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Lake Como Walking Tour
(7days / 6 nights - $2,350 AUD per person or $2200 AUD with
'No Dinners' Option)
Walking above Lake Como
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This walking tour based on Lake Como can be personalised to meet your interests and travel dates.
Lake Como is the most sophisticated and interesting of the Italian lakes, it is also the most beautiful. The centre of the Lake Como, where the promontory of Bellagio splits the Como and Lecco branches of the lake, is the most attractive part of the lake and its here that you will be based for this Hidden Italy tour, spending four nights in one of the most charming villages on the lake before a 10 minute ferry hop for two nights in Bellagio, the jewel of Lake Como and considered one of the prettiest towns in Italy.
A deep glacial lake surrounded by soaring mountains, Lake Como stretches from the Swiss Alps in the north to the plain of the Po River in the south. It has drawn visitors since Roman times (when Pliny the Younger built his famous lake side retreat) - the beautiful towns that line Lake Como's shores have long and rich histories. With its luxurious micro-climate, since the Renaissance Lake Como has hosted some of Italy's most spectacular villas and gardens and you will be able to visit four of the finest and most celebrated.
The four straight forward but spectacular walks of the tour will each reveal a different side of this fascinating area's history and traditions, starting with a beautiful lake side route that follows a stone medieval trading path snaking through forests and villages above the eastern lake shores; then a loop walk following an old smugglers' routes above the western side of the lake which takes you up to oak forests to open farmlands with breath-taking views across Lake Lugano into Switzerland; a very interesting walk through the villages that surround Bellagio finishing in the gardens of a famous villa on the edge of Bellagio; and, as a grande finale, an extraordinary walk in the mountains above Bellagio with endless views over the lake and the mountains that surround it
"The tour most certainly lived up to our expectations. Lake Como is a wonderful part of Italy with absolutely spectacular scenery, great food and very friendly people. The snow covered peaks surrounding the pristine lake will remain in our memeories forever....we loved our visit to Lake Como!" RS
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What's included in this walk? |
- Six nights accommodation in excellent lake-side hotels
- all breakfasts and three dinners
- lunch recommendations
- reading lists and historical and cultural notes
- maps and detailed walking instructions
- 24 hour backup from local manager
- Please note that the cost does not include the ferry transfers (it is not possible to buy the tickets from abroad). A day ticket which will take you to the towns included in the tour costs 11 euro per person. The fast ferry running between Bellagio and Como costs 12 euro. Como is linked to Milan by a regular train service. There is a direct shuttle service between Malpensa airport and Lake Como which costs 50 euro per person..
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How hard are the walks? |
Grade 3 Walk - good paths, straightforward orientation, the longest walk is on Day 4 and is 15 kms long, two long initial climbs on Days 2 and Day 4.
The walks follow clearly marked routes, following a combination of paved stone paths and graded dirt roads. The two longer walks, on Day 2 and Day 4, can be shortened by using public transport (train or ferry on Day 2 and local bus on Day 4).
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What's the accommodation like? |
Accommodation is in excellent lake-side hotels. Costings are calculated on two people sharing a double room. All rooms have en suite bathrooms and air conditioning.
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Tour Cost: |
AUD $2,350 per person (single supplement $350)
(approx US $2170, SS $300 - Subject to daily exchange rates)
Lake Como 'No Dinners' Option : AUD $2,200 per person
(approx US $1,980 - Subject to daily exchange rates) |
Tour Snapshots: (click the image for a larger version)
Walking views to Bellagio
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Villa and gardens at Bellagio
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The breakfast Terrace
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Lake Lugano viewed from walk 2
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Lunch
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The chef
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The base for the first 4 nights
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The view of your base village from castle
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Walking above Lake Como 1
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Walking above Lake Como 2
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Walking above Lake Como 3
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| Day |
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Arrival in your base, a charming small town of Roman origins, built around a picturesque port. Fast ferries run regularly from Como city and take approximately 1 hour. The townt is also connected to Milan city by fast trains which take approximately 1 hour and to Malpensa airport by a regular bus shuttle service. Dinner tonight is on the hotel's terrace. |
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This morning you'll take a lakeside walk heading north along the western shore towards Switzerland. Starting with a steep climb up to the town's ruined castle, the path levels out, passing through forests and villages, following a stone medieval path that winds above the lake with breathtaking views over the lake and the mountains on the eastern shore. The walk finishes in a pretty lake side town, where you'll be able to have lunch and get either a train or ferry back to your base. 4.5 hours. It's possible to shorten the walk by breaking at an earlier village and taking the train or ferry back to your base from here. 2.5 hours. |
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Today is a free day to enjoy the lake. We will provide you with details (opening information, ferry timetables etc) to visit two of the finest villas and gardens on the lake that can be easily reached by beautiful short ferry rides (25 minutes). The first villa was built in the 17th century and hosted Napoleon but is most famous for its spectacular lawns and rhododendron gardens. The second (2 ferry stops further on) is on the tip of forested promontory surrounded by English gardens and enormous views up and down the lake - it was built around a 14th century abbey and is famous for the extraordinary collections of its last owner, a man of great wealth who was also the first Italian to climb Mt Everest. It is a very pleasant 45 minute ferry ride back to your base from here. |
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Today's walk is a loop walk up into the mountains on the opposite of the lake (a 10 minute ferry ride across the lake from your base). This spectacular walk follows old smugglers paths and takes you up into oak forests that open on to farmlands and orchards filled with grazing cows with bells, with breath-taking views across Lake Lugano. You take an ancient cobbled path back down to the lake where you started from. 4 hour. |
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Transfer to Bellagio (a 10 minute ferry ride across the lake), your base for the next two nights. In the afternoon you can do an interesting walk takes you around the Bellagio promontory visiting the two branches of the lake, passing through fishing villages and past handsome 8th and 19th century villas before returning to Bellagio, finishing at the beautiful gardens of Villa Melzi that graces the edge of the town. 2.5 hours. Dinner tonight is at your hotel. |
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Today you do another loop around Mont San Primo, the mountain that forms the backdrop behind Bellagio and from where you'll enjoy the best and most extensive views of Lake Como. You'll be taken up to the start of the walk by taxi and picked up again at the same point at the end of the walk. 3 hours. It is possible to do a shorter version of the walk and avoid the steep climb to the top of the mountain: 1 hour. Dinner will be at a beautiful family-run restaurant specializing in lake fish that sits in parkland on the tip of the Bellagio peninsula and which has views over the three arms of Lake Como - a fitting finale to your visit. |
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After breakfast you'll be able to continue your holiday. Bellagio is connected to Como city by regular fast hydrofoils. There is also a shuttle service to Malpensa airport. |
Contact Us
For more information on this tour or to make a booking, please get in touch with us.
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