First of all 5 days isn’t enough in Lake Garda. You could easily spend 2 weeks seeing all that this area has to offer and doing a really deep dive. I feel that we maximized our time as best we could and I was very happy with all that we did here. There is still quite a lot I’d like to see around Lake Garda, and I know we’ll be back.
We based in two towns around Lake Garda: Limone sul Garda & Sirmione and I will detail why we chose these bases in this post.
Know before you go
Before you start planning your itinerary for Lake Garda there are a few things that you might want to know before you go. We chose to base in two smaller towns and explore the Lake from those bases. You could also choose to base in larger spots around the lake. Riva Del Garda in the North of lake or Desenzano del Garda in the South.
Getting to Lake Garda
We found renting a car to be the most flexible and easy way to explore Lake Garda. We also were continuing on to the Trento region after this area and logistically a car made the most sense.
If you don’t want to drive you still have options. You can also take a train into Desenzano and then navigate the lake by ferry to visit different towns.
Costs/Money
We found Lake Garda to be comparable to most of Italy cost wise. We had some nicer dinners but you could also always find some affordable snacks/drinks etc. We were able to use credit card almost anywhere and had no issues getting cash when needed.
Day 1
Arrival and check into Hotel Castell with balcony views of Lake Garda
We arrived to Lake Garda by car from Milan. It was overall quite an easy drive. When you get closer to the lake the roads become one lane and as you get closer to the towns you generally have to move a bit slower.
Our hotel had parking which made things much easier for us. I chose Hotel Castell for a number of reasons. First being that each room had SUCH amazing views over the lake and the town. We had a balcony with a view to die for. It was amazing to sit out there morning, noon, and night. It was also special when a mountain thunder storm would roll through.
This hotel also had a really gorgeous pool area. In the midday summer heat this was such a perfect place to come back and chill when the town was having it’s down time or when we wanted to avoid day trip crowds for a bit.
The hotel had a huge breakfast buffet each morning, and it was walkable to anything we wanted to do in town. Overall it was very good value for money.
Go get bruschetta & a spritz
As soon as we walked into town we ran into this spot and knew we had to sit here. When the whole menu is a list of amazing and fresh bruschettas and fun spritz, how could you walk by? We literally saw the tomatoes on other tourists plates and we couldn’t walk away.
This place was called “Scaloni 20” and we got 4 different kinds and shared them all to really enjoy it!
Get a Lemon sorbet in a Lemon (this should be done daily or multiple times a day if needed)
This town is known for lemons and everything is so delicious! Lemon cakes, lemon popsicles, lemon pastries etc. But the king of them all is the lemon sorbet in a lemon! It is so smooth perfect and delicious. I highly recommend at least one daily.
Now that you’re checked in, hydrated, and fed… explore the town
Now is a perfect time to just walk around and get oriented to Limone. This town is beyond incredibly gorgeous and it breaks my heart that most people only day trip here. Even though it is small, we found there was more than enough to keep us entertained.
We loved wandering all the little alleys, in and out of all the little shops, and past all the lake side views.
Dinner at Incontro
This was one of our favorite meals of our trip this summer. This spot is tucked away above the town and has the most gorgeous terrace with views over Lake Garda as far as you can see! It is set up like fine dining but outdoors, which is completely my vibe.
The menu was fantastic and we were able to try so much. The highlight for me was the rigatoni cacio e pepe with raw scallops on top! I have tried to recreate this dish at home so many times since then. The desert was called 100% lemon and this is now the name of our group chat. I think we’ll talk about this desert until the end of our days. We had no idea what to expect when ordering it, and it was AMAZING! We had everything here from burrata, to seafood, to meats, and we loved everything we had. This was an excellent experience from beginning to end and I highly recommend it if you’re in the area.
Day 2
Morning run/bike/hike
This area of Lake Garda is super active. Its a perfect place to wake up in the morning and get moving. If that’s not your thing, it’s also a perfect place to relax on your balcony with an espresso.
The Lake Garda Cycle Path is accessible right from town and I utilized it every single day! I essentially ran to where the path ended and back every day and it made for a PERFECT morning run. I wont lie the only imperfection was that I had to stop a lot to just take in the views.
You can also road bike here around the entire lake, and many people do! The roads are winding and involve many tunnels. I didn’t feel I was experienced enough as a biker for a place like this. But as an alternative, you could also rent bikes and ride them on the bike path!
No matter what you choose, getting out early here is so beautiful! This is a major day trip town so mornings and evenings were quite peaceful!
Relax by the pool
This is another reason we chose Hotel Castell for this trip. Mid day in a small town in Italy in the summer screams “take a break”. Having a pool at your hotel is the best way to have a great space to do this. It didn’t hurt that this pool has views over the whole town and has so much space to relax around.
Lunch at Spritzeria
This was the most charming spot and I’m so glad we got in! It can get a little crowded during the day. They have a menu with more types of spritz than you could ever imagine, both with or without alcohol. They also had excellent bruschetta and burgers and some wonderful sweet treats for desert!
Dinner at Lido 84
This was a really exciting part of our trip. I had been trying to book this dinner, we had been on a waiting list, and we finally got in! Lido was a 45 minute ish drive from Limone. So you need to have a car or hire a car to get here. I promise it was 100% worth it. This restaurant has a ton of accolades and has been listed within the top 50 in Europe. We had also heard about their specialty dish “cacio e pepe cooked inside the bladder of a pig”.
We arrived a bit early and sat on the beach near the restaurant until it was time. This place truly had one of the best programs for a dinner we’ve ever had in our lives. The staff was incredibly on point, in sync, and had the perfect balance of being attentive without being overbearing.
There were options to do different types of tasting menus. We chose to do the menu where they surprise you with every course. The presentation and display of all of the courses was incredible! We had so many incredible bites here and had so much fun hearing about and enjoying each one.
The presentation/performance of the cacio e pepe is a very fun part of the night! Make sure you don’t go to the bathroom (like my husband did) because they will not wait. The chef is very particular about the timing of everything. We have heard that he will taste the dish and if it does not come out perfectly he will make it again. We love this kind of attention to detail and passion for a meal. This place showed passion in every aspect of this dinner.
You also should be prepared that this dinner is a full evening. We spent about 3 hours here and then had to drive home! So it’s probably not a good idea to make any other plans! The bottom line is, if you can get a spot here, I highly recommend it! This was also far and away the most expensive meal of our trip, but so worth it. This is the kind of meal we’ll always talk about.
Day 3
Morning routine and then ferry to Malcesine
Do your morning things and then hop the ferry to go across the lake to the town of Malcesine! There is so much you can do exploring this new side of the lake! The ferry ride is fast (25 mins ish) and only cost about 10 euro.
We spent this day relaxing beach side and having a lovely leisurely lunch. The town here is super cute and wonderful to spend some time walking around. If we had a clearer day we would have taken the cable car up to the top of the mountain to explore the scene and look down over the whole lake. There is also a castle here you can explore but we skipped this one.
Aperitivo & Dinner in Town
There are so many lovely spots in Limone to sit down by the water and have a drink! We loved doing this during aperitivo time! We wandered up the hill for dinner and found a nice relaxed spot with great views!
Alternative Ideas
I would say this was a comfortable pace for 3 days of travel in Limone. When we travel with friends we always move a bit slower because we’re spending so much time just enjoying each other and the place we’re in. If you are more fast paced, or want to do and see more around Lake Garda, here are a few things I would add.
Ferry or drive to Riva Del Garda
If we had another day or wanted to spend less time in Limone I would have visited Riva Del Garda. It is near by, a larger town, and seems very charming as well.
Hikes in the area
There are a number of hikes in the area that seem very unique and fun! You can also take the cable car up from Malcesine and do some hikes up there! This region is so great if you’re into nature and adventure.
Tours
We didn’t do any tours in this area since we already had so many plans. But if you’re looking for tours like boat outings or tours of the town you can find them here —> Limone Sul Garda Tours
Day 4
Drive or take a ferry to Sirmione
We drove to Sirmione and this route is such a beautiful and easy drive. The way Sirmione is set up you really don’t want to/can’t drive a car in most of it. Our hotel had an awesome option to park at a lot right outside town and they shuttled you to the hotel in little golf carts.
Where to stay/Check in
We stayed at Hotel Flaminia and we really enjoyed it. I booked this hotel because of the dock right on the lake. It was so nice to be able to arrive and relax on a sun bed right on the lake while we waited for our room! We popped into town for a really nice lunch and then headed back to check in and get ready for wine tasting.
Wine Tasting at Azienda Agricola Giovanna Tantini
We wanted to taste some of the wines from this region so we booked a wine picnic in the vineyards nearby. We were supposed to have a picnic set up in the vineyards but the weather was a little iffy so we had a wine tasting on the patio instead.
The winemaker was wonderful and taught us so much about her wines and the region. We enjoyed tasting a lot of them with some lovely company. We tasted some nice meats and cheeses along the way as well. Overall it was neat to hear the winemakers story and hear about the wines of the region. If you’re a wine lover I definitely recommend it. They also host people here as a bnb and a couple of the other guests there were staying for the evening. IT seemed really lovely and peaceful.
If you want to book the same tasting we did, you can click here —-> Wine Tasting
Watch the sunset on the lake
Who knew lake sunsets would be so impressive! We had some truly gorgeous sunsets during our time here that really impressed me! Make sure you’re along the water if you can be! And see the castle lit up at night, it’s so beautiful!
Day 5
Morning run or stroll
The best time to explore any town is in the morning before everyone else starts filing in. Sirmione is no exception. It is absolutely lovely in the morning. I highly suggest walking or running the entire area!
Boat day
We always try to go out on a boat when we’re visiting anywhere on the water in the summer! This was our first experience with renting and DRIVING our own boat. I couldn’t have been happier or more impressed with the guys we went with. We rented through Sirmio Rent Boat and they were so helpful with everything!
We were able to ride around all day long. They showed us how to use google earth maps to monitor where we were boating and make sure we stayed in safe areas. We had such a fun day exploring the lake, checking out little islands, and seeing the castle from the water.
One of the best parts of the day was when another boat pulled up selling drinks & snacks! We got some aperol spritz & panini and it was such a great highlight to the day! We sincerely had the best experience. I would rent a boat and let my husband drive it again in a heartbeat!
If you don’t want to captain your own boat you have plenty of options as well, you can check some out here —–> Boat tours
Tour the Castle
You don’t need a ton of time to do this, but I highly recommend you do it! You can go inside and climb up into the castle for views over the lake and the town. You can also see how neat it looks with parts of the castle being in the water. You can learn about the history of the castle and enjoy the scene at the same time. Honestly, this didn’t take us more than about 20 minutes, but you could stay longer of course.
Aperitivo and dinner on the water
Grab aperitivo somewhere in town and then we walked a bit out of town for dinner on the water. I will admit this wasn’t our favorite meal of the trip, though it surely wasn’t bad. The place was lovely and had gorgeous views for sunset.
If you still want more
I also have a more detailed post about spending time in Limone Sul Garda, if you’re interested you can check that out here —> Guide to Limone Sul Garda
After 5 days in Lake Garda if you still want more of this type of vibe I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Trento Region. There are tons of lakes, hikes, vineyards, castles, etc. You can check out my blog post about Trento here —-> Highlights of 3 days in Trento, Italy
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