Top Lake Maggiore Art & Culture

Savor the beauty of Lake Maggiore during the golden hour with this private sunset cruise. Set off from Stresa just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon and admire the picturesque towns, historic villas, and sumptuous gardens dotting the shore as you slowly cruise past. Sip prosecco and snap photos of the lush Borromean Islands and soaring Alpine peaks on the horizon before heading back to the harbor.

Island-hop at Lake Maggiore, and discover the tiny Borromean Islands with a hop-on hop-off ferry ticket. Use the 1-day pass to venture out from Stresa, and spend your day sightseeing as you wish. Step onto the shores of Isola Bella, home to the Borromeo family ‘palazzo’; wander amid the houses of pocket-sized Isola dei Pescatori; and admire the greenery of Isola Madre where botanical gardens beckon.

If you want to discover the Borromean Islands on a tour that offers a personal touch, look no further than this private day trip from Stresa. With a guide just for you and your group of family or friends, you’ll travel to the three chic Lake Maggiore islands: Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori, and Isola Bella. Hear the history of the baroque Palazzo Borromeo on a tour, get restaurant recommendations for lunch on Isola dei Pescatori, and wander the gardens of beautiful Isola Madre.

Visit the Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore with your own private guide, and enjoy transport by motorboat just for your group plus a tour of Isola Bella’s 17th-century palace. Perfect if you want to understand the lake’s history and avoid the tourist crowds, the experience offers everything you need to explore the islands with ease. The standard tour includes stops at Isola Pescatori and Isola Madre, but you can upgrade to visit the botanical gardens of Isola Madre, if you wish.

Spend a morning or afternoon at Lake Orta, and see the highlights of its charming village and lake island with your own private guide. After you hear the history of Orta San Giulio’s medieval houses on a stroll, you’ll step aboard a boat to cruise over the serene lake to Isola di San Giulio. Wander the cobblestone streets to the Roman Catholic basilica, then choose to stay on the island to explore more at your own pace or return to Orta San Giulio with your guide.

Benefit from personalized attention and a flexible itinerary on this private tour of Lake Orta. With pickup in Lake Maggiore, Verbania, Baveno, or Stresa, you'll get private round-trip transportation that makes the trip convenient and relaxing. Explore the village of Orta San Giulio at your own pace, asking plenty of questions along the way and stopping at sites that interest you.

Experience the most that Isola Bella has to offer with this private tour of two of Italy's most famous islands. Visit the aptly-named Isola Bella (Beautiful Island) and Isola dei Pescatori (Fisherman's Island). This private tour offers a morning or afternoon departure to best suit your personal needs.

Whether you are a small party, a family or a couple, a private boat tour cruising lake Maggiore can be a unique way to discover this lovely lake and its enchanting scenery: green hills, snow-capped mountains, beautiful islands, elegant villas with stunning gardens, villages and pretty towns, gorgeous views....all this while sitting in a safe and comfortable private motorboat accompanied by a licensed local guide and captain. This stress-free tour will enable you to discover lake Maggiore's beauties wihout any effort, away from the crowds, in a relaxed atmosphere. Just you and your party cruising for the length of time you will choose ( 1 hour or 90 minutes). You can decide to have a stop or more stops during the cruise at one of the picturesque towns on lake Maggiore to enjoy a gelato ( ice cream) or a coffee! IMPORTANT NOTES: private boat skipper is certified, fully insured and has a regular license issued by the local authority that entitles him to transport tourists on board.

The gardens of Villa Taranto in Verbania, between Intra and Pallanza, are known the world over for their great beauty and the huge number of plant species they contain. The result of a labour of love on the part of the Scottish Captain McEacharn in 1931, the myriad of colours and scents the marvellously landscaped garden offers continues to enchant visitors from March to October. From spring to autumn there are always flowers in bloom, with “special events” for certain species which are particularly spectacular in their season: the tulip week is in April, dahlias are at their best between July and October. We will discover together this beautiful garden and we will focus on particular botanical species. From Stresa, the gardens are reachable by boat: the shipping company “Navigazione Lago Maggiore” has a landing stage called “Villa Taranto” right in front of the Gardens entrance.

Discovering a treasure in lake Maggiore: the beautiful Borromean islands with their stunning palaces and gardens. Your tour guide will take you on a special tour that will enable you to step back in time. Paintings, tapestries, Murano glass chandeliers, portraits, period furniture, gorgeous views and beatifully maintained gardens will surprise you on these fabulous islands: isola Bella and isola Madre.

Visiting the most romantic village in Piemont. Wandering  in the narrow streets. Sailing on the lake to the Island of the silence and the meditation.

Discover isola Bella, the jewel of lake Maggiore, on a unique private tour. Explore the sumptuous Borromeo palace and the incredible gardens on this lovely island in a peaceful atmosphere in the late afternoon ( but morning option is also possible). An experienced local tour guide will meet you in Stresa at your hotel ( if centrally located) or at the pier in Stresa to reach isola Bella by private boat and discover all its beauty at a lovely time of the day when most of the crowds have usually gone. Your private boat will tour around isola Bella to enable you to enjoy beautiful views of the spectacular 17th-century gardens built on ten levels and see the whole palace from the boat. Your personal guide will show you the richly decorated rooms and the grottos telling you more about the founders and owners of isola Bella's fairy-tale palace and will then take you on a guided stroll through the lovely gardens and the tiny village on the island. You will then head back to Stresa mainland.

Step back in time and explore an old castle in Angera - the Rocca or fortress Borromeo - on lake Maggiore, still beautifully preserved, also housing an interesting antique dolls' museum.  Enjoy a stroll and free time in the pretty lakeside town of Arona and see the colossal statue of Saint Charles Borromeo, one of the highest in the world. A private tour to discover lovely corners of lake Maggiore!

Explore all the treasures hidden in a 17th-century palace on isola Bella and the quaint village on Fishermen's island with an experienced tour guide of lake Maggiore! You will be guided through the historic rooms of an amazing palace and will be shown spectacular gardens built on levels strolling through species of flowers and plants from all continents, surrounded by friendly peacocks. This will be a private tour just for you and your party

Experience Bellagio, a setting known as the most beautiful of Lake Como’s clutch of shoreline towns, on a day trip from a neighboring lake. With pickups from hotels in Stresa and Baveno on Lake Maggiore or Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta included, the day trip offers ultimate convenience for a lazy day out on the glamorous Italian lake. You’ll have free time to wander the narrow streets of Bellagio, followed by a visit to Como town where shops, cafes, and impressive architecture await.

Visit the fashionable Stresa and the amazing Islands on Lake Maggiore on a day trip from Milan. Set in Italy's beautiful Lake District just 1.5-hour drive from Milan, Lake Maggiore is surrounded by the majestic Alps and home to some of Italy’s most impressive gardens. After some free time for shopping in Stresa, you will take a two-hour panoramic boat cruise on the lake, visiting the Borromean Islands – Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Bella. On the borders of Piedmont, Lombardy and Switzerland, Lake Maggiore, also known as Verbano is the second largest Italian lake. 

Experience the beauty of Italy’s Lake Maggiore during this half-day tour to Isola Bella and Fisherman’s Island. This private excursion leaves from the villages of Stresa where you board a boat to Isola Bella. Explore the island’s Italian-style garden before heading to Fisherman’s Island for a walking tour of the quaint village. This tour is inclusive of a private tour guide, all entrance fees are to be paid on site.

This is a nice tour to discover the famous Borromean islands off season, when they are like Sleeping Beauty and the Borromeo's properties - palaces and gardens - are closed to the public, but the two lovely villages on isola Bella and Fishermen's island can be discovered. Being accompanied by an experienced tour guide, you will be able to enjoy your visit, learning more about the area, the islands' old history, the aristocrats who ruled over the area, local life in the past times as well as nowadays.

Built on the track of an ancient Roman way, connecting Oscella (Domodossola) and Leocarnum (Locarno), the Vigezzina railroad was inaugurated in 1923, becoming a strategic connection for several small villages in the valleys close to lake Maggiore. Still today, even after severe damages caused by a flood in 1978, the railroad has a strong commercial and touristic function, connecting Sempione and Gottardo districts. This exclusive guided tour will allow you to enjoy a panoramic ride on this small and fascinating train, travelling from Italy to Switzerland across hidden and enchanting valleys. Thanks to a stop, you will have the chance to discover nice villages, such as Santa Maria Maggiore. A different point of view on Lake Maggiore beautiful outback.

The Borromean Islands are one of the highlights of Lake Maggiore, but the logistics of visiting all three in one day can be complicated. On this private tour, visit Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori with a boat and guide to admire their historic villas, lush gardens, and charming lanes. Stop for lunch (at your own expense) on Fisherman's Island before the boat trip back to Stresa.

This is a special wintertime tour, available also during the Christmas season, that will allow you to see two of the highlights of lake Maggiore also in the winter: the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso and isola Bella. Using a comfortable private boat ( covered!) we will enjoy a cruise on lake Maggiore as far as the lombard shore where we will visit the fascinating hermitage of Santa Caterina with its 16th-century frescoed church. The church and the two convents were built on very steep rocks on the lake and the view iof this incredible site from the water is really impressive. We will then enjoy another boat ride to isola Bella. The interiors of Isola Bella's palace and the gardens will not be accessible this time of the year, but you will be able to admire the beauty of isola Bella through its picturesque village on a guided stroll with your private local guide. You will also enjoy a private boat tour around isola Bella to see the whole island with its terraced gardens.

Lake Orta is a small, quite unknown pearl, lying a few kilometers westwards of Lake Maggiore. Its chief town, Orta San Giulio and the close by isle of San Giulio create a unique, charming "lounge" on the lake coastline. The small alleys, the ancient churches and the enchanting landscapes merge together in a scene of rare beauty. This exclusive tour will allow you to enjoy the fascinating atmosphere of the coastline village by a pleasant walk; later, a short, relaxing cruise will take you to the isle of San Giulio, 400 metres offshore, where you will witness the remains of the medieval settlements, a majestic romanesque church and an 19th century seminary.

Book the private Taxi Boat service to book your next trip to Lake Maggiore and visit the Borromean Islands with complete peace of mind. We know that flexibility, in this moment, is necessary to organize a trip out of town. For this reason we want to make our fleet of 11 boats available.

The two sides of lake Maggiore are amazingly different: Westwards, the sweet sines of the gulf on which Stresa and Baveno lay, in front of the charming Borromean Islands with their botanical gardens and villas. Eastwards, the deep waters in which high and wooded cliffs tumble down. This private tour will allow you to enjoy this beautiful diversity, taking you to the discovery of a hidden jewel, built sheer up on the water, close to the town of Laveno Mombello: the Hermitage of Santa Caterina, offering priceless works of art and a breathtaking view on lake Maggiore. This unforgettable experience will end with an exclusive aperitif, served onboard on your route back.