Across Lombardia to the Veneto
Hiking in Italy’s Lake District
Overview
Italy’s Lake District is perfect for a WT-style journey of walks and hikes paired with sampling the culinary bounty. We begin our journey at long, narrow Lake Maggiore, nestled between Italy and Switzerland, where our base is lakeside Stresa, a classic town of Belle Époque hotels and a palm-tree lined shore. At tucked-away Lake Iseo in the Franciacorta wine region, we’ll find a quiet, unhurried setting for wine tasting and explorations on foot. Lake Garda provides both alpine and Mediterranean environments for our hikes, and we finish up in the lush, green Valpolicella hills, one of Italy’s centuries-old wine regions. As we explore this gastronomic heartland, we’ll meet winemakers and savor local cuisines that incorporate the abundance of lake fish, fresh produce, lemons, and olive oil.
Arrive: Milan, Italy
Depart: Verona, Italy
Highlights
- Enjoy an insider’s perspective as our Trip Leaders introduce you to their favorite hikes, local friends, and off-the-beaten-path eateries
- Discover classic lakeside towns, wine estates, and walking paths
- Indulge in local culinary delights, sample the finest regional wines
- Hike a high trail above Lake Maggiore for majestic mountain views
- Walk the lakefront promenades of Maggiore, Iseo, and Garda
Itinerary
From Stresa, with its splendid lungolago (lakeside promenade) on Lake Maggiore, we hike a path through oak and chestnut woodlands. Another hike leads us around small but picturesque Lake Mergozzo to the hamlet of Montorfano, home to the Romanesque San Giovanni Battista church. Our loop route on the Sasso del Ferro Laveno trail brings magnificent views across Lake Maggiore. The Maggiore region is renowned for its rich wine and food heritage and we’ll enjoy its bounty.
We’ll ferry to an island in mountain-ringed Lake Iseo for a hike and a lunch of fresh-caught lake fish. In the green and hilly Franciacorta region, just a stone’s throw from Lake Iseo and known for fine sparkling wines, we’ll sample the local wares with a winemaker. On Lake Iseo’s southern shore, we walk along a reed-fringed path in the peaceful Torbiere del Sebino wetlands reserve, passing through many Franciacorta vineyards along the way.
In the fjord-like setting of northern Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, a cable car carries us to the top of Monte Baldo for breathtaking panoramas and an alpine hike with views of towering mountain ranges in the distance, including the Brenta Dolomites. Another hike brings us along lakeside cliffs to the top of Rocca di Manerba. Overnights are in stunning Salò.
Walks with gorgeous views of Lake Garda introduce us to the Valpolicella region, one of the most prestigious wine making areas in the Veneto, characterized by limestone ridges and gurgling streams. One hike starts in the ancient village of Cavalo and leads to the top of Monte Pugna for a descent to San Giorgio and its 8th century church. We depart via Verona on Day 10.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated a Level 3 (Moderate) according to our trip grading system. You will need to be comfortable hiking 6 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 4 hours a day. Hiking days are varied, with some very light days on flat country paths and some more challenging days. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 5 miles
- 3-4 hours
- 500 feet gain/loss
Our walks and hikes traverse a variety of terrains, from flat trails alongside a river to paved paths to mountain trails with occasional short, steep sections. You will need to be comfortable hiking on uneven surfaces including downhill over rocky terrain.
We strongly urge you to train for your trip, as your enjoyment will be highly dependent on your level of fitness. The best training for a hike is to hike, especially over hills or rough terrain. Next best are running, swimming, bicycling, or other cardiovascular exercise. Stair climbing machines are excellent preparation for hiking uphill. Your feet should also be well prepared—make sure your hiking boots are sturdy, comfortable, and thoroughly broken-in.
Northern Italy shares a border with Switzerland and Austria and is generally cooler and wetter than areas of the country further south. Spring and fall are the ideal seasons for travel, cooler than the hot summer period and less crowded. Short thunderstorms are always a possibility in the north, which is a mountainous region, so it's advisable to wear layers. Temperatures in northern Italy in spring and fall ranges from the 70s°F during the day to the high 40s°F at night.
We choose our accommodations for their local history and central locations. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
Meals will be at the hotels where we are staying or at selected restaurants in nearby towns. Some of our meals will be at Michelin-starred restaurants with 6-10 courses. At those restaurants, it is often difficult to accommodate dietary restrictions other than food allergies. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
Our support vehicle will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or remain at the hotel if we are not transferring that day).
Client Testimonials
"The trip was well run, wrinkle-free, everyone well cared for, all expectations met or exceeded... just as we have come to expect from WT."
Bill S.
Boiling Springs, PA
"It's not possible to overstate the food and wines on this trip. I have never experienced anything like this."
Carol B.
Redwood City, CA
"Simply an excellent trip: fun hikes, excellent food, and great chefs."
Chris R.
Denver, CO
"We greatly appreciated the opportunity to explore Northern Italy and view the beautiful lakes. The emphasis on culture and food with opportunities to explore cheese making and caverns of prosciutto provided a memorable experience, while the multi-course gourmet meals were simply incredible."
Colleen A.
Hastings, NE
"We really enjoyed the food adventures, the tours of the cheese places, cooking with the chef, and the art and historical tours. The group of people and guides were terrific as well, adding up to a memorable trip!"
Diane Y.
Gainesville, FL
"A wonderful trip! Great food, good people, and excellent leadership and organization."
James C.
Los Gatos, CA
"Highest quality all around. Beautiful scenery, great walks, amazing food, and superb hotels. A well put together trip with a very nice balance of hiking, cultural activities, and culinary adventures."
Jeanne R.
Denver, CO
"The trip was great; I would recommend it to anyone. I was surprised at the quantity and quality of the food and wine. I really enjoyed the various food related excursions. It was a great group. Everyone seemed to get along fine. Being a first-time traveler with Wilderness, I was amazed at how many times the other members had traveled with your company—it certainly is a testament to the quality of your trips."
John T.
Park Ridge, IL
"I have taken other 'trips of a lifetime' with WT and this one was no exception! One cannot help but live in the moment on such a wonderful journey. Very well done!"
Julie R.
Bainbridge Island, WA
"The variety of cultural experiences woven in was great—from historical sites to cheese making!"
Karl G.
Davis, CA
"This was a great trip—well designed and smoothly carried out. The food on the trip was terrific—from formal dinners to excellent pizza at restaurant with locals."
Margaret H.
Washington, DC
"A wonderful way to get to see northern Italy! The lakes, mountains, and towns were just spectacular, and the hotels and restaurants were all first rate!"
Mark F.
Peoria,Arizona
"The guides were wonderful, the food was incredible, the hotels first class and the views were beautiful. I would call this adventure ‘over the rainbow!’"
Martie T.
Salinas, CA
"The trip was thoughtfully designed and smoothly executed. We appreciated the lovely and varied hikes, the variety of cultural activities (especially the visits to Guffanti and Antica Corte Pallavicina), the fabulous dining, and the overall atmosphere created by our guides. This was our second WT trip and we are looking forward to more."
Pam B.
Newton Center, MA
"The trip rates very high. Hikes were varied in level of difficulty, length, location. Hotels were very nice: excellent locations, vistas, food, and amenities. Activities were excellent...castles, cheese, wine, prosciutto—interesting and good choices for the overall experience. Loved meeting Mario in our vineyard tour!"
Pat L.
Sandy Hook, CT
"This was a great trip: good food, wonderful hotels, great guides, scenic hikes. What more could you ask for?"
Rud and Mary Ellen B.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
"This trip far exceeded my expectations. It was truly a trip of a lifetime."
Virginia H.
Frisco, TX
"A fabulous combination of hiking in gorgeous areas and out of this world gourmet food along with cheese producers, wineries, cooking lessons, and fabulous hotels and chateaus. A feast for the eye, nose, and stomach."
William T.
Los Angeles, CA
"Great food, wine, and hotels!"
Yvonne S.
West Chester, PA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.