A Como Summer
Long days on the lake, gardens in full bloom and aperitivo on the terrace. A private, tailored journey of 6 Days · 5 Nights in Lake Como, Italy, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$12,500 per traveler.
- Ideal length: 6 Days · 5 Nights
- Best time: May through June and September into October, when the light is golden, the crowds thin and the tables at the finest establishments open to those who know to ask.
- Private guiding, access and transfers throughout
- From US$12,500 per traveler — a starting point, tailored to you
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
- Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels
Long days on the lake, gardens in full bloom and aperitivo on the terrace. A private, tailored journey of 6 Days · 5 Nights in Lake Como, Italy, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$12,500 per traveler.
Few countries reward a well-planned trip as generously as Italy, where art, coastline and the pleasures of the table meet at every turn.
When to go
May through June and September into October, when the light is golden, the crowds thin and the tables at the finest establishments open to those who know to ask. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.
The experiences
A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:
- A privately guided morning on the water aboard a classic Riva motorboat, calling at the Villa del Balbianello gardens before the crowds arrive.
- An exclusive tasting lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Cernobbio, paired with wines from the Valtellina hills just north of the lake.
- A reserved afternoon inside the silk-weaving workshops of Como's historic centro, where a master artisan explains the craft that made the city famous.
- A sunset aperitivo arranged on the terrace of your villa suite, with the light falling across the Tremezzina shore and a private bartender mixing Campari as it was meant to be drunk.
A sense of the rhythm
Days on Lake Como open slowly — espresso on the terrace, then a short boat ride to a garden or a hilltop village before the heat settles. Midday belongs to shade, a long lunch and the lake seen from below through a pair of sunglasses. By late afternoon the light turns golden, the air cools, and the terrace becomes the only place anyone wants to be.
Whether to base yourself in Bellagio or along the Tremezzina shore
Bellagio sits at the exact point where the two branches of the lake divide, giving you proximity to Varenna by ferry and a charming centro storico to walk at night. The Tremezzina shore — the stretch running through Tremezzo and Lenno — places you directly opposite Bellagio, within a short boat ride of Villa del Balbianello and surrounded by the lake's densest concentration of historic gardens. For travelers who want privacy and a quieter pace, the Tremezzina tends to win; for those who enjoy an evening passeggiata with more village life, Bellagio is the natural home. We counsel both options and place you where the weeks align with your priorities.
How to do it well
The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:
- Book the finest luxury hotels on the lake for late June through August at least nine to twelve months in advance — Como's best properties release their peak-summer inventory early and hold firm on minimum stays of four to five nights.
- The Villa del Balbianello gardens require timed entry; we arrange private early-access visits through the FAI on weekdays, before the site opens to general visitors at 10 a.m.
- For the Silk Museum and workshop visits in Como's centro, Tuesday through Friday yield the fullest experience — plan arrivals that avoid Saturday market congestion in the old town.
- Lake Como's ferry and hydrofoil timetables change between June and September; we confirm all water-taxi and private-launch logistics no later than three weeks before departure to account for local regatta closures and national holidays.
What only your advisor can open
The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.
Who it's for
Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.
Estimated investment
From US$12,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.
Designed entirely around you
Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.
Your Virtuoso privileges
As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.
Continue exploring Lake Como
Part of our Lake Como travel guide. Related private journeys:
Begin the conversation
Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design A Como Summer around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →
Questions, answered.
Bellagio sits at the exact point where the two branches of the lake divide, giving you proximity to Varenna by ferry and a charming centro storico to walk at night. The Tremezzina shore — the stretch running through Tremezzo and Lenno — places you directly opposite Bellagio, within a short boat ride of Villa del Balbianello and surrounded by the lake's densest concentration of historic gardens. For travelers who want privacy and a quieter pace, the Tremezzina tends to win; for those who enjoy an evening passeggiata with more village life, Bellagio is the natural home. We counsel both options and place you where the weeks align with your priorities.
Go early, on a weekday, with private access. The gardens at Villa del Balbianello require timed entry, and we arrange private early-access visits through the FAI on weekdays, before the site opens to general visitors at 10 a.m. On this journey you arrive by water, on a privately guided morning aboard a classic Riva motorboat. If you base yourself on the Tremezzina shore, the villa is only a short boat ride away.
For late June through August, book at least nine to twelve months in advance. Como's best properties release their peak-summer inventory early and hold firm on minimum stays of four to five nights. Ferry and hydrofoil timetables also change between June and September, so we confirm all water-taxi and private-launch logistics no later than three weeks before departure, allowing for local regatta closures and national holidays.
Tuesday through Friday. Those days yield the fullest experience at the Silk Museum and the silk-weaving workshops of Como's historic centro, and planning your arrival then avoids the Saturday market congestion in the old town. On this journey the visit is a reserved afternoon inside the workshops, where a master artisan explains the craft that made the city famous.
A Como Summer runs 6 Days · 5 Nights, enough to enjoy Lake Como without rushing. Days open slowly: espresso on the terrace, then a short boat ride to a garden or a hilltop village before the heat settles. Midday belongs to shade and a long lunch, perhaps the Michelin-starred tasting lunch in Cernobbio. The days hold a private Riva morning to Villa del Balbianello, an afternoon in Como's silk workshops, best Tuesday through Friday, and a sunset aperitivo on your terrace as the light turns golden.
As a private, tailored journey it starts from roughly US$12,500 per traveler (double occupancy) and scales with your dates, party and level of privacy — a starting point, never a fixed package price. Your advisor confirms the figure once the itinerary is tailored.
May through June and September into October, when the light is golden, the crowds thin and the tables at the finest establishments open to those who know to ask. It suits this journey's pleasures: gardens in full bloom, early boat mornings before the heat, long lunches in the shade and aperitivo on the terrace as the air cools. If you travel from late June through August, book the finest hotels nine to twelve months ahead, and note that ferry timetables change between June and September.
On A Como Summer, the Michelin-starred meal is an exclusive tasting lunch in Cernobbio, arranged privately and paired with wines from the Valtellina hills just north of Lake Como. It fits the rhythm of a Como day, when midday belongs to shade and a long lunch, with the lake seen from below. It also suits the guide's advice that the tables at the finest establishments open to those who know to ask.
On A Como Summer, the sunset aperitivo is arranged on the terrace of your villa suite, with the light falling across the Tremezzina shore and a private bartender mixing Campari as it was meant to be drunk. It caps the day's rhythm on Lake Como: by late afternoon the light turns golden, the air cools, and the terrace becomes the only place anyone wants to be.
On Lake Como, much of the journey moves by water: a privately guided morning aboard a classic Riva motorboat, short boat rides to gardens or hilltop villages, and the ferry from Bellagio to Varenna. Ferry and hydrofoil timetables change between June and September, so water-taxi and private-launch logistics are confirmed no later than three weeks before departure, allowing for local regatta closures and national holidays.
Italy
See the collection →Tell a private advisor how you like to travel — no quotes, no obligation.
Speak With a Luxury Travel AdvisorA real person answers: an in-house luxury travel advisor, in English or Spanish. The first conversation is complimentary.
