Overview
A week of self-guided walking along the southern and eastern shores of Lake Iseo, one of the lesser-known but no less lovely of Lombardy’s Lakes, the other two being Garda and Como. Staying in small, locally-owned hotels, this is an easy to moderate walking trail, although there are some ascents and descents thanks to the mountainous background and sub-alpine foothills. One mountain that is accessible is Monte Isola, an elevated island in the middle of the lake, and one of the most exquisite walks of the week, along with paths along the ancient Via Valeriana trail.
- Monte Isola
- Via Valeriana
- Lake Iseo
- Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve
- Pisogne
- Franciacorta wines
- Piramidi di Zone Nature Reserve
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Paratico
After checking into the hotel in Paratico on the shores of Lake Iseo, spend the rest of the day exploring the area and taking in the view of the mountains across the lake.
- Accommodation: Hotel S.Mart San Martino or similar in Paratico
Day 2: Sarnico – Predore | 10.5km
Start the day with an easy lakeside walk over on the south-west side of Lake Iseo. From Paratico, cross the river to Sarnico and follow a quiet path with glimpses of Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve, crossing chestnut groves and forests the summit of Corno Buco (960m) Take in the view of the south side of Lake Iseo before descending towards the lake. Your walk comes to a close back in Pedore, where you take the ferry or bus (payable locally) back to Paratico.
- Walking for the day: 10.5km, 5h, ↑730m ↓730m
- Accommodation: Hotel S.Mart San Martino or similar in Paratico
Day 3: Iseo – Pilzone | 11km
You are transferred to the start of day’s walk in Iseo, which is close to Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve, a birders’ paradise, surrounded by meadows and chestnut woods high above the lake’s eastern shore. Descend gradually to the hamlet of Pilzone and take a train to Sulzano (payable locally), which overlooks the exquisite island of Mount Isola.
- Walking for the day: 11km, 5h, ↑525m ↓520m
- Accommodation: Hotel Rivalago or similar in Sulzano
Day 4: Monte Isola circular | 9km
Take the ferry (payable locally) to Monte Isola, the largest lake island in south and central Europe. Start in Peschiera Maraglio and walk around the island in an anti-clockwise direction, meandering through olive groves and ancient hamlets to reach its 600m summit. Return back to the harbour along an ancient path, for the short crossing back to Sulzano.
- Walking for the day: 9km, 4h, ↑450m ↓450m
- Accommodation: Hotel Rivalago or similar in Sulzano
Day 5: Sulzano – Pisogne/Cislano | 11.5/10km
Today’s walk has two options:
Option one: Sulzano – Marone 11.5km: Heading north from Sulzano, follow the ancient Via Valeriana trade route across olive-clad foothills overlooking the lake. The route descends into lakeside Marone, which is a perfect stop for lunch, before taking the short train or ferry (payable locally) to Pisogne. It is also possible to start the walk from Pilzone.
Option two: Marone loop walk 10km: After a short train ride (payable locally) to Marone, visit Piramidi di Zone Nature Reserve (payable locally), which protects huge spires or pyramid-like rock formations in Cislano.
- Walking for the day: option one: 11.5km, 5h, ↑460m ↓460m; option two: 10km, 4h, ↑620m ↓620m
- Accommodation: Hotel Capovilla or similar in Pisogne
Day 6: Castro loop walk | 14km
Take a short ferry ride (payable locally) to reach Castro, dating back to the Roman era, this ancient fortified village was built on the remains of a fortress destroyed in 1437. From here, begin the day’s walk around Monte Clemo. End the walk in Castro or nearby Lovere and take the ferry or the bus (payable locally) back to Pisogne.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 6h, ↑740m ↓740m
- Accommodation: Hotel Capovilla or similar in Pisogne
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is in small, locally-owned hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel S.Mart San Martino (Paratico)
- Hotel Rivalago (Sulzano)
- Hotel Capovilla (Pisogne)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. Please note that your breakfast in Paratico will be at a bar near the hotel and you will receive a voucher for that. When no restaurant is available on the route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops, or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or in the town where you stay overnight.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated as easy to moderate with average daily walking stages taking between 4-6h a day. The walks are along well-trodden footpaths, however there are uphill/downhill sections as you would expect in a mountainous region, so walking poles are recommended (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This holiday is available from the beginning of April until the end of October. The best times to visit Lake Iseo are spring and early summer, particularly from mid-April to mid-June as well as September. Summer days can be hot with daily temperatures between 26-29C in July and August, though, the heat is often less intense due to the breeze from the lake.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Italy.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airports for this holiday are Milan Malpensa (MXP), Milan Linate (LIN) and Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY).
By train or bus
- Arrival – take a bus or train from the airport to the centre of Milan (50mins), then a train from Milano Centrale to Bergamo (48mins). From Bergamo, take the bus to Paratico/Sarnico (1h). The overall journey is approximately 3h. For more details, see the national rail operator Trenitalia, the regional bus company Arriva, or use the Omio planner above.
- Departure – From Pisogne take the bus or a taxi to Marone (15mins) followed by a 1h 26mins train journey back to Milan. From here there are several trains or buses to your respective airport. For more information on local buses visit FNM, for trains Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers between hotels (1 pc up to 20kg per person)
- Transfer from Paratico to Iseo on Day 3
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided locally
- 24/7 phone support by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare, connecting land transfers and other local transport
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Local tourist tax and entry fees (payable locally)
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘Included’ in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights before or after tour
- Printed tour materials delivered to first accommodation
