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What to book before you travel to the Italian Lakes?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length
WeekendOne weekTwo weeks

6 activities to book · about €148 per person

The Italian Lakes

Days 1-7
Days 1-7Villa del BalbianelloA villa on a promontory near Lenno, used in Star Wars and Casino Royale, with terraced gardens, parasol-clipped trees and a lakeside loggia.€12Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-7SirmioneA peninsula on Lake Garda entered past the moated Scaliger Castle, ending at the Grottoes of Catullus, the ruins of a vast Roman villa.€8Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-7The Borromean IslandsOff 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.€33Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-7Malcesine and Monte BaldoMedieval 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.€30Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-7Lake Orta and San GiulioOrta San Giulio, a car-free village of painted mansions, faces an island basilica reached by boat; above it, the Sacro Monte is UNESCO-listed.€5Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-7Como and its cathedralA Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, a busy old town and a historic funicular up to Brunate, with views over the lake and the Alps.6,€60Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Bellagio · Varenna

All activities in The Italian Lakes on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in the Italian Lakes cost?

€148 per person if you do them all, across 6 bookings. The most expensive is "Como and its cathedral" at €60, the cheapest "Lake Orta and San Giulio" at €5. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in the Italian Lakes without booking anything?

2 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with Bellagio, Varenna. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Italian Lakes guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit the Italian Lakes, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→