Monday, September 8, 2025 - Thursday, September 18, 2025
Lake Como,
International,
Switzerland
Italy's spectacular Lake Como, nestled in the foothills of the Alps an hour north of Milan, is surrounded by verdant hillsides and rugged mountains that rise dramatically from its shoreline. On this ten-day trip, based in the towns of Como and Menaggio, we combine panoramic hikes along ancient Roman pathways with visits to the lakefront's famous villas and gardens. Our day hikes reach several summits with spectacular views, including Monte della Croce, Monte Grona, and Monti di Madri. We visit several of the best-known villas and their gardens, including Villa Balbianello, Villa Carlotta, Villa Melzi, and Villa Serbelloni, along with the picturesque villages of Bellagio, Varenna, Cernobbio, and Tremezzo. We stay in three-star hotels with all breakfasts and dinners (northern Italian and Tyrolean cuisine) included. Shaped like an inverted letter "Y" with 100 miles of coastline, Lago di Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals since Roman times. In fact, Julius Caesar, Virgil, and Pliny the Elder all spent time here. Virgil called it "the greatest lake," and many years later Wordsworth described it as "a treasure which the earth keeps to itself." Today the area attracts a who's who of celebrities and the affluent, including George Clooney, whose waterfront villa in the little town of Laglio was the backdrop for the film Ocean's Twelve. Nearby Villa Balbianello, which we'll visit, was the setting for scenes in Casino Royale and Star Wars. In 2014, The Huffington Post described Lake Como as the most beautiful lake in the world.
