tremezzo, not on the waterfront.
Is Tremezzo worth visiting?
Yes. If you like villas and gardens, this is the place to be.
We would rank it as the best base on Lake Como for anyone whose trip is built around the villas, and one of the worst for anyone without a car who wants to see four towns in three days.
Stay here if:
- Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello are the reason you are coming to Lake Como.
- You have a car, or you are happy to build your days around the ferry timetable.
- You want a quieter evening than Bellagio or Como.
Skip it if:
- You want to hop between towns quickly. Varenna and Bellagio are better connected for that.
- You are relying entirely on public transport and travelling with luggage.
- You want the cheapest possible base. Colico and Gravedona in the north are a lot cheaper.
If you are still deciding where on the lake to base yourself, our Map of Lake Como post explains the Y-shape and why the western shore is different from the eastern one.
Best things to do in Tremezzo: summary
| Best things to do in Tremezzo, Lake Como | ||
| 🌺 Villa Carlotta | 🌸 Villa del Balbianello | 🚶 Greenway del Lago di Como |
| ⛵ Isola Comacina | ⛪ Sacro Monte di Ossuccio | 🏖️ Lido di Lenno, Golfo di Venere |
| 🛥️ Western shore boat tour | 🕊️ Mezzegra and the 1945 memorial | 🌳 Parco Teresio Olivelli, Tremezzo |
Top things to do in Tremezzo and the villa coast
1. Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
Villa Carlotta is the number one reason why you should visit Tremezzo. It is THE place to visit! Many people even take the ferry from Bellagio to Tremezzo, purely for the gardens!
It’s a 17th-century villa in the centre of Tremezzo with a 70,000 sq m botanical garden and a museum within the same ticket.
We find it the better of the two famous villas: Balbianello has a more dramatic feeling, but Carlotta is the one where you can lose an hour and a half without feeling like you are queuing.
It’s amazing to stroll through the garden and just enjoy the quiet Italian way of living.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: €17.50 for adults ($19). Expensive but worth it.
- 🚗 Parking: Villa Mainona multi-storey on Via Peduzzi. The free white-line spaces on the SS340 are already full by morning in summer
- ⏱️ Time needed: around 1.5 hours
- 💡 Tip: Show your same-day TreNord or ASF bus ticket at the desk for a discount.
More information on the official website of Villa Carlotta.
Skip the ticket queue at the gate
Villa Carlotta sells timed entry online, which matters most between 11 am and 2 pm when the ferries land together.
Book your Villa Carlotta garden and museum ticket2. Villa del Balbianello in Lenno
A villa on its own peninsula outside Lenno, about 5 km (3 mi) down from Tremezzo.
You’ll know this villa even if you’ve never been. It’s been the movie scene from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale.
We think the gardens are worth the visit, but the interior is rather optional and not that special.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: €15 park only ($16)
- 🚶 Getting there: Ferry, bus, or drive to Lenno, then a 20 to 30 minute uphill walk of about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the dock
- 🛥️ The easier way: Taxi boat from Lido di Lenno, roughly €5 to €8 ($5 to $9) one way, drops you near the entrance
- ⏱️ Time needed: 2 hours for the gardens, 3 with the interior tour
- 👎 The cons: Expect a lot of people in July and August. So don’t expect your Instagram images to be without people.
More information on the official website of Villa Balbianello.
Visit the Hollywood-famous gardens
The outside gardens are amazing. The inside is not worth it if you ask us.
Check Villa del Balbianello entry and tour options3. Parco Teresio Olivelli, Tremezzo
Tremezzo’s public lakefront park, directly across the water from Bellagio. It is the best free view of the lake’s central triangle in the village.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: Free
- 📍 Where: On the Tremezzo lakefront, walking distance from the ferry stop
- ⏱️ Time needed: 20 minutes
- 💡 Tip: The best sunset spot in Tremezzo that does not require buying a drink at a hotel terrace
- 👎 The con: It is a town park, not an attraction
See both villas the way they were designed to be seen
Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello were both built to be approached from the water, and a western shore boat tour is the only way to get that view.
Compare boat tours along the western shore4. Isola Comacina
A small island off Ossuccio, and the only island on the whole of Lake Como, left with ruins, a 17th-century church and three modernist artists’ houses after Como destroyed the settlement in 1169.
This is our must-do activity in Tremezzo after doing Villas Carlotta and Balbianello, as this is the one thing near Tremezzo that no other town of the lake can offer.
Summary:
- ⛵ Boat: Taxi boat from Ossuccio, roughly €7 ($8) per person return, paid on board in cash
- 🎟️ Entry: Island and Antiquarium ticket is separate, bought at the Antiquarium or the machine on the island
- 🚗 Getting there: Ossuccio is about 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Tremezzo
- ⏱️ Time needed: 1 hour
- 👎 The con: It’s a very small island. If ruins do nothing for you, skip it
More information on the official Isola Comacina website.
5. Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como
A waymarked walking route from Colonno to Cadenabbia that runs straight through Tremezzo, following the Antica Strada Regina, the old Roman road along the western shore.
This is the single best free thing to do in Tremezzo, and the reason we would tell a walker to base here rather than in Bellagio.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: Free
- 📏 Distance: 10 km (6.2 mi), Colonno to Cadenabbia di Griante
- ⏱️ Time needed: About 3.5 hours end to end, more if you stop
- 🗺️ Route: Passes Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, Lenno, Mezzegra, Tremezzo and Griante
- ⛴️ Getting there: Ferry or C110 bus to Colonno, then walk north so the afternoon light is behind you and you finish near a ferry stop. It’s nice to have a go at this; you can then have an afternoon drink in Cadenabbia and take a ferry or bus ride back to Tremezzo or any of the other towns.
- 🍷 On the way: Bars, trattorias and small beach kiosks throughout, so no need to carry lunch
- 👎 The con: Waymarked with metal plaques set into the pavement, which are easy to lose inside the villages. Download the route offline first via AllTrails.
Download the Greenway route before you lose the waymarkers
The trail is well signed on open stretches and easy to lose inside the villages, so an offline map saves the backtracking.
See the full Greenway route and reviews6. Sacro Monte di Ossuccio
Fourteen chapels climbing the hillside above Ossuccio through olive terraces to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso, listed by UNESCO in 2003.
It’s a nice walk and something active to do when you’re done with the villas and the small island, and we would take this walk over a third villa.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: Free to walk the path and see the chapels from outside
- 🥾 Getting there: Start in Ossuccio and follow the signs uphill. An easy climb through olive groves, not technical
- ⏱️ Time needed: 1.5 to 2 hours return
- 💡 Tip: Go in the afternoon. It will be warm, but the chapels will face the lake, and the light on the way back down is the best part
- 👎 The con: A real uphill walk in full sun with almost no shade.
More information on the official Sacro Monte di Ossuccio website.
7. Lido di Lenno and the Golfo di Venere
A sandy beach club on the Golfo di Venere, the sheltered bay at Lenno, with sunbeds, a restaurant and a beach bar.
It is also where the Balbianello taxi boat leaves from, which makes it the obvious place to land after the villa.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: Beach entry around €4 ($4.50) per person
- 🚶 Getting there: Five minutes along the lakefront from Lenno’s main square. From Tremezzo, a short bus ride, drive, or Greenway section
- 💡 Tip: Do Balbianello first thing and come straight back. The bay is calm in the afternoon, and it is the most efficient half day on this shore. You can then spend the rest of your afternoon in Lenno at the beach before returning to Tremezzo in the evening.
- 👎 The con: A paid beach club, not a free public beach, and it gets loud in high season
8. Mezzegra and the 1945 memorial
On 28 April 1945, Benito Mussolini and Claretta Petacci were shot by partisans at the gate of Villa Belmonte in Giulino di Mezzegra, and a black cross set into the wall marks the spot.
We would not call it a sightseeing stop, but just so you know why that black cross is there.
Summary:
- 🎟️ Cost: Free
- 📍 Where: Giulino di Mezzegra, Via 24 Maggio. A black cross in the wall and a roadside information board
- 🚶 Getting there: The Greenway passes through Mezzegra, so it fits in without a detour
- ⏱️ Time needed: 1 minute
- 👎 The con: There is nothing to see beyond the marker
Where to eat in Tremezzo
Our recommendation is to eat where the locals eat. Not on the promenade, but a bit more uphill (in Rogaro and the hills above the SS340).
The restaurants at the promenade are for the tourists coming with ferries to Tremezzo.
La Fagurida, Rogaro di Tremezzo
Rustic and family-run in the hamlet of Rogaro above Tremezzo, cooking seasonally on local produce: roast rabbit with rosemary and polenta when it is cold, lake fish through the summer.
This is the one we would book first, and the pick if you want a proper Lombardy meal with a view over the lake!
Summary:
- 🍽️ Best for: Traditional Lombardy cooking
- ⭐ Rating: 4.2 out of 5 across roughly 370 Tripadvisor reviews, best in Tremezzo
- 🚗 Getting there: Uphill in Rogaro. Car, taxi or walk there
Al Veluu, above Tremezzo
Family-run for generations in the hills above Tremezzo, with a terrace looking down over the lake and fresh lake fish on the menu.
Go here for the view: it is the special-occasion option that is not the Grand Hotel.
Summary:
- 🍽️ Best for: A view dinner
- ⭐ Rating: 4.1 out of 5 across 557 Tripadvisor reviews
- 🚗 Getting there: Narrow drive up from the SS340. Make a reservation beforehand.
- 👎 The con: The view is priced into the expensive bill
Cantina Follie, Tremezzo
A small wine cellar where you drink in the cantina or outside on the terrace under the vines, with local cold cuts and cheeses.
Not dinner: this is the aperitivo stop after a villa, and the platter plus a bottle beats a mediocre lakeside pizza.
Summary:
- 🍷 Best for: Aperitivo after a villa
- 🧀 Order this: The tagliere dell’amicizia, the friendship platter of local cheeses and some meats
- 👎 The con: Small, and a wine cellar rather than a restaurant. Do not arrive hungry expecting a full menu
Discover the wine cellar here!
If you fancy a (very) fancy aperitif on a beautiful terrace facing the lake, go for Bar Roma (Piazza Roma 2/A), a few meters from Villa Sola Cabiati (the ancient faded sign of the former consumer cooperative in Tremezzo is also beautiful: a nice detail to photograph if you love this kind of nostalgic shots!)
Where to stay in Tremezzo
Hotel La Perla, Tremezzo (best value)
Family-run and run well, looked after by twin sisters and their husbands, with amazing lake-view rooms, most with a balcony, and a pool deck with a restaurant terrace above it.
We had a really nice stay here and can recommend their hotel!
Summary:
- 💰 Best for: Value with a view
- 🛏️ Rooms: Most have a private balcony and lake views
- 🏊 Facilities: Pool deck and restaurant terrace
- 🚶 Getting there: About 20 minutes downhill to the ferry and bus stop, steep on the way back. The hotel shuttle costs little, and you will use it.
- 👎 The con: That hill. Without a car or the shuttle, it shapes your whole day
Check rates and availability at Hotel La Perla
San Giorgio Hotel, Lenno (mid-range, lakeside)
Built in 1920 and run by the fourth generation of the same family, with a garden that goes down to the water so you reach the lake without crossing the SS340.
The pick if Villa del Balbianello is the centre of your trip, because you are staying at the launch point.
Summary:
- 💰 Best for: Direct lake access without crossing the road
- 📍 Where: Lenno (so not in Tremezzo itself), walking distance from the dock and the Balbianello taxi boat
- 👎 The con: Traditional rather than modern furniture, and the period character comes with period fittings in places
Check rates and availability at San Giorgio Hotel
Grand Hotel Tremezzo (luxury at its finest)
The famous grand hotel in Tremezzo, with the floating pool set into the lake, views across to Bellagio, and La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi downstairs.
Worth it for a short stay in shoulder season, and not worth it in August at peak rates.
Summary:
- 💰 Rates: Roughly $1,000 to $2,000 a night depending on season
- 🏊 The draw: The floating pool on the lake, and the Bellagio view
- 🍽️ Dining: La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi on site
- 🛣️ Worth knowing: The main building is separated from the floating pool by a busy road, with staff stopping traffic for guests
- 👎 The con: At high occupancy, nearly everything needs a reservation, including lunch and pre-dinner drinks, and the best loungers and breakfast tables go early
Check rates and availability at Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Lake-view rooms in Tremezzo go first
Tremezzo is a lot calmer than Bellagio and Varenna, but that also means there are not that many good hotels.
Look at different Tremezzo hotels and lake-view rooms3-day Tremezzo itinerary
Three days, built around the ferry times and the villa opening hours. Check the day of the week before you commit to this: Villa del Balbianello is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, so if Day 1 lands on one of those, swap Day 1 and Day 2 around.
Day 1: The two villas
Morning.
Be at Villa Carlotta for the 10:00 opening.
The ferry and the C110 bus both stop 400 m (0.25 mi) from the gate, so you do not need the car.
Give it an hour and a half, and do the garden terraces before the museum rooms, because the coaches arrive from around 11:00, so then it gets quite busy.
Lunch.
Eat on the Tremezzo waterfront.
Don’t expect the best meal in your life, but you get amazing views.
The promenade restaurants are priced heavily, and none of them is a destination, but you are twenty minutes from your afternoon boat.
Afternoon.
Ferry, bus or a ten-minute drive to Lenno, then the taxi boat from Lido di Lenno across to Villa del Balbianello, roughly €5 to €8 ($5 to $9) one way.
It saves you the 20 to 30 minute uphill walk from the dock, and it is the better arrival.
Two hours for the gardens is perfect.
Evening.
Have an aperitivo at Cantina Follie in Tremezzo, on the terrace under the vines; order their famous tagliere dell’amicizia platter.
Then dinner at Casa Aquadulza nearby.
Night.
Back to Hotel La Perla.
Day 2: The Greenway and the island
Morning.
Take the C110 bus or the ferry south to Colonno and walk back north, which puts the light behind you and finishes where you started.
The full route is 10 km (6.2 mi) and about 3.5 hours, but the Lenno to Tremezzo stretch is roughly a third of that and links both villas if you would rather keep the morning short.
Lunch.
Stop where the walk puts you.
There are bars, trattorias and small beach kiosks the whole way along the Greenway, which is the point of doing it this direction: you do not need to carry food or plan the timing.
Afternoon.
Down to Ossuccio, about 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Tremezzo, for the taxi boat to Comacina Island.
Around €7 ($8) per person return, paid on board in cash, with the island ticket bought separately by card.
An hour on the island covers the ruins, the church and the artists’ houses without rushing.
Evening.
Dinner at La Fagurida in Rogaro, uphill from Tremezzo.
This is the meal to plan the day around: roast rabbit with rosemary and polenta in the colder months, lake fish in summer.
You will need a car or a taxi, and it is worth both.
Night.
Straight back down to the hotel.
Rogaro is ten minutes above Tremezzo, so it is a short run home.
Day 3: The slow day
Morning.
Nothing scheduled.
Walk down to Parco Teresio Olivelli on the Tremezzo lakefront for the free view across to Bellagio, then take the ferry over to Bellagio or Varenna if you want a change of shore.
Both are under half an hour on the water.
Afternoon.
Lido di Lenno sul Golfo di Venere.
Entry is €4 ($4.50) with sunbeds extra; the bay is calm after midday, and there is a restaurant and beach bar if you want to stay put.
Late afternoon.
Climb the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, the fourteen chapels running up through olive terraces to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso.
Go now rather than at midday: the chapels face the lake, the light on the way back down is the best part, and there is very little shade on the way up.
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours return.
Evening.
Dinner at Al Veluu in the hills above Tremezzo, on the terrace looking down over the lake.
Book ahead, and accept that the view is priced into the bill. If you would rather spend the money on one formal occasion instead, La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi at the Grand Hotel is the alternative.
Tremezzo travel tips
Best time to visit Tremezzo
May, June and September.
The villas and gardens are at their best, the Greenway is perfectly walkable without suffering from the heat in July and August, and you avoid the July and August rush at Balbianello.
April is also nice, but some hotels and restaurants are not open yet.
Getting there
Tremezzo has no train station.
If you want to take the ferry, you can do so to Varenna-Esino on the Milan to Tirano line, and then take the Navigazione Laghi boat across to Tremezzo.
Driving from Milan, take the A9 to the Lago di Como exit, then the SS340 Strada Regina north.
Coming from further afield, our Venice to Lake Como guide covers that route in full.
Getting around
The C110 bus (Como to Menaggio to Colico, ASF Autolinee) runs the length of Lake Como and stops at Tremezzo–Villa Carlotta and the other main villages.
A car makes the difference here.
Not for the villas, which are all on the ferry and bus line, but for the restaurants uphill in Rogaro, for Ossuccio and for getting between villages after the buses thin out in the evening.
Our Map of Lake Como post shows exactly how Tremezzo sits relative to the rest.
Parking
Use the Villa Mainona multi-storey car park on Via Peduzzi in Tremezzo. The free white-line spaces along the SS340 exist, but they fill early in summer, and the blue-line spaces are paid.
Frequently asked questions about Tremezzo
Is Tremezzo worth visiting on Lake Como?
Yes, particularly for Villa Carlotta on its doorstep and Villa del Balbianello a short hop away, plus the Greenway, Isola Comacina and the UNESCO Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, which most people miss.
What is the difference between Tremezzo and Tremezzina?
Tremezzo is the village. Tremezzina is the municipality it belongs to, created on 4 February 2014 by merging Tremezzo with Lenno, Ossuccio and Mezzegra. If you are booking a hotel or searching a map, you will see both names used for the same stretch of shore.
Is Villa del Balbianello open every day?
No. Outside public holidays, it is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, which catches out a lot of people.
Is Villa del Balbianello hard to get to from Tremezzo?
You take a ferry, bus, or short drive to Lenno, then either a 20 to 30 minute uphill walk of about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the dock or a short paid taxi boat from Lido di Lenno. The interior is a separate guided ticket with limited slots that sell out.
How many days do you need in Tremezzo?
One day covers both villas if you plan around the ferry times. Two days add the Greenway and Isola Comacina without rushing.
Do you need a car in Tremezzo?
Not for the villas, which sit on the ferry and C110 bus line. But we very much recommend a car for the good restaurants which are uphill. There are also fewer ferry connections in Tremezzo than in Bellagio and Varenna so you might first have to go to Bellagio and take another ferry connection from there.
Where should I stay in Tremezzo?
Hotel La Perla for value with views, San Giorgio in nearby Lenno for direct lakeside access, Grand Hotel Tremezzo for one genuine luxurious stay.
Where is the best food in Tremezzo?
La Fagurida in Rogaro for traditional Lombardy cooking, or Al Veluu for the view.
Final thoughts on visiting Tremezzo
Tremezzo is for you to visit if you want to see villa gardens or go hiking.
But you should know that it is a small village inside a larger municipality rather than a self-contained resort, that Balbianello is shut on Mondays and Wednesdays, and that having a car to drive around is almost a must-have!
Planning the rest of your Lake Como trip?
Our full guide covers Bellagio, Varenna, Como and the northern villages most visitors never reach.
Read the best things to do in Lake ComoWritten by Laura and Alexander. We travelled around Lake Como from Como, Bellagio and Varenna, to the smaller villages of Colico, Gravedone and Tremezzo.
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