My Lake Garda Travel Guide | What to Do and See

Last June, Curtis and I took a trip to Italy for a month. One of the places we visited was Lake Garda (Lago de Garda), Italy’s largest lake, about an hour from Milan. I’ve been twice before, my cousin has an apartment on the lake (which Curtis and I stayed at, thanks Rosella!). It’s a beautiful area, many towns along the lake and scenic views. Everyone talks about Lake Como, but Lake Garda is still a beautiful gem!

Lake Garda is a world apart. It’s right in the middle of Northern Italy, shaped like a ladle reaching upwards into the mountains. Towns and villages on the lakeshore enjoy a milder climate compared to the rest of the region – you’ll see lemon trees and olive groves, palm-fringed lakeside walks with a stunning backdrop of snowcapped mountains.

The lake is only one hour away from Milan – by train you can easily get to Desenzano and Peschiera, on the southern shore. From there, it’s easy to hop from one village to another by bus or ferry.

I recommend spending 2-3 days here if you plan on seeing all the small towns like Malcesine, or Riva del Garda along the lake, to go right across to the very top is a whole day ferry ride back and forth to Desenzano. Worth it! We didn’t get a chance to this trip, we were only there for 2 days and opted to spend one exploring and one relaxing before heading down to Florence.

There is a lot to do here, but I would recommend very much that if you are on a limited time frame (and even if you’re not!), that you take some time to visit the town of Sirmione. It’s told that rich families from Roman times used to come on holiday to Sirmione when they needed to take a break from wining, feasting and general activity.

Spend a day in Sirmione, walk around this picturesque old town, visit Scaligeri castle (a medieval castle, surrounded by water (it is a port fortification, one of the best surviving examples in the world), and you can go to the top for excellent views, walk along ancient Roman ruins, go all the way to the end of the peninsula and see the grotto, eat good food and there’s even some really nice hotels on the island. It’s just a stunning place, Curtis and I kept going wow all day long, I’ve been twice before, but haven’t spent a whole day there until now. You can see our vlog on my Youtube channel here.

Don’t forget to spend some time in Desenzano, especially the port area and grab a drink with cicchetti. People watching was so good here! 

Besides checking the ferry schedule beforehand, and buying a day pass, I would also suggest keeping bug spray on you! The mosquitoes in the summer around here are very, VERY large. And if you have time, Verona is a very short distance away, this is a beautiful city with a mini colosseum, the famous Romeo and Juliette balcony and great shopping and food.

Have you been to Lake Garda? What towns did you visit? Check out my other Italy guides on the blog! Including Rome, Tuscany, and more.