Lake Orta to Lake Maggiore

We absolutely loved the holiday. Scenery was beautiful! Stunning! Weather was hot and sunny, several degrees higher than expected at very end of September so shorts and T-shirts were our all day everyday wear. We only took a small bag each rather than pay extra on Easy Jet, 2 pairs of shorts and 3 T-shirts did the job during the day. But pleased we'd taken 2 smarter tops and trousers for evening meals in hotel as most guests looked very well dressed. A warm top for evenings necessary too. We upgraded to a balcony room in the first hotel and that afforded us spectacular lake views. We thoroughly enjoyed the walks and pleased that we'd taken walking boots. We debated on walking poles and didn't need. But many other walkers did use. The most challenging walk was an optional from Cannero to Connobio, but it was beautiful. Spectacular views. It was very popular with other walkers. Many had walking poles.

Tips: I'd say find out ferry /bus /train times for return from walks the day before you need them to aid planning day effectively. We arranged our own transfer back to airport using guidance provided. It was perfect! much cheaper than the taxi transfer and very efficient. The hotel helped us book as we struggled to get the online booking site to accept the date. In Stresa we ate at Ristorante Florentino. Top marks! and Taverna del Pappagallo which was much bigger, busier and ok but house wine was cheap and good! you needed to book for both.

The trip combined the best of everything. The accommodation was of a high standard and generally well located, the walks were challenging but hugely enjoyable, the scenery breathtaking, and the food and drink never failed to reach the highest standards. We'll soon be booking the next one!

Lake Orta was fabulous, the hotel at waters edge and our balcony overlooking the lake with foothills of the Alps as a backdrop. Lake Maggiore was almost as good, with a great ferry service.

All of the walks we did had stunning views

The three locations each had their own character and charm. Orta San Giulio was quite busy at lunchtime, but we found a delightful Cafe/Tea Room in a historic courtyard just north of the main square - the Bar Idea Dolce. We especially loved Hotel Cannero and found Cannero itself such a peaceful place. 

The stunning beauty of the location was a highlight along with the exceptional quality of two of the three hotels. There is a tremendous variety of things to do if one didn't want to walk and for us, the Borromeo Islands were a delight, especially the exquisite palace and gardens on Isola Bella.

We have enjoyed many Inntravel holidays but this one was for a special occasion, so we chose accordingly. It was not cheap but we felt it was excellent value for the money. There was so much about the holiday that we loved. There was variety within the choice of hotels. The breakfast in all 3 hotels, both quality and settings, were magnificent. We appreciated the fact that the middle hotel, the Luna nel Porto, gave us the opportunity to eat out in Stresa for dinner. (We would recommend the Osteria degli Amici for an excellent meal, slightly away from the main tourist rush; and next to the Luna nel Porto we found La Rosa del Venti provided a good quality quick meal if needed. We were in Stresa for 3 nights and each night we needed to book. The town and its facilities were very busy at the weekend). The other 2 hotels, Giardinetto and Cannero, provided excellent dinners as part of the package. It is worth noting that earlier reviews have applauded the all-round quality of Hotel Cannero, something with which we would not disagree. However, we really enjoyed the calm and beautiful situation of Hotel Giardinetto, especially the ability to swim directly from the hotel jetty in the lake. And the whole experience of breakfast at the Luna nel Porto was unbeatable.

We would suggest if choosing between Lake Orta to Maggiore and Maggiore to Lugano we would recommend Orta to Maggiore.

High Dolomites was spectacular and in particular Hotel Urthaler. Loved the high mountains, cooler temperatures for walking in July/August, beautiful alpine flowers on Seiser Alm and hot chocolate at Refugio Alpe di Tires. We want to go back.

Recommend room upgrades and hotel upgrades wherever offered despite the extra cost.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers booked three walking holidays: Lake Orta to Lake Maggiore, Lake Maggiore to Lake Lugano and The High Dolomites

This is our 6th walking holiday with Inntravel. We had another lovely break, with good food, good hotels and nice walks. Overall it would be probably be our third favourite after a marvelous one on Corfu last year and our first in Spain 20 years ago now! We enjoyed the luxurious element of this hotel package but missed out on the Inn part of the Inntravel experience as we used to get quite personal service when it was only a few people staying at some of the locations. Don't get me wrong, everyone was friendly enough but due to all the hotels being larger larger, it was less personal and for the first time ever didn't spot one Inntraveller on our journey, which made the Inntravel experience so appealing in the past. Most reviewers have cited Hotel Cannero as the best hotel. Although it was very attractive, it was very traditional and our air con wasn't working in our upgraded superior room so we switched for night 2 and 3. The best hotel for us was the first in Orta, the Giardinetto. It was modern, great views over dinner, wonderful food and a chance to dip in the lake too. The weather was hot but not excessive and the walks were nicely pitched not too hard yet challenging enough. The notes were generally good and came in a nice new folder. In summary, great walking, great hotel locations, and good food. The social side was less strong than on previous visits. We hope to see you next year!

We thoroughly enjoyed this holiday, especially the wonderful scenery and comfortable hotels. A mix of walks, taxis and ferries all combined very well. We really appreciated not having a car! All the hotels were enjoyable in their different ways. 

We are used to only using cards in the UK and had no Euros - this meant that we couldn't eneter the Umbrella Musem (cash only!), even in pouring rain. And the airport bus only took cash. Beware! 

Personal highlight was the Sacro Monte d'Orta site. All the walks were well documented.

Lovely trip, our second time with Inntravel and they are now our totally trusted go to walking holiday travel provider. Thanks to the superb Inntravel staff and partners who provide an excellent service but also anticipated problems before we were even aware of them and put in place solutions so we didn't have to worry about anything. 

The locations chosen for this holiday were breathtakingly beautiful. Visiting Lake Orta and the gorgeous Isola San Giulio was like being let into a secret!  We loved visiting all the small lakeside towns on both lakes and the tiny hillside towns that progress seemed to have bypassed.  Staying in hotels with balconies and views over the lakes was magical, especially in Cannero where we were able to watch a free lakeside concert from our balcony one evening.

Another fabulous holiday with Inntravel! Less walking than we usually do but was enough in the heat! Beautiful hotels with fabulous scenery.

We absolutely loved our holiday on the Italian lakes and Verona. Fabulous scenery, great walking, lovely hotels, amazing weather and excellent food and drink, what more could anyone ask for?

INNTRAVEL NOTE: This customer combined our walking holidays 'Lake Orta to Lake Maggiore' and 'A Taste of Lake Garda', followed by our Verona city add-on.

We had a wonderful holiday thank you. The weather was very warm when we visited (30-32 degrees in the middle of the day) so we were pleased that we had not chosen a holiday with very long or difficult walks. Many of the paths you suggested were in the shade and we enjoyed beautiful views and great peace and quiet.
We ate in a restaurant called Catarina bistrot (via Maria Vittoria) on the evening we arrived in Turin (optional add on). Delicious, somewhat modern twist on local recipes. Not very expensive and really friendly service.
There is now a cafe in the Alpine garden where we only had a drink but there seemed to be a good choice of food - a couple of hot/fresh dishes and pannini.
We also ate at osteria mercato (Piazza Capucci 9) in Stresa. A lovley outdoor eating space with freshly cooked delicious food. Moderately priced.

The walks were very pretty and shaded by trees, albeit with harder ascents and descents than we had expected.  Stresa was a buzzy place with a myriad of dinner options.  We ate well (and far better than in the inclusive dinner hotels) at Lo Stornello  and Osteria Mercato (both from the Michelin Guide).  Booking before you go is essential.  The receptionist at Hitel La Luna Nel Porto secured tables for us which was much appreciated.

We loved Lake Orta and the walk you recommended there was really enjoyable. Sadly it rained when we were due to walk to Stresa so had to take the taxi for that. We enjoyed Stresa but didn't like our hotel. We also didn't realise that we could have stopped off on the way to Cannero to see some of the other gardens etc. Perhaps a bit of a suggestion on this would be helpful? Cannero and Cannobio were wonderful, the hotel very special and a perfect end to a very good holiday.

This was a wonderful holiday. Particular highlights were the first and last hotels, with their beautiful lake view. The Hotel Cannero in particular was superb: a spacious room, friendly and helpful staff, marvellous food, a lovely terrace for drinks and relaxation. It could not have been better.

Our holiday was excellent, in every way. Beautiful scenery with great views over the lakes from each of our hotels. Hotel Cannero was the highlight, with fabulous lake views, superb staff and excellent food, even tailoring their menu for someone with special dietary needs. Walks were varied and interesting, with easy-to-follow accurate notes. Transfers were comfortable and seamless. Well done Inntravel for arranging everything to such a high standard.

We had a glorious time walking in the hills around Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. Woodland and hill walks in the Spring were a delight and traditional Italian hill villages were attractive with interesting wild flowers along the routes. Food and service at the hotels providing full board was excellent and all the breakfasts were memorable. We went by train using the highspeed line between Paris and Turin / Milan; this was a wonderful way to start the holiday.

The holiday was excellent, despite the average weather! Highlights were the hotels, especially Hotel Cannero, together with the boat trips and the gardens on the islands. We particularly enjoyed our very first walk by Lake Orta, plus the fact that we experienced both lakes. In addition, Inntravel couldn't have been more helpful in resolving the problem created by BA's decision to cancel our return flight with just 24 hours notice.

We loved Hotel Cannero and wished we had added extra nights.

Even though our trip was much wetter than the postcard pictures of Lakes Orta and Maggiore, it made for perfect walking temperatures and only one interrupted walk day. All of the Inntravel arrangements went just as described and for us first-time visitors to Italy it was the most amazing experience. The first day's walk near Lake Orta was the perfect introduction to the terrain and the small towns of the Lakes region. We also appreciated that the ferry schedule basically forced us to take an afternoon cafe break before returning to our home base :). In Stresa we had an excellent dinner at Granoduro Ristorante just outside the city center. We were very hungry earlier than normal dinner hours and they were so great in treating us early eaters well. Our walks in Stresa were threatened by thunderstorms, so we spent one day at Villa Parancinio, where the zoo was kind of weird but the gardens were lovely. There are not enough superlatives to describe our stay at Hotel Cannero and both days of walking (though the walk from Cannero to Cannobio was very, very uphill in spots). We highly recommend the wine tasting opportunity at the hotel if it fits your schedule. We found the small markets in all the towns well stocked for daily lunch/hike provisions on those days we had a late start and wouldn't be back in town in time for lunch. 

Great scenery (5 of the 6 of us had never been there before)

Food was good & hotels comfortable.

 I first walked with you in 2002 and walked every year since save 4 - and 2 of these because of Covid. 

My friends (now late 70s or early 80s) who walk with me agree. 

Any irritation is minor

The two walks we did from Cannero ( Cannero to Cannobio, Villages around Cannero) were lovely, Gorgeous views of the lake and interesting villages and sights en route. We had an extra day in Pettenasco and found further routes directly from the hotel into the hills and surrounding villages which could be further options for Inntravel to offer in addition to the one walk provided walk to Orta San Gulio. The Inntravel travel arrangements and walking notes were to the usual Inntravel high standards of accuracy and ease of use. In Stresa I would recommend use of the scheduled public boat services to the Borromeo Islands for flexibility rather than the tour operators whose many salesmen are easily identified by their white naval caps.

The walk Day 1 (Pettenasco to Orta San Gullio) was delightful, with attractive countryside and interesting villages.

 Similarly Option B at Cannero (Ancient Rural Villages of Upper Cannero) was fascinating.

This is the first time that we have travelled with Inntravel and we were very pleased with our holiday. We were very impressed with the organisation and the quality of service that we received. The walks were very enjoyable and varied. They were the right length for the terrain with well thought out routes, and easy to follow notes. The contextual information made things interesting. The zoological garden in Stresa and the gardens on the Borromean islands are well worth a visit. A holiday highlight was the church at Carmine Superior where there is a window on the west wall enabling you, for a euro, to see the restored 15th Century frescoes. Both Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore are well worth visiting with exceptional scenery, and the centres chosen worked really well for us. Piedmontese food and wine is very high quality. In Stresa the restaurant recommendations (both Inntravel and Hotel du Parc) were very helpful. Hotel Cannero, in particular, included very good and varied four course meals. We will holiday with Inntravel again.

It was one of our best holidays in recent times. The orgnsiation was outstanding and we shall certainly use Inntravel again.

Returning to Inntravel after three years covid-induced absence, we chose the Italian lakes in September.  Despite a hotter and drier season than usual the sweeping hills were deeply green; only close to was it revealed that already the gentians and harebells had finished flowering and the deciduous trees had lost many leaves.  Enough remained to shade the paths giving views over water sparkling beneath blue skies and the verdant hillsides speckled with red-tiled roofs.  Most lakeside towns and villages combined a historic warren of picturesque narrow streets with later villas, some in very quixotic architectural styles, catering for well-heeled tourists and second-homers.  This is an intensely-touristed region but the routes to which we were directed retained feelings of tranquillity and individuality.  (We confess we did not walk from Stresa, choosing to revisit the gardens of the Borromean Islands and the Villa Taranto after many years’ absence.)

We liked the three hotels: the Giardinetto with its incredible quirky plan – the kitchens have the best lake views, and the route between the main dining areas means climbing one staircase and descending another; the Park at Stresa converted from a garden villa; and the Cannero where the welcome was warm and the food excellent.  We also greatly enjoyed the journey home, stopping three nights in Milan, and lunching as we changed trains in Paris.

A great holiday which we enjoyed. There were 4 of us in the group. Hotels and walks were excellent.

We ate at restaurant Grano Duro in Stresa, which was excellent and very reasonable and only a 7 minute walk from the hotel. No website, email to book.

Parco Pallavicino has beautiful gardens and is an easy walk from the town centre in Stresa.

We also ate at La Bruma in Belgirate, which was also excellent but more expensive. Great position.

La Rondinella bar in Oggiogno was not open on the Wednesday, although still appeared to be operational.

We always have great holidays with Inntravel, but this one was just perfect - the hotels, the walks, the scenery, the food, the people, the swimming, the wine-tasting (courtesy of Signore Giovanni at Hotel Cannero) - every aspect was fantastic. Each of the three hotels was very different to the next, but all were excellent in their own way - we wouldn't have changed a thing.

Restaurant tips for Stresa:

1) We stopped for a beer at Bar-Restaurant Cardini on the walk from Ginese to Stresa as suggested in the walking notes (although I don't think the notes mentioned beer specifically). I quickly recognised that it was one of the places I'd read good reviews about at home, but I'd ruled it out because it was a taxi ride from Stresa. The location and owner, Patritcia, were so nice that we booked there and then for the following evening (fortunately she'd just had a cancellation). Our evening meal there was fantastic - one of the most memorable meals we've ever had. (We like good quality food, but not too fancy.) The pasta parcels with ricotta, pear, butter sauce and toasted almonds were particularly noteworthy. We walked there and back from Hotel Du Parc - about 35-40mins each way (uphill there). The walk was a lovely part of the evening, but others might choose to take a taxi. I suspect booking for Cardini is advisable.

2) Great plate of mixed fried fish followed by pizza at Taverna del Pappagallo

An exquisitely beautiful area, well chosen hotels which were all delightful, and plenty of things to do when the excessive heatwave made walking a less attractive option!

Although it was 10 degrees hotter than expected everything about the trip was excellent The attention to detail was second to none. The walks, hotels and meals were all above our expectations and great value. We were looked after in every location by the staff that went above and beyond the call of duty!

The Hotel Cannero is quite outstanding from the point of view of location, accommodation, food, and quite remarkable service. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone.  

The holiday was very efficiently organised from start to finish. The lakes Orta and Maggiore are beautiful and surrounded by stunning scenery. The walking routes are well managed and frequent waymarks are very helpful. A special mention for the Hotel Cannero for the service, food and accommodation which sits in a beautful position.

2 fabulous hotels that I would return to any time. Hotel Cannero is outstanding.

We were blessed with wonderful weather although a bit hot for walking. We loved the balcony overlooking Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. The Hotel Cannero is a gem and the staff are all so friendly and helpful. Having the GPS was a reassurance although as the walking notes were (as usual) of very high standard were not needed. It is good to have the timings on walk notes as this allows you to know if your pace is on track. We added a day in Stresa and used the whole day for the islands. We added an extra day in Cannero and had aimed to do another trip but weather was so good and hotel so comfortable we enjoyed a relax before the flight home. Thank you again for a wonderful experience. We are already planning next year.

This was a lovely and fun trip with friends. The written instructions were very accurate. We also downloaded the GPX files to a free app called GPX viewer. This was very easy to use and worked on all 6 walks. Another person in our group downloaded the GPX files to AllTrails and there were glitches with that app. Most of the Inntravel trails followed the Club Alpino Italiano trails that were very nicely marked with the red and white slashes. We are from the US and observed that the Italian trails were in much better condition and better maked than the trails near our homes. Hotel Giardinetto and Hotel Cannero were both excellent and the staff very helpful. Although it was only mid-May, the weather was hot so carry plenty of water. We were happy to see that the pools at both hotels were open. We also took a swim in Lake Orta which was cold but felt wonderful on the hot afternoon. My favorite walk/hike was in Cannero when we did the loop trail that went through Oggiogno. This ancient hamlet is charming and we made a point to visit the chestnut drying huts and grape press.  

Fanastic holiday, three lovely hotels all near or on the lake, hotel Cannero was the best , would recommend the wine tasting  in their cellar (free). Scenery was amazing, so green with great rhododendrons, azaleas and roses. Walking quite easy (even when injured! ), with options for days of sightseeing instead. If you dont mind paying over the odds for a drink and some very nice canapes we would recommend the sky bar in Stresa , views are amazing. It was our first time to the Italian lakes and we will definitely be back. Organisation by Inn travel was impeccable, would however strongly recommend flying to Milan Linate rather than Bergamo if you can, as rail transfers from Bergamo were tricky both ways for various reasons. Overall we had a wonderful time, worth waiting 2 years for it ! This is our second holiday with Inntravel and wont be our last.

The whole trip 'Lake Orta to Lake Maggiore' was a wonderful experience.  The views were outstanding and we had some fabulous and varied food.  We especially enjoyed our trip over to Switzerland getting the bus to and from Brissago, walking to Ascona and the boat back to Brissago.  We took up your recommendation in Belgirate to have lunch at La Bruma, another feast for the senses!  We also enjoyed the boat trips to various islands and it was a good way to finish the days walking!  Thank you Inntravel.

Hotels:  Hotel Giardinetto was excellent, especially the upgraded room with balcony directly over the lake.   4-course meal with choice of each course, excellent.

Hotel du Parc:  Comfortable and entirely adequate, 3* rather than 4* as indicated, excellent breakfast.

Hotel Cannero:  Very good, lovely position at lakeside, large (upgraded) room with limited lake view. 4-course meals, no choice for hors d'oeuvres, most nights excellent food very beautifully presented, but one option less good, and on one night virtually every option contained peppers despite the hotel knowing that one of us is intolerant of peppers and capsicums.   When this was pointed out they did offer a different sauce but unsatisfactory.   Excellent breakfast.

This was our 7th Inntravel holiday and possibly the best, although 3 years of waiting for it due to the pandemic made it even more special! Hotels and walks all excellent and we can’t wait to book another adventure for next year. 

We were delighted to be directed to Sacre Mont d'Orta & Orta St Guilio on our Lake Orta walk, the Sacre Mont was such a surprise to us and the island of St Guilio so beautiful. We loved all our walks but other great surprises were the  paper makers valley in Toscalano and the suspended walkway outside Limone. INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did both our Lake Orta to Lake Maggiore as well as our Italian Lake Paradise holidays.

The great advantages of this holiday were the options provided by the ferries which allowed exploration of the lakes  with or without having to walk. The walk we found the most enjoyable was Cannero to Cannobio with the ferry trip back to Cannero. Cannero was the most attractive location with its riviera. Arriving in Cannero on the boat immediately in front of the hotel and being met by the signora proprietaria was a particular highlight.

This was our first visit to the Italian Lakes and we were enchanted, particularly with Lake Orta. We would have preferred to have had an extra day to explore Lake Orta as it was less busy than Lake Maggiore. Stresa was pleasant but a bit trippery - not what we are used to with Inntravel's choice of places to stay. Overall however, we loved it.

Fun piano bar at Hotel Cannero.  Inntravel did a great job on everything.

This was our first holiday with InnTravel and it totally exceeded our expectations. Everything was well organised and went to plan. The walk routes were well explained and easy to follow. They were all beautiful but we particularly enjoyed the walk into Switzerland and its stunning views.

We had very enjoyable meals at Mamma Mia and Osteria degli Amicis in Stresa.

We are already looking forward to booking our next trip with Inntravel.