How to get to Villa del Balbianello

Where the villa is

Villa del Balbianello stands on the Dosso di Lavedo, a promontory at Lenno, in the municipality of Tremezzina, on the western shore of Lake Como. It lies about 1.5 km east of Isola Comacina. The point pushes out into the lake, which is why the setting is so striking from the water and why the last stretch of the approach needs a little thought.

Visitors arrive in one of two ways: on foot from Lenno, or by water. Whichever you choose, Lenno is the base. Get yourself there first, by car or by public boat, and then decide how to cover the final distance to the villa.

For a map pin, the villa’s coordinates are 45.96500, 9.20250. Save them on your phone before you set out. Signal and patience can both run short on a busy lakeside road, and it helps to know exactly where you are heading.

Walking from Lenno

The standard walk from Lenno to the villa is about 1 km and takes around 25 minutes. It climbs uphill and is partly on gravel. It is a pleasant approach, with the lake beside you, but it is a real walk rather than a stroll, so give yourself time and do not plan to arrive out of breath at the last minute.

There is also a longer trekking path, 2.5 km, which takes about 45 minutes. Wear suitable shoes for it. It is not suitable for pushchairs or for people with reduced mobility. If you enjoy walking and want to arrive having seen more of the shoreline and hillside, it is a good choice in dry weather.

Whichever route you take, carry water. There is no café at the villa; the bookshop sells water, soft drinks and small snacks. In warm weather the climb, the wait for your tour and the time in the garden add up, and it is easier to have what you need with you.

Remember that you will walk back as well. The return to Lenno is the same distance, so keep a little energy and time in reserve, especially if you have a boat or a parking ticket to get back to.

Taxi boat from the Lido di Lenno

The alternative to walking is to arrive by water. A taxi boat service runs from the Lido di Lenno to the villa. It is paid, it is not run by FAI, and it works by reservation only. Reserve it directly with the boat service before your visit, and confirm the times both ways.

We do not sell or arrange taxi boats. Your booking with us is for the villa ticket only: the guided tour of the interiors and the self-guided visit of the garden, the terraces and the Loggia Durini. Any boat is a separate arrangement that you make yourself, and it is paid separately.

Any other private taxi boat may also land visitors at the villa. If you are staying elsewhere on the lake and already use a private boat, that is an option too. We do not give boat schedules, capacities or fares here, because they are set by the boat operators and change through the season.

You can mix the two approaches. Arriving by taxi boat and walking back to Lenno, or the other way round, works well, because both connect the villa with the village. It is a good way to see the promontory from the water and the shoreline on foot on the same day.

By public lake boat

The public lake boats run by Navigazione Laghi include a central-lake itinerary that links Varenna, Bellagio and Lenno. From the Lenno stop, you reach the villa on foot or by taxi boat from the Lido di Lenno, as described above.

Ferry timetables vary by season, so check the current timetable before you choose your entry time, not after. Work backwards from your slot: the boat that lands you in Lenno should leave you enough time for the walk and a margin on top.

Arriving by public boat has one real advantage: you avoid the traffic and parking on the western shore. It also gives you a view of the promontory from the water before you step ashore in Lenno.

If you are staying in Varenna or Bellagio, the central-lake itinerary is the natural link to Lenno. Keep the timetable for the return leg with you too, so that your time in the garden is set by the boat you need to catch rather than by guesswork.

By car, and where to park

If you drive, aim for Lenno. The nearest paid car park is the Parcheggio Mercato, on Via Comoedia. There is also parking on Via Diaz and on Via Silvio Pellico. From any of them, you continue on foot or by taxi boat from the Lido di Lenno.

Traffic on this shore is heavy and parking is difficult. That is not a reason to avoid driving, but it is a reason to leave earlier than the map suggests. A car that is still circling Lenno at your entry time puts the visit at risk, because late arrivals are not guaranteed entry.

Have a back-up plan for parking. If the nearest car park is full, try the others before you start to worry, and keep the walking time to the villa in mind as you decide. A calm arrival makes the whole visit better.

Note the car park names before you set off: the Parcheggio Mercato on Via Comoedia, then Via Diaz and Via Silvio Pellico. Putting the first into your navigation saves a search on arrival, and knowing the other two means a full car park is a detour rather than a problem.

Coming from Como, Milan or Bellagio

From Como, plan the leg to Lenno first, by road or by whatever public transport the current season offers, and check it close to your travel date. Once you are in Lenno, the last stretch is the same as for everyone: the walk or a taxi boat.

From Milan, the villa makes a full day out. The visit itself has fixed points: your entry time, a possible wait of up to an hour for the tour, and the tour of about 50 minutes. Plan the outward leg so you reach Lenno with time to spare, and leave room at the end of the day for the garden and the walk back.

From Bellagio, the central-lake itinerary of the public boats links Bellagio with Lenno, via the same route that also serves Varenna. It is often the most pleasant way to arrive. Check the season’s timetable, then choose an entry time that fits the boat, rather than the other way round.

We deliberately do not give timetables or fares here. They change through the year and are set by the transport operators. Check them close to your travel date, and you will plan from current information.

Timing your arrival against your entry time

The time on your ticket is your entry time to the garden. Arrive more than 30 minutes early and you will be asked to wait until that time. Arrive late and the visit is not guaranteed. The window that works is to reach the ticket office in the half hour before your entry time.

Build your day backwards from that window. Start with the walk of about 25 minutes from Lenno, or the 45-minute trekking path if you prefer it. Add the time to park, which can be considerable on a busy day, or the time from the boat landing. Then add a margin for the unexpected.

Once your ticket is validated, staff give you your tour time. The wait is a maximum of 60 minutes, then the tour lasts about 50 minutes, and the garden comes after. Plan your return boat or your parking for well after your entry time, so you are not watching the clock on the terraces.

The guided tours fill days ahead, even in late October. If your travel plans are fixed, book the entry time first and arrange the boat or the drive around it.

A simple plan for the day

Here is how the pieces fit together. Say you have booked the 12:15 entry. You want to reach the ticket office between 11:45 and 12:15. If you are walking from Lenno, set off by about 11:20. That covers the walk of about 25 minutes and leaves you a cushion before your entry time.

If you are driving, add parking on top, and aim to be in Lenno well before you need to start walking, because traffic is heavy and parking is difficult. If you are coming by public boat, choose a sailing that lands you in Lenno comfortably before your walk needs to begin.

After validation, your tour starts at a time staff give you, no more than 60 minutes after entry. With a 12:15 entry, the tour therefore ends somewhere between about 13:05 and 14:05. Then comes the garden. Plan your return boat or your parking for mid-afternoon at the earliest.

Shift the times to suit your own slot. The arithmetic stays the same: reach the ticket office in the half hour before entry, expect up to an hour before the tour, about 50 minutes inside, and then the garden, the terraces and the loggia at your own pace.

Mobility, pushchairs and luggage

The trekking path is not suitable for pushchairs or for people with reduced mobility. The standard walk from Lenno climbs uphill and is partly gravel. If walking is difficult for anyone in your party, the taxi boat from the Lido di Lenno is the other way to arrive; ask the boat service about boarding when you reserve.

At the villa, the house and park are partly accessible. The villa spreads over six levels, and the lift serves three of them. The Loggia Durini is reached by stairs. Benches and folding seats are available. Contact the villa’s staff in advance if you need help, so they can plan for your visit.

Pushchairs, prams and bulky backpacks are not allowed inside; staff show you where to leave them. Baby carriers can be borrowed free. There is no luggage storage, and luggage left outside the ticket offices is unattended, so on a travel day leave your cases at your hotel or in the car.

Dogs are welcome in the garden on a lead. Inside the villa only guide and assistance dogs are allowed, so plan for someone to stay outside with any other dog during the tour.