Tickets for Isola Bella and Isola Madre

Duration: up to 24 hours

Tour Highlights

  • Take a stroll around Isola Bella's stunning baroque Italian garden, where nature, art, and architecture all work together.
  • Admire an extraordinary collection of puppets and tiny theaters constructed by a prominent stage designer in the sixteenth-century Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Madre's historic and prestigious furnishings.
  • Take a stroll around Isola Madre's botanical garden, which has rare plant species from all over the world, as well as the must-see enormous Cashmir cypress.

Tour Overview

Count Vitaliano VI Borromeo developed Isola Bella around 1650 when he intended to turn a rock outcropping from the lake into a haven of joy. This amazing achievement, which comprises the Borromeo Palace and the stunning gardens, took four centuries to build. A fascinating journey through the Borromeo Palace's more than 20 rooms, from the Berthier Gallery, which has a collection of 130 paintings, to the Hall of Tapestries, where the gaze is drawn in awe of the golden weaving of these priceless antiques. The caverns, which are coated with stones and were initially designed to astound and refresh the Palace's guests, are not to be missed. It's impossible not to be awestruck by the Italian Baroque garden, which brings together architecture, sculpture, and nature in perfect harmony. The Teatro Massimo, with its majestic pyramidal construction of 10 terraces ornamented with sculptures, obelisks, and fountains, is the center of attention.

Isola Madre is the biggest of the Borromean Islands, measuring 18 hectares. The island had taken on the aspect that it still has now by the end of the eighteenth century and came to be regarded a destination of peace and relaxation due to the moderate climate and lush environment. Since the eighteenth century, the park has been transformed: rare plant species from all over the globe have found a home in this vast English garden, due to a unique microclimate. Animals with a colorful plumage and rich greenery make it an ideal visit for nature and hidden beauty enthusiasts. The sixteenth-century Palazzo Borromeo is in the heart of the garden and features magnificent furniture as well as a collection of puppets and puppet theatre constructed about 1830 by Alessandro Sanquirico, the famed set designer of the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan.

Included

  • Entrance to buildings and gardens on Isola Bella
  • Entrance to buildings and gardens on Isola Madre

Important Notes

  • The ticket could be used from 1st June to 1st November 2021.
  • Open every day from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (last entrance), closure of the palaces at 5.00 pm - closure of the gardens at 5.30 pm
  • Infants (0-5) could enter for free
  • Isola Bella and Isola Madre have several obstacles that may prevent access to the museum for people with motor disabilities
  • Animals are not allowed inside the museum and gardens. Only guide dogs for the blind are allowed access
  • In each structure, there are a Cafeteria and a Bookshop

Where

  • Isola Bella and Isola Madre, Lago Maggiore, Stresa VB

Meeting point:

How to get to Isola Bella and Isola Madre:

  • By car: Autostrada dei Laghi, direction Gravellona Toce, exit Carpugnino. Follow the indications for Stresa.
  • By boat: You can reach Isola Bella and Isola Madre from Stresa, Arona, Pallanza, Locarno, Laveno by boat or hydrofoil.
  • By train: Ferrovie dello Stato, line Milano-Sempione, stop: Stresa, connection with the boat. Ferrovie Nord, line Milano-Laveno, stop: Laveno. A few meters away you will find the embarkment by boat

Booking fee

  • Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Cancellation policy

  • Unfortunately, we can't offer you a refund nor can we change or cancel your booking for this particular product, due to our partner's policy.