Best of the Italian Lakes

Enjoy complimentary airport lounge access before your flight from the UK to Verona, the largest city in Italy’s Veneto region and the renowned setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. On arrival, collect your hire car and drive to your elegant lakefront hotel in Sirmione, beautifully positioned on a narrow peninsula that juts out from the southern shore of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. Right next to it is the Castello Scaligero di Sirmione, one of Italy’s best preserved medieval fortresses, dating back to the 13th century. It’s a fabulous base for the first three nights of your trip, offering easy access to the myriad delights of Lake Garda and offering a host of first-class amenities including a gourmet restaurant serving exquisite Italian cuisine accompanied by an extensive selection of local and international fine wines. 

Stay: Villa Cortine Palace, Sirmione, Lake Garda

Today is entirely dedicated to exploring Sirmione, starting with a boat tour that traces the shoreline of the peninsula, offering gorgeous views of Lake Garda and Sirmione from the water. Back on land, the tour continues on foot, entering the town via the historic drawbridge of the Castello Scaligero di Sirmione before winding your way through the narrow, cobbled streets. Your knowledgeable guide will share fascinating stories and legends, providing a detailed insight into the town’s storied history.

In the afternoon, you’ll venture to the northernmost tip of the peninsula to explore another of Sirmione’s most significant landmarks, the Grotte di Catullo – the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, replete with intricate mosaics, baths and panoramic terraces overlooking the lake. Throughout the tour, you’ll learn all about the esteemed poet Catullus, whose works drew inspiration from this resplendent setting. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure, perhaps enjoying a soothing and rejuvenating soak in Sirmione’s sulphur-rich thermal springs, which are said to possess exceptional natural healing qualities. 

Stay: Villa Cortine Palace, Sirmione, Lake Garda

Having had an initial taste of Lake Garda’s beguiling beauty, you’ll get to explore it in much greater depth today, as you set off from Sirmione on a breathtaking boat cruise, passing between several of the lake’s most charming towns and iconic sights. You’ll make a stop for lunch at a traditional restaurant along the way, enjoying a delicious Italian meal paired with a glass of regional wine. Highlights include the fairytale-esque village of Punta San Vigilio, Isola del Garda (the lake’s largest island, home to a grand neo-Gothic villa), Rocca di Manerba (the remains of an ancient fortification) and the enchanting town of Desenzano del Garda. By the end of the cruise, you’ll have gained an even deeper appreciation of Lake Garda’s natural splendour and rich cultural heritage.

Stay: Villa Cortine Palace, Sirmione, Lake Garda

Leaving Lake Garda behind, your journey continues west to Lake Maggiore, Italy’s second-largest lake, the northernmost portion of which stretches over the border into Switzerland. Along the way, you may wish to visit the historic cities of Brescia or Bergamo, both of which would make excellent stops for lunch and a spot of sightseeing. Upon reaching Lake Maggiore, check into the lavish and luxurious Villa e Palazzo Aminta, a Belle Époque mansion on the lake’s western shore, looking out towards the Borromean Islands. In the evening, you might fancy taking the ferry out to these small, picturesque islands: Bella, Madre and Pescatori (also known as Superiore).

The following day, you’ll embark on a culinary tour, starting with a morning tasting at a historic tea room in Stresa before moving on to Arona for a stop at Luigi Guffanti 1876, a leading supplier of some of Italy’s most revered cheeses, including Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino and Bitto. Then, you’ll continue to Gattinara, where you’ll visit a renowned vineyard that produces Gattinara DOCG – a smooth, intense and full-bodied red wine made here in the Province of Vercelli. You’ll get to sample three varieties of wine accompanied by succulent salami before returning to your hotel for the evening. 

Having explored Italy’s two largest lakes across the first few days of your trip, today presents an ideal opportunity to discover the considerably smaller, lesser-visited Lake Orta. Although often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours, Lake Orta has much to offer in the way of idyllic scenery and charming towns replete with beautifully preserved historic buildings and fabulous restaurants. Indeed, it’s an excellent place to escape the crowds and veer off the beaten track to explore one of the regions’ most overlooked corners. The photogenic town of Orta San Giulio is a fine place to begin your explorations here, with its labyrinthine cobbled lanes, delightful squares, elegant villas and flower-filled gardens.

A short hike, meanwhile, leads up the hillside to Sacro Monte di Orta, a Roman Catholic devotional complex with 20 chapels that form part of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy UNESCO World Heritage site. The nearby islet, which shares its name with the town, is also well worth a visit (accessible via a short boat ride); it’s home to a fourth-century Romanesque basilica and a still-functioning Benedictine monastery. 

It’s a scenic journey today as you drive from Lake Maggiore to Lake Como, where you’ll be staying at a palatial, Art Nouveau-style hotel, close to the confluence of the lake’s two arms on its western shore. The views overlooking the lake are magnificent, while the hotel boasts a superb array of amenities including a trio of pools (including one that extends right out to the lake), a private beach, a state-of-the-art spa and five wonderful dining venues, spanning everything from Italian fine dining and sumptuous seafood to woodfired pizzas and classic local dishes. Just a few steps away is Villa Carlotta, an 18-century villa surrounded by stunning botanical gardens, while Bellagio, perhaps Lake Como’s most emblematic village, is a mere few minutes’ hop across the water.

The next day, perhaps you’ll want be treated to a truly unique and unforgettable experience as you take to the skies on an optional private helicopter tour – the ultimate way to take in the sublime beauty of Lake Como and the surrounding mountains from above, accompanied by a glass of Champagne. 

Drive to Milan Malpensa Airport and drop off your hire car before your flight back to the UK.