Top Lake Maggiore Outdoor Activities

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.

Explore the ‘Beautiful Island’ of Isola Bella at your leisure with a hop-on hop-off ferry ticket departing from Stresa. Glide across Lake Maggiore to this most renowned of the Borromean Islands, where you can visit the Palace Museum and Gardens, grab a bite to eat or simply stroll around the palazzos and villas that decorate the port. Ferries run every 30 minutes, so you can customize your day.

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.

Book a flexible ticket for the three Borromean Islands in advance, and have peace of mind for easy voucher changes should your plans change. With a boat ticket booked in advance, you’ll visit the three famous Lake Maggiore islands at your own pace. Walk amid the botanical plants of Isola Madre, browse the craft shops and restaurants of Isola dei Pescatori, and gaze in awe at the Palazzo Borromeo of Isola Bella.

Lake Maggiore is famous for its lakeside towns, villas, and gardens, but these headliners are best seen from the water. With this boat tour, cruise along the shoreline to admire the fishing villages and aristocratic estates backed by rolling hills and snow-capped Alpine peaks. Take in the lake’s jewel-like islands and opt to dock and explore on land or spend your entire mini cruise savoring the views from 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.

Book ahead to see the three Borromean Islands by boat, and save yourself the hassle of working out boat cruise tickets at the lakeside. A hop-on hop-off ferry cruise, the experience starts from Stresa and stops at Isola dei Pescatori, Isola Bella, and Isola Madre: Lake Maggiore’s famous trio of islands. Ferries depart every 30 minutes through the day, leaving you with ample time to explore each island at leisure.

Explore Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands at your own pace with a private hop-on and hop-off boat service from Stresa. Admire the beautiful scenery and visit the enchanting islands of Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Bella.

An experienced local tour guide will show you lake Maggiore's highlights from the water. What a an excellent way to see lake Maggiore and learn more about the old towns, the islands, the historic villas and palaces, the aristocrats and the Belle Epoque time! All while sitting in a comfortable and safe private boat with no effort and no walking at all! This is an amazing tour that offers the chance to be in touch with a native guide to the area who can tell you about the history and the curiosities, the old fishing activities and the life around the lake today.

Sailing on Lake Maggiore is a fairly pleasant experience as it is. Combined with a good bottle of Prosecco, it becomes even more unique and unforgettable. The boat you use during this activity is suitable for small groups of people for a cocktail or to make a romantic surprise for your partner. Larger groups can be accommodated inside the boat, protected from the elements but at the same time offering sweeping views of the lake through the boat's large windows and open terrace area. Enjoy a delicious aperitif in good company while socializing aboard your comfortable boat. During your approximately 1-hour cruise, take advantage of your time to take photos and learn more about this wonderful side of Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore is Italy’s second-largest lake, dotted with lush islands and surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss and Italian Alps. With this tour, set out from Stresa to discover the lake by boat, admire the views as you cruise past beautiful gardens and lakeside villas, and hop off to explore the Borromean Islands of Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Bella.

We know that flexibility in this moment is necessary to organize a trip out of town; for this reason we want to make the Flex service available. We guarantee flexibility on all available dates, you can book your next tour in complete freedom. Should your plans change, you can change the date of your Flex-Ticket by easily requesting a voucher for the new date. No cost for changing the reservation of the chosen date. Book the Flex-Ticket service made available by the Consorzio Motoscafisti Associati C.M.A. by Stresatours with its fleet of 11 motor ships with variable capacity from 30 up to 60 seats, we will guarantee flexibility on the booking dates of transport to the Borromean Islands, you can plan your next trip to Lake Maggiore in total freedom.

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.

We know that flexibility in this moment is necessary to organize a trip out of town; for this reason we want to make the Flex service available. We guarantee flexibility on all available dates, you can book your next tour in complete freedom. Should your plans change, you can change the date of your Flex-Ticket by easily requesting a voucher for the new date. No cost for changing the reservation of the chosen date. Book the Flex-Ticket service made available by the Consorzio Motoscafisti Associati C.M.A. by Stresatours with its fleet of 11 motor ships with variable capacity from 30 up to 60 seats, we will guarantee flexibility on the booking dates of transport to the Borromean Islands, you can plan your next trip to Lake Maggiore in total freedom.

We know that flexibility in this moment is necessary to organize a trip out of town; for this reason we want to make the Flex service available. We guarantee flexibility on all available dates, you can book your next tour in complete freedom. Should your plans change, you can change the date of your Flex-Ticket by easily requesting a voucher for the new date. No cost for changing the reservation of the chosen date. Book the Flex-Ticket service made available by the Consorzio Motoscafisti Associati C.M.A. by Stresatours with its fleet of 11 motor ships with variable capacity from 30 up to 60 seats, we will guarantee flexibility on the booking dates of transport to the Borromean Islands, you can plan your next trip to Lake Maggiore in total freedom.

Admire the wonderful gardens of Isola Madre, an ancient hunting reserve of the Borromeo family. Sail to Isola Bella for the elegant Borromean Palace, Italian garden terraces, and boutique shops.

There’s no better way to see Lake Maggiore’s Borromean Islands than by private boat. This 1-hour tour allows you to travel in true Italian style around Isola Bella, Isola Madre and more. As you bask in the sun, your captain navigates the boat on a route that takes in sights of the islands’ lakeside gardens, palazzos and private villas. If you want to learn about the area as you cruise, upgrade to include a guide.

The Borromeo family has ruled the lands across lake Maggiore for centuries and their descendants still own some of the gorgeous parks and mansions scattered around. The South-Western basin of the lake, named the Borromean gulf, is dotted by some small, charming islands. This exclusive cruise will lead you to discover the wonders of the three Borromean islands: the amazing botanical garden of Isola Madre, the largest one; the characteristic alleys of Isola dei Pescatori, the only permanently inhabited one, where you may enjoy a good lunch; finally, the superb baroque palace and garden of Isola Bella, dedicated by Carlo III Borromeo to his wife Isabella d'Adda.

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.

Lake Maggiore was a mandatory stage of the Grand Tour of Norther Italy, during the 19th century. A Scottish official and traveller, Neil McEacharn, was once bewitched by the beauty of theses surroundings and bought in 1930 a villa in Verbania. In a few years, he acquired a vast land around there and turned it into a gorgeous botanical garden. This private tour will allow you to discover the wonderful, rare plants kept in the 18 hectares-wide garden of Villa Taranto, in an amazing panoramic position. The most cheerful and colored way to enjoy the mild weather and the superb views of the lake.

We know that flexibility, in this moment, is necessary to organize a trip out of town. For this reason we would like to make our fleet of 11 boats available. Book the Taxi-Boat service made available by our company with 11 motorships thanks to our fleet you can plan your next trip to Lake Maggiore to visit Isola Bella.

Mount Mottarone stands upon the enchanting town of Stresa, reaching almost 1.500 meters upon sea level. A majestic massive, a natural viewpoint on the surrounding Alps, the soothing beauty of Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands. This exclusive tour will allow you to climb up the mountain by a cableway, to enjoy an easy but spectacular walk, close to the sky and in front of some astonishing views. Before reaching a typical hut, where you will have a mouth-watering lunch based on local specialties, you will be guided into Alpinia, one of the first and most prestigious alpine botanical gardens in Italy.

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. This private tour will lead you to discover the atmospheres, the fascinating alleys and the view points of these sites, connected by a short and pleasant boat cruise. Later, you will have the chance to enjoy an astonishing view of the lake from the heights of the Holy Mount of Orta, a magnificent sanctuary reachable through an ascending path dotted of gorgeous baroque chapels. The site is a UNESCO heritage and you will surely understand why.