Villa Monastero in Varenna with aperitif
About This Experience
This is a dated entry ticket to Villa Monastero with a drink attached. It covers both halves of the site — the fourteen-room house museum and the botanical garden that runs almost two kilometres south along the lakefront — and you visit them on your own, at whatever hour suits you, for as long as the villa is open that day.
The aperitif is served at the villa's own bar, which sits on a terrace on the water at the southern end of the garden. It is an alcoholic or soft drink with appetisers, sliced meats and cheese. Because the bar is at the far end rather than by the gate, the sensible order is garden first, walking south, then sit down.
A Lake Como audio guide comes with the booking, downloaded to your phone in Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian or Chinese, with photographs, maps and recorded commentary for Varenna and the wider lake. The operator also runs a 24-hour telephone line for the day of your visit.
Be clear-eyed about the arithmetic. Villa Monastero sells the same entry at its own desk for €15, or €13 for the garden alone, so most of what you are paying for here is the drink, the audio guide, the fixed date and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. That is a fair trade in August, when several ferries can dock within an hour and the ticket desk backs up, or when a wasted afternoon would cost you more than the difference. On a quiet April Wednesday it is a less obvious one, and several reviewers have said as much.
Highlights
- Entry to both halves of Villa Monastero — the house museum and the two-kilometre botanical garden
- An aperitif with appetisers at the villa's own lakeside bar terrace, at the southern end of the garden
- Visit on your own schedule, any time during the villa's opening hours that day
- A seven-language Lake Como audio guide on your phone, with maps and commentary
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and a dated ticket bought before you travel
What's Included
- ✓ Entrance ticket to Villa Monastero for a self-guided visit
- ✓ Aperitif at the Villa Monastero bar — a drink with appetisers, sliced meats and cheese
- ✓ Lake Como audio guide via app in seven languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese)
- ✓ 24-hour assistance line before and during your visit
- ✓ Booking and reservation fees
Not Included
- A guide — the villa visit is self-guided throughout
- Lunch or any food beyond the aperitif's appetisers
- Ferry or train tickets to Varenna
- Gratuities
What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes — the garden is a two-kilometre walk out and back on gravel and stone
- Sun protection in summer; the terraces are largely open to the lake
Good to Know & Caveats
- Last admission is thirty minutes before the villa closes, and the ticket desk shuts at the same time.
- Outside June, July and August the house museum closes on Tuesdays while the garden stays open — a Tuesday visit is a garden visit.
- The bar stops serving about an hour before the villa closes, so leave time to reach it: it is roughly a kilometre south of the gate.
- Opening hours move with the season — 09:30–19:30 in April, May and September; 09:30–20:00 in June, July and August; 10:00–18:00 in October.
- Villa Monastero's own gate price is €15 for garden and museum, €13 for the garden alone, and free for under-14s.
Not Suitable For
- Visitors who want a guided tour — there is no guide and no group
- Anyone hoping to see the house museum on a Tuesday outside June to August
Meeting Point
The Villa Monastero gate on Viale Giovanni Polvani, next door to Hotel Villa Cipressi — about ten flat minutes south of the Varenna ferry pier along the lakeside walkway.
What Travelers Say
Rated 4.1/5 by 24 verified GetYourGuide travelers.
The villa and garden is very nice, everyone visiting Varenna should see this. But I would not have done the aperitif package again if we go back. It’s really not worth it, you are better off to go down to any of the bars and restaurants to get your drink after.
— Christian, July 21
Limited access into and visibility of the villa itself. We felt like we were walking along side of it but that most of it was hidden by tall shrubbery. Spent most of the experience walking along a sidewalk that had pretty lake views but not much to offer other than the pretty flowers along the sidewalk
— GetYourGuide traveler, August
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this ticket include the house museum or just the garden?
Both, on any day the museum is open. Outside June, July and August the house museum closes on Tuesdays while the botanical garden stays open, so a Tuesday booking gets you the garden only.
Where exactly is the aperitif served?
At Villa Monastero's own bar, on a terrace over the water at the southern end of the botanical garden — about a kilometre from the entrance gate. Walk the garden southward and it lands naturally at the end of the visit. Bar service stops roughly an hour before the villa closes.
Is this cheaper than buying at the gate?
No. Villa Monastero charges €15 at its own desk for garden and museum, €13 for the garden alone. This ticket costs more because it adds the aperitif, the audio guide, a fixed date and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. It is worth it in high summer or when the date cannot slip; less so on a quiet spring weekday.
What time should I arrive?
Any time during opening hours — the ticket is not timed. Practically, arrive at least ninety minutes before closing, and remember that last admission is thirty minutes before the gate shuts, with the ticket desk closing then too.
How do I get to the villa from the ferry pier?
Turn south along the lakeside walkway and keep the water on your right. It is about ten flat minutes, past Villa Cipressi, to the Villa Monastero gate on Viale Giovanni Polvani.
Other Varenna Tickets
Varenna: Castello di Vezio Entry Ticket
From Milan: Small Group Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Boat Cruise
Varenna: Lake Como Premium Shared Cruise
Varenna: Villa Cipressi Gardens Entry Ticket on Lake Como
Varenna: Villa Monastero Ticket & Wine Tasting in Bellagio
