Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake and one of its most fascinating destinations.
It draws visitors from all over Europe and beyond every single year, especially because it’s a much more affordable lake destination compared to Lake Como!
What can you expect here? Dramatic landscapes, castles and fortresses, charming mediaeval towns, and endless outdoor activities to make the most of this lake.
Does all this sounds like something you might like? Keep reading below.
Things to do in Lake Garda, Italy
In this guide, you’ll discover the best things to do on Lake Garda and its shores. Here you can explore ancient castles, go on boat excursions, taste local wines like Bardolino and Valpolicella as well as connect with nature through outdoor activities.
Then, if you didn’t already know, Lake Garda is also famous for some of the best theme parks in Europe where families can have a fantastic time! Foodies can indulge in its regional cuisine, and spa lovers relax at renowned Lake Garda’s wellness spots.
So if you’re planning to visit Lake Garda soon, keep reading this guide on the best things to do in Lake Garda to see some of my best suggestions for your trip here.
1. Visit castles and fortresses
Lake Garda’s coasts are famous for their charming castles and forts dating back to different ages. Many of them are open to the public. Since they’re located on high ground or facing the lake, visitors can enjoy magnificent views.
Here’s a list of the most interesting castles to visit and add to your itinerary:
- Sirmione: This town is a popular spa resort famous for its mediaeval castle overlooking the lake. From the internal courtyard you can go up to the patrol walkways and further up to the keep from which you can enjoy an exceptional 360° view of Sirmione. Join this short boat tour and see Sirmione’s castle from a unique perspective and the rest of the town’s main sights.
- Valeggio: Here there’s an imposing and charming Scaligero castle perched on a hill overlooking the Mincio river valley worth visiting. The part open to the public today is the ancient fortress.
- Lazise sul Garda: The Castle of Lazise draws immediate attention, arriving to Lake Garda from Verona or other towns located along the Garda coastal road (Gardesana). The town is surrounded by ancient imposing mediaeval walls reinforced by square towers. The moat and the other castle’s structures have been restored and are worth visiting for their unique look.
- Torri del Benaco: This is an enchanting town bathed by the blue waters of the lake on one side and surrounded by the green hills behind. What makes this castle unique is that in 1760, part of the walls was demolished to build the lemon house which can still be seen today.
- Malcesine: Here you can visit the iconic fairy-tale fortress on top of a rock and the majestic castle built in the Scaliger era. The Venetian-era wing of the castle houses the Museum of Natural History of Garda and Monte Baldo. From the highest tower of the castle, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the lake.
2. Go on boat excursions
There’s nothing better than going on boat excursions and short cruises on Lake Garda, the most fascinating and loved Italian lake. You can either join boat tours or use the navigation services, available to everyone
Navigating the lake waters you can discover its landscapes, learn about its history and legends from an extraordinary and surprisingly beautiful perspective. Depending on your time available and budget, you can join different boat tours and day trips.
You can circumnavigate the Sirmione peninsula admiring the Scaliger Castle from the lake, the Villa Callas (residence of the famous Italian lyric singer), the thermal baths and caves of Catullus dating back to the Roman era.
As an alternative, you can go on a romantic sunset boat tour around Sirmione and sip a glass of wine and have some snacks on board.
For a more exclusive cruise experience, you can join this private sunset cruise to Isola del Garda to be able to snuggle up to your loved one. During your tour, you’ll admire the beauty of Gardone lakeside, the Gulf of Saló and coast of Portese.
You’ll then move towards the stunning Villa Borghese to appreciate its Gothic elegance and visit Fasano with the quaint private villas and luxury hotels.
If you don’t want to join boat tours and cruises, you can always plan your own tour and use the public Lake Garda navigation services as a way to navigate the lake.
3. Do wine tastings at local wine cellars
Lake Garda’s coast and the hinterland form a popular wine production region. In fact, there are several native vines, denominations of origin and well-renowned wine cellars that make this area an important wine tourism destination.
From many wineries open to visitors, you can also enjoy spectacular views of the lake from above, whilst others are part of delightful restored farmhouses. Maybe you don’t know it yet, but the vines of the Garda hills have existed since the Bronze Age!
Romans used to produce wine in the country houses and villas around Sirmione and Desenzano and it continued till the Middle Ages along with the oil production.
Some of the most important Lake Garda wine production places are:
- Bardolino
- Lugana
- Custoza
These are places where the homonymous wines come from. You can learn more about local wines and taste some of them during this highly-rated Lazise winery tour, paired with cold cured meats, cheeses and Garda olive oil.
Not far from Lake Garda’s shores, you can visit the famous Valpolicella wine region. Join this popular guided tour and taste 6 great wines produced in the area and find out what makes this wine such a special one.
4. Have a fun day out at the theme park
Travelling as a family? Do your children love theme parks? If you decide to visit Lake Garda then, you’re in the right place!
In Castelnuovo del Garda, there’s one of the largest amusement parks in the world: Gardaland (which opened on the 19th of July 1975). Over the years the park has expanded and increased the number of attractions.
In addition to the classic roller coasters, trains and Ferris wheels, it also includes cinema halls with special effects, buildings and thematic areas dedicated to the Far West, Asia, Atlantis and more.
It continues to evolve with new installations every single year and young and old people from all over Italy and Europe admit loving it.
It’s not just about Gardaland though, because the entire area is now full of theme parks like Caneva World, the largest water park in Europe and Movieland, the amusement park entirely dedicated to the world of cinema.
Around Lake Garda, there are also fantastic gardens like the Sigurtá Park Garden in Valeggio sul Mincio, recognised as the one of the best attractions in the world in 2020 and the zoo park Natura Viva in Bussolengo.
5. Practise outdoor sports and activities
The hills and mountains around Lake Garda are ideal for hiking and trekking fans, also because along the way you’ll be pleased to admire the incredible panorama of the lake from above.
If you visit Malcesine, you can get the cableway and get to the top of Baldo mountain. There are many paths to follow, huts and refuges where you can refresh yourself and have a meal. In winter the peaks are covered with snow and you can go skiing or snowboarding.
For the more adventurous ones, you can also go paragliding and land directly on a platform installed on the lake. Lake Garda is also a popular destination for water sports aficionados.
In fact, thanks to the constant winds blowing in the northern part of the lake, it’s possible to practise sports such as sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.
If you’ve never sailed before, then this private sailing experience starting from Mugugnano is absolutely worth joining for a fun day out in the water!
6. Taste Lake Garda regional cuisine
Whilst spending time exploring the lake you should absolutely try some of its gastronomic specialities. Lake Garda’s cuisine is a simple and poor cuisine and the main ingredients are lake fish and products from the surrounding hills.
Fish is used in many dishes from the appetisers to the second courses. Among the most used fishes there are: whitefish, lake trout, sardines and carp.
Some of the most traditional dishes to taste are:
- Tortellini from Valeggio. A tortellini made up of mixed meat (beef and pork), mortadella, chopped vegetables, rosemary, white wine, cheese and nutmeg.
- Pike in sauce. The recipe expects the pike to be boiled and flavoured with a sauce made with capers, wine and vegetables.
- Grilled whitefish. Before grilling the fish, herbs such as rosemary, bay leaves and sage are added to give extra flavour.
- Bigoli with lake sardines. The bigoli are sautéed in a pan with fresh sardines browned with Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and parsley.
- Stuffed duck. The duck is prepared with a filling of bread and various flavourings.
- Salted meat. This is the topside of beef left to marinate and flavoured. It is eaten raw with extra virgin olive oil or cooked accompanied by beans.
If you’re into finding out more about Lake Garda cuisine and get your hands dirty, then you can join this cooking lesson in Lazise and prepare your own pasta dish!
7. Relax at the spa
Lake Garda is also a spa retreat resort. More specifically, the southern and southeastern parts of the lake have some natural sources of bromide-iodine and sulphuric hot water used by the best spa hotels, resorts and treatment centres.
It was common belief that the thermal activity of Lake Garda depended on the Baldo mountain, in reality the presence of thermal springs is related to the fault in the Earth’s crust that runs along the subalpine foothills of northern Italy.
Visitors from all over Italy and Europe visit Lake Garda for the thermal springs’ curative properties and to enjoy a relaxing day at the spa.
The most popular thermal town is Sirmione. A lesser-known spa destination around the lake is Colá, not far from Lazise, where you can visit the Villa dei Cedri, famous for its tub in the middle of the beautiful villa’s park.
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Things to do in Lake Garda
Lake Garda offers an Italian escapade that fully embodies the ‘dolce vita’ vibes.
Whether you’re exploring ancient fortresses, going boat rides, tasting wines, or savouring regional dishes, there’s something here for everyone.
To learn more about the lake, I suggest reading my Lake Garda travel guide.
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