Lake Como: Alpine Foothills Picnic & Wine with Varenna Pickup

Lunch 2,000 Feet Above Lake Como, With a Glass of Wine and No Crowds

You get picked up at the Varenna pier, driven forty minutes into the Alpine foothills, and guided through a quiet forest walk to a private picnic spot overlooking the entire lake. Lunch includes local cured meats, cheese, fresh produce, and wine selected from regional producers, with your guide explaining where each item comes from. The whole experience takes three and a half hours and ends by mid-afternoon, leaving your day open.

Step-by-step itinerary

Picnic and walk in Alpine foothills

• Meet at Hotel Olivedo pier
• Drive 40 minutes to mountains
• Admire landscapes and lake views
• Park car and start forest walk
• Walk 20-30 minutes with panoramas
• Arrive at picnic area with views
• Learn about local products and farms
• Enjoy picnic with local food and wine
• Take photos and relax

The experience

The car climbs out of Varenna in tight switchbacks, and the lake starts to shrink below you. Forty minutes of winding road through half-abandoned stone churches, orchards heavy with fruit, and the kind of silence that only happens when you leave the waterfront behind. Your guide sits up front. The driver knows every turn. And then the forest opens, and you step out into air that tastes different: thinner, cooler, the kind of air that makes you breathe deeper without meaning to. This is the foothills of the Alps, and Lake Como spreads out beneath you like something from a postcard someone actually sent.

The walk itself is short (maybe twenty or thirty minutes depending on pace), but it's the kind of walk where you stop every few steps because the view keeps changing. Your guide points out the villages across the water, names the valleys where the food you're about to eat actually comes from. Valtellina and Valsassina aren't just names on a menu. They're the farms and producers your guide has worked with, people he can tell you about. The forest floor is soft. There's no noise except your footsteps and the occasional bird. You're not thinking about your phone or the time.

When you reach the picnic area, everything is already there: the table, the glasses, the light music playing softly in the background. The spread is small but deliberate: local cured meats, cheese from the valleys below, fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, water, and wine (white or red, your choice). It's not a catered event or a performance. It's what someone would actually eat if they lived up here and had an afternoon free. You sit for as long as you want. The view doesn't change, but the light does. The lake catches it differently every few minutes. Your guide leaves you to it, and you understand why they call this the best picnic venue in the region. It's not crowded, it's not trying too hard, and it's the kind of place where a photograph of you actually looks like you belong there.

The whole thing wraps by three in the afternoon, and you're back in Varenna by late afternoon. You've been gone three and a half hours. You've eaten better than you expected, walked through a forest most tourists never find, and seen Lake Como from the angle that actually makes sense, from above, where you can finally see the whole thing at once.

What’s included

Your day includes private transportation from Varenna up to the Alpine foothills, all picnic equipment and setup at the venue, a guided forest walk with lake views, and a curated lunch of local cured meats, cheese, fresh produce, bread, bottled water, and wine (white or red). All fees and taxes are covered.

Before you book

Lasts 4h, runs every day at 11:00, from € 145.35 per person, with a live guide in English, Italian and Russian, in groups of up to 8 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 61 years) · Senior (62 to 80 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (1 to 12 years)

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish, Italian and Russian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Picnickle

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat well and see Lake Como from a perspective most visitors never reach. The drive, walk, and meal are all arranged, so you show up at the pier and everything else unfolds without planning.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Italian and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (1 to 12 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Where exactly do we meet?

At the pier at Hotel Olivedo in Varenna. The activity starts from there.

How long is the car ride up the mountain?

Around forty minutes. The road winds through villages and orchards with views of the lake the whole way.

How difficult is the forest walk?

It's short and easy: twenty to thirty minutes depending on your pace. Suitable for all fitness levels.

What food and drink are included?

Cured meats, cheese, fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, water, and wine (white or red). All sourced from local Valtellina and Valsassina producers.

What time does it end?

Around three in the afternoon. Total activity time is three to three and a half hours.

Is wine included, and what's the drinking age?

Yes, wine is included. The minimum drinking age for alcohol is eighteen.