Villa del Balbianello

Stunning! We visited the gardens only and booked in advance. Queuing system was quite confusing but if you don’t book in advance then entry seems to be based on first come first served and then one out/one in. If you exit and turn left just after the inner gates, there’s a signposted walk back to the main entrance that’s quite hilly but enjoyable with some great views.

Villa del Balbianello is one of the most beautiful villa in Como Lake. I suggest you to buy the tickets before coming here to skip the long line.

There are so many corners to take photos and videos inside the villa. Highly recommend to visit,

Wonderful, wonderful villa!

I really recommend everyone to visit it. Spectacular views, beautiful sculptures and garden.

We also had a tour in villa buildings, the guide was brilliant, she explained everything about the owner and his interests and entertained us with many cultural references and comparisons.

It was quite an adventure to get to Villa Balbianello and I’ll admit that I was worried it might not be worth the hassle. I’m so glad I was wrong. This place is magical. The gardens are truly stunning, and thoroughly enjoyed while feeling the cool breeze from the lake. We saw couples taking wedding photos, couples getting engaged, etc. The surroundings are just so beautiful and meticulously cared for. We went first thing in the morning, and it wasn’t crowded, but by the time we left, there were too many people… although I know that is to be expected during prime tourist season. While we didn’t tour the inside of the villa, we didn’t feel like we missed a thing. The landscape and lake are the highlights of this spot. Make sure to spend some time to explore it leisurely.

A beautiful and amazing place with gardens and attractions to take your breath away. Although a hike away from the boat station, in the cooler weather, it would be a nice stroll. There are taxi boats to the villa but we did not seen any. Highly recommended attraction in Lake Como.

You should buy a ticket in advance in order to avoid the cues or to be sure you can get to visit this dreamy place. There are huge cues and we were lucky to be the last two who get the tickets. Star Wars contributed to the popularity of this villa. But it really deserves to be seen by so many people.

Stunning grounds. Absolutely beautiful. Picture perfect.Didn’t go in the villa as tickets sold out. Definitely book in advance to avoid queue for villa and grounds. We waited an hour. Would be much longer in high season.

It's all they say it is, truly amazing. Tricky finding parking but once you do there are 2 options for getting there. Hiking up the mountain path for about 20 min, or finding the boat along the lake path. It's one of the first docks you will hit and says on a small stump "boat to Villa". Cost 6 euro per person 1 way or 9 round trip. The boat was awesome, would recommend this one way and walk the path back. Villa is beyond breathtaking and the tour was very cool and informative. So many amazing spots to take pics. Book this months in advance as it sells out very quickly!

I was lucky enough to photograph a wedding at Villa Balbianello and it definitely made my job super easy =) The villa is nothing short of being a visual masterpiece.

The villa’s architecture and the curated gardens provide a diverse range of stunning backdrops to shoot in. Every tiny corner of the property looks pretty darn good!

If you're dreaming of a picturesque wedding, Villa Balbianello is up there =)

This place was well worth the visit. The villa is accessible by train from Milan to Varena, then ferry to Leno (there is another small boat that can take you to the Villa for additional charge) or walking.
Be mindful of the ferry and train schedule as it is easy to miss your ferry and / or train back.
It’s not wheel chair and stroller friendly, however you can leave your stroller outside of the villa and carry your baby inside during the tour.
Suggest getting tickets in advance as this place gets busy in summer.

I had a really nice experience at Villa Balbianello. I enjoyed everything, especially the stunning views and the great spots for taking pictures. I bought the tickets in advance, which I highly recommend to avoid long lines. If you're driving, keep in mind that the parking lot is small, and finding a spot might be challenging, so plan accordingly.

Villa del Balbinello is probably the most beautiful villa in Lake Como. The gardens are well maintained and unparalleled. Our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and readily answered our questions. There are so many little spots to explore throughout the gardens, and the views are excellent from all angles. Just know that the grounds will be extremely crowded during the summer, and getting pictures that aren't filled with other tourists will be difficult. Definitely purchase tickets in advance online or else you may have to wait in a long line. Additionally, the hike up to the villa is tedious (uphill for several minutes), but so worth it.

There is cover to get on to the property just to see the outside and take pictures. We got gorgeous ones! Cool stop to take on our boat day.

A beautiful property with amazing views. Weren't able to get tickets to your the villa as we didn't book in advance but still a must visit if in Como.

We came for the "James Bond" experience but really this is more about the history of the last owner of the villa. For me, it was very interesting! The collections in the villa from his explorations all over the world were astounding. The grounds and the house are stunning. The tour was well worth it for the background. Warning: it is a long walk uphill to the villa. If wearing heels, just carry them and wear sneakers on the way up!

An absolutely stunning venue, and we were lucky enough to have good weather during a wedding we attended. The landscaping here is some I’ve the most impressive I’ve ever seen, it’s truly a magical location, and don’t hesitate to visit if you ever get the chance!

Beautiful historic villa. Scenic views of Lake como from the Villas lavish gardens which have been featured in both James and Star Wars. It is possible to get a tour of the villa itself and hear about its interesting history.

Me and my wife are traveling through Italy and I am a huge Star wars fan and I wanted to get a picture at this place where they shot a couple of scenes from episode 2. The views are great. The pictures are great we also got a private tour of inside the buildings. Very cool to see some of the artifacts. Our guide for our guided tour. Sometimes I wondered if she knew what she was talking about. She used some derogatory words in a couple things. And said some history points that are not correct.

Beautiful villa on Como. The grounds were spectacular and the inside tour was great to see also. You can walk up to the villa but we really enjoyed the boat ride just to experience entering the villa grounds with such amazing views! Loved it!

Absolutely amazing place to visit, I recommend taking the house tour as well. It is a guided tour of approx. 50 minutes, but it's definitely worth it. If you take a boat ride from the villa premises and you'd like to go back, just be aware to request a return ticket, we did not know and were a bit surprised when we arrived in a different location and had to step out.
The only downside is that it is overcrowded, many tourists are choosing it for marriage proposals, apparently there is a very special place for this purpose (Star Wars fans know why). We were a bit negatively surprised that we were not allowed to visit this place on the villa premises because there was at that specific moment a marriage proposal.
However, all in all, greatly recommended, a must see at lake Como.