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Borromean Islands tickets & boats from Stresa

Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori · Lake Maggiore

Entry to Isola Bella, covering Palazzo Borromeo and its baroque garden, is €27; Isola Madre €23; both €40. The public boat from Stresa to Isola Bella is €4 each way. Watch the calendar: the season ends on 8 November, and only Isola Bella stays open until 22 November.

All tickets online: from €40 on GetYourGuide →

At a glance

Official tickets
  • Isola Bella (Palazzo Borromeo and baroque garden), adult€27
  • Isola Bella, child 6–15€18
  • Isola Madre (palace and botanical garden), adult€23
  • Isola Bella + Isola Madre, adult€40
  • Public boat Stresa–Isola Bella, adult single€4
  • Public boat, 1-day unlimited ticket Stresa–Isola Madre, adult€19.50
Free for
Islands: free for children up to 5 (Baby 3–5 and Infant 0–2). Boats: child fare from age 4 to 11.
Booking
No booking needed No booking requirement is stated for the islands: buy online or on site, but Terre Borromeo warns that prices can vary by date, ticket type and sales channel. The public boat from Stresa can't be reserved: buy online or at the pier ticket office.
Opening hours
Islands open 12 March to 8 November 2026: from 25 October to 8 November daily, last entry 4 pm, palaces close 4:30 pm, gardens 5 pm. Isola Bella stays open until 22 November 2026. Boats: autumn timetable until 8 November.
Closed
In winter: Isola Madre from 9 November, Isola Bella from 23 November, until the spring reopening.
Time needed
about 5 hours
Address
Imbarco da Stresa (VB), Lago Maggiore
Official sales
Terre Borromeo – Isola Bella e Isola Madre

Checked on the official site on 28 October 2026 · Sources & checks

Lake Maggiore & Borromean Islands
Photo: Alessandro Vecchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Booking on Tiqets

Pick a date and time

Lake Maggiore & Borromean Islands: Hop-on Hop-off Boat Tour

from €8 · ★ 4.2 (97)

This calendar is Tiqets's own: live availability and price; you pay and get the ticket from Tiqets.

Open on Tiqets →

Which ticket is right for you

All tickets online

Reseller prices are refreshed daily; the final price is the one on the partner's site. Resellers cost more than the official ticket because they add availability, free cancellation or services.

Two kinds of ticket

On the Borromean Islands you pay twice: once for the boat, once for entry to the palaces and gardens. Isola Bella and Isola Madre are run by Terre Borromeo and charge admission. Isola dei Pescatori, the fishermen's island with restaurants and lanes, is free to walk around.

Official Terre Borromeo prices:

The operator says prices can vary by date, ticket type and channel; check your day's rate before you go.

Public ferry or private launch

Two kinds of boat leave Stresa. The public ferries run by Navigazione Lago Maggiore have fixed fares: Stresa–Isola Bella €4 each way, double for a return; a day pass from Stresa to Isola Madre is €19.50 and lets you hop on and off at the stops in between. Children aged 4 to 11 pay less. The autumn timetable runs until 8 November.

Along the Stresa waterfront you'll also find private boats. Tiqets and GetYourGuide sell hop-on hop-off island loops and private motorboat tours: check in the listing who operates it, how often it runs and whether island entry is included. For a family, compare the total with the public day pass.

The last weeks of the season

If you're reading this in late October, time is short. The islands are open until 8 November, last entry 4 pm, palaces closing at 4:30 pm and gardens at 5 pm. Isola Bella stays open until 22 November 2026; Isola Madre does not. Everything then closes until spring.

To do both islands in one day, start early: with a 4 pm last entry and a boat ride in between, the morning counts. Allow a couple of hours for each.

Getting there

Stresa has its own railway station with trains from Milan, and the public ferries leave from the town's lakefront pier. Buy the boat ticket at the pier office or online before boarding.

FAQ

How much are Isola Bella tickets?

€27 for adults, €18 for ages 6–15, free under 6. That covers Palazzo Borromeo and the baroque garden. Terre Borromeo notes prices can vary by date and sales channel.

Is the Isola Bella + Isola Madre ticket worth it?

Yes, if you'll see both: €40 against €50 for two separate tickets (€27 + €23).

How much is the boat to the Borromean Islands?

The public ferry from Stresa to Isola Bella is €4 each way, double for a return. A day pass from Stresa to Isola Madre, with stops in between, is €19.50.

When are the Borromean Islands open?

From 12 March to 8 November 2026; Isola Bella stays open until 22 November. From 25 October, last entry is at 4 pm.

Do I need a ticket for Isola dei Pescatori?

No. It's a small inhabited fishing village with no entry fee; you only pay the boat.

Do I need to book Isola Bella in advance?

No booking requirement is stated. You can buy online or on arrival, but the official site warns prices vary by date and channel, so check yours first.

Sources & checks

Official prices and rules are copied from the pages below. Spotted a change? Write to info@tickets.co.it.

  1. Official site: Terre Borromeo – Isola Bella e Isola Madre · terreborromeo.it
  2. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — prices
    Isola Bella Ingresso Adulto 27,00 € Ingresso Ragazzo (6-15 anni) 18,00 € Ingresso Baby (3-5 anni) Gratuito Ingresso Infante (0-2 anni) Gratuito
  3. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — prices
    Ingresso Isola Bella È inclusa la visita di Palazzo Borromeo e del Giardino Barocco all’italiana.
  4. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — prices
    Isola Bella + Isola Madre Ingresso Adulto 40,00 € Ingresso Ragazzo (6-15 anni) 23,00 €
  5. terreborromeo.it/isola-madre/orari-e-tariffe — prices
    Isola Madre Ingresso Adulto 23,00 € Ingresso Ragazzo (6-15 anni) 15,00 €
  6. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — booking
    Le tariffe possono variare in base alla data di visita , alla tipologia di biglietto e ai canali di acquisto .
  7. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — hours
    Aperti dal 12 marzo all’8 novembre 2026
  8. terreborromeo.it/isola-bella/orari-tariffe — hours
    Dal 25 ottobre all'8 novembre Tutti i giorni dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 16.00 (ultimo Ingresso) – chiusura Palazzi ore 16.30 – chiusura Giardini ore 17.00
  9. terreborromeo.it — hours
    La stagione delle destinazioni Terre Borromeo si conclude l'8 novembre, ma l'Isola Bella resterà aperta fino al 22 novembre 2026.
  10. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore/tariffe-lago-maggiore/?parte — prices
    Tariffa n° 1.00 - Ordinaria Intera Adulti 4,00 €
  11. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore/tariffe-lago-maggiore/?parte — prices
    Prezzo di andata e ritorno: doppio della corsa semplice
  12. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore/tariffe-lago-maggiore/?parte — prices
    C) Biglietto di Libera Circolazione Tariffa n° 3.00 - Adulti 19,50 €
  13. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore/tariffe-lago-maggiore/?parte — prices
    Il biglietto di LIBERA CIRCOLAZIONE dà diritto ad effettuare, entro i limiti di validità, un numero illimitato di viaggi fra gli scali per i quali è stato rilasciato, con possibilità di fermate intermedie.
  14. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore/tariffe-lago-maggiore/?parte — free
    Agevolaz. per i ragazzi dai 4 ai 12 anni (non compiuti).
  15. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-maggiore — hours
    Orario autunnale battelli e traghetti valevole dal 5 ottobre 2026 al 8 novembre 2026
  16. trenord.it/en/routes-and-timetables/most-searched-lines/milan-centrale-arona — access
    From Milano Centrale you can reach Arona in just 60 minutes, starting from €6.90.
  17. navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-di-como/tariffe-lago-di-como — access
    Con il titolo di viaggio Trenitalia con destinazione Stresa, è possibile acquista un pass giornaliero Stresa-Intra, che corrisponde al biglietto di libera circolazione giornaliero Stresa-Intra per adulti (tariffa 3.20) a € 20,50
  18. terreborromeo.it/isola-madre/orari-e-tariffe — prices
    Ingresso Isola Madre Include la visita libera di Palazzo Borromeo e del Giardino botanico

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