Updated 6 November 2026
In brief
The main stops are Villa Monastero (house museum and botanical garden), the Castello di Vezio above the village, the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the church of San Giorgio and Fiumelatte.
From Milano Centrale the Trenord train reaches Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, with no changes.
The ferry from Bellagio to Varenna takes 15 minutes: together with Menaggio, you can see all three villages in one day.
Not everything closes in winter: Villa Monastero opens Thursday to Monday, the Castello di Vezio is open every day in November (but closes when it rains) and from December to February only at weekends and on public holidays in good weather.
The hours and prices in this guide come from the official websites, checked on 6 November 2026.
Varenna is a small village on the Lecco shore of Lake Como. You can walk around the centre in a short time, which is why it works well as a day trip, on its own or together with Bellagio and Menaggio. Here you will find what to see, how to get there without stress and what changes between summer and winter.
If you are also thinking about Bellagio, read the companion guide: Bellagio: things to do. The two days fit together well, because there is a quarter-hour ferry between the two villages.
Villa Monastero
Villa Monastero is a former Cistercian convent, now a house museum with a botanical garden run by the Province of Lecco. It is at Viale Giovanni Polvani 4. You can visit the garden on the lake and the furnished rooms of the house museum.
Opening hours change a lot with the seasons. These are the hours for the coming months, according to the official website (checked on 6 November 2026):
Period | House museum | Botanical garden |
|---|---|---|
November 2026 | Thursday–Monday 10–17 | from 6 November Thursday–Monday 10–20 |
December 2026 | Thursday–Monday 10–17, plus 8–9 and 26–31 December; closed on the 25th | Thursday–Monday 10–20, plus 8–9 and 26–31 December; closed on the 25th |
1–10 January 2027 | every day 10–17 | every day 10–20 |
11 January to February 2027 | Thursday–Monday 10–17 | Thursday–Monday 10–17 |
March 2027 | Thursday–Monday 10–17 | every day 10–17 |
April–May 2027 | 9:30–19:30, closed on Tuesday | every day 9:30–19:30 |
June–August 2027 | every day 9:30–20 | every day 9:30–20 |
In the winter months it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The opening hours page also notes that the garden can be visited as far as the citrus grove.
Tickets. The full ticket for the house museum and garden costs 15 euros, but from 7 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 it goes up to 18 euros. Garden only: 13 euros, 16 in the same period. There are reduced tickets (for example over 65 and young people aged 15 to 25), and entry is free up to age 14. These are the figures on the official website as of 6 November 2026: check them again before you go.
Christmas. From 6 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 there is “Un sogno di luce, Natale a Villa Monastero” (A dream of light, Christmas at Villa Monastero), a route of lights and decorations through the house museum and the garden. Throughout this period, on opening days, the garden stays open until 20:00, so you can also see it after dark.
Castello di Vezio
The castle stands above Varenna, in the municipality of Perledo (Via al castello). It has a square tower from which you look down on the lake.
How to get up. A path starts in the village near the Montecodeno restaurant: it is steep but short, about 20–30 minutes on foot. You need proper shoes. There is also the Scabium path, which starts in front of Villa Monastero: longer and fully in the sun, but with wider views. By car, drive up towards Esino Lario and then follow the signs for Vezio, parking at the end of the paved road.
Opening hours (official website, checked on 6 November 2026):
Period | Hours |
|---|---|
November | every day 10–17, closed when it rains |
December, January, February | only Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in good weather, 10–17 (closed on 25 December) |
March | Monday–Friday 10–17, Saturday and Sunday 10–18 |
April and May | Monday–Friday 10–18, Saturday and Sunday 10–19 |
June, July, August | Monday–Friday 10–19, Saturday and Sunday 10–20; Friday and Saturday evenings in good weather until 22:30 |
September | Monday–Friday 10–18, Saturday and Sunday 10–19 |
October | Monday–Friday 10–17, Saturday and Sunday 10–18 |
Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. The full ticket costs 7 euros, the reduced ticket 4 euros (over 65, ages 6 to 17, groups of more than 12 people), free up to age 5. No booking needed. Dogs are allowed on a lead.
One note: if you have read about falconry at the castle, the official website says the activity has been stopped for good after an act of vandalism in October 2022.
Passeggiata degli Innamorati and the centre
The Passeggiata degli Innamorati (Lovers’ Walk) is Varenna’s lakeside path: in some stretches it seems to hang over the water. It is the easiest walk in the village and has no opening hours or tickets.
The old centre is compact and you can walk around it in a short time: the church of San Giorgio is along the way.
Church of San Giorgio
The church of San Giorgio dates from the 14th century and was remodelled in the Baroque period. Inside there are medieval frescoes and a 15th-century Last Judgement. It is a short stop to fit in while you walk around the centre.
Fiumelatte
Fiumelatte is a hamlet of Varenna and also the name of its stream, about 175 metres long. The itinerary published on the Villa Monastero website describes it as the second-shortest stream in Europe. It is seasonal: it flows from spring to autumn, with white, foaming water, then dries up. Leonardo da Vinci described it as early as around 1493.
The same itinerary goes on foot from Villa Monastero to Fiumelatte: 1.9 km, about an hour, with hiking shoes. In winter you are likely to find the stream dry, so this stop suits the warmer months better.
Getting to Varenna
By train from Milan
Trenord connects Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, with no changes. There are about 16 trains a day, leaving almost every hour: the first from Milano Centrale at 6:20, the last at 21:20 (Trenord data, checked on 6 November 2026). These are the trains on the line to Sondrio and Tirano. It is the simplest way to do a day trip.
From Como
There is no direct train from Como, but there are two options:
By ferry. The ferries (“battelli”) and fast services on the Como–Colico line also stop at Varenna. The fast services need a supplement. The winter timetable runs from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027.
Bus plus ferry. Take the ASF C130 bus from Como to Bellagio and from there the ferry to Varenna (15 minutes). We also explain this combination in our guide Come muoversi sul Lago di Como (in Italian).
By car
From Milan take the SS36 towards Sondrio, leave it at Abbadia Lariana after Lecco and continue to Varenna. One thing to know if you are planning to take your car on the ferry: on 4 November 2026 Navigazione Laghi published a notice suspending the vehicle service at the Varenna pier for works. Check the notices on the website before you go.
The Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio triangle
The Bellagio–Cadenabbia–Varenna–Menaggio ferry (“traghetto”) links the villages in the centre of the lake. From Bellagio to Varenna it takes 15 minutes; the other crossings take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the run.
In the winter timetable (2 November 2026–14 March 2027) there are two separate timetables, weekday and Sunday/holiday. On weekdays the first departure from Bellagio to Varenna is at 6:20 and the last at 19:35 (some weekday runs do not operate on Saturday). On 25 December and 1 January the service is reduced. Download the updated PDF from the Navigazione Laghi website the evening before.
Varenna in one day: an itinerary
This plan works from April to October. In winter, move it to a day from Thursday to Monday, so you find Villa Monastero open.
When | What to do |
|---|---|
Early morning | Arrive at Varenna-Esino by train from Milan |
From 10:00 | Walk up to the Castello di Vezio on the path near the Montecodeno restaurant (20–30 minutes) |
Late morning | Back down to the village, old centre and church of San Giorgio |
Lunch | In the village |
Early afternoon | Villa Monastero: house museum and garden |
Late afternoon | Passeggiata degli Innamorati |
Before evening | Ferry to Bellagio or Menaggio (or train back) |
From December to February the castle only opens at weekends and on public holidays in good weather. If you go on a weekday, skip Vezio and spend more time in the garden of Villa Monastero, which stays open until 20:00 during the Christmas lights.
Summer or winter: what changes
Summer | Winter (November–March) | |
|---|---|---|
Villa Monastero | open every day (house museum closed on Tuesday in spring and in September) | open Thursday–Monday; Christmas lights until 10 January 2027 |
Castello di Vezio | every day, summer evenings until 22:30 | November every day (not when it rains); December–February only weekends and public holidays in good weather |
Fiumelatte | flowing | flows from spring to autumn, then dry |
Ferries | summer timetable | winter timetable from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027 |
Where to stay
Breva has no homes in Varenna. If you want a base on the Como branch of the lake and visit Varenna and Bellagio on day trips, these homes are in another village, but well connected:
La Casa sul Fiume, apartment on the river in Nesso, up to 6 guests.
Anna’s Balcony, apartment with a balcony on the lake in Nesso, up to 4 guests.
Casa Giulia, villa on the lake in Carate Urio, up to 9 guests, with a lake-view terrace.
From Nesso the ASF C130 bus reaches Bellagio in about half an hour (winter timetable valid until 8 June 2027); in Bellagio take the ferry to Varenna, 15 minutes. In summer 2026 Nesso was also served by a few ferries a day, but it does not appear in the current winter timetable. From Carate Urio, the Urio pier is served by a few runs on the Como–Colico line in winter too: check in the timetable which ones continue to Varenna. You can book directly from each home’s page.
For more ideas, see also the historic villas of Lake Como (in Italian) and what to see in Como.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need to visit Varenna?
One day is enough for the main stops. If you add Bellagio or Menaggio by ferry, leave early and keep an eye on the last run.
Is Villa Monastero open in winter?
Yes. From November to March the house museum opens Thursday to Monday, 10–17. During the Christmas lights (until 10 January 2027) the garden stays open until 20:00. It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Is the Castello di Vezio open in November?
Yes, every day from 10:00 to 17:00, but it closes when it rains. From December to February it opens only on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays in good weather.
How do I get to Varenna from Milan without a car?
By Trenord train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino: about 64 minutes, no changes, with departures almost every hour.
How long is the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio?
The travel time given by Navigazione Laghi between Bellagio and Varenna is 15 minutes.
Can you see Fiumelatte in winter?
Usually not: the stream is seasonal and flows from spring to autumn.
Sources
Villa Monastero, Prices and opening hours (checked on 6 November 2026)
Castello di Vezio, Opening hours (checked on 6 November 2026)
Trenord, Milano Centrale–Varenna Esino (checked on 6 November 2026)
Navigazione Laghi, Como–Colico winter timetable 2026-2027 (PDF)
Navigazione Laghi, Bellagio–Cadenabbia–Varenna–Menaggio ferry, weekdays (PDF)
ASF Autolinee, C130 Como–Nesso–Bellagio winter timetable (PDF)
Discover the Breva homes
If you are planning a few days on the lake, take a look at the Breva homes: they are in Como, Cernobbio, Maslianico, Carate Urio, Laglio and Nesso. From there, Varenna and Bellagio make a day trip.
If you own a home on Lake Como and are thinking of letting it, see our guide for owners and our short-term rental management in Como.
This guide is also available in Italian: Leggi in italiano.
