🇮🇹Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore offers families boat trips to Baroque islands, open-air cable cars with Alpine views, botanical gardens, and fresh lake fish. Less crowded than Como or Garda.

Your family guide

Lake Maggiore with kids: Alps, islands, and adventures your family will never forget

“Where the Alps meet the water and every boat ride feels like a discovery.”

— San & Jo

Lake Maggiore straddles Italy and Switzerland, and that blend of cultures gives it a character all its own. Picture misty mountain backdrops, manicured gardens spilling down to the water, and Baroque palaces perched on tiny islands. It is elegant, yes, but also wonderfully alive with things for active families to explore.

What makes Lake Maggiore special for families is the sheer variety. One morning you can ride an open-air cable car above the lake and spot the Alps stretching toward Milan. The next, you are stepping off a boat onto a fishing island for a long lunch of fresh perch and polenta. It is that mix of adventure and ease that keeps families coming back.

Compared to Lakes Como and Garda, Maggiore feels noticeably less crowded, which means shorter queues, calmer promenades, and more room to breathe. Whether your family loves hiking, history, or just watching the world go by from a lakeside terrace, this is a destination that delivers without the chaos.

StresaMain base town

Italy / SwitzerlandCross-border lake

April to OctoberBest time to visit

Best things to do

Why we love Lake Maggiore for families

Explore the Borromean Islands by boat

Hop on a ferry from Stresa and visit the iconic trio of islands near the shore. Isola Bella dazzles with its Baroque Palazzo Borromeo and terraced gardens shaped like a ship's prow. Isola Madre is a peaceful botanical paradise. And Isola dei Pescatori is a genuine fishing village where you can grab a lakeside lunch of fresh trout with Alpine views framing every bite.

Buy a multi-island boat ticket to hop between all three at your own pace

Full day

Ride the open-air cable car at Laveno-Mombello

This is one of those experiences that sticks with kids long after the holiday ends. The open-air gondola climbs to Sasso del Ferro, giving you sweeping bird's-eye views over the lake and the Alps. On a clear day, you can even spot Milan's skyline shimmering in the distance. Older kids especially love the slightly exposed, adventurous feel of the ride.

Go on a clear morning for the best Alpine views before afternoon haze sets in

2-3 hours

Discover Rocca Borromea di Angera

This massive fortress, built between the 11th and 17th centuries, towers above the lake and rewards families on multiple levels. Kids can explore the ramparts and recreated historic gardens, while the Doll and Toy Museum inside is a genuine surprise hit with younger visitors. The panoramic lake views from the top are worth the climb alone.

The Doll and Toy Museum inside the fortress is one of the best of its kind in Italy

2-3 hours

Wander Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens

In Verbania, Villa Taranto is home to over 3,000 exotic plant species spread across beautifully landscaped grounds. It is the kind of place where kids can run ahead on wide paths while you take your time among the blooms. Spring is particularly spectacular when the tulips and dahlias are in full colour.

Visit in late April or early May for the famous tulip season when the gardens are at their most colourful

2-3 hours

Spend a morning at Villa Pallavicino

Just outside Stresa, Villa Pallavicino combines botanical gardens with free-roaming animals and easy walking paths right by the lake. It is a relaxed, genuinely family-friendly spot where younger children can meet animals up close while parents enjoy the lakeside setting. A great half-day option that does not require much planning.

Perfect for younger children who need a break from boat trips and history

Half day

Spot the Castles of Cannero from the water

These dramatic 15th-century ruins sit on rocky islets and can only be reached by boat, which makes them feel genuinely mysterious. Even if you do not land on them, sailing past on a ferry or kayak is a memorable moment. Kids love the story of the pirate brothers who once used the islands as a hideout.

Combine with a stop in the pretty town of Cannero Riviera for a lakeside gelato

1-2 hours

Hike and bike in Ticino Valley Park

For active families, the parkland around Lake Maggiore offers a proper outdoor playground. Hiking trails, cycling routes, sailing, and even diving are all on the table. The scenery shifts from lakeside paths to Alpine meadows depending on how far you go, making it easy to tailor the adventure to your family's energy levels.

Bike rental is widely available around the lake and many routes are suitable for older children

Half to full day

Find the hidden Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso

This medieval monastery is carved directly into a cliff face above the lake, far from the main tourist trail. You reach it via a steep staircase, which adds to the sense of discovery. It is quiet, atmospheric, and genuinely unlike anything else on the lake. A brilliant spot to show older kids that the best finds are often the least obvious ones.

Far fewer visitors than the Borromean Islands, so you often have it almost to yourself

1-2 hours

Our verdict

How Lake Maggiore scores for families

Kids

Between boat rides, cable cars, a doll museum, and Villa Pallavicino's animals, there is plenty to keep children genuinely engaged rather than just tolerated.

Culture

The Borromean Islands, Rocca Borromea, and the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso offer a rich layer of history and art that rewards curious families.

Food

Fresh lake fish, creamy risotto, and artisanal cheeses make for genuinely memorable meals. Trattorias on Isola dei Pescatori are a highlight in themselves.

Nature

Alpine backdrops, botanical gardens, valley parks, and the lake itself create a stunning natural setting. Active families will feel right at home.

Budget

Boat tickets, island entry fees, and lakeside restaurants add up, but it is more affordable than Lake Como. Mid-range is realistic for most families.

Planning your visit

How long should you stay at Lake Maggiore?

2 days

Quick visit

See the Borromean Islands and take the cable car at Laveno. You will get a taste but leave wanting more.

sweet spot

4 days

Sweet spot

Enough time for the islands, a fortress, a botanical garden, a hike, and a lazy lakeside lunch. This is the honest answer for most families.

7 days

Deep dive

A full week lets you slow down, explore the Swiss side, discover hidden gems like Santa Caterina del Sasso, and really settle into the lake rhythm.

Fun facts

Things about Lake Maggiore your kids will remember

The lake belongs to two countries

Lake Maggiore is split between Italy and Switzerland. The northern tip sits in the Swiss canton of Ticino, which means you can technically have lunch in Italy and dinner in Switzerland without leaving the lake.

One family shaped the whole lake

The Borromeo family has owned and shaped the islands on Lake Maggiore for over 400 years. Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and the Rocca Borromea fortress all bear their name. It is one of the longest-running family legacies in Italian history.

You can see Milan from a cable car

On a clear day, the open-air gondola at Laveno-Mombello climbs high enough above the lake that you can spot the skyline of Milan in the distance. That is a city roughly 60 kilometres away, visible from a mountain above a lake.

Taste Lake Maggiore

What to eat with your family at Lake Maggiore

Risotto al Pesce Persico

Must try

Trattorias on Isola dei Pescatori

This is the dish that defines Lake Maggiore. Creamy rice cooked in perch stock, topped with crispy fried perch fillets in butter and sage. It is rich, comforting, and deeply local. Most lakeside trattorias do a version worth trying.

Fresh Lake Fish Plate

Local favourite

Ristorante Verbano, Isola dei Pescatori

Whitefish, trout, pike, and lavarello are pulled straight from the lake and served grilled or pan-fried with simple sides. It is honest, fresh cooking that even children who are not usually fish fans tend to enjoy when it is this good.

Formaggio di Bettelmatt with Honey

Safe choice

Local markets in Verbania and Stresa

This artisanal mountain cheese from the Lake Maggiore region is produced in Alpine pastures and has a gentle, slightly sweet flavour. Paired with local honey, it makes a brilliant snack or starter that older kids and adults both enjoy.

Polenta with Local Cured Meats

Kids love it

Osteria degli Amici, Stresa

Polenta is the comfort food of this part of northern Italy, served alongside pancetta, bresaola, and Val Vigezzo ham. It is filling, unfussy, and very popular with younger children who want something straightforward after a long day on the water.

Tapulone

Local favourite

Trattoria la Barca, Arona

This is a traditional hearty dish of the area: minced meat slow-cooked in red wine and served with polenta. It is deeply flavoured and warming, the kind of dish you want after a day of hiking in the valley park. Worth trying at a local trattoria away from the tourist waterfront.

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