Four days on Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast

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After exploring much of Northern Italy extensively during my annual Europe jaunts as a full-time solo female traveller, Lake Garda was one piece of the puzzle I was yet to tick off.

So when Visit Brescia and the Lake Garda Lombardy Consortium invited me to explore the magical Lombard shore of Lake Garda on a four day press trip this past autumn, I jumped at the chance!

This trip was a bit different to my typical travel style. I swapped independent trial-and-error exploring (*cough* Puglia 🫠) for expert local guides, tripod photo shoots for friends with professional skills, and my usual Eurail pass for an open-top party bus, which meant I could truly embrace and enjoy Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast highlights with no planning required. The dream!

I arrived with minimal knowledge of what to expect from Italy’s largest lake, which is my faaavourite way to go into any new destination. I knew it would be pretty (obviously) but I had no idea about the centuries-old clifftop lemon groves, medieval castle villages linked by cycle trails, or just how passionate locals are about farm-to-table cuisine and their regional wine specialties.

Here’s a full review of our four incredible days exploring the Lombardy side of Lake Garda, from the towns we fell in love with to the viewpoints we snapped to the meals I’ll never forget.

Andiamo!

Lake Garda essentials

Where is Lake Garda?

Lake Garda is Italy’s biggest lake, located about half way between Milan and Venice, with the Dolomites mountains bordering it in the north.

The 370km² lake stretches across three northern regions: Lombardy to the west, Veneto to the east and Trentino-Alto Adige (and the Dolomites mountains) to the far north.

How to get to Lake Garda

Lake Garda is easy to reach from a number of hub cities in Northern Italy, with the lake’s shores about 30km from Brescia and Verona, 130km from Milan and 140km from Venice.

If you’re travelling Italy by train, you can find direct trains from most major cities. High-speed trains can get you to one of the major Lake Garda stations in as little as:

• 12-15 minutes from Brescia
• 15-20m from Verona
• 50m from Milan
• 1h 20m from Venice
• 2h from Florence
• 3h 40m from Rome

What is the Lombardy coast of Lake Garda?

The Lombardy coast is the western shore of Lake Garda in the province of Brescia, running from just east of Sirmione in the south all the way up to Limone sul Garda in the north.

This side of the lake is incredibly diverse, from the deservedly popular peninsula town of Sirmione to authentic villages in the hills, winery-covered countryside and lakeside spots so pretty that you won’t believe they’re real until you see them for yourself.

I mean seriously, doesn’t this look AI-generated? I promise it’s not!

You can learn all about what’s on offer in the province of Brescia at Visit Brescia, and find out more about the lake’s Lombardy coast at Garda Lombardia.

How to get around Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast

We got around Lake Garda with private transport thanks to our legendary tourism board hosts, but if you’re planning your own trip, here is a quick summary of how to get around.

Public transport is definitely doable and super scenic, but (like anywhere in Italy) it requires some additional planning and patience.

🚢 Ferries run between major hubs on both sides of the lake from March to October, with more departures in the summer season from May to September. Express ferries (‘SR’ or servizio rapido) cost a bit extra but cut journey time significantly, getting you from Desenzano in the south to Limone sul Garda in the north in just 2h-2.5h.

See all the ferry info here >>

🚌 Buses run year-round with frequent departures servicing all the main tourist spots along the coast, you can buy single tickets or day passes on the Arriva website or app.

See all the bus info here >>

If you’re comfortable driving narrow, winding roads then renting a car definitely gives you flexibility to veer away from the most popular spots, but in peak season traffic builds up and parking can be tricky.

I’d say stick to the ferries in summer, drive in the off season when there are fewer vehicles on the road.

And if you’d rather explore with minimal stress and don’t mind the cost, you could use private transfers or taxis to get around instead.

Best time to visit Lake Garda

We visited in mid-October and honestly? The timing was perfect 👌🏼I’m obsessed with autumn in Italy (okay, in all of Europe 🙃).

The summer crowds had cleared out, the weather was mild and pleasant (t-shirt days and light jacket evenings), and everything was still open before reducing their hours or closing for the off season. We had lush weather for long lunches, bike rides and light hikes, but still got to see bucket list spots like Limone sul Garda without huge tour groups.

I’d happily come back again at this time of the year.

That said, Lake Garda is beautiful year-round and each season has its perks.

• 🌞 Summer (June-August) brings the warmest weather and longest days but also the biggest crowds and highest prices
• 🍂 Autumn (September-October) is my top pick as I mentioned, the ideal balance of mild weather, manageable crowds and plenty of activities still on offer.
• ❄️ Winter (November-March) is the off season, when passenger ferries stop running and some tourist services (accommodation + experiences) reduce their hours or shut up shop completely. On the plus side there are far fewer people, lower prices and less rain than the warmer months, so it’s a great option for a peaceful getaway!
• 🌸 Spring (April-May) is when ferries restart, flowers are blossoming and tourism picks back up.

A rundown of our four days exploring Lake Garda

Over our four-day stay we experienced just a handful of the epic experiences available along Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast. From medieval villages to historic lemon groves, boutique wineries to rocky hiking trails, there are countless ways to discover this beautiful region and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface!

I’m already planning a trip back here, but this rundown covers the highlights from our itinerary to give you a taste of what this part of Italy has to offer.

Day 1: A golf & spa resort, winery lunch & a castle bike tour

After arriving into Milano Bergamo airport the night before (conveniently located less than an hour from Desenzano del Garda by car) and sleeping brilliantly in my gigantic bed at Hotel Nazionale, the press trip kicked off with something I’ve never done before: a golf lesson!

From Desenzano it was just 15 minutes to reach Arzaga Golf Club, an award-winning 27-hole course sprawled across the Valtenesi countryside. If I haaaave to embarrass myself in front of my peers (and perhaps more importantly, in front of an Italian golf instructor 👀) then I’d rather do it somewhere with views like this.

After Ludovico showed us the basics we were let loose on the hillside driving range, and (with a bit of patient one-on-one support) I actually wasn’t as bad as I expected. I sent videos of my technique to my actual-golfer cousin and received this feedback which I didn’t think was too bad for a first-timer.

Once our lesson wrapped up it was time for the perfect post-golf activity, a visit to QC Terme Spa right next door. Now this is a hobby combo I could embrace ⛳🧖🏼‍♀️

Our spa time was short and sweet, just enough for five-minute dips in a few different thermal pools, quick sauna sessions and a 60-second walkthrough of the epic underground sensory wellness zone, but I would LOVE to come back here for a full day of doing absolutely nothing.

From the spa we headed to Azienda Agricola Pratello, a family-run vineyard and farm in the heart of Garda’s wine country. This is where I made a critical tactical error.

It turns out that each of us on this press trip had a slightly different itinerary depending on our content style, and after chatting with my fellow golf pro Maiken in the morning, I wrongly assumed I’d be joining her to visit Sirmione in the afternoon.

As we enjoyed our long, leisurely lunch in Pratello’s courtyard I fully embraced the Valtenesi vibe, indulging in multiple glasses of their divine Lugana white wine and Pink Brut Rosé. I literally said to Maiken “thank goodness we’re not biking after this”, only to discover a few minutes later that in fact I was biking after this.

Oops 🙃

The bike tour started off a bit rocky, with me testing out the seat height on a slanted footpath and promptly bailing onto the ground, but I’ll blame that on the incline rather than the wine. Luckily it was all uphill from here, both figuratively and literally.

Our expert guide took us along a well-mapped network of cycle paths with our e-bikes which made the hilly terrain feel effortless. The pace was unhurried, ticking off castles, churches and villages around Padenghe, Polpenazze, Moniga and Maguzzano on two wheels before rolling into Desenzano just as daylight was starting to fade.

After a pretty (and unexpectedly) active day we had time to rest and refresh before regrouping for the evening, first heading to a vibey bar overlooking Porto Vecchio for a pirlo, the signature Brescian aperitivo made with Campari and still white wine, before a hearty dinner of local lake-fish specialties at Ristorante Gattolardo.

And by this stage I was already completely obsessed with Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast!

Day 2: Limone sul Garda, cliffside villages & agriturismo

Day two started with an early breakfast before the whole crew jumped in our glass-topped bus for the 1h 20m drive north along the Lombardy coast to reach Limone sul Garda. The road hugged the shoreline most of the way, I’d already chewed through a decent chunk of phone battery taking photos and videos of the journey, but that was nothing compared to the actual destination.

This is a big call coming from a full-time global traveller, but Limone sul Garda is absolutely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. This little harbour made me audibly gasp, and it’s even prettier in real life!

We were here on a picture-perfect autumn day, blue skies with the sun’s layered rays streaming over the mountain peaks, and the town mayor even came to personally welcome us before our local guide began our tour along the palm tree-lined promenade into the pastel village. We could barely walk more than 20 steps before stopping for photos.

After a quick harbourfront espresso stop and a rapid-fire photoshoot, our Limone tour took us through the historic houses and winding cobblestone streets up to one of the town’s famous limonaie, the ancient terraced lemon groves that have made this area famous since the early 1600s.

These engineering marvels use stone pillars and wooden shelves to hold glass panels that can be manoeuvred to create the ideal microclimate to allow citrus trees to thrive, no matter the weather. Genius.

And of course we couldn’t leave without tasting the lemons for ourselves, nothing like a 10.30am shot of limoncello!

Next up was the Ciclopedonale, a 2.5km suspended cycle and pedestrian path that’s bolted to the cliff face above Lake Garda, linking Limone sul Garda with Capo Reamol. We just did a short walk along one particularly striking section, but I’d love to come back and complete the whole thing.

From the cycle path we caught a quick tuk-tuk (or ‘ape’ as they’re called in Italian) back down the sunny coast to our lunch stop, Dal Bigarola, where the biggest dilemma was whether to sit on the side of the table with lake views or the side looking up into the mountains. I chose the latter.

We tucked into a three course lunch of pasta, steak and tiramisu, plus a special (and ultra-Instagrammable) dessert from Delizia Limone. Shout out to Brett from @thisworldtraveled for being the hand model.

Our time in this lakeside charmer was far too short, I’m already planning my return for my pre-summer Europe trip next year.

After lunch we all hopped onto our newly-transformed party bus, the driver had rolled the windows and roof right back to make it a full convertible. He blasted the tunes as we zipped along the water’s edge and then zigzagged up the hillside to Strada della Forra, one of Italy’s most iconic roads.

This dramatic 6km route was built in the early 1900s to connect the lake ports with villages and farms in the hills via a series of tight tunnels carved through rock and hairpin turns along the gorge. We disembarked the bus to walk the narrowest section so we could truly understand the scale of it, with just a sliver of sky visible between the cliffs towering over us and the sound of rushing waterfalls that spill down the canyon. So epic.

We got back on the bus to head to our next stop, a tiny village called Pieve which clings to the cliffs above the lake, with unbeatable panoramic viewpoints that make you feel like you’re standing on the edge of the world.

From Pieve, our road trip continued through Tremosine sul Garda’s rolling countryside up to Santuario di Montecastello, a small sanctuary church perched more than 620m above the lake. The religious significance of this spot can be traced back hundreds of years, with a 9th century temple, 11th century bell tower and 17th century frescoes to marvel at if you can pull your eyes away from the view.

Next we visited Azienda Agricola Collini, a family-run zero-kilometre farm hidden in the Tignale hills, for a genuine Italian agriturismo experience. They make exceptional cheeses on-site using milk from their own cows and only sell from their own shop and to local delis and restaurants in the surrounding area.

Even specialty ingredients like the truffles they use in their cheese are sourced from suppliers nearby. No mass production, no shortcuts, just authentic traditional farming with delicious results.

After a leisurely drive back to Desenzano and then a quick evening rest we headed out for dinner to Pizzeria Cartapaglia, where the menu was sooo good I struggled to choose. I was tossing up between the carbonara taco and a handful of the pizza options but ended up settling on this black dough pizza with porcini cream, smoked stracciatella, truffles and hazelnuts 🤌🏼 10/10, no notes.

Day 3: Manerba hiking, olive oil tasting & slow food in Gargnano

Another early start had us heading to Rocca di Manerba Nature Reserve for a morning hike. This rocky headland jutting into Lake Garda isn’t just famous for its insane panoramic views, there’s archaeological evidence of settlements dating back to 5000BC. WILD 🤯

The reserve has plenty of hiking options at different difficulty levels, but we took a gentle stroll through olive groves, around the clifftops and then up a steeper path to the ruins of a 1200-year-old fortress and a huge iron cross.

After the hike we visited the Museo della Rocca, a small museum showcasing a collection of artifacts from the area’s multi-millennia past. Seeing everyday objects from literally thousands of years ago almost sent me spiralling into an existential crisis. What do you mean they played games with six-sided dice in 2000BC?! Would they beat me at Yahtzee?

From Manerba it was a short drive to our next stop, a family-run olive oil producer called Frantoio Manestrini. We were welcomed by the best tour guide ever, Leo, and he and his human counterpart took us on a quick tour through the olive trees, the factory and the bottling area, before we got to taste the final product for ourselves.

Now I love any kind of tasting experience, as a solo traveller it’s ideal to try a range of different things without wasting food or money, but olive oil tasting was SUPER cool! We sampled five different varieties, and after gently warming them in our hands (to bring out the flavours) it shocked me how easy it was to distinguish the differences in flavour.

Once we’d honed our palate to expert-level, we had a light lunch of cheeses, cured meats, risotto, olives and tapenade before saying ciao to Leo and continuing the day’s adventures.

Our afternoon destination was Gargnano, a lakefront town best known for its citrus-growing heritage dating back to the 13th century, when Franciscan friars introduced lemons to the area. We visited an ancient cloister with various fruit and other local symbols carved into the pillars before moving on to one of the historic limonaie (like the ones we saw in Limone sul Garda) that are scattered around Gargano’s sun-drenched hills.

But the real highlight of Gargnano, and my favourite culinary experience of the trip (which is saying something!) was our stop at Terre Sapori, a cooperative agricola that runs lemon grove tours and offers tastings at their shop in the town centre.

This place completely encapsulates the Italian devotion to locally-sourced, seasonal produce and the ‘slow food’ philosophy that prioritises quality, tradition and sustainability over mass production. They work with food producers throughout the region to create a seriously impressive range of spreads, dips, capers, syrups, flavoured salts and more, all made using ingredients grown nearby. Even their labels were designed by a local artist.

The tasting was exceptional, I could have stayed here for hours savouring each different product. The bitter orange marmalade, the cauliflower cream, the citrus-infused liqueurs, and I left with a newly-developed obsession for dried capers. You could taste the quality and care in every mouthful, and the Terre Sapori team were extremely passionate about showcasing Gargnano’s culinary scene. I wish I had space in my suitcase to stock up on jars and jars of their products!

Before departing Gargnano we popped down to the tree-lined waterfront for some photos, this is another town that’s high on my list for when I come back.

We jumped on the bus to make the drive to Salò for an aperitivo stop at Bar Bloom. I loved the vibe here, with live music that drifted along the promenade and a constant stream of dogs out for their Sunday evening stroll.

The final dinner of the trip was at Hotel Trattoria Alessi back in Desenzano, where we savoured a glorious meal in a charming courtyard hidden behind one of the old town’s narrow cobblestone streets. We started with a charcuterie plate, then I ordered a divine pesto pasta with burrata, and dessert was pistachio cheesecake for some and tiramisu for others. The perfect way to wrap up a day of incredible food!

Day 4: Village hopping & Valtenesi wine tasting

My departure from Lake Garda wasn’t until after lunch, so after checking out of Hotel Nazionale, a few of us had one last mini tour of the Valtenesi countryside.

Our first stop was Soiano del Lago, where the local mayor welcomed us into a hilltop castle with sweeping views over the vineyards and olive groves below. We didn’t spend long here, just enough time to take in the panorama and snap some photos before continuing on.

Next up was Polpenazze, which I’d cycled through on Day 1, but this time we took an elevator up to the bell tower for a bird’s eye view over the exquisite church and out towards the lake. We were kindly gifted an ultra-special souvenir from the mayor here, our own town flag to take home.

And the grand finale was exactly what you’d expect for any Italy press trip: a local wine tasting! We arrived at the iconic Villa Galnica in Puegnano for a wine tasting hosted by the Valtenesi Consortium in their Casa del Vino showroom (the ‘Wine House’).

Our expert wine guide told us all about the region’s wine heritage and specialties, before challenging us to a sensory game where we had to try and identify the scents in various perfume samples, training our noses before we moved onto sipping the wines themselves. I got one out of three right, safe to say my nose is not my strongest asset 👃🏼

We sampled four different Valtenesi wines, all very different to the Italian wines I’ve had in the past, with the two rosés (rosé is a Valtenesi specialty) winning over my tastebuds.

After four days of outdoor adventures, clifftop viewpoints, lemon grove visits, farm-to-table feasts and too many phenomenal photo spots to count, this was a fitting way to wrap up an incredible press trip exploring Lake Garda’s Lombardy coast.

A huuuuge grazie mille to Lago di Garda Lombardia and Visit Brescia for organising this incredible press trip and introducing me to the magical Lombardy side of Lake Garda, and to all the fantastic local guides, restaurants and tourism operators that made these four days so memorable. I can’t wait to come back and stay for longer!

MORE ITALY BLOG POSTS:

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• The ultimate guide to travelling Puglia without a car
• The ultimate guide to travelling the Dolomites without a car
• Things to know before going to the Dolomites
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• How to spend 2 days in Milan
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