Lake Maggiore
Private Day Trip from Milan
Stresa and the Borromean Islands: the palace and terraced garden of Isola Bella, the gardens of Isola Madre and the fishing village of Isola dei Pescatori. Door-to-door by private Mercedes, 8 hours, fixed price from €650 per car.
Book this day trip
Lake Maggiore & Borromean Islands · private and tailor-made
Book this day trip
See the price for your car now, then send the request: we confirm the driver and send a secure payment link. The itinerary is yours to change: tell us your stops in the notes.
- CarsMercedes E-Class up to 2 guests, V-Class up to 6
- Pick-upYour hotel in Milan, or Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo (+€60)
- PaymentNothing now: we confirm, then send a secure link
Stresa and the Borromean Islands from Milan
Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy, shared with Switzerland at its northern end. Its most famous stretch is the gulf off Stresa, where three small islands owned or shaped by the Borromeo family lie close together: Isola Bella, with a 17th-century palace and a Baroque garden of ten terraces built on what was once bare rock; Isola Madre, the largest, with a furnished palace and English-style gardens; and Isola dei Pescatori, a fishing village of narrow lanes and lakeside restaurants. Stresa is about 90 km from Milan, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes by motorway, and the islands are one of the classic day trips from Milan.
Your driver drops you at the landing in Stresa, where public ferries and private water taxis leave for the islands, and waits while you spend the day on the water. The palaces and gardens of Isola Bella and Isola Madre open only from spring to autumn, roughly late March to early November, with dates that change each year; Isola dei Pescatori can be visited all year. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €650 with an E-Class for two, from €735 with a V-Class for up to six.
Lake Maggiore Day at a Glance
Lake Maggiore Day Trip Itinerary
An 8-hour day on the islands, hopping between them by boat, with lunch in the fishing village.
Tailor-made, always. This itinerary is our suggestion only: every MilanobyCar day trip is tailor-made. Change the stops, the order and the timing as you like, or tell us your own plan in the booking notes.
Your driver, your local insider. Our chauffeurs are not licensed tour guides and do not guide you inside museums or sites, but they know these places well from years on the road: ask them for the best viewpoints, where to eat, where to stroll and how to avoid the busiest spots. If you would like a licensed guide, we can book one for you.
Pick-up at your hotel in Milan
Your driver meets you in the lobby at the time you choose. The day can also start from Malpensa or Linate arrivals, with your luggage kept safely in the car.
Stresa and the boat to the islands
Drop-off at the main landing in Stresa. Buy tickets at the official ticket office in the ferry terminal: public ferries link the three islands on a hop-on, hop-off basis, and private water taxis are available too. Ignore touts outside offering “lake taxis” at inflated prices.
Palazzo Borromeo and the Baroque garden
The state rooms of the palace, the grottoes on the lower floor and the garden of ten terraces rising above the lake, with statues and views back to Stresa. Allow around two hours.
Isola dei Pescatori
The only one of the three islands with a resident community: a few lanes of tall houses, the church of San Vittore and a dozen or so restaurants serving lake fish. Your driver can suggest a place.
The gardens of Isola Madre
The largest island, with a Borromeo palace furnished with paintings and period rooms, and English-style gardens kept since the early 19th century, known for their exotic plants and for the camellias in spring.
Back to your hotel in Milan
Boat back to Stresa, where your driver is waiting. Door-to-door return to Milan, or drop-off at Malpensa, about 45 minutes from Stresa.
Lake Maggiore Day Trip Prices — 8-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 8-hour day with the distance included, whatever the number of passengers. Saturdays and Sundays +20%, major holidays +50%, airport pick-up +€60. Extra hours €75 with the E-Class, €85 with the V-Class, bookable in the form below.
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •8 hours · distance included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •8 hours · distance included
- •Executive luxury sedan
- •English-speaking chauffeur
Included in the price
- ✓Private Mercedes and English-speaking chauffeur for the whole day
- ✓Door-to-door pick-up and return in Milan
- ✓Fuel, motorway tolls and parking for the car
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting in Stresa while you visit the islands
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Ferry or water-taxi tickets
- ✕Palace and garden tickets (Isola Bella, Isola Madre)
- ✕Meals and drinks
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Lake Maggiore: The Route
About 90 km north-west: the A8 towards the lakes, then the A26 towards Gravellona Toce, leaving at Baveno-Stresa or at Carpugnino for the panoramic road down to the lake. Around 1 hour 15 minutes each way.
Lake Maggiore Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Lake Maggiore by private car or by train?
Direct trains from Milan reach Stresa in about an hour, then it is a walk to the landing; it works, but you are tied to the timetable at both ends. A private car collects you at your hotel, drops you at the boats and waits, and makes it easy to add Lake Orta or to finish at Malpensa.
What to know before visiting the Borromean Islands
Check the opening season before you book: the palaces close in winter. Spring is the season for the camellias and azaleas, summer is busiest, and early autumn is often the most pleasant. Allow about two hours for Isola Bella and an hour and a half for Isola Madre, and buy boat tickets only at the official office.
How much is a Lake Maggiore day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €650 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €735 for up to six in a V-Class, for 8 hours with the distance included, plus fuel, tolls and parking. Boat and palace tickets are extra. The exact price for your date appears in the booking form.
Book Your Lake Maggiore Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
8 hours, English-speaking driver, door-to-door. Stresa and the Borromean Islands, or Lake Orta on request.
or call +39 335 821 0912