Quick answer
Varenna is a small village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, 64 to 65 minutes from Milano Centrale by direct train (€7.40). In one day you can walk the lakeside path, see the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, climb to Castello di Vezio, and take the 15-minute ferry to Bellagio (€5.50).
Train fares, ferry prices and villa tickets and hours below were checked on the official sites on 5 October 2026.
Where Varenna is
Varenna sits on the eastern shore of the central lake, facing Bellagio and Menaggio across the water. Its station, Varenna-Esino, is on the railway from Milan to Lecco, Sondrio and Tirano. That direct train makes it the quickest way from Milan to the central lake by public transport.
From the station, it is a short walk downhill to the lake, about 5 to 10 minutes. The village streets slope steeply down to the water, so the lakeside walkway is the easiest way to get around on foot. Our Lake Como travel guide shows how Varenna fits with the other lake towns.
How to get to Varenna from Milan
Take the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino. About 16 direct trains a day run roughly hourly from 6:20am, with the last direct train leaving Milan at 10:20pm on weekdays in October 2026 (check it for your date). The trip takes 64 to 65 minutes and costs €7.40 one way in second class.
Buy your ticket in the Trenord app or on trenord.it: digital tickets do not need validating and start at the departure time you choose. Trenord’s Pay&Go contactless system does not work on this line, so you need a ticket. Check the time of the last train back from Varenna in the app before you set out.
By car. Parking in Varenna is paid. The car park at Piazza della Stazione (Malpensata) costs €2 an hour from 8am to 11pm, or €18 for the day; Olivedo, near the ferry pier, costs €2 an hour from 8am to 8pm, up to €20 a day; the car park opposite Villa Cipressi costs €3 an hour for the first 2 hours, then €2, or €25 for the day. There is free parking on the white lines along Viale Polvani. In 2026 the centre runs one-way traffic at weekends.
Coming from Como instead? A ferry from Como to Varenna costs €13.50 single, plus a €5.50 supplement on the fast boat. Our Lake Como day trip guide compares all the train and ferry routes.
Varenna to Bellagio ferry
Bellagio is 15 minutes across the water, and so are Menaggio and Cadenabbia. Ferries run all year, with fewer boats out of season.
| Ferry (adult, 2026) | Price |
|---|---|
| Varenna to Bellagio, Menaggio or Cadenabbia, single | €5.50 |
| Return | €11.00 |
| Central lake day pass (unlimited hops) | €17.50 |
| Fast boat supplement | €3.00 |
| Children 4 to 11, single | €2.80 |
On autumn weekdays the car ferry from Varenna to Bellagio runs roughly every 30 to 60 minutes from about 6am to 10pm, and foot passengers can ride it too. Buy at the pier ticket office, online on navigazionelaghi.it, or use NaviTAP: tap a contactless card when you board a slow boat or car ferry and again before you get off. NaviTAP does not work on hydrofoils. The day pass pays for itself from the fourth hop (4 × €5.50 = €22).
Once you are across, our Bellagio guide covers the Villa Melzi gardens and the Villa Serbelloni tour.
Things to do in Varenna
Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati
The Passeggiata degli Innamorati (Lovers’ Walk) is the lakeside path between the ferry landing and the old centre. For part of the way it runs on a walkway built out over the water.
Varenna's lakeside path below the colored houses of the old village.
It is about 500 metres long, which makes it the easy way in from the pier. At the far end you reach Piazza San Giorgio and the church of San GiorgioMap, from the 14th century, with a 15th-century Last Judgment fresco inside.
Villa Monastero
Villa MonasteroMap is a lakefront house museum with a botanical garden, at Viale Giovanni Polvani 4.
| Villa Monastero ticket (2026) | Full | Ages 15-25 | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| House museum + garden | €15 | €9 | €11 |
| Garden only | €13 | €7 | €10 |
| Gardens of Villa Monastero + Villa Cipressi | €25 | €13 | €19 |
| House museum + both gardens | €27 | €15 | €20 |
Entry is free up to age 14. The reduced rate is for over-65s and groups of 20 or more. You can book single tickets online through CoopCulture, but the combined ticket with Villa Cipressi is only sold at either villa’s desk, on days when Villa Cipressi is open.
- October 2026: daily 10am to 6pm. The house museum is closed on Tuesdays; the garden stays open.
- November 2026: 10am to 5pm, house museum and garden both closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open 10am to 6pm on 1 November).
- Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Villa Cipressi gardens
Villa CipressiMap is a lakefront villa on Via IV Novembre, now a hotel, with a botanical garden that non-guests can visit.
Villa Cipressi and its garden terraces, seen from the lake.
The garden ticket costs €13 (€7 for ages 15 to 25, €10 reduced, free under 14). The garden is open from April to September, 9:30am to 7:30pm, and in October from 10am to 5pm. A relax area at the edge of the garden is reserved for guests of the Hotel Royal Victoria. Our Lake Como villas guide compares all the villas.
Castello di Vezio
Castello di VezioMap stands on the hill above Varenna, in the hamlet of Vezio. The medieval tower has a small drawbridge and an exhibition of weapons and armour, and the grounds have an olive grove, white plaster figures and a terrace looking toward Bellagio.
Castello di Vezio on its wooded hill, with the village of Vezio below it.
- Tickets: €7, or €4 for ages 6 to 17 and over 65. Free under 5. No booking needed.
- Open: every day from 1 March to 1 December. In October, 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm at weekends. In November, 10am to 5pm daily, and the castle closes when it rains. From December to February it opens only at weekends and on holidays in good weather.
- Last entry is 20 minutes before closing.
- Falconry shows ended for good after vandalism in October 2022.
The steep Scabium path from the centre takes about 30 minutes up, past Villa Monastero, on a gradient of around 20%. You can come down a different way through the hamlet of Vezio in about 20 minutes. Wear shoes with grip.
Hike the Sentiero del Viandante
The Sentiero del Viandante (Wayfarer’s Path) is an old trail along the eastern shore of the lake. From Varenna you join it after the climb to Vezio, then choose a direction:
- North to Bellano: about 2.5 hours, not too hard and suitable for everyone, past Castello di Vezio.
- South to Lierna: about 4 hours, longer and harder, for experienced hikers, and not recommended on hot summer days.
The villages on this shore are on the same Trenord line as Varenna, so you can take the train back from Bellano or Lierna. Wear proper shoes: parts of the route are cobbled.
Fiumelatte
South of the village, the hamlet of Fiumelatte is named after a very short torrent that runs white and foaming into the lake from spring to autumn. Leonardo da Vinci described it in his notes. It is also where you will find Hosteria del PlatanoMap, one of the restaurants below.
A boat tour from Varenna
Shared and private boat tours also leave from Varenna. A shared tour of 1 to 1.5 hours usually costs about €35 to €60 per person. Our Lake Como boat tours guide explains how they compare with the public ferry.
Where to eat in Varenna
Four places to eat in the village and in Fiumelatte.
- VisteriaMap, Piazza San Giorgio 2, the restaurant of the Hotel Royal Victoria. In the MICHELIN Guide in the top price band, with contemporary Italian cooking by a chef from Campania and a few tables facing the Bellagio promontory.
- Hosteria del PlatanoMap, Via Statale 29, Fiumelatte. In the MICHELIN Guide in the mid price band: a family-run place for traditional lake fish, with a vaulted stone dining room and tables outside. Closed Tuesdays and on Sunday evenings.
- Il CavatappiMap, Via XX Settembre 10, for lake dishes, homemade pasta and desserts.
- Vecchia VarennaMap, Contrada Scoscesa 2, for classic dishes from lake fish to local specialities.
Check opening days for Il Cavatappi and Vecchia Varenna with the restaurants before you go.
Day trips from Varenna
Varenna is on the ferry network and on the railway, so it works as a base for more than the central lake.
- Bellagio, 15 minutes by ferry, for the Villa Melzi gardens and the Villa Serbelloni park tour. Our Bellagio guide has the details.
- Menaggio, Tremezzo and Lenno on the western shore. Villa CarlottaMap has its own pier in Tremezzo (€17.50; 10am to 6pm from 19 October to 8 November 2026). Villa del BalbianelloMap in Lenno needs booking (park €15, villa and park €25). Lenno and Menaggio are on the €5.50 central lake fare.
- The Bernina Express. Varenna-Esino is on the railway from Milan to Tirano, the Italian end of the Bernina Express. From Tirano the panoramic train takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to St. Moritz. A 2026 one-way ticket costs CHF 33 in second class plus a compulsory CHF 32 seat reservation. Our guide to day trips from Milan covers the Bernina route and other trips by train, and you can also book it as a guided Bernina Express tour from Milan.
Where to stay in Varenna
Varenna is the easiest Lake Como base without a car, because the direct train puts Milan about an hour away. Our guide to where to stay on Lake Como compares it with Bellagio, Menaggio and Como. To see what is available on your dates, search hotels in Varenna on Booking.com. If you would rather stay in Milan and come for the day, our guide to where to stay in Milan covers the areas around Milano Centrale, where the Varenna trains leave.
Best time to visit Varenna
Varenna is open all year, but March to early November is when the sights keep their full hours.
| Period (2026) | What to expect |
|---|---|
| March to 1 December | Castello di Vezio opens every day (in October 10am to 5pm on weekdays, 10am to 6pm at weekends). |
| October | Villa Monastero opens daily 10am to 6pm; the house museum is closed on Tuesdays. The autumn ferry timetable runs from 5 October to 1 November. |
| November | Villa Monastero closes at 5pm and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Castello di Vezio closes when it rains. |
| December to February | Castello di Vezio opens only at weekends and on holidays in good weather. Villa Monastero opens weekends only from 7 January. Ferries keep running, with fewer boats. |
In summer Villa Monastero stays open as late as 8pm, and Castello di Vezio until 7pm on weekdays and 8pm at weekends.
How much time you need in Varenna
Half a day. Arrive by train, walk down to the pier and take the Passeggiata degli Innamorati to Piazza San Giorgio. Visit the Villa Monastero garden (or the house museum too, except on Tuesdays in October), then walk back along the lake.
A full day. Add the climb to Castello di Vezio in the morning and the Villa Cipressi garden on the way back down. After lunch, take the ferry to Bellagio for the afternoon. If you plan four or more ferry hops, buy the €17.50 central lake day pass and add Menaggio or Tremezzo for Villa Carlotta.
For the full day trip with trains, ferry passes and a three-town route, see our Lake Como day trip from Milan. With two or three days, follow our Lake Como itinerary. To see the lake from the water with commentary, compare the options in our Lake Como boat tours guide. Varenna is also the lake base in our Northern Italy itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Milan to Varenna?
Take a direct Trenord train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino. It takes 64 to 65 minutes and costs €7.40 one way in second class, with about 16 trains a day.
How long is the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio?
About 15 minutes. A single costs €5.50 for an adult and a central lake day pass costs €17.50. On autumn weekdays the car ferry alone crosses roughly every 30 to 60 minutes.
How much is Villa Monastero?
In 2026 the house museum and garden cost €15 and the garden alone €13. Entry is free up to age 14. In October the house museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Is Castello di Vezio worth the walk?
If you want the view, yes. The castle costs €7, needs no booking and is about a 30-minute uphill walk from the centre. The falconry shows ended in 2022.
Can I visit Villa Cipressi if I am not staying there?
Yes, the botanical garden is open to visitors. The garden ticket costs €13, or €25 combined with the Villa Monastero garden, sold only at the villas' ticket desks.
Is Varenna or Bellagio better as a base?
Varenna is easier without a car because it has a direct train to Milan. Bellagio has no train station, so you reach it by boat or bus.
When is the best time to visit Varenna?
From [March to early November](/lake-como/best-time-to-visit-lake-como/), when Castello di Vezio opens every day and Villa Monastero keeps its longer hours. From December to February the castle opens only at weekends and on holidays in good weather, and ferries run less often.
Can you hike from Varenna?
Yes. Climb to Vezio and join the Sentiero del Viandante. The stretch north to Bellano takes about 2.5 hours and suits everyone, and you can take the train back to Varenna.