Borromean Islands Ticket From Stresa: Flexible Booking and Date Changes
3.7
58 Ratings
Provincia del Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
Enjoy flexibility and freedom with the Borromean Islands Ticket from Stresa. Book your tour with the Flex service and easily change the date of your ticket. No additional cost for date changes.
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Stresa - Nestled where the Borromean Gulf opens, Stresa stands out. Unlike neighboring villages, Stresa’s history took a unique turn in the eighteenth century with the construction of villas, later accompanied by grand hotels in styles reminiscent of Liberty. It became a hub for elite tourism, favored by King Wurttemberg, the kings of England, Elisabeth of Saxony, and artists and writers like Dickens, Flaubert, Stendhal, and Fogazzaro. In the parish church, there’s a crucifixion attributed to Morazzone. Start your journey on the motorboats of the Stresatours Associated Motorboat Consortium to explore the Borromean Islands, beginning with Isola Madre.
  • Isola Madre - The first stop, Isola Madre, rises in the middle of the gulf, showcasing a magnificent Renaissance palace surrounded by one of Italy’s oldest and most significant gardens. The island’s mild climate has nurtured a splendid botanical garden with subtropical varieties, unique and rare species of camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
  • Island of the Fishermen (Isola dei Pescatori) - The second stop, Isola dei Pescatori, is the most picturesque of the islands, named after its inhabitants’ primary occupation. Its charm lies in its archaic simplicity and the pleasant whiteness of its houses and streets. Besides local craft shops, the island offers renowned restaurants and trattorias where you can savor delicious lake fish dishes. After visiting Fishermen’s Island, you can board the boats of C.M.A. to reach Isola Bella.
  • Palazzo Borromeo - A prime example of Lombard baroque, the visit begins on the ground floor and continues to the noble floor, featuring the hall of medals with a Christ and the Cananea attributed to Annibale Caracci. The hall of honor, completed between 1948 and 1959, the music room with ancient instruments and paintings by Pietro Mulier, the Napoleon room where the general slept on August 17-18, 1797, the Luca Giordano room housing three mythological paintings by the famous artist, the work room, the Zuccarelli room, the corridors, and the ballroom, a magnificent space designed by Abbot Zanoia. A staircase leads down to the caves adorned with light and dark stone decorations evoking the seabed. Ascend to the main floor to find the corridor of mirrors, the antechamber with paintings by Tiepolo del Cerano and Gioacchino Assereto, and the passage to the tapestry gallery.
  • Isola Bella - The third stop, Isola Bella, is the most famous of the three islands, home to the princely Borromeo palace surrounded by an Italian garden built on ten terraces. The baroque palace is a true museum, showcasing original furnishings, Flemish tapestries in gold and silk, period weapons, sculptures, paintings, and frescoes from the 16th to 19th centuries. The return journey concludes at Stresa Piazza Marconi, the headquarters of C.M.A. by Stresatours.
What's Included
  • Fuel costs
  • Multilingual captains
  • VAT included
  • Shared transfer to the Borromean Islands
What's Not Included
  • Entrance ticket to the palaces and gardens of Isola Madre and Isola Bella
  • Landing fee €0.50 per person per island to be paid to the CMA group captain
Additional Information

Understanding the need for adaptability when planning an out of town excursion, we offer our Flex service. This service ensures flexibility for all available dates, enabling you to book your next journey freely. If your itinerary changes, your Flex-Ticket date can be easily adjusted by requesting a voucher for the new day. There’s no charge for rescheduling your chosen date. Reserve your Flex-Ticket service via the Consorzio Motoscafisti Associati C.M.A by Stresatours, equipped with a fleet of 11 motor ships with versatility in capacity, ranging from 30 to 60 seats. We provide booking date flexibility for your transportation to the Borromean Islands, allowing for a worry-free planning of your next trip to Lake Maggiore.

  • Animals are allowed on board the boats of C.M.A, it is not allowed to enter the Borromean properties.
Location
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi
Meeting of the non-scheduled public service at the Stresa Ticket Office. Meeting with the representatives of Stresatours by C.M.A.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.7
(58 Ratings)
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Leonard_a
Jun 3, 2024
Great Three Island Experience - Easy to catch shuttle boats between islands. Well marked meeting places. Gardens on the islands were beautiful. Wonderful part of the world.
Review provided by Viator
Louise_w
Oct 12, 2023
Bella!! - Wonderful way to spend a day - beautiful! We enjoyed it greatly! Restaurants available on all 3 islands.
Review provided by Viator
Donn947
Oct 2, 2023
Must see Lake Maggiore Islands - This was one of the highlights of our Italian trip. Easy paid parking at the marina. We took the ticket voucher to the ticket office where we received our tickets. Boats leave about every half hour beginning @ 9:00am last boat back from the islands are at around 5:00pm so you have plenty of time to explore the islands. Great fresh fish at the island restaurants and beautiful palaces and gardens.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisabethwalb
Sep 12, 2023
magnificent day - Truly, up to their reputation! Splendid landscapes, the 3 islands are different. We particularly enjoyed the garden of Isola Major.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julesgrass
May 24, 2024
Great way to see the islands - We only had time to visit one island and the boat ticket tout recommended Isla Pescatori and it was beautiful. Had a mooch around the quaint streets, sat waterside and had a coffee and the church is well worth a visit. Boat services drum frequently and u can go to the other islands or back to stresa which we needed to do. All in all worth a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer53791477594
May 17, 2024
Weekend on Lake Maggiore, to do! - Transfers to the islands very well organized (reception, frequency, service). We really enjoyed the visits to the 3 islands and the restaurants are very good. Lots of visitors given the holiday weekend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alain
Oct 9, 2023
Good for a very nice day - Very good but the boarding position is not very clear. Just specify that the pier and the meeting point to exchange tickets is in the same place. Otherwise, very friendly and efficient staff and crew.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Naomitrevor
Sep 1, 2023
Good but not quite accurate - We had to pay an extra fee before we got our tickets. They called it a docking fee. Cost 3 euros for 2 of us . Also parking 14 Euros for the day.not free
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Biuty2016
Sep 18, 2023
Folklore from times gone by - I was surprised not to find any electric vehicles on the lake; the service is convenient but in the hottest and most crowded hours it would perhaps be better to go every 20 minutes instead of every 30. When you wait at the pier there isn't much order.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne_h
Oct 21, 2023
Trip did not run, no reply to messages, no refund - Complete waste of time and money as the tour did not run, the agent was not there, did not send me a ticket, did not contact me, did not reply, took my money and I’m waiting for a refund. Avoid this trip, use the regular ferry that is reliable, cheaper, goes to more places and goes regularly. Pay on the day for regular ferry, don’t book in advance for dodgy Viator agent. This trip should not be offered by Viator, very misleading.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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