Lake Orta (Lago di Orta) Tours and Tickets

Spend a morning or afternoon at Lake Orta, and see the highlights of its charming village and lake island with your own private guide. After you hear the history of Orta San Giulio’s medieval houses on a stroll, you’ll step aboard a boat to cruise over the serene lake to Isola di San Giulio. Wander the cobblestone streets to the Roman Catholic basilica, then choose to stay on the island to explore more at your own pace or return to Orta San Giulio with your guide.

The Italian lake district is close to Milan, but getting there without your own transport on vacation isn’t so easy. This day trip to picturesque Lake Orta offers a convenient way to do it, with private round-trip transport from Milan plus a tour of the main lake town and the island of St. Giulio. Medieval history and postcard-perfect lake sights await. Note that the boat ride to the island is extra.

This small lake to the west of Lago Maggiore is one of the loveliest places I have ever been. It is telling that the Milanese call it La Cenerentola (Cinderella) because they have long considered it the secretly superior sibling to the larger, money-blighted lakes of Como and Maggiore. But, for me, what sets Orta apart is not its beauty – though the place is absurdly pretty – but the lake's mysterious, ethereal, almost supernatural quality. There is something for the soul there as well as for the eye.