Best things to do in Lake Como on your next trip

Hollywood didn’t put Lake Como on the map – it’s been a holiday retreat since Roman times. But the lake’s popularity among A-listers and jet-setters has established its status as one of the world’s most glamorous destinations. The landscape grows even more luxe in 2026 with the arrival of two five-star hotels: the Lake Como Edition, housed in a 19th-century palazzo in Cadenabbia, just north of Tremezzo, and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Como in Bellagio, which will occupy the former Hotel Grande Bretagne, a 19th-century landmark.

Farther south in Cernobbio, the Miralago Hotel will become the Miralago Luxury Apartments, operated by Villa d’Este Collezione – guests will enjoy concierge services and full access to Villa d’Este’s amenities. It’s not the only local investment from the group, which, in 2025, rebranded and reopened Palazzo Venezia, a hotel in Como’s Piazza Cavour, as a five-star property–the group also revamped the historic Caffè Cavour on the hotel’s ground floor. Elsewhere in Como, Mama Shelter will bring its playful, design-forward energy to the city later this year.

Sophie Knight

Lake Como also hosts annual events that attract in-the-know devotees for both professional pursuits and pleasure. From 17-15 May, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este turns Cernobbio into a stage for rare and luxury classic cars, and the Lake Como Design Festival takes place 12-20 September, with installations, exhibitions, talks and immersive creative presentations taking place in Como and beyond.

But Lake Como isn’t all glitz and glamour. Beneath the polish lies a quieter, more humble side that’s equally compelling: quaint towns and centuries-old traditions of silk-making, cooking, boatbuilding and wine and olive oil production, plus a history partly shaped by smuggling routes and its role as a Second World War resistance hub–chapters of the lake’s past that still linger.

Below, you’ll find a list of the very best things to do in Lake Como, ranging from the widely touted to the lesser-known spots every traveller should have on their radar.

Casabianca

Casabianca

The De Santis family, owners of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua, have expanded their portfolio with Casabianca, a new venue in Como showcasing their extensive contemporary art collection. They’ve transformed a 1930s white marble villa overlooking the Lungolago into a public art space that opened in December 2025. The collection features works by Italian artists such as Emilio Vedova, Massimo Bartolini, Marzia Migliora and Giulio Paolini, alongside international figures like Joseph Kosuth, Su-Mei Tse and Marina Abramović. Of particular note is the Arte Povera collection, dedicated to the revolutionary 1960s Italian movement that embraced everyday, seemingly worthless materials. When it’s time for a pause, there’s an outpost of Cova, the classic Milanese pastry shop, on-site. In summer 2026, the villa’s top-floor suites will start welcoming overnight guests.