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The Italian Lakes: Route Guide

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Varenna's waterfront on Lake Como
Photo: Oursana · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Belle-époque villas, cypress gardens and ferries zig-zagging between mountains and palm trees on Como, Maggiore and Garda.

The Italian Lakes is a 300 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 5–7 days; the plan below is the 6-day version for June, built from 100 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

5–7
days
300km
distance
6
Stops
100
curated stops

Plan your own version → 5-day plan · 6-day plan · 7-day plan · best time to go

The route

Como→ 30 kmBellagio→ 10 kmVarenna→ 80 kmStresa→ 150 kmSirmione→ 30 kmMalcesine

What you'll see

Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Admire statues of Pliny the Elder and Younger at this ornate cathedral.
Como
Villa Melzi
Stroll through serene neoclassical gardens and chapels.
Bellagio
Villa Monastero
Explore a converted convent's furnished rooms and lush gardens.
Varenna
Parco della Villa Pallavicino
Wander gardens filled with exotic plants and towering trees.
Stresa
Grotte di Catullo
Walk through ancient Roman ruins on a historic hillside.
Sirmione
Castello Scaligero
Climb a medieval castle's towers for sweeping lake vistas.
Malcesine
Pinacoteca Civica
View portraits, sculptures, and tapestries by renowned artists in this art gallery.
Como
Villa Serbelloni
Listen to captivating tales of the villa's grand history.
Bellagio

Choose your length

5-day plan29 stops · 12.3 h transit5.8 stops/day · 2.5 h transit/daySee the full plan →6-day plan32 stops · 10.2 h transit5.3 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →7-day plan39 stops · 10.8 h transit5.6 stops/day · 1.5 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: May, June, July, August, September

Gardens in bloom and ferries on summer timetables, minus August's traffic around the lake roads.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →