Borromean Islands Day Trip: How to Visit All 3 Islands in One Day

Trying to visit all three Borromean Islands in one day sounds ambitious, especially once you start looking at ferry timetables, palace opening hours, and separate ticket options.

I did it from Pallanza, on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, and yes, you can comfortably visit Isola Madre, Isola Superiore, and Isola Bella in one day if you start early and visit them in the right order.

My route was Isola Madre first, Isola Superiore for lunch, and Isola Bella last. I had enough time to explore both palaces and gardens, stop for a relaxed lunch, and still enjoy the islands without spending the entire day running for boats.

That said, I would change one thing next time: I’d book the palace and garden tickets in advance. I bought mine at the entrances and wasted valuable sightseeing time waiting in line.

Below, I’ll show you the exact route and timings I used, how long I’d allow on each island, what the boat tickets actually cover, and the mistakes I’d avoid so you can plan your own Borromean Islands day trip without stressing over every ferry connection.

The Best Order to Visit the Three Borromean Islands

After doing all three islands in one day, I’d recommend visiting them in this order:

Isola Madre → Isola Superiore → Isola Bella

I started from Pallanza and took the 9:50 a.m. ferry to Isola Madre. Beginning there worked well because the island was peaceful in the morning, and I could explore the gardens and palace before the day became busier.

From there, I continued to Isola Superiore, also called Isola Pescatori. This was the most flexible stop because there was no palace entry time to work around, so it was the ideal place to have lunch and take a slower walk through the village.

I saved Isola Bella for last. It is the most dramatic of the three islands, and ending the day with Palazzo Borromeo and its terraced gardens felt like a much stronger finale than visiting it first.

My day looked roughly like this:

This timing worked well for me, but I would still take the earliest practical boat you can. A delayed ferry or long ticket queue can quickly eat into your time, especially at Isola Bella.

If you only have half a day, I would not try to squeeze in all three. I’d choose Isola Bella and Isola Superiore instead, combining the most spectacular palace and gardens with a more relaxed village stop.

What to Do and See on the Islands

Start at Isola Madre for peaceful gardens and island history

Isola Madre was the calmest stop of my day, and I was glad I visited it first. Compared with Isola Bella later in the afternoon, it felt much quieter and less rushed in the morning.

I allowed about 1.5 hours here, which was enough for me to visit the palace and walk through the gardens without hurrying. I wouldn’t plan much less, though.

The gardens cover a large part of the island, and it’s easy to spend longer than expected wandering between the mature trees, palms, camellias, seasonal flowers, and lake views.

The white peacocks were one of the things I remembered most from the gardens. They roam freely around the island and made the whole place feel much less formal than I had expected from a historic Borromeo property.

Inside the palace, I enjoyed the smaller scale compared with Isola Bella. The rooms contain period furniture, portraits, and collections from the Borromeo family, but the puppet theatre was the detail that stood out most to me.

My tip: If you don’t plan to visit the palace and botanical gardens, I would skip Isola Madre altogether. Unlike Isola Superiore, there is no village to wander around, and the main reason to come here is the paid palace and garden visit. Without an entrance ticket, you will basically have to remain on the pier to wait for the next boat.

Pause on Isola Superiore for lunch and village atmosphere

Isola Superiore, also called Isola Pescatori, was the most relaxed stop of my day. After the gardens and palace on Isola Madre, it was nice to have an island where I didn’t need to think about an admission time or follow a set route.

I allowed about 1.5 hours here, which was plenty of time for lunch and a walk through the village.

I actually didn’t eat at one of the restaurants. They were quite busy when I visited, so I was glad I had brought my own lunch. Instead, I found a quiet spot by the water away from most of the other tourists and ate with views across the lake toward Isola Bella and the surrounding mountains.

For me, that ended up being one of the nicest breaks of the entire day. After spending the morning walking through Isola Madre, it gave me a chance to slow down before heading to the much grander and busier Isola Bella.

The island itself is small, with narrow lanes, stone houses, little shops, and restaurants along the waterfront. I liked that it felt completely different from the two palace islands. There was no sightseeing route I felt I had to follow, so I could simply wander through the village at my own pace.

That’s exactly why I think Isola Superiore works best in the middle of a three-island itinerary. It gives you some flexibility if your morning runs late and provides a natural break between the two more structured palace visits.

After lunch, I had enough time to explore the village before catching the boat to Isola Bella. You can also stop at the Church of San Vittore if you have time before your next departure.

If you prefer avoiding busy restaurants, bringing your own lunch is something I’d recommend. There are lovely places along the water where you can sit, enjoy the lake views, and have a much quieter break from the crowds.

Finish at Isola Bella with the grand palace and terraced gardens

Isola Bella was the most dramatic stop of my day, which is exactly why I was glad I saved it for last.

After the quieter gardens of Isola Madre and my relaxed lunch on Isola Superiore, arriving at Palazzo Borromeo felt like a complete change of atmosphere. Everything here is grander, busier, and much more theatrical.

I allowed about 2.5 hours for Isola Bella, and I would recommend giving it at least two hours if you want to see both the palace and gardens without rushing.

Inside Palazzo Borromeo, the rooms are much more elaborate than those on Isola Madre, with painted ceilings, ornate furniture, large reception rooms, and windows overlooking Lake Maggiore. The lower grottoes were especially memorable because their cool blue and white stone decoration feels completely different from the formal rooms upstairs.

The gardens continue the spectacle outside. They rise across ten terraces toward the Teatro Massimo, with statues, obelisks, clipped greenery, and the famous unicorn at the top.

I would not try to squeeze Isola Bella into a short final stop before your last ferry. Between the palace, grottoes, gardens, and viewpoints over Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains, there is a lot to see.

If I repeated this Borromean Islands day trip, I would keep Isola Bella as my final island again but I would book the palace ticket in advance so I could spend that time exploring instead of waiting in the entrance queue.

Tickets and Entry Costs for the Borromean Islands

Boat tickets and palace tickets are separate, so make sure you budget for both.

For my day trip, I paid €21 for the ferry ticket and €40 for admission to the palaces and gardens on Isola Madre and Isola Bella.

It wasn’t a cheap day out, but after visiting all three islands, I thought it was worth the cost.

What I would book in advance

I did not book anything before my trip. For the ferry, I would do the same again. I bought my day ticket directly at the harbour in Pallanza after checking the current schedule, and that worked well for me.

For the palaces and gardens, however, I would book ahead next time.

I bought my tickets at the entrances and had to spend part of my limited island time waiting in line. The advance tickets are the same price and save you time.

Make sure your boat ticket covers all three islands

Navigazione Laghi operates the large public ferries between Pallanza and the Borromean Islands, but they are not your only option. Smaller private boats and shuttle services also operate around the lake, especially from Stresa.

You will also find smaller private boats and shuttle services, especially around Stresa, which may offer more flexible departures or hop-on-hop-off style tickets.

I chose the public ferry because it worked well for my route and was easy to combine with the official timetable.

For all options: Do not assume your boat ticket also includes admission to the palaces and gardens. Those are separate tickets.

Check whether the landing fee is already included

There is also a small municipal landing fee for visitors to the islands.

When I planned my trip, the official Navigazione Laghi information stated that the fee was already included in the boat ticket. Because these conditions can change, I would still check the current wording when you buy your ticket rather than budgeting for it separately.

Pallanza or Stresa: Which Is Better for a Borromean Islands Day Trip?

I started my Borromean Islands day trip from Pallanza because I was staying in Verbania. For me, Verbania was a better base than Stresa. It was a little more affordable, felt quieter, and suited the kind of trip I wanted much better.

I stayed in Ostello Verbania, a fantastic hostel with beautiful views over Lake Maggiore, and from there it was only a 10-minute walk to the Pallanza ferry terminal.

The good news is that you can follow the same island order whether you start in Pallanza or Stresa: Isola Madre → Isola Superiore → Isola Bella

The only real difference is how the boat journey is distributed throughout the day. From Pallanza, the first ride to Isola Madre is shorter, but your final journey back after Isola Bella is longer. From Stresa, it is essentially the other way around.

So I would not choose your accommodation based on the island route. Both starting points work well for this itinerary.

If you are already staying in Verbania or Pallanza, I would absolutely start from Pallanza rather than travelling to Stresa first.

Stresa may suit you better if you want to stay in the main tourist hub, are arriving for a day trip from Milan, or prefer having more organized tours and visitor services nearby.

For the actual three-island itinerary, though, I do not think one starting point has a major advantage over the other.

Check the ferry timetable carefully

The one part I found frustrating was the official ferry timetable. It contains all the information, but I found it surprisingly difficult to read quickly when trying to work out the connections between the islands.

The Pallanza tourist office also had a much simpler paper timetable, which I found far easier to understand.

Build some buffer into your day

Even with a good plan, I would avoid scheduling every stop down to the last minute.

Boats can run late, queues can take longer than expected, and it is very easy to spend more time in the gardens than you originally planned.

If your day starts slipping behind schedule, I would shorten the village stop rather than rushing through Isola Bella at the end.

What to Bring for a Borromean Islands Day Trip

Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. I walked around 10 km during my day trip, and between cobbled lanes, palace interiors, stairs, and garden paths, this is not a day for uncomfortable footwear.

I would also bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a light layer for the boat rides. Even on a warm day, it can feel cooler on the lake than it does on land.

A small amount of cash is useful for minor purchases, although I mostly paid by card.

If you plan to bring your own lunch like I did, pack something easy to carry. On Isola Superiore, I found a quiet spot by the water away from the busier restaurants, which ended up being one of the most relaxing parts of my day.

Finally, keep a screenshot or paper copy of the ferry timetable with you.

Is a Borromean Islands Day Trip Worth It?

For me, yes. Especially because the three islands feel so different from one another.

Isola Madre was the calmest part of the day, with its gardens and quieter atmosphere. Isola Superiore gave me a break from formal sightseeing and was where I could slow down, eat by the water, and enjoy the lake without rushing.

Isola Bella was the complete opposite: grand, dramatic, and much busier, but also the most impressive stop visually.

That contrast is what made visiting all three worthwhile for me. If I had only seen one island, I think I would have missed a big part of what makes the Borromean Islands interesting.

That said, I would not recommend forcing all three into your day just to say you did them.

If you prefer a slower pace, choose two islands instead. In that case, I would pick Isola Bella and Isola Superiore. You still get the most spectacular palace and gardens, but you also have time for a more relaxed village stop by the water.

If gardens are your main interest and you prefer quieter places, I would swap Isola Superiore for Isola Madre instead.

For me, though, the full three-island route was worth the longer day because each stop added something completely different.

Best Time to Visit the Borromean Islands

If you can choose, I would visit in spring, early summer, or early autumn rather than on a peak-summer weekend.

That said, I would not expect the Borromean Islands to ever feel truly empty. They are one of the main attractions on Lake Maggiore, so there will always be other visitors around, even outside peak season.

For me, the goal would not be to find them deserted, but to avoid the busiest times of day and the heaviest summer crowds.

Common Mistakes That Can Disrupt Your Borromean Islands Day Trip

The biggest mistake is starting too late and assuming you can simply improvise the whole day once you arrive.

Visiting all three islands works because the timing is fairly structured. If you miss an early connection or spend too long at one stop, you quickly lose the buffer you need later in the day.

Another mistake is not checking exactly what your tickets include. Boat transport and admission to the palaces and gardens are separate, and Isola Madre is not worth treating as a quick sightseeing stop if you do not plan to enter the palace and botanical gardens.

I would also avoid leaving Isola Bella too little time. It was the stop where I spent the longest, and I would rather shorten my time on Isola Superiore than rush through the palace and gardens at the end of the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How I Would Plan This Borromean Islands Day Trip Again

If I did this Borromean Islands day trip again, I would follow the same route: Isola Madre → Isola Superiore → Isola Bella.

Starting with the quieter gardens, taking a relaxed lunch break on Isola Superiore, and saving the most spectacular palace for last gave the day a really good rhythm.

If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Isola Bella. The palace and gardens really are spectacular, and for me they were the highlight of the entire day.

The one thing I would change is booking the palace and garden tickets in advance. I would still buy the ferry ticket at the harbour, but I would rather spend my limited island time exploring than standing in a ticket queue.

If you have a full day on Lake Maggiore, I think visiting all three islands including the palaces and gardens is absolutely worth it. If you prefer a slower pace, choose two instead and give yourself more time to enjoy them.

For a longer stay in the area, you can combine the islands with my two-day Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta itinerary to see more of northern Piedmont without rushing from place to place.