Once you finally reach Bellagio, set as it is at the tip of a pointy landmass in the middle of Lake Como, the first thing that may strike you is how small it is, especially given its larger-than-life reputation. This is the town — calling it a city would be an overstatement — that’s wowed Roman emperors, Austrian archdukes, Romantic poets, Fascist dictators, and, more recently, an ample mix of Hollywood glitterati, the old moneyed crowd and a new generation of travelers. It really did inspire Steve Wynn to build Bellagio in Las Vegas, and it really is as beautiful as everyone says it is.

Bellagio squeezes all this beauty into just a few square miles, an area that’s smaller still if you just count its borgo, the old town that consists of a splendid lakefront and a handful of car-free stone lanes connected by staircases and alleys. Surrounding it on three sides is Lake Como, with the snow-capped Prealps, or Southern Alps, looming large in the distance.

The Pearl of Lake Como is a precious place indeed, especially if you take enough time to explore it properly, says Jan Bucher, owner of Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. While many visitors just pour off the ferry boat for a visit of a few hours, Bucher says Bellagio deserves “three or four days to allow time for boat rides, hikes, and visiting the beautiful villas on the lake.” Our Riva boat pilot Matteo, a lifelong resident of Bellagio, says the magic hour is early in the morning, before ferry passengers start to arrive, or after 6 p.m., when most of them have departed. And take it from this recent convert: Linger over one sublime sunset in Bellagio, and you’ll be left wanting more.

Best Hotels and Resorts

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Bellagio’s only five-star hotel (at least until the Ritz Carlton opens in 2026), Travel + Leisure reader favorite Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is the undisputed lady of the lake, with a gorgeously detailed grand salon, a top-notch food and beverage program, indoor and outdoor pools, and a setting that’s nothing short of transcending. Balcony rooms with lake views are worth the splurge.

Belvedere Bellagio

In a secluded garden setting a short walk from Bellagio’s old town, Belvedere Bellagio feels a world away from the high-season hubbub down on the lake. Airy guest rooms are modern but not soulless, and many open onto private patios. For a lake fix, the hotel steers guests down to Pescallo, the serene little village opposite the busier shore.

Hotel du Lac

Family-run Hotel du Lac has a surprisingly long list of amenities, including a well-equipped spa area and a sidewalk restaurant. But the real gem is its roof terrace, where breakfast is served and cocktails are sipped. If you can forego the lake view, rooms overlooking the village are a relative bargain.

Related: 29 Most Beautiful Places in Italy

Best Things to Do

Visit the gardens and villas.

Several of Lake Como’s historic villas are now private or state-run museums with surprisingly great art collections, resplendent gardens, and, of course, those views. Closest to Bellagio is I Giardini di Villa Melzi, which Bucher calls “the most beautiful botanical garden in northern Italy.”

Hop on a ferry.

From Bellagio’s main ferry dock, cross the lake to Cadenabbia, from where Villa Carlotta, the lake’s most famous, is just a short walk, or head to quieter Menaggio or busy Varenna, with its long lakefront promenade. Fares and schedules are at Navigazione Laghi.

Hire a private boat.

Cruise the lake in style on a sleek Riva boat with a private driver and guide, who will take you past the historic villas, including Villa del Balbianello, which you might recognize from “Casino Royale” and “Star Wars: Episode II.” Taxi Boat Service is the official vendor for Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

Explore Bellagio’s other villages.

Our water taxi driver, Matteo, lives in a frazione, one of the dozens of smaller villages that lie outside Bellagio proper, but are still part of the larger town. In these piccoli borghi, like Loppia, San Giovanni, and Pescallo, he says, you’ll find the tranquility and neighborly vibe of local communities and a slice of daily life.

Related: I‘ve Lived in Italy for 15 Years — and These Are My Favorite Lesser-known Destinations

Best Shopping

La Bottega del Legno di Mario Tacchi

Unleash your childhood sense of wonder in this 170-year-old artisan workshop, where wooden toys, hand-carved and -painted trays, kitchen tools, ornaments, and decorative objects vie for shelf space.  

Castelletti Bellagio

Whether it’s a flowy dress, a smart pantsuit, or a wool blazer for cool fall days, a chic ensemble from this women’s clothier will help you bring home some of that effortless elegance Italian women seem to embody.

Bellagioseta

The handmade leather bags, shoes, belts, and accessories plus silk ties, scarves, and blouses at this enticing boutique all offer made-in-Italy quality and one-of-a-kind items to recall your trip to Bellagio.

Best Restaurants

Mistral

The fine-dining venue of Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has an overwhelmingly romantic setting, plenty of pomp and presentation, elaborate platings, and prices to match. Signature dishes of lobster linguine with cognac and liquid nitrogen ice cream are prepared tableside.

Trattoria Baita Belvedere

On a single-lane road high above Bellagio, this down-to-earth trattoria is comfort food central. While most dishes are land-based and heavy on meat, Bucher is a fan of their polenta unta, a local specialty of polenta served with fried smelt from the lake.

Ristorante Alle Darsene di Loppia

Another upscale choice for lakeside dining, this chef-led restaurant occupies a former boathouse, or darsena, in the village of Loppia, just south of the Melzi garden. Reserve early for an outdoor table.

Gelateria del Borgo

If you consider gelato a food group (at least while you’re in Italy), head to this popular spot right on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, Bellagio’s main drag. It also sells cakes, paninis, and other treats, but don’t miss the gelato. Then, come back the next day because the flavors will have changed.

Best Time to Visit

As with so many places in Italy, Bellagio’s high season months of July and August are increasingly hot and crowded. Our experts both cited April and May and September to November as the best times to visit for cooler temps and more elbow room. If you’re intent on swimming (I tried it in June and it was cold), lake waters might be cleaner in the spring, before a full season of intense boat traffic. Many hotels, restaurants, and nonessential shops close from November to March, and ferry service is reduced, so if you visit in this period, expect a quiet atmosphere.

From late June to early August, the Bellagio Festival presents a series of free or low-cost classical music concerts at venues in Bellagio and elsewhere on the lake.

Related: The Best and Worst Times to Visit Italy

How to Get There

Bellagio is reachable by car from the direction of Como or Lecco, via roads that get increasingly narrow and curvy the closer you get to town. If you prefer to travel without a car, you can also take a ferry from Como, Lecco, or other points on either side of the lake that are served by trains. Lake ferries are operated by Navigazione Laghi, which has schedules and rates on its website. A car ferry connects Bellagio and Varenna, on the lake’s eastern shore.

International travelers arriving by plane will likely land at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Smaller Milan Linate and Milan Bergamo airports handle mostly domestic and intra-Europe flights.

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How to Get Around

After recently driving to Bellagio on the narrow coastal road, here’s my take: Skip the car if you can. Or, at least park it and plan to see most of the sights on foot or via ferries, water taxis, or local taxis. Keep in mind Bellagio center is a ZTL, or limited traffic zone, where you can only drive if you’re going to your hotel within that zone. Otherwise, leave the car in one of the paid lots on the edge of town and walk in from there.

Lake ferries are the most affordable transportation option, with daylong passes currently priced at €23.30 (about $25 USD) per person, and about half that for kids ages 4 to 11. A one-way ticket from Como to Bellagio is €10.40 (about $11 USD) per person. In peak season, ferries may sell out. Expect to pay €100 and up — way up, depending on length and distance — for a private water taxi, transfer, or boat tour.