Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
The beauty of the great lakes of northern Italy

The beauty of the great lakes of northern Italy

Description

Three days on Lake Garda and three on Lake Maggiore in a 4-star hotel, with accommodation in a double room and breakfast included.

This is an ideal trip to reconnect with nature, rediscovering all the pleasure of life in the open air.

Lake Garda offers a practically infinite range of opportunities, there is everything you could want for a holiday: ancient villages, seaside and spa resorts, forests and mountains, opportunities for culture, uniquely tasty cuisine, water sports and castles from another time. The Latin poets already extolled the charm of Lake Garda, where everything seems to be suspended between water and rock: three Italian regions – Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto – intersect here, fusing architecture, traditions and gastronomic recipes.

You can tell this by tasting the white and red wines from the vineyards on the stone terraces and especially the olive oil, the fruit of the trees that grow at the foot of the mountains thanks to the mild climate.

Lake Maggiore is a mirror of elegance carved out of the mountains that divide Italy and Switzerland, a landscape of peaks and forests where the villas of Italian tycoons and Hollywood stars stand.

Along the shores, Stresa, Verbania and Cannobio are towns that combine traditional architecture with designer boutiques, with restaurants where you can enjoy dishes as refined as the atmosphere of this lake. Outside the villages, there are castles and residences of the nobles who made the history of Lombardy.

And nature is not only beautiful, but also full of opportunities for sports enthusiasts: trekking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, and water-skiing, breathing in the pure air of the Alps at the top of your lungs.

Visiting

Day 1: All the beauty of Lake Garda
Day 1: All the beauty of Lake Garda

Arrival at the 4-star hotel on Lake Garda and accommodation in a double room. The hotel's location makes it easy to admire the panorama and immerse yourself in the scents of nature. The lake offers everything you could want, including romantic villages overlooking crystal-clear water, sporting activities, waterside walks and gourmet evenings. For example, you can visit Bardolino, world-famous for the production of extra virgin olive oil and the red wine that takes its name, or Malcesine, the village that bewitched Klimt. Don’t forget to take a walk in Desenzano, with its historical buildings and castle. There are countless places to enjoy fresh fish paired with white and red wines from local vineyards.

Day 2: Boating on Lake Garda
Day 2: Boating on Lake Garda

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and, thanks to its convenient location, a free morning to explore the vineyards, olive groves and floral expanses framing the lake. It is easy to reach Lazise, the first municipality in Italy, to stroll along the lakeside promenade to the small harbour or through the alleyways enveloped in light and picture-postcard colours.


Included experience: Boating on Lake Garda amid nature and history


Depending on your agreed time, you will arrive in Desenzano or Sirmione and embark on a private tour of the lake.

Sail the emerald waters and admire the sights and historical sites that follow one another.

Fall in love with Garda Island, known for having welcomed historical figures such as St Francis of Assisi, St Anthony of Padua and Dante Alighieri, circumnavigate Barbarano with Palazzo Terzi Martinengo, Villa Fiordaliso and Torre di San Marco, then sail past the Grand Hotel, an architectural masterpiece in Art Nouveau style.

Before returning to the hotel, you can dine in Desenzano, with its beach clubs and trendy discos.

Day 3: The enchantment of Sirmione
Day 3: The enchantment of Sirmione

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Its location allows easy access to Sirmione, the village celebrated for its beauty by Catullus, Stendhal and Goethe.


Included experience: In Sirmione on Lake Garda amid nature and beauty


Meet up with an experienced guide at your agreed time and depart on a private boat.

Admire the villa of Maria Callas and the Grotte di Catullo, then stop at Fonte Boiola, an underwater thermal spring that gushes directly from the bottom of the lake.

Back ashore, stroll through the historic centre to the Scaligero Castle, one of the best-preserved fortresses in Italy, then refresh yourself with a tasting of local wines in a wine cellar.

Before or after the guided experience, you can browse through the little shops, enjoy an aperitif, or treat yourself to a rejuvenating break at the thermal spa, being pampered by the warm embrace and healing properties of the thermal water.

Day 4: Lake Maggiore, a treasure chest of nature and charm
Day 4: Lake Maggiore, a treasure chest of nature and charm

Enjoy breakfast, then departure at your leisure to Lake Maggiore and accommodation in a 4-star hotel in a double room. Its location makes it easy to visit the most beautiful places around the lake: Verbania with its parks and gardens blending with the blue of the lake, Stresa with its Art Nouveau palaces and a fairytale lakefront, Cannobio with its ancient origins or the Rocca di Angera, one of the most important architectural complexes in the area. You can also indulge in water sports such as sailing or windsurfing, or simply relax in a lakeside restaurant, indulging in typical fish dishes.

Day 5: A day of sport and beauty on Lake Maggiore
Day 5: A day of sport and beauty on Lake Maggiore

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and, depending on your agreed time, meet with an expert guide in Stresa or Baveno to embark on a private tour of the Borromean Islands.


Included experience: Cruise on Lake Maggiore amid nature and art


Admire the panorama of the Gulf and the shores of Verbano and visit Isola Bella, the most precious pearl, with the Borromeo Palace built by Charles III and its Italian-style terraced garden graced with statues, fountains and obelisks.

Continue on to Isola dei Pescatori for a stroll along its characteristic small streets.

After your lunch break, proceed to the eastern shore to be enchanted by the village of Laveno Mombello and the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, a monastic complex built on cliffs overlooking the clear waters.

On the way back, a lakeside walk or a trek on foot, horseback or bicycle. Some of the most beautiful nature trails include: the path of sculpture where you will feel like you are in an enchanted forest, the Bruschera Oasis with its 400 protected hectares, and Pizzoni behind Laveno Mombello, with breathtaking panoramic terraces.

Day 6: The well-being of the Northern Lakes
Day 6: The well-being of the Northern Lakes

Enjoy breakfast before departure, regenerated by nature and the well-being that the lakes of northern Italy have been able to give us.

Guide languages

English
Day 1: Lake Garda
Day 2: Lake Garda
Day 3: Lake Garda, Sirmione, Lake Garda
Day 4: Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore
Day 5: Lake Maggiore
Day 6: Lake Maggiore

DAY 1

  • Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel on Lake Garda, in a double room

 

DAY 2

  • Breakfast at the hotel

Experience: Boating on Lake Garda amid nature and history

  • Licensed English, Italian or German speaking guide

 

DAY 3

  • Breakfast

Experience: In Sirmione on Lake Garda amid nature and beauty

  • Licensed English, Italian or German speaking guide
  • Private taxi-boat (approx. 30 minutes)
  • Wine tasting with a selection of local foods
  • Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel on Lake Garda, in a double room

 

DAY 4

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel on Lake Maggiore, in a double room

 

DAY 5

  • Breakfast at the hotel

Experience: Cruise on Lake Maggiore amid nature and art

  • Expert guide in Italian, English or German
  • Private taxi boat with skipper (4 hours)
  • Entry tickets to Isola Bella and the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso
  • Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel on Lake Maggiore, in a double room

 

Day 6

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Anything not specified in the 'Included' section
  • Tips
  • Meals except where expressly provided for in the programme
  • Drinks
  • Tourist tax for the hotel
  • Pick up and drop off at the hotel
  • Medical and luggage insurance 
  • Any personal extras


A selection of some of our best hotels for this package

4 accommodations

Experiences

3 Experiences