Boat tour of the three Borromean Islands
Highlights
- Set off from Stresa and explore the Borromean Islands by taking a taxi boat across the lake
- Hop on and off as you please between Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Bella
- Let yourself be captivated by the lake’s natural beauty and its extraordinary landscape
Activity available in
Why Freedome
Free of charge cancellation
Okay we'll reimburse you, but you don't know what you're missing
Best price guaranteed
The same as the guide: we do not charge fees
Assistance 7 days a week
Contact us anytime. We do not do ghosting
Full description
Have you ever wanted to travel through time? On the waters of Lake Maggiore, you can!
Hop aboard a taxi boat for a hop-on hop-off tour that will take you on a journey of discovery through the Borromeo Gulf, amongst sumptuous palaces and small villages steeped in history.
Explore Isola Madre,Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori at your own pace, for a day of total immersion in beauty!
What we will do
We’ll meet 5 minutes before the scheduled time at the meeting point in Stresa (VB). The skipper will be there to welcome us; he’ll accompany us on our excursion around the Borromean Islands and organise our journeys between the shores of the lake.
We’ll start our boat trip with the hop-on hop-off service, which runs every 30 minutes, with journeys between the islands taking around 10 minutes. We’ll be free to get off and back on as we wish, depending on which stops we’d like to visit.
The first stop could be Isola Madre, with its famous botanical gardens – a tour of the palace and gardens takes about an hour and a half – followed by Isola dei Pescatori, with its lively village, and Isola Bella, home to the historic Borromeo palace and its spectacular gardens.
You are free to spend as much time as you like on each island: whenever you disembark, you will be given the possible times when the boat will return to pick you up to continue the tour. At the end of the visits, we will return to Stresa, bringing the tour to a close.
The recommended duration of the experience is 5 hours, taking into account the sailing time (around 30 minutes) and the visits to the islands.
Who it is aimed at
This experience is suitable for everyone. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
The experience is not wheelchair accessible and is not suitable for people with mobility difficulties.
Other information
The tour runs from March to October.
The route and stops may vary depending on weather conditions, at the captain’s discretion.
The vessel is a covered taxi boat with a capacity of around 30–40 passengers.
Small and medium-sized dogs are allowed on board, but are not permitted in the gardens or palaces on the islands.
Entrance tickets to the palaces and gardens of the Borromean Islands are not included (these must be booked online or purchased on site) . A landing fee of €0. 50 per person is also payable on site for each island visited.
Free and paid parking is available on site. The meeting point can be reached by public transport.
Recommended clothing
Season-appropriate clothing
Don't forget to bring
- Sun cream
- Cap
- Water
What is included
How it works
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1
Send a booking request
We will only pre-authorise the payment
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2
Receive confirmation within 48 hours
In case of confirmation, you will be charged the cost of the activity
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3
Live your experience
Enjoy the activity and let us know how it was!
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1
Buy a gift voucher
Valid for 12 months from the date of issue. You will receive it by email, in pdf format.
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2
Choose your preferred date
Contact the guide at the contact details on the voucher and arrange a day for the activity.
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3
Live your experience
Enjoy the activity and let us know how it was!
Meeting point
Stresa, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
Frequently asked questions
What happens in case of bad weather?
If you have made a fixed date reservation and the weather conditions are not suitable for carrying out the activity safely (according to the expert opinion of the guide), you will be refunded the full amount paid. The guide may suggest an alternative date or time for the activity. You are free to choose whether or not to accept these suggestions. If you are unable to reschedule, we will proceed with a full refund! If you have set the date of your Gift Voucher and bad weather has prevented the activity from taking place, the Voucher remains valid until the expiry date indicated on it.
If I cancel the reservation, can I get a full refund?
For this activity, the cancellation policy is last minute. You get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours from the activity start. You can find the full policies in the Cancellation Policy section.
What payment methods do you accept?
On Freedome, you can pay with any rechargeable credit card or prepaid card (including Postepay) from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB networks. We also accept debit cards enabled for online payments. You can also use the digital wallets Apple Pay and Google Pay.
