Road Routes
Discover Lake Como's Epic Road Cycling Adventures
Our road routes are designed for avid road cyclists and the adventurous travelers looking for an outdoor activity on their trip to Lake Como! Nearly all of these routes can be done with an electric bike too, we recommend our hybrid style (T-Tronik Trekking/City) or road style e-bikes (E-Oltre). Reserve your road bike rental or e-bike rental and start planning your routes!
Most of these routes start in Bellagio, or Varenna and Menaggio/Cadenabbia (the other central lake towns). The Navigazione Laghi ferry system is very useful in reaching a different starting point, they run several times a day.
EASY
4 routes available
Onno & Ghisallino
A short, yet perfect loop to experience the lake scenery from up close and from above. This ride is for everybody (and is a great ride for electric bikers!), taking you along the lakeside road as well as around the other side, to experience the internal lake towns. You'll get breathtaking glimpses of the lake, as you take on two noteworthy climbs of the Lake Como cycling community: "Onno" and "Ghisallino" (Ghisallo's backside). Upon reaching the top of the first climb, quench your thirst at the special fountain built in honor of the cyclist, while on top of the Ghisallino climb, you have an obligatory pit stop to see the Cycling Chapel and Museum! Join us for this ride in reverse (Ghisallo climb first) on our daily Ghisallo tour!
Gelato Ride
The best kind of destination ride is for gelato. A delightful and easy road ride perfect for beginners. This route takes you through charming lakeside villages all the way to the town of Onno where you can enjoy a gelato break. The ride is mostly flat, with very few hills. The longest hill is the final stretch back to Bellagio.
Orrido di Nesso
This one’s for the romantics: A lovely, simple ride to see the Nesso waterfall and it’s Romanesque bridge, where Hitchcock filmed the honeymoon scene of his very first film! To get the full experience, lock up your bikes and walk down to the bridge right on the edge of the lake.
Scenic Lakes Loop
Starting in Cadenabbia, the ride begins with a 3 km lakeside warm up to Menaggio. From there, the route heads onto a peaceful secondary road that climbs to Naggio, a charming medieval village perched above Menaggio on Lake Como. This is the longest climb of the day, gaining 450 meters of elevation over 7 kilometers—challenging but never too steep. From there, it’s mostly downhill to the picturesque town of Porlezza on Lake Lugano. After a relaxing coffee break by the lake, the return journey to Menaggio follows a stunning cycle path, including a short gravel section that’s perfectly manageable on a road bike. This adventure is perfect for road cyclists of all levels, even less experienced riders looking to take on a rewarding challenge!
MEDIUM
6 routes available
Madonna del Ghisallo Climb (with Superghisallo option)
The Madonna del Ghisallo climb is a must-do for everybody visiting Lake Como! A famous and iconic climb for road cyclists, all of the famous cycling champions have ridden to the Ghisallo Cycling Sanctuary at least once...now it's your turn. This climb is not only historical, it is immersed in beautiful scenery with several breathtaking viewpoints over Lake Como and Bellagio. You can also climb the more difficult side of the Ghisallo climb: the SuperGhisallo. It was named this the first and only time it was climbed in the Giro di Lombardia in 1961. After branching off the main road to the Ghisallo, you’re riding along backcountry roads with no traffic at all, ideal roads for the E-bikes and roadies alike! From the top of the pass at 975m a.s.l., you descend to Madonna del Ghisallo and loop back to Bellagio. Rent an electric bike from us and get the full Ghisallo experience without having to worry about the steep gradients!
Villa Vistas
Ride entirely lakeside along several fun, rolling hills. On this route you get a continuous panoramic view of Lake Como while passing through several unique and historical lake towns with natural wonders: the Nesso waterfalls, and the Duomo of Como (and coincidentally George Clooney’s villa from across the Lake)! Not to mention the narrow and characteristic streets around the town of Laglio that are even more fun to go through on two wheels. Return to Bellagio with a ferry ride from the Cadneabbia ferry dock. This tour is recommended for those who want to experience some of the most unique cycling scenery, culture, and some interesting pit stops!
The North Face
Lake Como is like the front door for the magnificent mountain chain: the Alps. Looking North from Bellagio you can see them in the background, white-topped giants even in Summer. Get a closer look by riding the North branch of the lake! From Cadenabbia, ride to Colico, the northernmost town on the Lake and cross the Adda river, the emissary river of Lake Como. The “giants” will be closer than ever, and you can see the last of the PreAlps tower above you. The road from Colico to Varenna is usually calm, with not much traffic. Pay attention to the roads when making the turn South, it's not always obvious which road to take. Renting one of our GPS devices may he helpful.
Valsassina: The Valley of Cheese
Take in some fresh mountain air riding through this special valley, just 10km from Varenna! A short, panoramic climb will take you to the start of a scenic bike path through the entire valley, passing by several nature spots and rustic neighborhoods. There are many places to sample various mountain cheeses along the ride. We recommend stopping at the Alva market or at the Carozzi cheese shop for the perfect, authentic snack before descending to Lecco and heading back!
Val d'Intelvi to Lake Lugano
Lake Como and Lake Lugano are connected by a long story they share. Stories of migrations, business deals, and contraband activity. This road ride allows you to get a taste of both lakes, without having to cross the border and go too far away from your home base. This is a great ride to do on one of our electric bikes, too; this route is full of great views and passes through several characteristic towns, especially Schignano!
Torchio di Palanzo
This out-n-back bike ride takes you to the town of Palanzo and its ancient wine press, or torchio, one of the many wonders to be found on Lake Como. Enjoy spectacular lakeside views before beginning the 6km gentle climb to the medieval town of Palanzo. (Palanzo is also one of the oldest towns around the lake, very well preserved and truly authentic!) After visiting the torchio, which is always open, head back the same way to Bellagio.
HARD
6 routes available
Ghisallo & Muro di Sormano
The legend and the challenge ... topped with incredible descents and unforgettable panoramic views ... this is the ideal ride for cyclists on the hunt for tough climbs and epic roads, the symbol of cycling on Lake Como. First, climb the Ghisallo, which doesn’t need any more presentation beyond its name, then, take on the terrible Muro di Sormano …'the WALL'! It's a 1.8km climb with an average 18% gradient, and a max gradient of 25%. It’s the toughest bike path in the world! Look down at the road as you climb to keep an eye on the altitude, written every meter of the way on the asphalt. The Muro was ridden for 3 years in the Giro di Lombardia from 1960 to 1962, after which it was abandoned for 50 years because it was too hard…even for the pros! Since 2012 the Muro has been put back in the race. You can't miss it! Give it a try! No putting a foot down!
Il "Laghetto"
This tour takes you through the three main town centers of the Larian Triangle and Lake Como: Bellagio, Como, and Lecco. The loop is quite hilly even though it mostly follows the lakeside road. The most interesting and panoramic part of the ride could be along the roads going from Como to Lecco, that will take you by 5 small, yet characteristic lakes: Segrino, Pusiano, Annone, Oggiono, and Garlate! *To avoid the tunnels after Lecco, take orange variant of the route: 70km with 1000m elevation gain
Into the Wild
This is Luca’s favorite ride on Lake Como. In fact, he gave it this name for a reason: from the lake you climb into a world of small and narrow roads immersed in greenery until you pass by the picturesque town of Premana, a thousand-year-old town perched upon the mountainside and immune to the passing of time. After descending into the Valsassina valley, the scenic and tough Passo Agueglio awaits you … along with its panoramic 16km descent to the Varenna ferry dock. This route's beauty will astound you! For a shorter version of this route without the final climb to Agueglio pass, take the thin dark blue line down to Bellano, making the route 53km with 1300m elevation gain.
Lake Lugano: Border Crossing
Italy, Switzerland, Lake Como, Lake Lugano, flat roads, mountains, villas, nature, and infinite views--this bike ride's got it all! It's a cycling experience that you can't miss. Come and visit us for more information and details, or book this ride as a private tour or as part of one of our road cycling tour packages! In any case, remember your passport, you’re crossing the border into Switzerland!
Val Cavargna
This route is quite isolated and 'wild,' lush, and immersed in pure nature, just like the valley that surrounds it. It's just in between Lake Como and Lake Lugano, and its towns have been isolated and somewhat abandoned for a long time (the road that takes you up there has been in place since 1948!), so biking along is like riding back in time in this authentic, rural, and mountainous area. The ride is short but quite tough, especially the terrible Passo della Cava ... but we can guarantee that it's worth the views, peacefulness, and traffic-free experience! Get your climbing legs ready!
Bellagio is for Climbers
Virginia is for lovers and Bellagio is for climbers! An 8 km warm-up along the lake prepares you to tackle three consecutive climbs, with no flat sections: just climbs and descents. In particular, the second climb to the Conca di Crezzo is a true challenge, but the tranquility of the road, the scenery during the ascent, and the view from the top more than reward the effort on this little-known climb. Before returning to Bellagio, a stop at the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo is a must, followed by the final ascent to the Superghisallo!
EPIC
5 routes available
Il "Lagone"
A very typical Sunday morning ride for many of the local cyclists, 'Il Lagone,' or 'the big lake' as they call it, takes you around the entire perimeter of Lake Como, making it the perfect century ride! You won't miss anything along these 100 miles of pure lake views and fresh air while riding by all the towns and several famous landmarks. Riding 'Il Lagone' is a long, yet incredible, day on the bike!
Valcava & Culmine di San Pietro
Valcava is one of the legendary climbs that helps make up the collective cycling memory. It has a reputation of a 'terrible' climb, due to its length and awfully steep points. It's been climbed more in the Giro d'Italia than the Giro di Lombardia, and not even the champions of those races can forgive the climb for its difficulty. Laurent Fignon, twice victor of the Tour de France, put down his foot on this climb! Can you do better than him? We wish you good luck, and keep in mind that after this climb, there's another long ascent ahead of you, another famous climb among the big cycling races. Are you ready for the challenge?
Passo San Marco & Culmine
Start in Varenna for an epic and challenging ride that includes two long climbs! You'll start ascending as soon as you reach the Northernmost point of Lake Como. Once arriving in Morbegno, shortly after the northern lake border, you will start the real climb: the never-ending climb to 'Passo San Marco' or San Marco Gap. 26km that will catapult you from the beech and olive trees of the Lario region to the typical alpine scenery, arriving just over 2000m above sea level! A long descent awaits you into the province of Bergamo, which then takes you to the base of another challenging climb: the Culmine di San Pietro at 1300. You'll be riding up narrow and seemingly suspended valley roads, and with hardly any cars in sight it feels like being on the edge of nothingness. After reaching the second peak of the day it's all downhill to Lecco, then just 18km more to Bellagio!
Ride for Swiss Chocolate
An incredible loop between two lakes, featuring two challenging climbs that will leave their mark. The first winds through a remote, authentically alpine setting, where you'll likely encounter cows and goats along the way. The second takes you to the Balcone d'Italia, a name that already hints at the breathtaking views waiting for you. After a long and spectacular descent (watch out for tight hairpins before entering Switzerland), you'll ride along Lake Lugano, passing through its namesake city. Here, a chocolate break is a must to recharge your energy! Our recommendations? Läderach and Vanini, without hesitation. After completing the ride along Lake Lugano in Porlezza, the return to Lake Como offers even more excitement, with one final effort before a stunning descent into Menaggio. A truly unforgettable, epic experience!
Splügen Pass - A Historic Alpine Road
It's not just a physical challenge — it's a road that tells a story. Splügen is one of the great Alpine crossings, and also one of the first modern carriage roads built to create a stable link between the north and the south of the Alps. You start from the central lake area and ride along Lake Como up to Colico. From here you take the fully paved cycle path that climbs steadily through the valley, bringing you to the foot of the climb. Then the real work begins: the Splügen Pass. Around 30 km of continuous climbing, from the valley floor at roughly 300 m up to over 2,100 m, right on the Swiss border. It’s long and demanding — and that’s exactly why it leaves a mark. A few kilometres before the summit you pass through Montespluga, a high-altitude hamlet overlooking Lake Montespluga: one of the most beautiful points of the route, perfect for a short stop before the final stretch. The return is clean and rewarding: about 30 km of descent back into the valley, then the cycle path again towards Colico and the lakeside ride home.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75 "Cyclists on Splügen Pass")
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