Welcome to Italy's beautiful Lake Country, with its undulating hills, medieval towns and villages, and delightful slow food movement. Basing yourself out of historic Stresa, you can enjoy all the charms of Lago Maggiore and the Borromeo Islands. A local guide is waiting to reveal the region's delights on a private Lake Maggiore tour.

First settled over a millennia ago, the town of Stresa was heavily influenced by Milan's aristocratic Borromeo family, who commissioned the beautiful 15th - 17th century palaces and villas for which Stresa and the neighbouring islands are renowned. Your guide will introduce you to the sumptuous Baroque palace and terraced gardens of Isola Bella, the charming villas, gardens and theatres on Isola Madre, and the traditional fishing village of Isla Pescatori. Don't miss the Sacro Monte di Orta, which was recently included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Enjoy discovering Italy's beautiful Lake Maggiore and Orta with your charming local guide.

Lake-Maggiore

Private Lugano walking tour to see its past and present

With this tour you will see my city through the eyes of a local, discovering culture, traditions, monuments, squares, significant sculpture and nature that have characterized the history and evolution.
Enjoy this experience through the past, present, and a future to discover.
You will have the opportunity to discover facts and spots of the city that you wouldn't see as a normal tourist.
With this stroll, you will discover Lugano, from the past, when was just a small fishing village till today that is the largest city of Canton Ticino.

LUGANO CITY CENTRE AND SAN SALVATORE MOUNTAIN

LUGANO, TYPICAL STREET AND GASTRONOMIC CORNER

Enjoy this experience through the past, present and future to discover Lugano

Lake Orta is a truly magical place, with a special beauty and peace, and during your first visit, you are quite likely to fall in love with the area, whether for its natural beauty, the warmth of the people, or the beautiful clean water and air. You will be enchanted. . .

Legro: since 1998 the little village of Legro has become a peculiar tourist destination thanks to the splendid, colourful frescoes decorating the historic centre. The subjects of the murals painted on the walls of the village were inspired by the work of the local poet and writer Gianni Rodari, and by films made in the Lake Orta area.
Vacciago: the elegant hamlet with it's refined villas and gardens, is positioned on a delightful natural balcony which overlooks the eastern side of Lake Orta.
This walking itinerary follows rural and ancient paths and secondary roads with little traffic.

A pleasant walk in the peaceful atmosphere over the lake

Charming Lake Orta Half Day Tour

This is one of my favorite tours, considering that I'm the only Guide living in Orta! I willingly chose this place to live almost 20 years ago, leaving the big city , and till now. . . no regrets!

The village of Orta lies at the foot of a small verdant promontory stretching into the blue waters of the lake, in the middle of which there's the romantic Island S. Giulio.
On top of the peninsula sits the "Sacro Monte of Orta" (UNESCO site).

In a few hours you'll never, never, get bored! Every single moment will convey beautiful feelings and amazing views. At the Sacro Monte even the atheist philosopher Nietzsche literally lost "the sense of time", seduced by its secret charm. . .

Orta's village, its little Island of S. Giulio, and the "Sacro Monte" (UNESCO)

Top 3 must-see Gems on Lake Orta - Half Day Tour

All the Borromeo Islands - full day guided tour on Lake Maggiore

Three islands, one completely different from the other: luxury on Isola Bella, simplicity on Isola Pescatori and a luxuriant vegetation on Island Madre.
Isola Bella: carried out in the 17th Century, it was an ambitious project that still amazes the visitors. What lies behind the idea of transforming a rocky island into a fanciful vessel? And what about the "Grotte"? The Italian gardens are unique all over the world.
I'll show you the most romantic corners on Fishermen's Island, the preferred island by the romantic artists and men of letter in the 19th Century.
Isola Madre: a completely private island. Thanks to its position, right in the middle of the Golfo Borromeo, you can find plants from all over the world growing in the open air. Coloured birds, like golden and silver pheasants and peacocks stroll in the garden. In the Museum are reconstructions of different habitats of a noble mansion and there is the peculiar collection of puppet theatre marionettes and tricks.
Shall we start our tour?

A pleasant guided tour from Stresa to the most important features on Lake Maggiore!

Como is a city of 100, 000 people, with a very walkable urban core.
The city is famous for silk and shopping opportunities abound.

We will take a beautiful private boat tour on the first part
of Lake Como, to Cernobbio, Moltrasio and onwards to Laglio
to pay George Clooney a visit, and then back to Faggeto Lario,
Torno and Blevio (or the other way around).

After the boat tour, we will walk around Como, see the Broletto,
the old City Hall, the Duomo, surprisingly one of the largest
churches in Italy, the Medieval heart of the city and the old walls
that defended Como from their enemies, the Milanese.

Lake Como is dear to me for many reasons: I was born on it, even
if in Como's fierce rival, Lecco; I hike in the mountains above it in
the off-season and it was in the heart of my beloved grandmother.

Visit Como and do a 1-hour private boat tour

Como and Lake Como by private boat

Como City and Funicolar to Brunate - Half Day Tour

This tour will give you the unique opportunity of discovering the highlights of Como, together with a breathtaking view over Lake Como.

Even though I've walked the streets of Como since I was a teenager, I still enjoy sharing their charm and the many stories that the city has to tell, like the tradition of silk weaving, why is Como the cradle of the electrical battery, the "mystery" of the 2 statues on the Cathedral front-side.

But in this tour there's something I like even more: taking the Funicular! An unusual mean of transport we will use to reach Brunate. It's 7 minutes of excitement and wonder, especially if the day is clear. As the Funicolar goes up, you start to see the city becoming smaller, as a scale model. Then you find yourself in a completely different place, with fresh and pure air, mountain feeling and fascinating luxury villas.

Quite often, after walking in Brunate, people decide to spend more time there for a well deserved aperitivo or sunset!

The Funicular connects Como with Brunate in only 7 minutes

The Cathedral (we call it "Duomo") of Como, front-side

The view from Brunate: Como historical centre and the dome of the Cathedral

Brunate is full of Art Nouveau villas with breathtaking views

Getting to Brunate by Funicolar is exciting!

Discover Como center and then enjoy a stunning panorama after an exciting Funicolar ride

Borromeo's Islands - Lake Maggiore Full Day Tour

At a short distance from Milan, the Borromeo's Islands are the highlight of a stay at Lago Maggiore.

I've been guiding on these islands for more than 20 years but still I enjoy passing from one room to another of the marvellous palaces and breathing the unbelievable atmosphere in the gardens in all seasons as if it were the first day!

Isola Bella will surprise you with its sumptuous baroque palace and its terraced Italian-style gardens. On Isola Madre, the atmosphere is more authentic, with a luxuriant English-style botanical garden; in the villa, you will have fun admiring a collection of marionettes and little theatres.

Isola Pescatori is the more lively, with its many little shops and cafés, but if we get there in the late afternoon, we can still experience the life of an ancient village, with the coloured fishermen's houses protecting their baroque little church.

Visit of Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Pescatori

Villas and Gardens of Lake Como - Full Day Tour

Lake Como is famous for its magnificent villas and gardens, together with its lovely towns on the shores. . . this itinerary allows you to know the best part of the lake, where the three branches meet forming an amazing landscape.

We'll visit Villa Carlotta, where we'll see the works of art and the original furnishing from the 1800, and its park, a true botanical garden rich in flowers and colours in every season! This is the first place I started guiding in, and in all these years, nobody has been disappointed by it!
Bellagio, the most well-known town of the lake, and Varenna, a charming little village, are the two other stops of the tour. . . probably the two most visited towns of the lake, where you'll find the typical atmosphere of the lake together with an international allure. It's here where you can ask me for a good gelato or a tasty pizza, and I'll point you the best one in town!

Tour among Varenna, Bellagio and Villa Carlotta

This half day tour is a sampler of the islands in the Borromean gulf of Lake Maggiore.

Ever since the days of the Grand Tour, these islands have been dazzling visitors with the sheer impossibility of their existence. I first saw them 25 years ago, and still remember the awe that I felt. Breathtaking scenery, exotic gardens, and a unique microclimate at the foot of the Alps which I like to call "the Garden of Eden".

Isola Bella, the Beautiful Island, with its stunning palace and lavish gardens tells the story of the historic rulers of the lake: the Borromeo family, who own the island to this day.
Isola Pescatori, the Fisherman's Island, is home to a community of 'isolani' (islanders), in a village full of quaint alleyways, shops and fishing boats.

This tour is an easy detour off the A26 highway if you are travelling from Milan to the Simplon Pass, Switzerland.

The throne use by Borromeo princes, Isola Bella

A Tale of Two Islands

Lake Maggiore Islands Half Day Tour

Did you know that Italy's most famous lakes are situated in the Italian Lake District which is an area on the north of the country, onto which Lake Como is spreading with its 'two legs'?

At Lake Como we believe that the best way to spend a holiday in our beautiful region is to learn about the culture, see the colors, taste the flavors and soak up the atmosphere with a local.

We'll visit the stunning lake with its amazing villas by private boat. During our boat tour we'll stop in three different old and charming villages to have an Italian coffee break, a wine tasting and a great Italian gelato.

Sailing to the villages we'll pass in front of stunning, rich and old Villas. We are going to stop in Bellagio, the pearl of the Lake, where we will enjoy the time to walk down the suggestive staircases with characteristic shops, romantic restaurants and old monuments. It will be an unforgettable day!

The best of the italian Lake District: Full-day private tour

Lake Como and Bellagio with Private Boat and Food Tasting

The City of Como and Brunate by Funicular - Half Day Private Tour

Let's enjoy together an amazing view over the lake and Alps reaching Brunate "the balcony of the Alps" by funicolar.
A nice and easy walk brings you in about 20 minutes to the "Fonte del Pissarottino" from where you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the the lake, the Alps and the shores of the southern villages with their beautiful villas, churches and gardens.

From Brunate we can also enjoy the amazing panoramic view over Como downtown with its majestic cathedral "Santa Maria Maggiore" the ancient roman layout, and the harbour.

The rest of the tour is dedicated to the visit of Como downtown: an easy walk throught the maze of elegant little roads, enchanting squares and buildings, makes you discover more about the history and the culture of this beautiful town and the way of life of local people.

Como is also famous to be the birthplace of Alessandro Volta, the scientist father of the " Voltaic Pile".

Funicular ride from Como to Brunate and come back

Discover the city center and enjoy a stunning panorama from the balcony on top of the funicular

Do you know why a lot of celebrities like this part of the Como Lake? From the Romans, till today this area has always captured travelers for its mixture of peace and beauty.
Beautiful views, narrow little roads, olive groves and friendly people: this is what you are going to find in this tour.

Going up and down on the steep stairs overlooking the lake, we will cross little villages, beautiful natural areas and the old quarries that have given work to the local populations for many years and we will understand how, millions of years ago, these rocks were formed.

But there's also something which is not even easy to describe: it's the special atmosphere that made Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleone, Bellini and many others, love this lake so much.

Nature, villages and beautiful views

A Como Lake Unique Walk - Private Half Day Tour

Cruising Lake Como Full Day Tour - Breathtaking views!

A full day tour that starts in the city centre of Como for an overview of the medieval old town, with the gothic Cathedral, piazza Cavour and via Vitani.
We will board on a touristic boat for a 2 hours 30 minutes cruise from Como to Bellagio: the boat is the best point of view to enjoy the bautiful views of mountains, pictoresque vilages, elegant villas and stunning gardens.
In Bellagio we will have enough time for lunch and a stroll around the so called "pearl of Lake Como".
In the afternoon, we will get back to Como by a speed boat.

Discover Como, Bellagio and enjoy sightseeing Lake's beauty

Bellinzona Art, Culture and Traditions Private Day Tour from Lugano.

Bellinzona is the capital of the canton of Ticino. It preserves its medieval appearance thanks to its central location at the three castles that enclose its history.

The city's location at the entrance to the valleys leading to Alpine passes, made of Bellinzona an ideal barrier between North and South. Today these fortifications, declared in 2000 by UNESCO World Heritage Site, with their crenelated walls allow you to make A jump into the past.

Nice view of the Collegiata church from Castel Grande

Bellinzona, The Capital and UNESCO site

Lake Maggiore Half Day Tour - Panoramic Walk to a Stone Village

A hilltop village full of peace on a wooded and sunny ridge, Cavandone is the ideal place to walk, enjoy the view and immerse yourself in the atmosphere.
Built almost entirely in stone, the village of Cavandone was practically abandoned. In the last 30 years, thanks to the magnificent position that allows a superb view of the Alps to the north and Lake Maggiore to the south, the residents are back and have begun to restructure the old village houses, mostly in beautiful exposed stone.
On my opinion this is a complete walk, relaxing and interesting as well. One of the masterpiece to admire the whole Borromean gulf of Lake Maggiore.

Price of public transportation round trip

Stone history and woods just above Lake Maggiore

You can't miss it! This is my favourite tour of all: I've been making it for years now and my Travellers are always satisfied and happy !

The old village of Orta San Giulio is located at the foot of a small peninsula stretching into the blue and clear waters of lake Orta, a few miles from Lake Maggiore. We'll visit the picturesque and romantic Island San Giulio, followed by the village of Orta with its quaint houses and cobbled lanes. Before ending our tour we'll walk along a romantic and scenic walkway that is off the beaten track.

I'm waiting for you! :-)

Stresa borromeo tours

Explore with 62 tours and 14 guides.

Romina M.

$ 403 (USD)

Albert H.

$ 345 (USD)

Cosetta D.

$ 336 (USD)

Claudia R.

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Massimo M.

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Alessandra F.

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Alessandra M.

$ 564 (USD)

Carolyn L.

$ 293 (USD)

Melissa N.

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$ 391 (USD)

Fiamma S.

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Renzo D.

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Romina M.

$ 378 (USD)

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$ 377 (USD)

Cosetta D.

$ 296 (USD)

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