Gardens of The Italian Lakes
I adore the immense scale of the scenery in this part of Italy, where majestic mountains compete with seemingly bottomless lakes. Yet, the absolute best spots to take in such natural drama are the magnificent gardens, perfectly situated and impeccably designed to capture the vistas and complement their grandeur
About this tour
The shores of Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda are home to some of the finest gardens in the world, and it is easy to see why. A rare microclimate in these protected, south-facing valleys lets tender and exotic plants flourish against a backdrop of sparkling water and alpine peaks, and centuries of wealth and patronage have left a legacy of extraordinary villas and gardens.
This tour moves across all three great lakes, from the Baroque theatre of the Borromeo islands to the neoclassical elegance of Villa Carlotta and the creative modern vision of the Andre Heller garden. Several of the gardens adjoin exquisite villas, so there is as much to enjoy in the interplay of architecture and planting as in the gardens themselves.
Garden highlights
- Giardino Lorella - English landscape style garden with historic trees
- Villa Taranto - a renowned botanical garden above Lake Maggiore
- Giardini Botanici dell'Isola Madre - 20-acre botanical garden on the island of Isola Madre
- Giardino Alpinia Stresa - unusual alpina and subalpine plant collection with incredible views of Lake Maggiore
- Giardini e Palazzo Etensi - formal gardens with water fountains and Baroque architecture
- Villa Carlotta - Italian gardens and an English park around a neoclassical villa
- Giardini di Villa Melzi - early 19th Century garden on edge of lake
- Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella - Baroque terraces and a famous water theatre
- Villa del Balbianello - romantic terraced gardens on a Lake Como promontory
- Villa Monastero - rose garden and unusual/rare plants
- Villa Cipressi - botanical garden with extensive collection of plants
- Andre Heller Garden, Lake Garda - rare plants woven through contemporary art
- Isola del Garda - formal Italian and naturalistic English gardens on a private island
Destination highlights
- Three great lakes, Maggiore, Como and Garda
- The microclimate that lets tender exotics flourish
- Boat trips to island gardens and lakeside villas
- The lemon-growing tradition of Lake Garda and the Limonaia La Malora
- Mountain scenery and far-reaching views
- Optional visit to the hill-top botanical garden at Bergamo
Booking details
Next departure: 13 May 2027
Operator: Ace Cultural Tours
Book with Ace Cultural ToursWhat you'll learn
The Italian Lakes are a grand lesson in setting and design – and the ultimate in ‘borrowed views’. You will look at how a sheltered microclimate makes the planting possible, how Italianate formality uses terraces, water and the long view, and how garden and villa are composed together. There is plenty here on borrowing the landscape, from lakes and mountains framed as part of the garden, to the lemon houses and alpine collections that show how particular these places are. Ideas on structure, scale and making the most of a view travel well to a garden at home.
Gardens you'll visit
Beyond the gardens
The lakes themselves are half the pleasure, with their blue water, their mountains and their elegant lakeside towns such as Bellagio, the ‘Pearl of Lake Como’. Boat trips carry us between islands and villas, and the historic towns of Varese and Bergamo add art and architecture along the way. It is a trip of serene views and unhurried days as much as great gardens.
I’m certain you’ll come back from this tour with an eye for how a garden borrows its landscape, ideas on terraces, water and structure, and the memory of some of the loveliest garden settings anywhere, held between the lakes and the mountains of this spectacular part of northern Italy.