Somehow, my six-week trip around Northern Italy was drawing to a close, with my final destination of Lake Garda in sight. My six weeks had seen me traveling by train, car, ferry and bus across countless cities and towns of the top half of Italy and fully made me fall in love with this country, having only ever visited once before briefly on a long weekend trip to Milan in 2022.
My final week of my trip was spent lakeside at Lake Garda, one of the two most iconic lakes of Northern Italy - the other being Lake Como, just a bit further west.
I was joined at Lake Garda by one of my best friends, Amelie, and together we enjoyed a peaceful week based in Garda and exploring some of what this gorgeous region has to offer. We visited at the end of September which meant cooler weather, but still beautiful days of sunshine and the glorious changing colours of autumn.
I loved visiting Italy during September - there were still tourists, but it was definitely quieting down, and children were all back to school so even when it was busy, it was calm!
By train: The main train station at Lake Garda is in the south in Peschiera. Alternatively, the other main train station nearby is in Verona, from where you can catch a direct bus to Garda.
By bus: Buses run regularly all around the lake. We stayed in Garda, and caught buses from both Peschiera and Verona train stations.
By car: The easiest way to reach Lake Garda is by car so you can easily access your destination as well as drive around the lake at your own pace.
By day tour: While researching Lake Garda, I also found many day tours available from nearby cities such as Milan, Venice and Verona, which then also include transport to and from the lake - however, I really don't think one day at Lake Garda is nearly enough and strongly recommend basing yourself here for a while to properly enjoy the area.
The easiest way to explore Lake Garda - which is really big - is with your own car. There is a main road which circumnavigates the entire lake, allowing you to stop whenever and wherever you want along the way at different view points and destinations.
Using public transport, you can travel around Lake Como by public bus. While you won't have quite as much freedom as you would with a car, the public bus is well-connected around the lake.
→ Check out the Lake Garda bus schedules and routes.
One of the most popular ways to explore Lake Garda is of course on the water. Traveling across the lake by ferry is absolutely the best way to go - so long as the wind isn't too strong and the weather is cooperating! You absolutely must book the Lake Garda ferries well in advance for the dates you wish to travel.
Given the sheer size of the lake, there are obviously countless places to stay at Lake Garda. You'll find anything to suit your budget, from holiday homes and AirBnbs to hostels and ritzy resort hotels.
For my first night at Lake Garda, I stayed at the absolutely dreamy The Lake Suites which was possibly one of the most peaceful and aesthetic boutique hotels I've ever stayed in. Service was top notch, it was based just outside Lazise, a small breakfast was included and the decor was so thoughtful. Loved it and highly recommend.
Breakfast at The Lake Suites
The view from our bedroom
For the rest of the week with Amelie, we booked into an AirBnb in the heart of Garda enabling us to have easy access to bus and ferry stations. Our AirBnb was tiny but lovely and was just fine for a few nights on the lake.
Lake Gardav is huge and with so many towns to stop in at along the way, there are also countless food and dining options. I recommend Deville Gourmet Bistrò for a luxury dining experience. For the rest of the week, Amelie and I cooked groceries in our AirBnb.
However, I did manage to stick to my daily gelato, as I have been doing all around Italy! Here is all the gelato I ate around Lake Garda:
Cafè Centrale - Toscolano Maderno
Pizzeria Gelateria Cristallo - Bardolino
Bar Faro - Garda
Viandante Cafe - Sirmione
Dolce Vita - Malcesine
There are so many towns, hikes, viewpoints and places to see and things to eat all around Lake Garda, as well as so many great day trips nearby. This is why I wholeheartedly recommend staying a week here so you can truly enjoy all the things there are to see. We spent seven full days exploring Lake Como:
- A drive around the entire lake
- A visit to the Santuario Madonna della Corona
- A walk from Garda to Bardolino
- A day trip to Verona
- A walk from Garda to Punta San Vigilio
- A day trip to Sirmione by ferry
- A day trip to Malcesine
Drive around the outside of the entire Lake Garda
On my first full day at Lake Garda, we drove around the entire outside route starting and ending in Lazise, which is about a 145km drive (funnily enough, the same distance as our drive around Lake Como!). This gave us the perfect opportunity to get the lay of the land, understand just how big the lake really is and visit some beautiful spots along the way. I have included each stop as a separate item on this list.
Our approximate Lake Garda driving route
Visit the Santuario Madonna della Corona
This magical sanctuary has probably come across your Instagram feed before, being built quite literally into the steep cliffs over Lake Garda. It's a surreal sort of place, a popular piligrimage destination, and today a peaceful and awe-inspiring placce to visit.
→ Check out my detailed guide to visiting the Santuario Madonna della Corona!
Take in the view from Marmitte dei Giganti
This gorgeous viewpoint is up a hill at the very northern tip of Lake Garda near Nago-Torbole.
→ Find the exact location of the Marmitte dei Giganti viewpoint on Google Maps.
Explore the little town of Toscolano Maderno
This sweet little lakefront village in the southwestern side of the lake has shops, restaurants, cafes and markets to explore as well as a very photogenic boardwalk to wander along.
Take in the roadside views in the southwest
I can't remember exactly where these were taken, but we pulled over somewhere on the drive between Salò and Padenghe and I felt like the Italian version of Maria Von Trapp as she sings the hills are alive in the Sound of Music!
Watch the sunset at Locanda San Vigilio
There is also a lunch restaurant and dinner drinks spot here, but the service is absolutely horrendous. So come for sunset and photos but skip dining/drinking here!
Explore Garda town
Amelie and I were based in our AirBnb in Garda and it was the perfect spot from which to explore the rest of the lake. Of course, we made sure to make time to explore our little home for the week as well. It's a bit touristy but there are loads of shopping and dining options, plus an exceptional waterfront with walking and sunset views all along it.
Walk from Garda to Bardolino
This is a really pretty stretch of lakefront walking that takes about 45 minutes. We finished with a gelato in Bardolino before walking back.
Take a day trip to Verona
Verona is known around the world for being the setting of Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, one of his most famous works and one of the most oft-performed and oft-referred to. So, for anyone who's a fan of this classic work, telling the tale of forbidden love, or simply wants a gorgeous day trip from nearby Garda, Verona is absolutely not to be missed.
Walk from Garda to Punta San Vigilio
This stretch along the lake is a proper long walk on the beach, featuring beautiful lake views, the perfect rocks for skipping rocks and a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.
Spend a day in Sirmione
Sirmione is a quaint and beautiful little resort town on the southern side of Lake Garda. It's the perfect spot to visit for a day, arriving by one of Lake Garda's famous ferries, and wandering around enjoying the beautiful scenery and indulging in gigantic gelato.
Spend a day in Malcesine
Malcesine is an idyllic little resort town on the northeastern side of Lake Garda. It's the perfect spot to visit for a day, arriving by bus or by ferry, and wandering around the sweet streets, shopping in the boutiques, indugling in pizza and gelato lunches and spotting the famous Castle of Malcesine.
Watch sunset over Lake Garda
Every night, we would wander down to the Garda waterfront for some of the greatest sunsets I've seen in all of Italy.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
