Lugano & Morcote
Private Day Trip from Milan to Switzerland
Across the Swiss border to Lake Lugano: the arcades and lakefront of Lugano, then the village of Morcote on the water. Door-to-door by private Mercedes, 8 hours, fixed price from €600 per car.
Book this day trip
Lake Lugano & Morcote · 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
Lugano and Morcote, a day in Italian-speaking Switzerland
Lugano is about 80 km from Milan, just across the border in the Swiss canton of Ticino, where Italian is spoken but everything else, from the currency to the pace of traffic, is Swiss. The city sits on a bay of Lake Lugano between two mountains, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, with arcaded streets, a long lakefront park and a modern arts centre, the LAC. A few kilometres south, Morcote climbs from the lake to the church of Santa Maria del Sasso. It is the easiest of our international day trips from Milan.
With a private car the border is a formality: the Swiss motorway vignette is handled by us and included, and you only need your passport or ID card. Remember that Switzerland uses the Swiss franc; cards are widely accepted. Unlike our Lake Como days, this one leaves Italy, so it suits travellers who want to add a second country to their trip. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €600 with an E-Class for two, from €680 with a V-Class for up to six.
Lugano & Morcote Day at a Glance
Lugano & Morcote Day Trip Itinerary
Lugano in the morning, Morcote in the afternoon, with an optional ride up Monte San Salvatore.
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. Bring passports or ID cards for everyone. The A9 leads past Como to the border at Chiasso, then the Swiss A2 to Lugano. From Malpensa the day can start at arrivals.
Piazza della Riforma, Via Nassa and the lakefront
The main square opens onto the lake; Via Nassa runs behind it under arcades lined with boutiques. The church of Santa Maria degli Angioli holds Bernardino Luini’s large Passion fresco of 1529, and the lakeside path leads to the LAC arts centre and the Parco Ciani.
Lunch in Lugano or by the lake
Ticino cooking mixes Italian and Alpine: risotto, polenta, local cheeses and Merlot from the canton’s vineyards. Your driver can suggest places in town or on the lake and book a table.
Optional: the funicular from Paradiso
From March to November a funicular climbs from Lugano-Paradiso to the summit, a little over 900 m, in about 12 minutes, for a view over the whole lake. Allow an hour or more, or skip it for more time in Morcote.
The lakeside village and Santa Maria del Sasso
Voted the most beautiful village in Switzerland in 2016, Morcote has arcaded houses on the water and a stairway of about 400 steps up to the church of Santa Maria del Sasso and its terraced cemetery. The subtropical Parco Scherrer is open from mid-March to early November.
Back to Milan
Along the lake via Melide and the A2 to the border, then the A9 to Milan. Drop-off at your hotel, Malpensa or Linate.
Lugano & Morcote Day Trip Prices — 8-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 8-hour day with 150 km 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 · 150 km included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •8 hours · 150 km 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
- ✓Swiss motorway vignette
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting while you visit
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Funicular tickets (Monte San Salvatore, Monte Brè)
- ✕Parco Scherrer and museum tickets
- ✕Boat trips on Lake Lugano
- ✕Meals and drinks
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Lugano: The Route
About 80 km on the A9 past Como to the Chiasso border, then the Swiss A2 to Lugano: around 1 hour 15 minutes. Morcote is about 20 minutes south of Lugano along the lake.
Lugano Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Lugano by private car or by train?
Direct trains from Milan Centrale reach Lugano in about an hour and a quarter, but Morcote is not on the railway and needs a bus or a boat from Lugano. A private car covers both, crosses the border without changes and brings you home from Morcote directly.
Why go to Lugano and Morcote?
It is Switzerland with an Italian accent: lakefront promenades and mountains straight out of the water, orderly streets and quiet lake villages. Morcote, with its arcades, steep stairways and gardens, is one of the most photographed places on the lake.
How much is a Lugano day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €600 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €680 for up to six in a V-Class, for 8 hours with 150 km included, driver, fuel, tolls, parking and the Swiss vignette. Weekends +20%, holidays +50%.
Book Your Lugano Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
8 hours, English-speaking driver, Swiss vignette included. Bring your passport; we handle the rest.
or call +39 335 821 0912