How to Spend One Day in Lake Como

Alexandria

International Travel | Travel

August 29, 2025

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If you’ve only got one day to soak up Lake Como, buckle up! We’re about to make it a full-circle adventure that’ll have everyone happily tired by bedtime.

We used City Wonders for this private tour and highly recommend it. Having a private guide and not having to think about literally anything makes all the difference. Our guide was fun, knowledgeable, and kept everything running smoothly. She shared fun stories and insights that made the day even more interesting, and she actually brought us to her own little lakeside town. She knew all the town drama and secrets! My favorite kind of fun facts. LOL

Overall, a private guide turns what can be a stressful day of logistics and wrangling kids, into a relaxing and memorable adventure for the whole family.

We met our guide in central Milan, coffee in hand like it’s my oxygen, the kids already negotiating snack rations, and hopped into our blissfully air-conditioned Sprinter van. One peek at the giant tour buses loading up nearby and I silently thanked past-me for not signing us up for that circus (have you seen those tiny Lake Como roads?!). While the kids happily turned the backseat into their personal snack lounge, we cruised toward the Italian Alps with postcard views along the way. Somewhere after “pass me another snack,” we rolled past Italy’s famous silk factories. The same ones that keep the fashion houses in Milan looking fabulous! Who knew snack crumbs and high fashion could share the same road trip?

Our first stop was the little lakeside town of Argegno, which turned out to be the perfect pitstop with restrooms, lattes, flaky croissants, and even a peek into our guide’s own place! Such a cool, personal touch. Fun fact: this is also where parts of Murder Mystery were filmed, so technically we were snacking where Adam Sandler once stood. Add that to the travel brag list!

Next, we headed to Tremezzo to climb aboard the boat for a slow, dreamy cruise along the shoreline. We passed pastel villages, historic villas, and actual celebrity homes. Hello George Clooney! The guide would casually point to a property and say things like, “Oh yes, that’s in a James Bond scene.” or “Yes, that’s where Luke Skywalker got married.” or “Here’s where Mussolini was killed!” I could have sat on that boat and listened to the guide for hours!

Back on land, we headed into Bellagio, “The Pearl of Lake Como.” The cobblestone streets and colorful balconies are straight out of a rom-com. We had two hours to explore which, for a family of six, meant a quick pasta lunch at Seta, a couple boutiques filled with linen dresses and leather, a walk down to the shore to touch the water, and of course a gelato chaser on the way back to the boat. Bellagio is one of those places you instantly want to come back to, but maybe not in summer, when the ferries are herding hundreds of people in and out every hour. Thankfully the private tour let us miss that part!

After lunch, we crossed the border into Lugano, Switzerland, where the air smells faintly of chocolate and luxury. This Italian-speaking Swiss town is like Lake Como’s chic cousin! Think luxury shops, lakeside promenades, and enough gelato competition to make a taste-test necessary. Warning: everything here is very expensive! Here’s a list of some budget friendly things to do in Lugano.

Must-do’s in Lugano

Pop into a chocolatier and get the good Swiss chocolate to stash for later. They even gave us a little insulated bag for the ride.

Check out the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli to see Bernardino Luini’s Passion and Crucifixion fresco. Switzerland’s Renaissance masterpiece.

Walk the lakefront for killer views (and kid energy burn-off).

Grab fries at one of the world’s most expensive McDonald’s. The price? Painful. The novelty? Priceless.

Fill your water bottles! Lake Como’s public fountains are straight from the Alps, which means ice-cold, fresh, and totally free refills all day long. YAY for nature’s hydration station and for not spending €25 on bottled water. Ouch!

After a full day of Italian lakes, Swiss sweets, and about 3,000 photos, we made the comfy ride back to Milan rolling in just in time for dinner and bedtime. One day in Lake Como might not be enough, but if you do it right, it’s pure magic!

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