Guide to Lake Garda - 17 tips for experiences around the lake

Writer: Helena Bergström

What to see and do around Lake Garda in Italy? We have travelled in Italy several times and this is perhaps one of the best things Italy has to offer. Beautiful views, cosy villages and lovely excursions. We have to say that we love Lake Garda! Here you will find a guide with our best personal tips.

Lake Garda in Italy

Lake Garda, or Lago di Garda as it is known in Italian, is a great place for those who love beautiful views combined with charming small towns, restaurants and boat trips. Summer is the high season, with lots of tourists, while it can be much quieter at other times of the year.

Lake Garda is located in the northern part of Italy, east of Milan.

What to see and do around Lake Garda?

So, what can you see and do around Lake Garda in Italy? We can promise you a lot! This area offers charming towns, great boat trips and fantastic wines, to name but a few. Here are our top tips.

1. discover Desenzano

Desenzano is a lovely town on the southern shore of Lake Garda. It has some historical sites such as a medieval castle, but also a seafront promenade, swimming areas and a lively town centre with shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. We only made a short visit here, but we really liked the city!

2. Holidays in Sirmione

Located in the southern part of Lake Garda, Sirmione is a real gem. Here you can discover the beautiful castle Scaligero, one of the best preserved castles in Italy. There is also a cosy town centre with plenty of restaurants and shops, as well as an interesting archaeological site in the form of the impressive Roman remains Grotte di Catullo.

You can also take boat trips on the lake or sunbathe and swim at La Spiaggia Giamaica (Jamaica Beach), at the tip of the Sirmione headland. Sirmione is simply an incredibly charming little town, with a great holiday feeling.

READ MORE: What to do in Sirmione - 12 tips for a gem on Lake Garda

3. visit Parco Giardini Sigurtá

If you like nice parks, we can recommend a destination located about half an hour south of Sirmione by car. Parco Giardini Sigurtá is a huge park that includes 600,000 square metres of lawns and forests, 18 ponds and lakes, a million tulips, 30,000 roses, a labyrinth and a 400-year-old oak tree.

If you want to walk around the park, you'll need plenty of time, but it's also possible to hire a golf cart or bike, or book a tour on the 'little train'. Right next to the park you'll also find the super cosy village of Borghetto.

READ MORE: Parco Giardini Sigurtá - flowers near Lake Garda

4. Experience the charm of the village of Borghetto

Borghetto is a very picturesque little village located right next to the Mincio River, not far from the Parco Giardini Sigurtá park. Here you can check out the lovely 14th century bridge Ponte Visconteo and stroll around the shops in the cosy little streets. There are also plenty of nice restaurants, many of which offer fantastic views of the river.

READ MORE: A visit to the historic little village of Borghetto

5. Strolling in Lazise

Lazise is one of the most picturesque towns on the eastern side of Lake Garda, and is known for its medieval atmosphere. The town is surrounded by a well-preserved city wall with gates and towers from the Scaliger era. Inside the old town you can enjoy narrow alleys, colourful houses and cosy squares.

There are a lot of shops and restaurants, where you can eat pasta and fish, among other things. You'll also find a nice seafront promenade, and it's possible to go on various boat trips.

6. Shopping for wine in Valpolicella

If you're a wine lover, you won't want to miss a visit to the Valpolicella wine region, which you'll find just east of Lake Garda. The area is particularly known for full-bodied red wines in the form of Amarone, Valpolicella and Ripasso, as well as the sweet red wine Recioto.

In many cases it is possible to visit wineries directly, but if you are just looking to buy wine, it may be easier to visit a shop, where wine from different farms is sold. In Negrar di Valpolicella, for example, you can visit Cantina Negrar, where you can find everything from exclusive gift wines to simple table wines. You can even get red or white wine by the bottle if you wish.

READ MORE: Shopping for wine in Italy - smart wine buying in Valpolicella

7. check out the olive oil museum

It's not just wine that can be sampled in the Lake Garda area. You can also sample olive oil at the Olive Oil Museum in Cisano, just south of Bardolino. This is both a museum and a shop.

Downstairs you can see old olive oil presses and exhibitions about how production has been done over the years. Upstairs you can both try olive oil and buy various products, mainly oils but also some other delicacies.

8. Hang out in Bardolino

Bardolino is a really nice little town, found along the eastern shore of Lake Garda. It has a historic centre, with several Romanesque churches, but also a wide range of shops and restaurants.

The area is famous for its light red wine, Bardolino DOC, and there are several wineries to visit. The town also has a nice seafront promenade, and it is popular to do various boat excursions from here.

9. Make a stop in Malcesine

The town of Malsecine is located on the north-eastern side of Lake Garda and one of the main attractions here is the Scaliger Castle, perched on a cliff by the water. The old town, around the castle, offers narrow alleys, small piazzas, shops, cafés and restaurants.

Famous for both local olive oil and fresh fish, the town is also a popular base for boat excursions. For example, you can take a trip to the picturesque Limone sul Garda, which is located across the water.

10. Take the cable car up Monte Baldo

Starting from Malcesine, you can take a cable car up to Monte Baldo, at an altitude of over 1,700 metres. Once at the top, panoramic views of the whole of Lake Garda await, as well as hiking trails and mountain bike routes.

11. experience Riva del Garda

At the very northern end of Lake Garda you'll find Riva del Garda, a stunningly beautiful town surrounded by dramatic mountains and shimmering green waters. This is actually one of our favorite spots on the lake.

There is a long, nice promenade, you can sunbathe and swim if you want, and the town itself is very nice with beautiful houses and a wide range of restaurants. Riva del Garda is also a good starting point for various excursions, both by boat and by car, or perhaps by bicycle.

READ MORE: Visiting Riva del Garda - a gem on Lake Garda

12. Take an excursion to Lago di Tenno

About 20 minutes from Riva del Garda, by car, you will find the beautiful lake Lago di Tenno. The water here is a lovely turquoise blue, and the mountains rise dramatically in the background. Despite the relatively high number of tourists, it still feels like a peaceful and very scenic place. You can walk around the lake, sit down somewhere to enjoy the view or perhaps go for a swim.

13. drive the Strada della Forra road

If you want to experience a truly spectacular serpentine road, drive along Strada della Forra, on the north-west coast of Lake Garda. This road offers dramatic driving and stunning views. Plus, it might be a bit of fun to know that the road features in the opening scene of the James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008).

Please note that you cannot drive here with a larger vehicle, as vehicles taller than 3 metres or wider than 2 or 2.20 metres simply cannot fit on the narrow roads, or under the low tunnels.

READ MORE: Strada della Forra - a spectacular serpentine road

14. Enjoy lemons in Limone sul Garda

lime, or Limone sul Garda, is an incredibly picturesque little town on the north-west side of Lake Garda. Here you can stroll through charming alleyways, sit in cosy outdoor cafés or go on various boat trips. But above all, you can enjoy lemons. Because everything in this town seems to be about lemons.

You can shop for lemon-patterned crockery, clothes, jewellery or textiles, or you can buy lemon-scented soaps, shampoos or scented candles. Of course, you'll also find edible products such as lemon oil, lemon marmalade, lemon confectionery and much more. Or why not feast on a cutron ice cream served inside a pitted lemon?

READ MORE: Limone sul Garda - a declaration of love for lemons

15. Take a boat trip on Lake Garda

One of the popular things to do around Lake Garda, which you can do from most resorts, is to join a boat trip on the lake. Navigazione Lagi di Garda operates ferry services on the lake and you can travel between most major resorts, either on slower ferries or faster catamarans. This allows you to make day trips to different towns around the lake.

Various excursions and day trips are also organised, such as 1-2 hour panoramic coastal tours, multi-stop day trips, sunset cruises and various themed tours focusing on, for example, wine tasting or history.

16. Try water sports

Lake Garda is ideal for a variety of water sports. In the northern part, windsurfing and kitesurfing are particularly popular, as the winds are good here. Other water sports to try include stand up paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, sailing, jet skiing and water skiing.

17. cycling

The area around Lake Garda offers great opportunities for those who enjoy cycling. A project called 'Garda by Bike' is creating a 140 kilometre cycle path around the entire lake. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026, but even before it is finished, there are many great cycle paths, with beautiful views.

More to see and do around Lake Garda

There is of course more to see and do around Lake Garda, beyond our tips.

• Castella di Arco are the ruins of a castle, which you can find in Trentino just north of Lake Garda.
• Gardaland is a popular amusement park in the southern part of Lake Garda.
• Madonna della Corona is a monastery dramatically situated along a mountainside, on the eastern side of the lake.
• Torbole is a nice little tourist resort located just east of Riva del Garda.

Where can you stay on Lake Garda - or stay in a motorhome?

There are, of course, plenty of different hotels and other accommodation around Lake Garda. You can choose to start from one of the different towns, and make excursions from there, or to make a round trip by car and stop at different places.

We travelled by motorhome, and there are plenty of options, including a wide range of campsites and pitches. In addition, you can use the Park4Night app to find temporary overnight car parks. We stayed at the following sites, all of which were excellent:

• Borghetto: Camper Parking Visconteo - a well-managed and automated car park, with all the services you need.
• San Petro in Cariano: Area Sosta Camper - a practical and automated car park near the wine regions of Valpolicella.
• Bardolino: 24/b Via Europa Unita - a modern and well-maintained caravan park with all the services you need and walking distance to town.
• Riva del Garda: 10 Via Brione - a practical and automated car park in a good location for visiting Riva del Garda.

Video from Lake Garda

Here you can watch a film from Lake Garda.

Things to see near Lake Garda

So what is there to see and do near Lake Garda?

• Bergamo is a nice city
• Lago d'Iseo is a beautiful lake to discover
• Verona offers historic neighborhoods
• Venice is a classic attraction
• Chioggia sometimes called ”Little Venice”