The Italian Lakes

Lakes, Gardens and Majestic Mountains

Tour Dates

9 – 16 May 2025

Tour Cost

€3,675 per person

Single supplement: €385

This tour explores three of the famous lakes of northern Italy: Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and the lesser-known Lake Orta. All three have a magnificent backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Italian Alps, making the scenery on this trip particularly spectacular. We stay in three hotels, two of which are located right on the lake shore and have their own private jetty. The tour passes through Switzerland and we visit, and hike near, the Swiss city of Locarno on the north western shore of Lake Maggiore. In addition to our vehicles we use boats, cable cars and funiculars to transport us to different areas for walking, and we have the opportunity to visit the stunning gardens of Isola Bella and Villa Taranto. A private guided visit on the first day to some of Milan’s hidden artistic gems completes a sensational itinerary for this tour.

The tour starts in Milan city centre. Our meeting point is the Hotel Una which is very close to the Sforza Castle on Via Cusani.

We finish at Milan Malpensa airport. Many people choose to extend their walking holiday in Italy seeing more of Milan, or travelling to Turin, Venice or Rome. For more ideas on where to go visit our City Guide page.

What’s Included?

7 nights beautiful accommodation (3 different hotels)
Two experienced and knowledgeable guides to look after your every need and bring this stunning area to life.
All meals including wine, with the exception of dinner on Day 5 which is at your leisure
Gourmet meals in a variety of superb local restaurants
Support vehicle, enabling you to walk as little or as much of the trail as you please
Transport to/from Milan at the start and end of the holiday
Comprehensive pre-trip information.
Luggage transported for you so all you need to carry is a small backpack with water etc.
Museum visits, food/wine tastings as per the itinerary

Our tours are genuinely all-inclusive – learn more about what we offer.

Tour Highlights

Visit some of the hidden artistic gems of Milan
Private boat trips on Lakes Como, Maggiore and Orta
Visits to the gardens of Isola Bella and Villa Taranto

Walking/Terrain

Terrain: Cobbled mule tracks, woodland trails and rugged mountain trails. Significant ascents and descents (up to 800m) on days 3 and 6

Shortest/Longest Day: 7km/4.4 miles: 18km/10 miles

We have graded this hike a Level 4. Some of our tours are more challenging than others, so see how we grade our hikes to make sure you choose the right one for you. If you are interested in this tour, then you might also like to take a look at Slovenia and Friuli, Southern Italy or The Wilds of Abruzzo

Accommodation

Hotel Bellavista: Family-run Liberty-style villa above Lake Como*

Grand Hotel Majestic: Historic lakeside hotel with a pool in the quiet town of Pallanza on Lake Maggiore

Hotel San Rocco: 4-star lakeside hotel in Orta San Giulio with excellent restaurant

*For larger groups we also use the Vista Lago hotel in Brunate close by

Itinerary

LEAVE BLANK

Day 1

10:00 am: The tour meeting place will be the Corner Duomo Hotel, very close to Milan’s cathedral on Via Adalberto Catena. Our first stop is a private guided tour of some of Milan’s hidden artistic gems. After a light lunch in a local trattoria, a short drive takes us to Como. We stay in Brunate, a small hamlet above the lake. We will stay for three nights in a recently renovated Liberty-style villa in the center of the hamlet, and, if we have large groups, a nearby hotel with lake views. This evening, we have a welcome drink and dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Day 2

We depart the hotel on foot and follow quiet shady paths through the woods with glimpses of Lake Como below. We pass through a few hamlets which seem to cling to the hillside and are only accessible by foot. Discover fascinating geological formations before descending on an old stepped path down to the village of Torno on the lake, from where we catch a boat back to Como. In the evening, we descend by funicular to dinner in a restaurant on the shores of Lake Como.

(12km/7.5 miles)

Day 3

A challenging yet rewarding hike leads from the hotel and climbs up to the ridge of the “Triangolo Lariano,” which rises to 1300m between the two southern arms of the lake. Enjoy wonderful views of the lake, the Alps, and south to the plain of Milan. Lunch in a mountain refuge. In the afternoon, we continue along the ridge, making the most of the spectacular landscape, and return to the hotel by van. Dinner this evening is in the hotel restaurant once again with views of the lake below.

(18km/11 miles)

Day 4

We depart Lake Como after breakfast and drive via Lake Lugano to Locarno, an elegant Swiss city on the northwest shore of Lake Maggiore. We travel by funicular and cable car high above the lake at 1250m. An easy hike on well-graded trails leads up through woods to emerge above the tree line at Cimetta. We descend to an alpine restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, a short walk takes us back to the cable car, and we descend to the lake. A pretty drive along the west side of Lake Maggiore leads to the village of Pallanza, where we stay in the luxurious Grand Hotel Majestic on the shores of the lake. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

(7km/4.4 miles)

Day 5

A relaxing day today: we take a private boat to Isola Bella for a guided visit of the sumptuous seventeenth-century villa and gardens owned by the Borromeo family. Leisurely lunch at a lakeside restaurant. We return to the hotel by boat, and the rest of the day is completely at leisure. Stroll the gardens of Villa Taranto, a short walk from the hotel, or just relax and absorb the serene atmosphere of the hotel. This evening, you are free to stroll into town for an aperitif, enjoy a light dinner in a local trattoria, or unwind over a glass of wine in the gardens of the hotel overlooking the lake.

Day 6

We transfer to the start of our walk on the side of Monte Mottarone. Climb up on a well-graded trail to the summit of Monte Mottarone at 1491m, from where we are rewarded with 360° views encompassing lakes Orta, Maggiore, and beyond. Enjoy a picnic on the slopes of the summit before descending on small trails past remote hamlets and farms to the village of Armeno at 550m. Continue by minibus to Lake Orta, where we stay on the lake in the luxurious four-star Hotel San Rocco. Dinner in the hotel this evening.

(16.8km/10.5 miles)

Day 7

A private boat collects us from the hotel jetty and takes us to the western shores of the lake, from where we start our hike, climbing on a cobbled trail to a series of villages overlooking the water. We descend to the lake at Pella, where we have a picnic before our private boat collects us to take us to the tiny island of San Giulio with its beautiful frescoed basilica. We return to our hotel by boat. Free afternoon with the opportunity to visit the pretty chapels of Sacro Monte, dedicated to the life of St. Francis, and the lovely village of Orta. Fabulous final dinner in a local restaurant overlooking the lake.

(9km/5.5 miles)