offwegooo.com
Travel guide
The Italian Lakes
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October
offwegooo.comPrint it, fold it, take it with you
Welcome
The Italian Lakes, in a few days
Between the Alps and the Lombardy plain, Lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore line deep water with grand villas, lush gardens and pastel villages. You go by boat from Bellagio to Villa del Balbianello, wander the lanes of Sirmione and land on the Borromean Islands, with Milan as the gateway.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Bellagio free · about 2 hCobbled lanes stacked on the point between Lake Como's two arms, with silk shops and ice-cream parlours, and the lakeside gardens of Villa Melzi.
- Afternoon · Varenna free · about 1 h 30Colourful houses on Lake Como's eastern shore above a walkway at water level, and the gardens of Villa Monastero, planted with cypresses and agaves.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Du Lac€190 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Villa del Balbianello · about 1 h 30A villa on a promontory near Lenno, used in Star Wars and Casino Royale, with terraced gardens, parasol-clipped trees and a lakeside loggia.
- Afternoon · Como and its cathedral · about 2 hA Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, a busy old town and a historic funicular up to Brunate, with views over the lake and the Alps.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Albergo Milano€210 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Borromean Islands · half a dayOff Stresa: Isola Bella's baroque palace and ten terraces of gardens with white peacocks, Isola Madre's botanical garden, and lake fish on Isola dei Pescatori.
- Afternoon · Lake Orta and San Giulio · about 2 hOrta San Giulio, a car-free village of painted mansions, faces an island basilica reached by boat; above it, the Sacro Monte is UNESCO-listed.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Florence€220 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Sirmione · about 2 hA peninsula on Lake Garda entered past the moated Scaliger Castle, ending at the Grottoes of Catullus, the ruins of a vast Roman villa.
- Afternoon · Malcesine and Monte Baldo · about 2 hMedieval lanes below a Scaliger castle on Garda's eastern shore, and a rotating cable car up to 1,760 metres on Monte Baldo, above the lake.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Olivi€190 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Neapolitan pizza: soft dough, wood fire, and best eaten in Naples.
- Regional pasta: carbonara in Rome, ragu in Bologna, and never the same twice.
- Gelato: artisan ice cream. Walk past the tubs piled high and glowing.
- Aperitivo: a spritz and small plates at the end of the afternoon.
- Espresso: standing at the bar, and no cappuccino after a meal.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Restaurants with photo menus and a man outside waving you in, especially near the monuments.
- Check the bill for coperto and service before you add anything.
- Cappuccino after midday marks you out. An espresso works at any hour.
- Shoulders and knees covered in churches, and that includes the big ones.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| Yes | Sì |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Mi scusi |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
| I don't understand | Non capisco |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Dove sono i bagni? |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore |
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| Cheers! | Salute! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €145 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October
PlugC/F/L · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingCover charge often included, rounding up is enough
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Make sure tetanus, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/italian-lakes
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.