What To Do In Varenna Italy (Full Guide + Itinerary For 2026)

If Bellagio is the tourist postcard version of Lake Como, Varenna is the quiet place you go to and the second most beautiful town at Lake Como.

You can expect a single ribbon of pastel houses stacked above the water, a lakeside path barely wide enough for two, and far fewer people fighting for the same Instagram photo.

This Varenna guide covers what to do in Varenna Italy, where to eat, and where to stay.

Is Varenna worth visiting?

Yes, it’s our favourite Lake Como town by far!

You have the exact amazing views as you have in Bellagio, but nearly not as many tourists.

We came here by car in May 2026, but there’s even a direct train from Milan, which is super convenient for a 2-day trip.

Since Varenna is part of the golden triangle, you can take quick ferries to Bellagio and Menaggio.

If you want to see exactly how Varenna sits relative to Bellagio, Menaggio and the rest of the shoreline, our Map of Lake Como guide lays out the Y-shaped geography before you book.

Stay here if:

• You want the classic Lake Como look without Bellagio’s crowds
• You’re arriving by train and want to skip the car
• You want a romantic, slower-paced town

Skip it if:

• You want nightlife or the best restaurants (Bellagio has more options)
• You’re relying entirely on ferries to reach the northern lake towns (Varenna has better ferries to the central and eastern shore)
• You want a big, buzzy resort town. For quieter northern bases with even fewer crowds, our Gravedona guide and Colico guide cover the top of the lake.

Best things to do in Varenna at a glance

Best things to do in Varenna
🍝 Cooking class with Annamaria	🏰 Castello di Vezio	🌿 Villa Monastero gardens
🌸 Villa Cipressi gardens	💕 Passeggiata degli Innamorati	⛪ Piazza San Giorgio & old town
💧 Fiumelatte hamlet	🥾 Sentiero del Viandante	🏖️ Lido di Varenna
🚤 Boat tour of Lake Como	🪜 Secret steps to the water	🏊 Swim at Spiaggia

Map of all Varenna attractions

Varenna is small enough to cover on foot, but the villas, the castle and Fiumelatte all sit at the edge of the town.

So there will be some walking on hills involved.

What to do in Varenna Italy: top things to do

Below are the best things to do in Varenna, broken down by what’s actually worth your time.

1. Visit Castello di Vezio

What it is.

Castello di Vezio is a medieval watchtower on the hillside above town with one of the best panoramic views over Lake Como and Varenna’s rooftops. You can rent an audio guide to tell you about its history.

Two honest things worth knowing before you go.

First, there are two paths between Varenna and the castle, and both are steep and unguarded with no railing.

Second, the falconry display keeps birds tethered on short leashes, which feels weird in this day and age where we prefer to see birds free-roaming.

How to get there: On foot from Varenna in roughly 20 to 30 minutes uphill, or a short drive plus a 15-minute walk from the small parking area near Vezio village.

💡 INSIDER TIP: Go up via the Vezio village path and come down the gentler route into town.

2. Walk through Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi gardens

What it is.

These are the two great lakeside gardens of Varenna, side by side on the southern edge of town.

Villa Monastero’s botanical garden stretches almost two kilometres right along the water, past cypresses, citrus and a former Cistercian monastery turned house-museum. It’s perfect to fill a complete afternoon!

It was the most peaceful villa visit we had anywhere on the lake.

Villa Cipressi, next door, is smaller and terraced, now a hotel whose gardens you can still visit by ticket.

If you only have time for one, we recommend visiting the Monastero since it has the longer waterfront walk.

How to get there: A flat 10-minute lakeside walk south from the ferry terminal through the old town. Both entrances are easily signposted.

3. Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati (Lovers’ Promenade)

What it is.

The Passeggiata degli Innamorati, also called the Lovers’ Promenade or Walk of Lovers, runs along the water from the ferry terminal into the town centre, between the lake and the stone walls of the hillside.

It’s short, flat, and one of the most romantic paths on the whole lake, especially in the early evening at golden hour!

How to get there: Starts right at the ferry pier and leads into the old town. You’ll walk it automatically when you arrive with the ferry.

4. Wander the old town and Piazza San Giorgio

What it is.

Piazza San Giorgio is Varenna’s heart, a small square with cafés, with the 14th-century Church of San Giorgio on one side and the older Church of San Giovanni Battista opposite (you can visit both).

Follow the lanes down to the Vecchio Porto, Varenna’s tiny ancient port, where you can find some fishing boats below the pastel houses in one of the most Instagrammed corners of the whole lake.

Cost: Free (churches free to enter).

How to get there: The square sits at the centre of the old town, a few minutes’ walk uphill from the ferry (you can’t miss it).

5. Take a cooking class with Monica

What it is.

In Varenna, we took a cooking class with Annamaria, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our Lake Como trip.

The class runs about three hours in a local cook’s home, where you make three authentic regional dishes.

We made a starter, a pasta, and a tiramisu.

Finally, we of course sat down to eat everything we had made, with local wines included.

What stayed with us was how personal it felt: less a tourist production, more being welcomed into a real Italian family kitchen with lake views, hearing the stories behind the recipes.

We now make our pasta the same way Monica taught us!

6. Discover the hamlet of Fiumelatte

What it is.

A short walk south of Varenna brings you to Fiumelatte, a tiny lakeside hamlet named for its “milk river” (fiume latte, literally river of milk), which we have been told is one of the shortest rivers in Italy at around 250 metres (820 feet).

It runs only from March to October and dries up completely the rest of the year.

It’s a nice walk to fill some time rather than a must-visit destination in itself.

Cost: Free.

How to get there: About a 30-minute walk from Varenna’s old town, or one stop on the Greenway dei Patriarchi path.

7. Find the “secret steps” to the water

What it is.

On the walk from Piazza San Giorgio down to Villa Monastero, keep an eye out for a small alcove that’s easy to miss.

A sign on the wall reads “200 steps to a romantic view,” and it delivers: a narrow flight of stone stairs drops to the water’s edge, where a few small boats are tied up, and a low stone wall makes the perfect spot to sit and admire the lake.

It’s one of Varenna’s genuine hidden corners!

How to get there: Between Piazza San Giorgio and Villa Monastero, on the lake side of the path. The entrance isn’t obvious, so watch for the alcove and the sign.

8. Swim at Spiaggia and Varenna’s hidden coves

What it is.

Varenna only has a few beaches where you can swim.

Our favourite beach is Spiaggia, a small cove that’s an ideal place to bring a takeaway pizza or a couple of drinks and get in the water.

On the far side of the ferry port, the Olivedo Lido Beach Club has a restaurant, a bar and a pebbly area to lay out.

9. Take a boat tour of Lake Como

One of the best things we did in Varenna was a shared sunset boat cruise on Lake Como.

It was incredible to see the villas, mountains, and towns from the water as the sun went down.

We felt like we were in a film.

PAY ATTENTION to the timing. A sunset tour in peak summertime is between 8:30 PM and 9:20 PM. Some ‘sunset tours’ take you on a cruise when the sun is still high and bright, so not at golden hour.

👉 Book your SHARED VENETIAN TAXI TOUR in advance here.

What to do when only a few hours in Varenna

If you only have a few hours in the town before you have to take your ferry back, then we recommend this loop:

• Off the ferry, walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati into the old town.
• Coffee in Piazza San Giorgio and a look inside the two churches.
• South along the shore to Villa Monastero’s gardens (at least an hour).
• Back through town and up to Castello di Vezio for the view.
• Back into town and a lakeside dinner as the day-boats leave.

A few more things to do if you’re staying longer

Find the Baluardo di Varenna viewpoint. A lesser-known scenic spot near the town cemetery, reached by stairs and a forest path of about 10 to 15 minutes, for a high, quiet view over Varenna and Fiumelatte. Overlooked by most tourists.

Hike the Sentiero del Viandante. The long-distance “Wayfarer’s Path” along the eastern shore passes through Varenna.

The popular Varenna-to-Bellano stretch is about 7 km (4.4 miles), a little bit challenging with some steep and slippery sections, and takes roughly 3 hours. Return easily by train or ferry from Bellano. See the route here.

Day trips from Varenna

Varenna’s position as part of the golden triangle makes it an easy base for day trips.

Bellagio is a 15-to-20-minute ferry across the water. It’s a lot busier and has more restaurants and nightlife. Visiting the two towns in one day is the classic Lake Como visit. Our Bellagio guide covers what to do once you’re there.

Menaggio and Villa Carlotta sit on the western shore of Lake Como, reachable via the same mid-lake ferry triangle. Villa Carlotta’s gardens are the biggest and most beautiful on the lake. See our Menaggio guide for the western-shore side of the lake.

The northern lake (Colico, Gravedona, Domaso) gives you a very raw and untouched side of Lake Como. Our Colico guide and Gravedona guide cover the top of the lake.

Where to eat, drink and grab breakfast in Varenna

Breakfast

For breakfast, there is only one place in Varenna that will get you the best possible breakfast!

We recommend Lake Bakery as the best spot in town!

We planned our castle hike for after breakfast, before heading back into town.

Drinks and lunch over the water

In the main pedestrian zone, several cafés and bars line the lake.

Bar Il Molo is one of our favourites, with tables right at the water’s edge.

Don’t expect Michelin-star food, but it’s quite decent, and the view makes up for it!

Dinner

Il Cavatappi is the best restaurant in town.

It’s this tiny trattoria in an alley off the main square that was amazing!

I had their braised lamb, which was just delicious!

We recommend booking in advance since they only have a dozen places!

What to order

Lake Como’s local specialities are worth seeking out.

Look for risotto con pesce persico (creamy risotto with lake perch), missoltini (sun-dried, salted lake shad grilled and served with polenta), and pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta with cheese, potato and cabbage) in the cooler months.

Free things to do in Varenna

Not everything here costs money. If you’re keeping the budget tight:

• Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati at sunset
• Visit Piazza San Giorgio and step inside its two churches on either side
• Follow the Greenway dei Patriarchi to Fiumelatte
• Climb to the Baluardo di Varenna viewpoint
• Sit on the public lakefront by the ferry pier and watch the boats

Where to stay in Varenna

Varenna is small, and its best rooms book out months ahead for summer. Two reliable picks, each with an honest trade-off:

Hotel Olivedo (best for location and convenience)

Right beside the ferry terminal and a short walk from the train station, with classic old-world rooms and lake views, this family-run hotel is perfect if you’re arriving without a car and plan to hop between lake towns.

The negative: the central location means there is noise at night.

Our room was facing the pier and catching ferry, car, and foot traffic, and the cheapest rooms are small with basic furnishings, so ask for a higher lake-view room if you can.

Hotel du Lac Varenna (best for views)

A lakefront hotel in the heart of Varenna with rooms overlooking the water and a good balance of luxury and views.

The honest con: If you want a lakefront view, you’ll pay a lot more.

One-day and two-day Varenna Itineraries

One day in Varenna

Arrive by mid-morning train.

Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati into the old town, coffee in Piazza San Giorgio, visit the two churches, then visit the famous Villa Monastero’s gardens (almost 2 km long).

Have a lovely lunch on the waterfront.

Climb to Castello di Vezio for the afternoon view.

Stay for dinner and the night or take a ferry back.

Two days in Varenna

Day 1

Arrive by mid-morning train.

Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati into the old town, coffee in Piazza San Giorgio, visit the two churches, then visit the famous Villa Monastero’s gardens (almost 2 km long).

Have a lovely lunch on the waterfront.

Climb to Castello di Vezio for the afternoon view.

Stay for dinner and the night or take a ferry back.

Day 2

Take the cooking class with Monica in the morning, OR hike the Sentiero del Viandante to Bellano, visit Bellano, and take a train or ferry back to Varenna or where you came from.

Final thoughts on visiting Varenna

Varenna is not Bellagio, and that’s exactly why we love it.

It gives you the same Lake Como charm without the crowds, with a direct train connection that makes it one of the easiest bases on the whole lake.

So, if you want the classic Lake Como experience at a calmer pace, base yourself here, do the cooking class, climb to Vezio for the view, and save Bellagio for a day trip on the quiet last ferry home.

Written by Laura and Alexander, a travel couple who have explored Lake Como first-hand, from busy Bellagio to the cooking class in Varenna and the boat crossings and the quiet northern towns like Gravedona and Colico.