Wondering how many days to spend in Lake Garda? In this Lake Garda itinerary, we’ll walk you through several different options, from quick one-day visits to a full week on Lake Garda.
Lake Garda is long, beautiful, and bigger than it looks on a map. The towns that ring the lake span three provinces: Trentino in the north, Verona in the east, and Brescia in the west, and no matter how many days you have, you’re going to have to make choices.
We spent three and a half days here in July, based in both Riva del Garda and Sirmione, driving nearly every road along the shore. That experience taught us a lot about what’s worth your time and what isn’t, how to manage the summer heat and the traffic, and how to structure your days so you’re not spending half of them in a car. In this Lake Garda itinerary, we share exactly how we’d plan it: for half a day, one day, or up to a week.
For a full rundown of every town, castle, hike, and viewpoint, see our companion guide to the best things to do in Lake Garda.
The Essentials
LOCATION | Northern Italy
BEST TOWNS TO VISIT | Sirmione, Riva del Garda, Malcesine, Limone sul Garda, Torri del Benaco
BEST FOR | Town-hopping, castles, boat trips, hiking, wine tasting, day trips to Verona and the Dolomites
HOW TO GET AROUND | Car (recommended) or ferry
BEST TIME TO VISIT | September for warm weather with lower crowds; May–June also excellent
HOW MANY DAYS | 3 days to cover the highlights; 4+ if you want day trips
WHERE TO STAY | Riva del Garda (north) or Sirmione (south)
Overview of Lake Garda
Lake Garda spans three Italian provinces: Trentino in the north, Verona in the southeast, and Brescia in the southwest. It’s long and narrow, and the character of the lake changes noticeably depending on which end you’re on.
In the north, the lake sits at the foot of the Alps, with mountains that rise sharply from the water on both sides. It’s dramatic and beautiful, and the crowds, while still significant in summer, are more manageable than the south. When we stayed in Riva del Garda, we found it far easier to move around and explore than when we were based in Sirmione.
The southern end is flatter, a few degrees warmer, and significantly busier. It’s conveniently located for travelers coming from Verona, Milan, or Venice, which is part of why Sirmione, the most visited town on the lake, can feel absolutely packed in July and August.
One thing that catches a lot of people off guard: Lake Garda doesn’t look that big on a map, but driving around it takes just under 4 hours without stops. Speed limits are low, traffic jams are common in summer, and parking in the towns is a genuine challenge. Planning your days by area, rather than trying to zigzag across the lake, makes a huge difference.
Riva del Garda
Best Things to Do in Lake Garda
Lake Garda has a long list of wonderful things to see and do, and no matter how many days you have, you’re going to have to prioritize. The lake is bigger than it looks, and trying to see everything in a short visit means spending more time in the car than at the lake.
In our opinion, these are the experiences worth building your itinerary around:
- Riva del Garda — our favorite town on the lake, and a great base for the north
- Sirmione & Scaligero Castle — the most iconic stop on Lake Garda, best visited early morning before the crowds arrive
- Malcesine & the Monte Baldo cable car — a beautifully preserved medieval town paired with soaring views from a rotating gondola
- Boat trip to Isola del Garda — one of the highlights of our entire trip
- Limone sul Garda — one of the prettiest towns on the western shore, with colorful buildings tumbling down to the water
- Torri del Benaco — a quieter gem that most visitors skip, with lakeside terraces right over the water
For the full breakdown of every town, castle, hike, viewpoint, and hidden gem, including what we’d skip and why, see our guide to the best things to do in Lake Garda ↓
The daily itineraries below are organized by region (north, east, and west), so you can mix and match based on how many days you have and where you’re based.
How Much Time Do You Need in Lake Garda?
We spent three and a half days at Lake Garda and found that was just enough time to explore the full lake without feeling rushed. That said, even three days requires early starts and some discipline about not lingering too long in any one place.
Here’s a rough guide:
- Half a day — pick one town (Sirmione or Riva del Garda) or take a boat cruise
- One day — explore one region of the lake, or hop between a few towns by ferry
- Two days — cover two regions comfortably, with time to breathe
- Three days — see the full lake, including the highlights on both the north and south ends
- Four or more days — add day trips to Verona, the Dolomites, or Venice, or slow down and linger
If you have three or more days, we recommend splitting your time between two base towns rather than staying in one place. We based ourselves in Riva del Garda for the north and Sirmione for the south, which cut down significantly on driving time and let us experience both ends of the lake without retracing our route.
Torre Apponale in Riva del Garda
Half Day in Lake Garda Itinerary
This itinerary is for those who plan to visit Lake Garda on a day trip or just want to see a piece of it while traveling through Italy. There are several things you can do with your time (PICK ONE OF THESE).
Visit Sirmione
Sirmione is one of the most picturesque towns on Lake Garda. With a compact city center, the best castle on the lake to visit, an archaeological site, and some great shopping and restaurants, it’s easy to spend a few hours here. You can also add on a boat cruise around the peninsula.
Cruise on Lake Garda
There are numerous half day cruises that take you to a few of the more popular towns on the lake. Or you can hire a private boat to take you around or ride the Lake Garda ferry. Many of these cruises and ferries start in Desenzano del Garda, Peschiera, Salo, Riva del Garda, or Sirmione.
Visit Riva del Garda
If you happen to be arriving from northern Italy or the Dolomites, spend your time in Riva del Garda. This beautiful town is less crowded than Sirmione and has some wonderful things to do, with a bell tower to climb, a funicular that takes you up to an ancient fortress (and a spectacular viewpoint), and colorful streets to explore. While here, don’t miss nearby Borgo Medioevale di Canale (Villa Canale), a tiny medieval village that is a hidden gem on Lake Garda.
Borgo Medioevale di Canale
One Day in Lake Garda Itinerary: Without a Car
If you only have one day in Lake Garda, I think it’s best to tour the lake using the ferries/boats.
There is a ferry that connects many of the top sights on the lake, so you can spend the day hopping from one to the other on the ferry.
Desenzano and Peschiero are the main ferry hubs on Lake Garda. These towns also have train stations, so these are a good starting point if you are traveling by train. From here, the ferry travels to other towns on the lake. Here is a map of ferry routes.
For timetables and prices of the ferries, visit the official website. Just be aware that the website is difficult to use and also covers Lake Como, so make sure you select Lake Garda.
Top places to visit by ferry include Sirmione, Riva del Garda, Malcesine, and Limone Sul Garda. Due to travel times, you will have to limit your visit to two to three towns and get started as soon as possible. The first boats start operating at 8 am.
You can also take a boat tour of Lake Garda and combine this with a few hours in Sirmione.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you prefer to tour Lake Garda by boat, even if you have a car, you can still take the ferry or private boat around the lake. This cuts out the hassle of driving and parking at each town, which is challenging during the summer months.
Limone sul Garda
One Day in Lake Garda Itinerary: With a Car
With a car and one day, you have more flexibility than without, but you’re still going to be limited to one area of the lake unless you’re prepared for a lot of driving. The key is to figure out which end of the lake makes the most sense based on where you’re coming from.
Coming from the Dolomites or Austria (north end):
Base your day in Riva del Garda. Start with a visit to Villa Canale in the morning, then spend the rest of the day exploring Riva. If you want to hike, just be aware that in summer the temperatures regularly hit 32°C/90°F by midday.
Coming from Venice, Verona, Milan, or Florence (south end):
Spend the morning in Sirmione before the crowds arrive, then choose one of these afternoon options depending on your interests:
- Head east to the wine regions around Bardolino
- Head west to Rocca di Manerba and Salò
- Take a boat tour from Sirmione to see more of the lake without the driving
Want to combine north and south (ambitious):
It’s possible to visit both Malcesine and Sirmione in one day, but Malcesine is a 1.5-hour drive from the southern end of the lake. You’ll spend a good chunk of your day in the car. It’s doable, but only if you’re an early starter and comfortable with a fast-paced day.
Castello Scaligero di Malcesine
Daily Itineraries of Lake Garda
Next are single day itineraries that concentrate on one area of Lake Garda. These can be linked together to form two day, three day, or four day itineraries. These work best if you have a car.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For more details on how to visit each town/sight, refer to our Things to Do in Lake Garda article.
Northern Lake Garda Itinerary
This itinerary can be done without a car, but you will have to skip Villa Canale and the Varone waterfall. We cover many of the places listed for this Northern Lake Garda itinerary in our guide to Riva del Garda.
Morning Option #1: Go on a hike/walk. The Old Ponale Road Path is an easy walk (or bike ride) along an old road. You will go through numerous tunnels and have great views of Riva del Garda. Punta Larici is a challenging hike to a spectacular viewpoint of the lake. Or hike up to Monte Brione or Chapel Santa Barbara.
Note: If you will be visiting in the summer, it’s best to start hiking before 8 am to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you can’t get to Riva del Garda that early in the day, do option #2.
Punta Larici
Morning Option #2: Visit Varone waterfall and Villa Canale. These are a short drive from Riva del Garda and located near each other.
Morning Option #3: Visit Limone Sul Garda. This lovely town is a 15 to 20-minute drive from Riva del Garda. If you visit Limone from Riva, it saves you a very long drive from Sirmione to get here (if you also plan to visit Sirmione while at Lake Garda).
Midday and afternoon: Explore Riva del Garda
Evening: Have dinner and drinks. For great sunset views, ride the funicular to Bastione de Riva and have dinner here.
The view from Bastione de Riva
Eastern Lake Garda Itinerary
Spend one day visiting the sights along the eastern side of Lake Garda. This itinerary starts in the north and ends in the south, since that is the way that we did it. If you are starting in the south, you could either drive up to Malcesine and work your way south (this works well if you want to end with the wine region) or do this itinerary in the opposite order.
How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. To take this map with you, click the star next to the title of the map which adds it to your Google account. Next, within your Google Maps app, select ‘Saved’ and then select ‘Maps’. This map title will now appear in your list.
Morning: Malcesine and the cable car to Monte Baldo
View from Monte Baldo | Mattia Riccadonna/shutterstock.com
Midday: Lunch in Torri del Benaco
Afternoon: Bardolino, Lazise, and the wine region. We planned to visit Villa Calicantus but this was closed during our visit. You can also take a guided tour of the area.
Optional: Santuario Madonna della Corona. This is not located on Lake Garda but is just a short drive away. This beautiful church literally clings to the mountainside, making it one of the most unique churches we have seen in Europe.
Evening: Sirmione
Santuario Madonna della Corona
Western Lake Garda Itinerary
Spend one day visiting the sights along the western side of Lake Garda. This itinerary is done out and back from Sirmione, since that is the way that we did it. You will drive approximately 140 km with a driving time of 3.5 hours (longer if there is traffic).
How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. To take this map with you, click the star next to the title of the map which adds it to your Google account. Next, within your Google Maps app, select ‘Saved’ and then select ‘Maps’. This map title will now appear in your list.
Morning: Drive from Sirmione to Rocca di Manerba and it’s a short walk to the remains of an ancient fortress and a viewpoint of Lake Garda.
Midday: Salo. We took a one hour boat tour with Taxi Boat Salo to see Isola del Garda. Have lunch in Salo.
Isola del Garda
Afternoon: Drive to and visit Vittoriale degli Italiani. Then continue the drive to Limone Sul Garda and explore the town. Before driving this far north, just be aware that it is a 2-hour drive to get back to Sirmione. If you don’t want to do that much driving, turn around after visiting Vittoriale degli Italiani (and visit Limone from Riva del Garda if you have plans to also stay in Riva del Garda).
Evening: Sirmione
Two Days in Lake Garda
With two days, pick any two of the daily itineraries above and combine them. If you’re coming from the south, we’d pair the Western and Eastern itineraries. If you’re coming from the north or the Dolomites, pair the Northern and Eastern. Whichever two you choose, plan to stay in a town at the end of your first day’s route so you’re not retracing your steps.
Three Days in Lake Garda
This itinerary combines the three itineraries above into one efficient trip around Lake Garda. I really like this itinerary because it minimizes driving and you get to spend two nights in Riva del Garda. This town is much less crowded than Sirmione and easier to get in and out of if you are traveling by car.
Day 1: Follow the Western Lake Garda Itinerary, starting in Sirmione and ending in Riva del Garda. Since you won’t spend time backtracking, you can visit Limone Sul Garda in the afternoon, before getting to Riva del Garda. Stay in Riva del Garda.
Day 2: Follow the Northern Lake Garda Itinerary. Stay in Riva del Garda.
Day 3: Follow the Eastern Lake Garda Itinerary with a small modification. In the morning, visit Malcesine and ride the cable car to Monte Baldo. Have lunch in Torri del Benaco. Drive to Sirmione and spend the rest of the day in Sirmione. Sleep in Sirmione.
Scaligero Castle, Sirmione (drone photo)
Four Days in Lake Garda
This is our exact itinerary and it worked very well. It’s really a three day itinerary with some extra time the morning of day 4. We drove in from the Dolomites so we started on the northern end of Lake Garda, spending one night in Riva del Garda and two nights in Sirmione.
Day 1: In the morning we drove from Selva di Val Gardena in the Dolomites to Riva del Garda. We visited Villa Canale and the Varone waterfall and then spent the afternoon in Riva del Garda.
Day 2: Punta Larici hike at 7 am. Then we drove down the east side of Lake Garda, including the day trip to Santuario Madonna della Corona, ending in Sirmione, where we spent the night.
Day 3: West side of Lake Garda (Sirmione to Limone Sul Garda to Sirmione); sleep in Sirmione. We did not have time to tour Sirmione on this day so we saved it for the following day.
Day 4: Sirmione in the morning. In the afternoon, we drove to Chamonix, France. If you are visiting with kids, you could add on Gardaland to this day.
Five or More Days on Lake Garda
With five or more days, you have room to slow down. Use the extra time to linger in Sirmione, the thermal spa is worth a half day on its own, or to day trip to Verona (45 minutes), Venice (2 hours), or back into the Dolomites from Riva del Garda. This is also when Lake Garda starts to work well as a true base rather than a destination you’re racing through.
Piazza del Brolio, Riva del Garda
How to Get Around Lake Garda
You can get around Lake Garda by boat and by car.
The only train stations are on the south end of the lake, in Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera, so it is not feasible to travel by train at Lake Garda.
By Car
Roads circle all of Lake Garda, so if you have a car, you can drive everywhere around Lake Garda, except, of course, for the islands.
In many places, parking fills up fast. There is also a fee to park in each town. It’s usually just a few euros but it does add up over the day. Our visit was in July and in some places, we couldn’t get a parking space. We either skipped the town or Tim would drop me off, while I would visit the sights and take photos. It was not fun and became a giant hassle.
I imagine that it’s easier to drive around Lake Garda in the spring and fall, when crowds are lower. In the summer, consider traveling by ferry or taking a private tour. Just note that the ferry won’t get you to all of the sights on Lake Garda.
By Ferry
Desenzano and Peschiero are the main ferry hubs on Lake Garda. From here, the ferry travels to other towns on the lake. Here is a map of ferry routes.
For timetables and prices, visit the official website. Just be aware that the website is difficult to use and also covers Lake Como, so make sure you select Lake Garda.
Ferry in Riva del Garda
By Private Boat
If you prefer to hire a private boat, we recommend Taxi Boat Salo, since we had a great experience with them.
Tours of Lake Garda
In Lazise, which is a town on the east side of Lake Garda, this tour includes a wine and cheese tasting.
Take a sunset cruise around Sirmione or take a 25-minute boat tour around the Sirmione peninsula.
Tours of Lake Garda
Best Time to Visit Lake Garda
We visited Lake Garda in July, and while the lake was undeniably beautiful, the heat and the crowds were genuinely challenging. Temperatures hit 34°C/93°F during our stay, and climbed even higher a few days after we left. Sirmione in particular was packed, with long lines and difficult and difficult parking.
If we were planning the trip again, we’d go in late May or early September, when the weather is still warm, the water is swimmable, and the crowds are far more manageable.
- Spring: The weather warms up nicely, with average highs in May reaching 23°C/73°F. The lake water is still cold from snowmelt, so swimming is better saved for later in the year. May into June can be rainy, so be prepared for some wet days.
- Summer: Average highs sit around 29°C/84°F but it can get significantly hotter. During our visit temperatures reached 34°C/93°F, and climbed to 36°C/97°F just days after we left. Crowds are at their peak and hotel prices reflect it. It’s still a wonderful destination, but go in with realistic expectations.
- Fall: Temperatures cool and crowds begin to thin, but rainfall increases, peaking in October. September is the sweet spot.
- Winter: Cold and quiet, with average daytime highs around 8°C/46°F. Crowds are minimal but so is the appeal. Most visitors will want to save Lake Garda for warmer months.
Where to Stay in Lake Garda
Where you base yourself at Lake Garda makes a real difference to how your trip flows. We stayed in both Riva del Garda and Sirmione during our visit, and the two towns offer very different experiences.
Riva del Garda is our top pick for a base, particularly if you’re spending two or more days at the lake. It’s less crowded than Sirmione, easier to park in, and well-positioned for exploring the north and east sides of the lake. For hotel recommendations, see our guide to Riva del Garda.
Sirmione is the most popular base on the lake, and for good reason. It’s centrally located for the south and west sides, and the town itself is one of the most scenic on Lake Garda. Just be prepared for crowds, especially in July and August, and book accommodation well in advance. For hotel recommendations, see our guide to Sirmione.
If you have three or more days, we’d recommend splitting your stay between both towns rather than committing to one base for the entire trip. It cuts down on driving and lets you experience both ends of the lake at a more relaxed pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Lake Garda or Lake Como?
Between the two, Lake Como is our personal favorite. Its compact size and the trio of easily accessible towns, particularly Bellagio and Varenna, make it feel more manageable and, frankly, more beautiful than anything we found on Lake Garda. That said, Lake Garda wins on variety: more towns, more hiking, more activities, and a better fit for families or anyone who wants more than a day or two at the lake.
What is the best month to visit Lake Garda?
September is the best month to visit Lake Garda. The weather is warm and generally sunny and crowd levels are beginning to lessen. Plus, the water is still warm for swimming.
How long does it take to drive around Lake Garda?
Driving the full circuit around Lake Garda takes just under 4 hours without stops. In practice, expect significantly longer, because speed limits are low, the roads are narrow in places, and summer traffic can add considerable time to any journey around the lake.
How many days do you need at Lake Garda?
We’d recommend a minimum of three days to see the full lake comfortably. Two days is doable if you focus on one or two regions rather than trying to circle the entire lake. One day is enough for a taste, visitiing either Sirmione in the south or Riva del Garda in the north, but not both.
Is Lake Garda worth visiting?
Yes, but timing matters. In the peak summer months, the heat and crowds can genuinely detract from the experience, particularly in Sirmione. Visit in late spring or early fall and Lake Garda is stunningly beautiful, varied, and absolutely worth it.
Sirmione
Explore More of Italy
Using Lake Garda as a jumping-off point for a bigger northern Italy trip? These guides will help you plan what comes next.
- The Dolomites → Riva del Garda sits about two hours from Val Gardena, making the two destinations a natural pairing. Our Dolomites Travel Guide covers the best hikes, bases, and how to plan your time.
- A day trip to Milan → Milan is roughly an hour and a half from the southern end of Lake Garda and makes an easy addition to your trip. Our guide to Milan covers the highlights.
- A northern Italy road trip → Our 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary combines Venice, the Dolomites, Lake Como, and Verona into one route. Lake Garda fits naturally along the way.
- More Italy inspiration → Our Best Places to Visit in Italy guide will help you discover more places to add to your Italy itinerary.
- All of our Italy content in one place → Visit our Italy Travel Guide.
If you have any questions about this Lake Garda itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.
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