Italy · Lake Como & Lake Maggiore · 2027 future departure
Gardens of the Italian Lakes — Como & Maggiore 2027
A spring garden journey through the great villas, island gardens and lakeside landscapes of Lake Como and Lake Maggiore.
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The gardens of Como & Maggiore
The Italian Lakes are among Europe’s most important garden regions. Around Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, grand villas, terraced gardens, island collections and mountain views combine to create a garden landscape of exceptional richness. Thanks to the lakes’ mild microclimates, plants from the Mediterranean, Asia, the Americas and Australasia grow alongside Italian formal design, woodland planting and lakeside terraces.
This future GardenTours.com departure brings together the classic gardens of Como and Maggiore: villa gardens, botanical collections and the island gardens reached by boat. It is designed for travellers who want to understand these gardens as designed landscapes — their terraces, water features, planting and the relationship between architecture, garden and lake.
The journey is expected to focus on the great nineteenth-century botanical collections of Lake Maggiore and the Renaissance and Romantic villa gardens of Lake Como, combining formal structure, exotic planting and the theatrical use of water and views that define the region.
GardenTours.com has first-hand experience of these gardens, the island visits by boat and the best season for spring colour. Those on the priority list will receive first notice when the departure is released.
The gardens we expect to visit
Villa Taranto
A major botanical garden on Lake Maggiore, known for its terraces, water features and extensive plant collections.
Isola Bella
The Borromeo family’s island garden — ten Baroque terraces rising from the lake in one of Italy’s most theatrical garden compositions.
Isola Madre
A gentler island garden of exotic and subtropical planting, with rare trees, camellias and free-roaming white peacocks.
Villa Carlotta
A lakeside villa above Lake Como celebrated for its spring azaleas and rhododendrons, terraces and old specimen trees.
Villa del Balbianello
A promontory villa with terraced gardens, loggias and framed lake views on the western shore of Como.
Villa Melzi
An early nineteenth-century garden at Bellagio in the English landscape style, with lakeside lawns, statuary and mature trees.
Villa Monastero
A former monastery on the eastern shore of Como with a long lakeside botanical garden of exotic and Mediterranean planting.
Brissago Islands
The botanical garden of the Brissago Islands in the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore, with a rich subtropical collection.
The provisional shape of the tour
- Arrival near Milan Malpensa and welcome gathering
- Villa Cigogna Mozzoni and Villa Taranto
- Isola Madre, Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori by private launch
- Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como
- Villa Melzi, Bellagio and Villa Monastero
- Brissago Islands and optional wine tasting
- Optional Milan / Bosco Verticale extension or departure day
A garden-focused specialist
- Small groups of 15–20 guests, led with garden-focused commentary throughout
- Garden-led itineraries built around villa gardens, island collections and botanical gardens — not generic sightseeing
- Private boat transfers to the island gardens, timed for the best of the spring season
- Comfortable hotels and private coach travel between the lakes
- Priority access to dates, pricing and the full itinerary before public release
A sense of the gardens
Garden guides for this destination
- Italy Garden Guide →
- Best Time to Visit the Italian Lakes for Gardens →
- Guide to the Gardens of Lake Como →
- Lake Maggiore Garden Guide →
- Villa Taranto Garden Guide →
- Villa Carlotta Garden Guide →
- Villa del Balbianello Garden Guide →
- Villa Melzi Garden Guide →
- Villa Monastero Garden Guide →
- Isole di Brissago Garden Guide →
- Borromean Islands Gardens — Isola Bella, Isola Madre & Isola dei Pescatori →
What a tour of this kind would normally include
The full list of inclusions will be published with the confirmed itinerary. A GardenTours.com departure of this kind would normally include comfortable hotel accommodation, private coach travel, boat transfers to the island gardens, garden admissions, selected meals, tour leadership and garden-focused notes.
Included
- Comfortable hotel accommodation, or similar
- Breakfast daily
- Selected lunches and/or farewell dinner
- Private coach transportation during the tour
- Boat transfers for island garden visits
- Garden and villa entrance fees listed in the final itinerary
- Services of a tour leader / local guide
- Garden-focused tour notes or programme booklet
Not included
- International flights
- Airport transfers unless specifically arranged
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed as included
- Drinks with meals unless specified
- Personal expenses
- Optional excursions or independent sightseeing
- Porterage unless specified
- Tips and gratuities
Is this tour right for you?
- Suitable for travellers interested in Italian villa gardens, lake landscapes, island gardens and botanical collections.
- Rated Easy, though some gardens include terraces, steps and sloping paths.
- Best suited to travellers who enjoy a balance of formal garden history, lakeside scenery, boat travel and villa visits.
Register your interest for this future tour
Join the priority list and be among the first to receive dates, pricing and the full itinerary.
Register your interest