How much does it cost?

From £1,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,025 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

What accommodation is included?

Seven nights in a family-run four-star hotel (Hotel Giardinetto) in Pettenasco on Lake Orta, plus one night in a Turin hotel. The Lake Orta hotel has a restaurant, swimming pool, and lakeside views.

Is this tour escorted?

Yes, Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the entire journey.

What meals are included?

Breakfast is served each day. Dinner is included every evening, with three courses, a glass of wine or beer, and hot drinks at the Lake Orta hotel. Lunches are not included unless otherwise noted.

What is the physical activity level?

Expect modest walking in towns and around the hotels, a guided walking tour in Turin, and optional activities like the funicular in Lugano and boat trips to islands. Most travel days use coach or boat.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Explore the Italian Lakes: Orta, Como & Maggiore

Eight-day escorted lake tour from London through Italian and Swiss alpine lakes

Great Rail Journeys operates this eight-day escorted tour departing from London and ending in Lausanne (or London if returning by rail), combining scenic rail travel with boat cruises and coach excursions across four Alpine lakes in Italy and Switzerland. The journey opens with an overnight sleeper leg via Eurostar and TGV through the Swiss Alps to Turin, where travellers meet their UK Tour Manager. The heart of the tour is a six-night stay at a family-run four-star hotel on the tranquil shores of Lake Orta, a quieter alternative to its better-known neighbours. From this base, the itinerary includes a boat cruise to the medieval island of Isola San Giulio, a ferry crossing of Lake Como to the UNESCO town of Bellagio, a day trip to the Swiss city of Lugano with its palm-lined waterfront, and an excursion to Stresa on Lake Maggiore, long favoured by artists and writers. Breakfast and three-course dinners with wine or beer are included daily at the Lake Orta hotel. The tour suits couples seeking a slower pace on the lakes, repeat rail travellers who want international train segments, and those comfortable with a mix of guided excursions and free time to explore.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has held at £1,499 every time.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Lunches are not included except where specified; you arrange your own lunch on most days.
Boat trips from Pettenasco village (for Omegna market) and optional activities such as the Mount Brè funicular and Borromean Islands boat trip are payable locally.
The hotel in Turin (night one) is unspecified in the operator's information; confirm the name when you book.
Return to London is by air (Milan Malpensa) or rail (via Lausanne); rail return adds coach transfer time from Lake Orta.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Turin
London to Turin for an overnight stay
We meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar to Paris, then a train to Turin through the Swiss Alps, checking in to our hotel for the night.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
Through the Swiss Alps to Lake Orta
A guided walking tour of Turin, then we travel by coach to the village of Pettenasco on Lake Orta, checking in to our family-run hotel for a six-night stay. Air travellers meet the Tour Manager at London Gatwick and fly to Milan Malpensa, travelling by coach to the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
Cruising to Orta San Giulio and Isola San Giulio
A boat trip across Lake Orta to the island of Isola San Giulio and its ancient monastery, continuing to the medieval town of Orta San Giulio with free time for lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
A trip to beautiful Lake Como
A coach journey to Lake Como, with free time in Menaggio, then a ferry crossing to Bellagio to explore its cobbled streets, before returning to Lake Orta.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
A day on the shores of Lake Orta
A free day at leisure, with options including a boat trip to the market at Omegna (payable locally), the Pettenasco woodworking museum, or relaxing at the hotel pool.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
A day trip to the Swiss city of Lugano
A coach excursion to Lugano on Lake Lugano, with free time to explore the palm-lined waterfront and, optionally, ride the funicular to Mount Brè.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Pettenasco (Lake Orta)
An excursion to Stresa, on Lake Maggiore
A visit to the Belle Epoque town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore, with free time to explore its villas and gardens or take a boat trip to the Borromean Islands.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8rail
Homeward bound, by air or rail
Air travellers transfer to Milan Malpensa for their flight to London Heathrow. Rail travellers transfer by coach to Stresa for a rail connection via Lausanne to Paris, joining the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Eurostar journey from London St Pancras to Paris, then TGV through the Swiss Alps to Turin
Day 3Boat cruise from the hotel's private jetty to medieval Isola San Giulio and its 12th-century basilica
Day 4Ferry crossing Lake Como to Bellagio, a UNESCO World Heritage town on a peninsula with cobbled streets
Day 6Day trip to Lugano, a Swiss city on glacial Lake Lugano with palm-lined waterfront and optional funicular to Mount Brè
Day 7Visit to Stresa on Lake Maggiore, a Belle Epoque town with option to boat to the Borromean Islands

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights’ 3 or 4-Star hotel accommodation (6 nights if travelling by air)
Eurostar Standard (if travelling by rail), Standard Class rail travel - all rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Return flights from London Heathrow to Milan Malpensa (if travelling by air)
Eurostar Light Meals
Breakfast each day, 7 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,025 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
What accommodation is included?: Seven nights in a family-run four-star hotel (Hotel Giardinetto) in Pettenasco on Lake Orta, plus one night in a Turin hotel. The Lake Orta hotel has a restaurant, swimming pool, and lakeside views.
Is this tour escorted?: Yes, Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the entire journey.
What meals are included?: Breakfast is served each day. Dinner is included every evening, with three courses, a glass of wine or beer, and hot drinks at the Lake Orta hotel. Lunches are not included unless otherwise noted.
What is the physical activity level?: Expect modest walking in towns and around the hotels, a guided walking tour in Turin, and optional activities like the funicular in Lugano and boat trips to islands. Most travel days use coach or boat.