Lake Maggiore, Orta and Como for solo travellers

Arrive at the airport for your flight. Upon arrival we transfer by coach to Baveno, a quiet town on the idyllic shores of Lake Maggiore. Our hotel for seven nights, with breakfast and dinner on the first night, is the historic four-star Hotel Simplon. 

Our morning is spent revelling in the myriad charms of Lake Maggiore. It’s one of Italy’s best natural treasures, with breathtaking views, lush hills in the south and mountains in the north. We take a relaxing cruise to the ravishing Borromean Islands, named after the noble Borromeo family to whom they have belonged since the 12th century. The first island we call at is Isola Bella for a guided tour of its Baroque palazzo and terraced gardens. 

The palazzo is a floating chest of wonders, with beautifully furnished halls affording wonderful views of the lake, and staterooms adorned with fine furniture, exclusive paintings and neoclassical stucco work. Perhaps more impressive are the enchanting gardens, whose 10 terraces imaginatively showcase a kaleidoscope of botanical treasures, from citrus and magnolia trees to fragrant shrubs. Fantastical marble statues and a flock of white peacocks add the final finishes to this dramatic display.

Next, we visit the tiny fishing village on Isola dei Pescatori, named after the fishermen who inhabited the island centuries ago. Today, the compact latticework of cream-coloured houses is home to several dozen permanent residents. It’s popular with visitors, yet somehow the rustic little island maintains a delightful air of authenticity. Much of the shore is dotted with vibrant restaurants and cafés overlooking Lake Maggiore – many have cosy secluded terraces – making this the perfect place to stop for lunch at your leisure. Afterwards, perhaps wander through the village’s narrow, winding lanes before we cruise back to Baveno this afternoon.

This evening we dine in a local restaurant.

This morning we enjoy a completely different view of Lake Maggiore during our private boat ride to Cannobio, the last town on the shore before the Swiss border. With picturesque views at every turn and one of the finest promenades on Lake Maggiore, Cannobio is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. Stroll along the gentle cobbled streets and escape into a timeless world of grand mansions, boutiques and bars. The lakeside Santuario della Pietà church conceals an ornate interior and commemorates the miracles of 1522, when it was believed that a painting of Christ and the Virgin Mary had bled, and a fragment of a rib matching that of the painted Christ was later found under the canvas. If you’re feeling peckish, why not stop for lunch at one of the many lakeside cafés and watch the sailboats and windsurfers skim across the lake?

After some free time in Cannobio, we drive along the shore to Villa Taranto to visit its marvellous gardens, an impressive display of almost 20,000 plants brought from the far corners of the world. Founded in the 1930s, the gardens were the passion project of Scottish captain Neil McEacharn, who had become enamoured of the Italian lakes and set about creating a classical English garden and a botanical treasure trove. Among the many highlights are the 350 varieties of dahlia, ponds of South American water lilies, and terraces of flowers awash with colour.

This morning we explore northern Italy’s most famous lake, described by Wordsworth as ‘a treasure whom the earth keeps to herself’. For centuries Lake Como has attracted visitors – including Byron, Shelley, Churchill and numerous others – seeking relaxation, culture and creative stimulus from its picture-perfect setting. The town itself is renowned for its imposing cathedral, delightful parks, grand hotels and the majestic Villa Olmo, which has hosted many eminent guests including Napoleon, Archduke Ferdinand and Garibaldi, the ‘father of modern Italy’. 

During your free time, you could take the funicular railway up the hill to Brunate for breathtaking views of the lake and town. The shore is lined by attractive pastel-painted villas, faded by decades of sunshine, with winding lanes ascending to the town’s hilly centre.

With the entire day at leisure, you can choose to relax in the hotel, perhaps take a swim in the pool or explore nearby Stresa’s many delights. The lakeside exudes an ambience of classic belle-époque gentility, owing its origin to the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ when Europe’s 19th-century aristocracy, having crossed the border from Switzerland, experienced their first taste of Italy. Literary aficionados may like to enjoy a drink at the bar of the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, featured in Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, and frequented by the likes of George Bernard Shaw and Charlie Chaplin.

Today we witness some truly spectacular mountain vistas as we ascend the foothills of the Alps, cross the Swiss border and journey into the high Alps. We take the Simplon Pass, an ancient traders’ and smugglers’ route which wasn’t suitable for vehicular traffic until Napoleon had a road across the pass constructed in the early 19th century. The scenery becomes more breathtaking, with wildflower-covered meadows dotted with tiny shepherds’ shelters, and dense forests crowned by snowy peaks glistening in the sun. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of an elusive ibex, a chamois or even a golden eagle soaring above. 

You’ll marvel at the engineering feats required to build the road as it traverses towering viaducts and jaw-dropping precipices, passing mountain streams and tumbling waterfalls before we arrive at the legendary village of Zermatt. Nestling at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn, Zermatt is classic Switzerland, a car-free jumble of chalets and old wooden buildings strewn along a valley floor of pastures, alive with the sound of cowbells, while cable cars and soaring footpaths weave upwards to the majestic amphitheatre of the surrounding lofty summits. 

The ultimate alpine peak, the Matterhorn is relatively unobtrusive until you reach the end of the village and turn a corner, when the Swiss national symbol is revealed in its magnificent splendour – the sight is truly one of life’s ‘wow’ moments! For an even better view, take the cog railway up 10,000 feet to Gornergrat, the awe-inspiring mountain wonderland of summits and glaciers. Alternatively, relax in one of Zermatt’s many cosy cafés or take a gentle ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

On our final day we experience one of the tour’s real highlights. Orta is probably the prettiest of the Italian lakes, yet one of the least well-known. You’ll understand why it’s regarded as something of a hidden gem, as there’s an exceptional atmospheric charm that’s immediately discernible. Surrounded on three sides by deep blue water, the romantic lakeside village of Orta San Giulio has so far avoided the tourist hordes. Its pebble-studded lanes and stepped alleys – lined with a myriad traditional food shops selling the gorgeous produce for which Italy is renowned – lead down to the shore and a main square. You’ll adore the village’s medieval architecture of picturesque buildings with shuttered windows in typically Italian shades of ochre, magenta and light blue, which create a kaleidoscope of colour. 

A boat trip takes you to the island of San Giulio, which features an enchanting basilica with an opulent interior containing a spectacular carved black marble pulpit, wonderfully preserved frescoes and a vertebra which, according to legend, belonged to a dragon.

This evening we enjoy some local delicacies in a local restaurant.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.