Travel Guide: Lake Como, Italy

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Lake Como to stay three incredible nights at Grand Hotel Tremezzo and explore the surrounding area! It was an unbelievable experience, and I am forever grateful for the team who put together this extraordinary trip! With just three days to explore, our days were packed with excursions, meals, and some time to relax and be pampered.

DAY ONE

We were gifted Arlo Skye carry-on luggage for our trip (I chose the champagne hue!), which was incredible because A) the style is gorgeous, B) I really needed a new carry-on, and C) it charges two things at once! My flight took off from LAX around 2pm, and after a flight to Amsterdam & then Milan, and a private ride from the airport, I arrived at the gorgeous property.

Before I was even able to unpack my bag, I met the group for lunch on the terrace at T Bar where I tried my very first Aperol Spritz – a traditional Italian apertif cocktail that's super refreshing – and sampled the delicious starter plates and Maccheroni Cacio Pepe pasta. Next up was a relaxing massage at T Spa – I highly recommend getting a massage after being on an airplane! After traveling for almost 24 hours and being a bit jet-lagged, it completely woke me up and helped me stay up til almost midnight on the day of my arrival!

Following my 50-minute Swedish massage with hot stones, I ventured over to the indoor infinity pool, had some tea, and went back to my room to get ready and catch up with friends and family via phone before meeting the group for dinner! We had apertivo on the terrace with Rossini – a strawberry, lemon, and prosecco cocktail – before enjoying a tasting menu at La Terraza where we had Gualtiero Marchesi's famous riso oro e zafferano dish, which was a saffron risotto with gold leaf. Course after course, we sampled delicious savory dishes and delectable desserts and wines before heading to bed and getting some much-needed rest.

DAY TWO

For my first full day in Lake Como, I wanted to start off the day right by ordering room service and enjoying it in my hotel robe before meeting up with the group. I ordered a cappuccino, crepes, eggs, toast, croissants, and potatoes – way too much for one person, but it was amazing to sip coffee from my lake-view balcony!

We met in the beautiful lobby and then took the ferry to the town of Bellagio, which has a number of hotels, shops (filled with silks and leather goods!), and restaurants. We visited the gardens of Villa Melzi and strolled down the narrow streets before catching the ferry back to our side of the lake. Before dinner, I wanted to make sure to visit Villa Carlotta, which was very close to our hotel and features beautiful gardens and a museum.

After getting ready quickly, we traveled by car to the bustling town of Como for some shopping and a rooftop cocktail at LOFT Como, which has breathtaking views of the duomo, before driving to dinner at Kitchen Restaurant at Sheraton Lake Como Hotel. The executive chef, Francesco Soletti, came out to greet us and I was able to thank him for making my favorite meal of the entire trip, which included artichokes as a starter and risotto for the entrée. Also - everyone was very accommodating and made me special vegetarian courses!

DAY THREE

Since I'd already experienced room service, I joined the rest of the guests at La Terraza for the incredible breakfast buffet complete with made-to-order omelets, a Bellini bar, yogurts, cereals, cheeses, and so much more. Since the wind had calmed down, we were table to take the hotel's beautiful boat out on the water to visit Villa Balbianello, cruise around the lake to see George Clooney & Richard Branson's villas, and dock the boat at Villa Sola Cabiati where we visited the museum and had an incredible lunch in the most beautiful 18th-century dining room.

Once back at the hotel, we had the afternoon at leisure before meeting for our final dinner. I chose to spend my time hiking up Panoramic Walk at the hotel, and when I got to the top, I was met with the most beautiful view of the property, gardens, and Lake Como. Since it was sunny, I spent some time by the pool and decided to order yet another pizza and an Aperol Spritz a couple hours before dinner – oops! With just an hour or so before I needed to get ready for dinner at L'Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar, I went back to the spa to soak in the infinity pool, enjoy some relaxing Moroccan mint tea, and take in the sights one last time before the sun went down.

We were up at 6am to get ready, enjoy our packed breakfast from the hotel, and take the car ride to the airport for our flight home. The flight from Milan to New York was amazing and I watched so many movies that I needed to catch up on – plus, I got to see this beautiful aerial view (below) of the Swiss Alps outside my window. It was an incredible trip that I will never ever forget, and I hope to go back to Lake Como soon!

Have you ever been to Lake Como? Let me know how your experience was in the comments! And if you've never been, will you be adding it to your wanderlust wish list?