Isola dei Pescatori seen from the gardens of Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore & Lake Orta · Stresa, Borromean Islands, Orta · 1 h 30–2 h from Turin

Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta from Turin: Borromean Islands and Orta in a day

We compare the ways to see Stresa, the Borromean Islands and Orta San Giulio starting from Turin: DIY by train and boat, or a private tour with a driver. The one thing to know first: both lakes in a single day only work with a car, and the island gardens close from late October to March.

DurationFull day, 9–11 hours from Turin
AreaStresa and Borromean Islands / Orta San Giulio
Price range€60–90* DIY, from €120* private tour
Best forLate March–October, couples and families

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Most popular 13 options

Sorted by rating and number of reviews. Live prices from GetYourGuide and Tiqets.

Which tour to choose

Option	Best for	from	Note
Lake Maggiore Discovery: private tour from Turin	Couples and families who want Stresa and the islands without driving	from €120* per person	GetYourGuide; car with driver-guide for 9–10 hours, boats and island palaces usually extra*
Private driver for both lakes	Groups of 4–7 who want Maggiore and Orta on the same day	€350–650* per vehicle	GetYourGuide (private tours from €52) or a local chauffeur; price is per vehicle, not per person
Day trips from Turin, full catalogue	Anyone weighing the lakes against Langhe, Venaria or the Alps	from €50*	GetYourGuide; scheduled group departures to the lakes from Turin are rare, check dates*
DIY: train, boat and islands	Independent travellers who leave early and take their time	€60–90* per person	Trenitalia + Navigazione Laghi + Borromeo palace tickets, bought online or on the spot*

Compare prices

Offer	from
Stresa: 3 Borromean Islands Hop-On Hop-Off Boat Tour GetYourGuide first · 4.4/5 (4,762)	€12	Book on GetYourGuide
Day trips from Turin GetYourGuide first	€50	Book on GetYourGuide
Turin: Private custom tour with a local guide GetYourGuide first · 4.6/5 (171)	€45	Book on GetYourGuide

Prices observed on partner catalogues; confirm at checkout.

Stresa, Borromean Islands and Orta San Giulio: what fits in one day

Lake Maggiore seen from Turin almost always means Stresa: the Liberty-style lakefront, the pier and, a few minutes away by boat, the three Borromean Islands. Isola Bella has Palazzo Borromeo with its baroque rooms and terraced garden patrolled by white peacocks; Isola dei Pescatori is a fishing village of lanes and lake-fish restaurants, no ticket needed; Isola Madre is the quietest, with a villa and botanical garden. In a day you see two islands well, three only if you start early.

Lake Orta is a different story: smaller, with no boat traffic, the village of Orta San Giulio sloping down to Piazza Motta and, five minutes away by launch, Isola San Giulio with its Romanesque basilica. Above the village stands the Sacro Monte, twenty chapels dedicated to St Francis, a UNESCO site together with the other Sacri Monti of Piedmont. The two lakes are 30–40 minutes apart by car, but train and boat do not combine them: on a day trip from Turin you choose one.

How to get from Turin to Lake Maggiore: car, train or tour

By car Stresa is about 140 km away, 1 h 45 on the A4 to Santhià and then the A26 towards Gravellona Toce, exit Carpugnino; the lakefront car parks fill up on summer weekends, so aim to arrive by 9:30. Orta San Giulio is 1 h 30 on the same motorway, exit Borgomanero or Arona, with paid car parks outside the pedestrian centre.

By train, Torino Porta Susa to Stresa takes about 2 hours with one change, usually at Milano Centrale onto the Simplon line (check connections); tickets cost €25–40* return. For Orta you reach Orta-Miasino station via Novara, but the village is about 3 km downhill: a 35–40 minute walk or a local bus, to be checked. The private tour with driver, from €120* per person, removes all of this and collects you at your hotel.

Prices compared: DIY by train and boat or a private tour

DIY costs €60–90* per person for the day: train €25–40*, Navigazione Laghi public boat with stops at all three islands €15–25*, Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella €17–25* and the same again for Isola Madre, with a combined ticket that saves a few euros*. Private taxi-boats from the Stresa pier cost about €10–15* per person and leave when full: faster, no timetable.

The Lake Maggiore Discovery private tour from Turin starts at €120* per person, with car and driver-guide for 9–10 hours; boats and palaces are often excluded, so add €35–60* each. A driver for the day across both lakes costs €350–650* per vehicle, competitive once split between 4–6 people. Coach day trips from €50–70* nearly all leave from Milan: from Turin dates are rare, so check the day trips catalogue before counting on one.

Lake Orta from Turin: Isola San Giulio, Sacro Monte and the village

Orta is the right trip for anyone after quiet rather than monuments. You arrive in Piazza Motta, take the launch to the island (€5–7* return, continuous departures in season), walk the ring lane with its "way of silence" signs and visit the basilica with its 12th-century stone pulpit. Back in the village, the path climbs in twenty minutes to the Sacro Monte: the chapels with life-size terracotta figures and the lookout over the lake are the best part of the day.

On public transport Lake Orta from Turin remains a 9–10 hour outing for about 4 hours on site: we recommend it to anyone who has already seen Maggiore or wants to avoid the summer crowds in Stresa. If you would rather have hills and wineries at the same distance, look at Canavese and Monferrato and our wine tours page.

Season, opening times, kids and what to avoid on the Piedmont lakes

The Borromean palaces and gardens generally open from late March to late October (check the dates on the islands' site): in winter you only see them from outside and boats run less often. May, June and September are the best months; July and August work, with 30–45 minute boat queues at weekends. The Stresa–Mottarone cable car has had long closures: check whether it is running before planning around it. Villa Taranto in Verbania, with its botanical garden, is worth the detour only by car.

With children the lakes are one of the easiest trips from Piedmont: the boat is an attraction in itself and the palaces have reduced fares for minors, to verify. Avoid the mid-August holiday weekend, days with wind warnings, when boats skip the islands, and the idea of doing Stresa, Villa Taranto and Orta on the same day without a driver.

From Milan the choice is wider: how we pick tours for the lakes

We are honest on this point: Stresa is one hour by train from Milano Centrale and group tours to Lake Maggiore and Lake Como almost all leave from there, from €70–100*. If you are visiting both cities, do the lakes from Milan and keep Turin for the Langhe, Venaria and the museums; our Turin from Milan page explains how the trains line up.

We put GetYourGuide first because it is the platform with a Lake Maggiore tour departing from Turin and clear cancellation terms; Tiqets and Headout are useful for Turin's museums, not for the lakes. For a driver or a tailor-made itinerary see our private tours page. Prices marked * are those observed on partner catalogues and checked regularly: the checkout price prevails. We are not an operator, nor the official site of the Borromean Islands or Navigazione Laghi.

Photos

Langhe hills, the wine-country alternative to a lakes day trip from Turin

Turin skyline with the Mole Antonelliana, starting point for the lakes

FAQ

How do I get from Turin to Lake Maggiore?

By car: 140 km, about 1 h 45 on the A4 and A26, exit Carpugnino for Stresa. By train: Torino Porta Susa to Stresa takes about 2 hours with one change, usually at Milano Centrale onto the Simplon line (check connections, they are not always convenient), €25–40* return. A private tour picks you up at your hotel and does the 1 h 45 drive for you. There is no useful direct coach service for a day trip.

Is one day enough for Lake Maggiore from Turin?

Yes, for Stresa and two Borromean Islands: leave at 8, be on the pier by 10, see Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori with lunch, and be back in Turin by 7 pm. All three islands plus Villa Taranto or Mottarone need a car or driver. Adding Lake Orta on the same day only works with your own vehicle and a long day: on public transport you pick one lake.

How much do the Borromean Islands cost?

The palace and garden on Isola Bella cost €17–25* per person depending on the period, Isola Madre about the same; a combined ticket saves a few euros*. Isola dei Pescatori is free to walk. Add the boat: Navigazione Laghi public boats stopping at the islands €15–25*, private taxi-boats from the Stresa pier about €10–15* per person. Check current prices on the islands' site before you go.

Public boat or private tour: which is better value?

Public boat plus train costs €60–90* per person and gives total freedom, but you depend on connections and timetables. The private tour from Turin starts at €120* per person, often without boats and admissions (another €35–60*), and suits couples and families who do not want to change trains in Milan and prefer a driver who knows the Stresa car parks. Above four people, a private driver at €350–650* per vehicle works out cheaper per head.

What is the best season for the lakes from Turin?

Late March to late October, when the Borromean palaces and gardens are open (check the exact dates each year). May, June and September are ideal: azaleas and camellias in spring, calm water, short boat queues. July and August work, but at weekends expect a 30–45 minute wait to board. In winter the islands are seen only from outside, and Orta, with no timed gardens, holds up better.

Lake Orta or Lake Maggiore: which should I choose from Turin?

Maggiore if it is your first time: Stresa, Isola Bella and the boat ride are the postcard everyone wants, with more services and trains. Orta if you want quiet: a pedestrian village, Isola San Giulio five minutes away by launch, the UNESCO Sacro Monte with free entry, fewer visitors even in August. Orta is closer to Turin (1 h 30 by car) but awkward by train, with the station 3 km above the village.

Are the lakes good with kids?

They are among the easiest trips from Piedmont with children: the boat is already a game, Isola dei Pescatori has room to run, the white peacocks on Isola Bella keep small ones busy, and the launch to Isola San Giulio takes five minutes. Palaces and boats have reduced fares for minors and free entry under a certain age, to verify. With a pushchair choose Stresa, not the steps of the Sacro Monte.

Should I go from Milan instead of Turin?

If you are visiting both cities, yes: Stresa is one hour by train from Milano Centrale, and almost all group tours to Lake Maggiore and Lake Como leave from there, from €70–100*. From Turin the choice narrows to a private tour or DIY. Many people do the lakes from Milan and keep Turin for the Langhe, Venaria and the Egyptian Museum: our Turin from Milan page explains how to line up the trains.