Lake Maggiore day trip from Milan: Borromeo Islands private tour

Three islands, one day: the Borromean palaces and gardens Lake Maggiore is built around

A private guided day trip from Milan to Lake Maggiore combines train travel to Stresa with boat access to three Borromean Islands. Your guide leads you through the opulent Baroque palace and terraced gardens of Isola Bella, the botanical gardens and frescoed villa of Isola Madre, and the working fishing village of Isola Pescatori, with time for lunch before the return train to Milan. Train tickets, boat transfers and palace entry are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Lake Maggiore and Borromean Islands

• Travel from Milan to Stresa
• Visit Stresa village and gardens
• Boat ride to Isola Bella
• Tour Isola Bella palace and gardens
• Visit Isola Madre villa and botanical garden
• Boat to Isola Pescatori fishing village
• Leisurely lunch on Isola Pescatori
• Return to Stresa and travel back to Milan

The experience

You leave Milan by train and reach Stresa in an hour. The town sits between mountains and the lake, lined with 19th-century mansions built by the Borromeo family, the aristocrats who shaped the region. Your guide meets you there and takes you by boat to the three islands that define Lake Maggiore. The lake itself is long and narrow, formed from a glacier and ringed by hills to the south and mountains to the north. From the water, the scale of it becomes clear.

Isola Bella comes first: a 10-minute boat ride from Stresa. The palace is Baroque and opulent, the gardens terraced in the Italian style and built into the island itself. Isola Madre sits nearby with a different character: the villa is decorated with frescoes and ornate furniture, and the botanical garden sprawls across the island as a retreat. Isola Pescatori, another 10 minutes by boat, is a working fishing village where the atmosphere is livelier and more everyday. You have time there for a leisurely lunch before your guide escorts you back to Stresa for the return train.

The full day runs eight hours from Milan and back. Your guide speaks English or Italian and stays with you throughout. Children from age two are welcome on the tour.

What’s included

• Your guide accompanies you for the full eight hours.
• train tickets from Milan to Stresa and return.
• boat transfers between Stresa and all three islands.
• entrance ticket to Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:00Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (2 to 12 years)

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by YOUR TRAVEL DIARY

Is this one for you?Eight hours is long enough to see all three islands and have lunch without rushing, but short enough to leave your morning or evening free in Milan. A private guide means the pace is yours, and you can linger in the gardens or the fishing village without waiting for a group to move on.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 12 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How do I get from Milan to Lake Maggiore on this tour?

You travel by train from Milan to Stresa, a journey of about one hour. Train tickets are included in the tour price, and your guide meets you in Stresa to begin the boat portion of the day.

What is Isola Bella like, and what will I see there?

Isola Bella is the most well-known of the Borromean Islands and features a sumptuous Baroque palace with monumental terraced gardens built into the island. Your guide introduces you to both the palace interior and the gardens, which are designed in the Italian style and offer views across the lake.

Can I eat lunch on one of the islands?

Yes. Isola Pescatori, the fishing village, is an ideal place for a leisurely lunch. You'll have free time there after your guide's introduction to the island, and the return boat to Stresa departs afterward.

What's the difference between Isola Madre and Isola Bella?

Isola Bella is grand and formal, centered on the opulent palace and manicured terraced gardens. Isola Madre has a more authentic, quieter atmosphere with a botanical garden, a traditional villa decorated with frescoes and ornate furniture, and rambling gardens that feel like a retreat rather than a showpiece.