How to Visit Villa del Balbianello: Info & Tips (Lenno, Lake Como, Italy)

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Thinking of visiting Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como (Italy) and wondering what to expect? Want to know if you absolutely need to book your tickets in advance or if the hike to the villa is difficult? Or is it actually worth the hassle? In this guide, we share our experience-based tips and useful information for your visit. Find out!

Villa del Balbianello in Lenno is one of the most beautiful places on Lake Como. Built at the site of an old cloister at end of the 18th century by Cardinal Durini, the villa had many different owners over the centuries. In time, it was turned into a prestigious vacation residence, with the most unique location on Lake Como.

Today, Villa Balbianello is in the hands of FAI (the National Trust of Italy). This historic villa as well as its gardens are open for visits to the public. Nowadays, Villa del Balbianello is one of the most popular tourist attractions on Lake Como attracting lots of visitors.

Villa Balbianello owes its popularity to its stunning location, which distinguishes it from all the other amazing villas on Lake Como. In addition, it was also used as a setting for several Hollywood films, which made it even more famous among international visitors. James Bond film Casino Royale was filmed here as well as Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and several other movies.

We recently visited Villa del Balbianello, and in this guide, we share some practical information and things you may want to know before you go. Find out!

PRO TIP: Book your visit ahead to secure your tickets, avoid ticket lines, and make sure the villa is open on your chosen day. Here are the best options:

• Getting to Lenno yourself? Book garden entry tickets.
• Want ferry tickets included? Choose this ferry + garden ticket package. You’ll take a public ferry to Lenno and walk to the villa.
• Want to visit the interiors of the villa as well? You’ll need to book tickets with a guided tour.
• Prefer to arrive directly by boat? Take this boat tour from Bellagio with garden tickets, or this boat tour from Varenna with garden tickets + guided tour of the interiors. These boats stop right at the villa’s dock.

 

Location & Getting There

Villa del Balbianello is located on the Lavedo Peninsula next to the town of Lenno along the western shores of Lake Como in northern Italy. Because of its unique location on a hilly peninsula and being surrounded by the water on three sides, Villa del Balbianello requires a bit of extra effort to get to.

First, you should know that you are not allowed to drive all the way to Villa del Balbianello. You can drive to Lenno town, but unless you get there by 9- 10 a.m., it’s very difficult to find a parking spot. So we highly recommend you take a ferry.

Once in Lenno, there are two ways to get to the villa: by boat or on foot. You can find more information about these options below.

TIP: For an easy way to get here, consider this shared boat tour from Bellagio with garden tickets. It drops you off right at the villa’s dock, saving you the uphill walk from Lenno. You can also compare other boat tours here, but read the descriptions carefully: some only pass the villa, while others stop and include time to visit the gardens.

Here is how to get to Villa del Balbianello:

By boat

Arriving by boat is a great way to visit Villa del Balbianello. You also get to see it from the water, which is the best way to appreciate the entire structure and its unique location.

From the waterfront at Lido di Lenno, you can take a small boat shuttle (taxi boat) to the villa. The ride takes less than 10 minutes, but you need to arrange it in advance and book your garden tickets separately. The shuttle also stays close to the shore, so you don’t get the wider views of the villa that you would on a sightseeing cruise.

TIP: If you want to combine a scenic boat trip with a visit to the gardens, I’d choose a boat tour with garden tickets included (like this boat tour from Bellagio or this cruise from Varenna). They drop you off at the villa’s dock, saving you the uphill walk from Lenno.

You’ll find more boat tour options further down in this guide. If you prefer to walk from Lenno, see the next section for more information about the best routes.

On foot

You can also reach Villa del Balbianello on foot from Lenno. This is a good option if you are arriving by public ferry and prefer not to arrange a shuttle boat transfer to the villa. It’s also the best way to visit if boats aren’t running because of the weather or limited off-season service.

There are two ways to get to Villa del Balbianello on foot:

• The easiest way is about 1 km and takes about 20 minutes from Lenno town center. The official signs say that it takes 20 minutes from the moment you join the path, but it took us just about 12 minutes from there to the villa. This trail follows a road that is used for service cars and staff. It’s a bit hilly, but really nothing to worry about. Everyone in reasonable physical shape, including young kids, can easily do this walk.

• There is also another – hiking – path that goes to Villa del Balbianello through the forest. It is much steeper and longer. According to the signs, this trail is about 2.5 km and takes about 45 minutes. We didn’t do that, so I cannot comment on how easy or difficult it is and the only people we saw doing this were wearing hiking shoes and carrying hiking poles.

Since the majority of visitors come here for the gardens of the villa and not to hike, most just opt for the main easy trail.

TIP: If you want to visit the gardens on your own and don’t mind a short walk from the ferry terminal in Lenno, book a ferry + garden ticket package with departures from several lakeside towns (Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo, Como, and several others).

Scenic boat tours

As already said, one of the nicest ways to truly appreciate the unique location and setting of Villa Balbianello is by seeing it from the water.

However, even though you can see the villa from the shuttle boat, it’s a covered (and likely crowded) little boat that goes too close to the shore to truly appreciate it.

Some passenger ferries also pass the villa, but may not get close enough for a good view. For better views of Balbianello and other lakeside villas, consider a scenic lake cruise.

Most sightseeing cruises only show you the villa from the water. If you want to explore the gardens too, choose a tour that specifically includes a stop and admission.

Here are some of the best boat tours that include admission to the gardens of Villa del Balbianello:

• From Bellagio: boat tour and garden visit. A 2-hour scenic cruise aboard a Venetian wooden boat, with a stop at the villa’s dock and time to explore the gardens.
• From Varenna: cruise and garden visit. Similar to the one above, except that you depart from Varenna, and it takes about 2.5 hours. Garden admission is included. If you also want to visit the interiors of the villa, opt for this guided tour instead.
• Full-day walking and boating tour from Varenna. This private tour is very expensive for two, but offers better value for larger families or groups of friends sharing the cost. It’s a convenient way to see a lot of Lake Como in one day without organizing everything yourself. It combines Varenna, Vezio Castle, a scenic boat cruise, and visits to the gardens of Villa del Balbianello and Villa Melzi. The tour finishes in Bellagio.

Villa del Balbianello Tickets

You will need a ticket to visit Villa del Balbianello. There are two options: gardens only or gardens and a guided tour of the villa’s interior. Whatever you decide, book in advance.

The gardens are the main draw, so you won’t miss the highlight if you don’t go inside. The guided interior tour is worth considering if you have more time and are interested in the villa’s history and collections.

Garden + villa guided tour

The inside of the villa can only be visited with a guided tour, and availability is limited. When we were planning a visit to Lake Como for the third week of August, all the guided tours were already sold out a month in advance.

When I checked availability for September, on some days, it was possible to find some free spots about a week in advance. In November, there were plenty of tickets for the next day. So it really depends on the season when you visit.

You can check availability and book a villa-and-garden ticket with a guided interior tour here. This also includes access to the gardens, so you don’t need a separate garden ticket.

TIP: If you want to visit the interior and pick a time slot that suits you best, book your tickets well in advance. If you are traveling in the summer, I would book them as soon as you know your travel dates.

On the other hand, you don’t absolutely have to go inside – the gardens are more than worth a visit in themselves! But also for the gardens, the official website tells you that “reservations are mandatory”. But are they? And what to do if you didn’t reserve? See below!

Gardens only

The majority of people visiting Villa del Balbianello come here just for the gardens. And yes, it’s totally worth it! They are really pretty and very well-kept, and the views are spectacular. You can also see the loggia, which is the most impressive part of the villa in my opinion.

While the official website of the villa encourages you to buy tickets for the gardens in advance, it’s not an absolute must. That said, you may have to wait an hour or even two, so it’s best to reserve your tickets in advance.

If you haven’t booked and tickets are no longer available online, you can still try buying them on arrival. Just be prepared for a potentially long wait.

TIP: If you haven’t reserved a ticket, consider taking the shuttle boat to Villa del Balbianello instead of walking. The gardens have two entrances, and the lakeside entrance where the boat arrives is usually much quieter than the upper entrance. This could save you quite some time!

Alternatively, check the last-minute ticket and tour options. Even when standalone garden tickets are sold out online, you may still find availability for packages that include a ferry ride or boat tour and garden admission. Just insert your travel date and you’ll see what’s available.

When is Villa del Balbianello open?

Unlike some other popular villas in Lake Como, Villa del Balbianello can be visited almost the entire year.

Villa del Balbianello is open from March to January, daily except on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can visit from 10 am to 6 pm, with the last entry one hour before the official closing time (so at 5 pm).

TIP: Check the official website for the up-to-date opening times, especially if you are visiting Lake Como during the low season.

What to expect when visiting Villa del Balbianello

No matter which way you arrive at Villa del Balbianello, you will be impressed by its location and spectacular setting.

The Gardens

The terraced gardens have many sculptures and a wide variety of plants. It’s incredibly beautiful! In addition, you can enjoy the most breathtaking lake views all around you.

Take your time to walk around, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy the scenery. Sometimes, it’s so busy that it can be difficult to appreciate how special this place is, but there are also some hidden corners in the gardens where it’s much quieter. Sit down on a bench and take some time to just be there, in a moment!

Good to know: With the garden-only ticket, you can visit all the buildings except for the villa itself. The most impressive of them all is the outdoor loggia offering stunning views. Through the windows here, you can see two beautiful rooms filled with books and period furniture, but you cannot enter inside.

The orangery at the upper entrance of the gardens can be visited inside. There’s usually a movie playing here about adventurer and explorer Guido Monzino, who was the last owner of the villa. At the bottom, by the lake, there is a small chapel. It’s now used as a gift shop.

The Villa

If you manage to get the tickets for the guided tour, you can also visit the interior of Villa del Balbianello. It’s filled with all kinds of artifacts from Guido Monzino’s (the villa’s last owner) travels all over the world.

Interesting to know: Count Monzino was a 20th-century explorer, best known as the leader of Italy’s first expedition to Mount Everest. He was an avid climber who made over 20 climbing expeditions. He also traveled to the North Pole and you can see one of the sleighs from that trip inside the villa.

Monzino left no heirs and donated Villa del Balbianello to the National Trust of Italy, which runs it today.

Visiting Villa Balbianello with Kids

Yes, you can visit Villa Balbianello with kids, but there are a few things to consider. A lot also depends on the ages of your children.

First, consider how you will get to the Villa – on foot or by shuttle boat. The walking path is rather flat, and you could take a stroller with you, but there are a couple of stairs at the beginning before you even get to the path, unless you manage to find the entrance that is used by service cars (I think there’s a gate there). Taking the shuttle boat can be fun, but the costs with a bigger family quickly add up (it depends on the age of your kids too).

Second, there are quite a few stairs and steep walkways in the gardens. Overall, a baby carrier is more practical than a stroller.

And third, I think I’d skip the interior of the villa if you are visiting with toddlers and preschoolers. Even older kids could get bored during the guided tour, and you’ll probably spend more time trying to make sure that your kids don’t touch or break anything rather than listening to the guide.

Good to know: Reduced child rates (6-18) and family tickets are available, but discounts depend on the ticket or package you book.

Tips for Visiting Villa del Balbianello

Here are some useful tips for your visit:

• Book in advance! If you want to see the villa’s interior, book as soon as you know your travel dates, especially in high season. For the gardens, booking ahead saves you from waiting in line to buy tickets. We waited more than half an hour to get in, and recently I read that some visitors reported waits of up to two hours.

• Visit during the quieter hours of the day. If you are coming on your own, plan your visit to Villa Balbianello either first thing in the morning when it opens or about an hour before closing time.

• Avoid Mondays and Wednesdays. Villa del Balbianello and its gardens are normally closed on these days, so plan your visit for another day if possible. If your dates aren’t flexible, you can still admire it from the water – see below.

• Consider taking a scenic boat tour. You can visit Villa del Balbianello independently and book a scenic boat tour of Lake Como separately, before or after your visit. Seeing the villa from the water is the best way to appreciate its beautiful setting, so look for a cruise that passes by it.

• Wear comfortable shoes. Whether you are planning to walk to Villa Balbianello or take a shuttle boat, you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes for visiting the gardens.

• Bring some drinking water with you.

• Spend some time in Lenno town. In addition to visiting Villa del Balbianello, be sure to check out Lenno as well. The center is tiny and it will not take much time. The main landmark to see here is the St. Stefano Church, where you can also visit the underground crypt. Just next to the church, you can also see the Baptistery. If you have a bit more time, take a walk along the waterfront. There are a couple of restaurants here where you can have lunch, drinks, or gelato.

• Don’t come by car. Parking in Lenno is a nightmare, and the tiny car parking area that is closest to Villa Balbianello fills up by the time the villa even opens. The best way to come to Lenno is by ferry, with frequent connections from nearby towns in high season. You can book ferry tickets and garden admission together. In low season, driving and parking is more manageable, but try to arrive early.

READ ALSO: Useful Info & Tips for Visiting Lake Como

So, this is our guide to visiting Villa del Balbianello. I hope that it gives you a better idea of what to expect.

If you are looking for more information for your visit to the area, take a look at the overview of our Lake Como guides:

• Best Things to Do in Lake Como
• Where to Stay in Lake Como
• Lake Como Travel Tips
• Most Beautiful Towns to Visit in Lake Como
• Most Beautiful Villas and Gardens of Lake Como
• Things to Do in Bellagio
• Things to Do in Varenna
• Things to Do in Como

Have a great trip!

TIP: Save this guide for later, share it with your friends, or pin it to Pinterest so you can easily come back to it when planning your trip.

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