English
Lake Garda at Sunset: Desenzano Walk & Boat around Sirmione
start with a guided walk in Desenzano (max 10 participants), exploring its charming streets, local life with humor and insight. Enter one of northern Italy’s most beautiful Roman villas, famous for its stunning mosaics and enjoy it on a soft and short tour.
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Tour Highlights
Full Description
start with a guided walk in Desenzano (max 10 participants), exploring its charming streets, local life with humor and insight. Enter one of northern Italy’s most beautiful Roman villas, famous for its stunning mosaics and enjoy it on a soft and short tour.
Then enjoy a scenic boat ride around the Sirmione peninsula, timed for sunset, with music and a drink on board. From the water, you’ll see corners and villas of Sirmione that most tourists miss, while hearing gentle, engaging stories about the sights — all at a relaxed pace. The boat can host up to 25 guests, including other travelers, ensuring comfort and atmosphere.
Ideal for curious travelers who love learning, good stories, and memorable lake moments without lectures or crowds.
Tour Photos
What's Included
Included
- Entrance Tickets to the Roman Villa of Desenzano del Garda
- A Licensed local Tour guide
- Alcoholic beverages
- 75-minute boat ride from Desenzano, around Sirmione old Town and Castle bridges and back
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Itinerary
We will explore the "Capital" of Lake Garda by walking by the most significant ancient, renaissance and new buildings and sites and give you the best insights as both guides and citizens of Desenzano. We will tell you about the stories and the history of it with a sense of humor and without lecturing you.
Duration: 45 minutes
The Roman Villa was built by a Roman merchant and noble man in the 1st century BC. We will access the site and keep the explanation clear and simple. Admiring the ancient mosaics is a memorable experience!
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission ticket included
The Old Medieval defensive tower and castle offer a stunning view over the old town and the lake´s Northern shores. We will reach the very top of it and enjoy the broad view from the Monte Baldo and Sirmione to the Mountain parks of the Brescia district
Duration: 15 minutes
The Old Harbour and the Venetian district - the best spot to have a perfect picture of town and its glorious past. This is one of the spots where most of the visitors can´t walk by without stopping and admiring its beauty. You will learn the stories of the local fisherman and the great influence of the Venetian Republic on this beautiful town
Duration: 15 minutes
Duration: 10 minutes
Duration: 5 minutes
BOAT RIDE - Here is where we will start our boat tour. We will leave Desenzano from the central pier, in front of the Ancient Venetian Harbour and we will have the chance to enjoy a unique view of this lovely town.
The tour will then continue on a slow pace along the shore towards the Lake Town of Padenghe. The sunset light will be with and a nice glass of local wine will make this last part of the tour relaxed and enjoyable.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission ticket included
Duration: 20 minutes
BOAT RIDE We end the section of the tour in Sirmione with the town’s most iconic building, the ancient medieval Castle built by the Scala family in the 12th hundreds and still standing, supported by over 11000 beams underwater. The ride here will show you this spot from an absolutely unique angle that most of the visitors miss from the main land. We will stop by the fortified pier and later ride underneath the low bridges that once connected Sirmione old town with the mainland, a truly unbeaten experience.
From here on, it will be time to enjoy the best sunset light. Our way back to Desenzano will be a relaxed ride with a nice glass of local wine and some good music
Duration: 10 minutes
BOAT RIDE Once we reach the northern tip of the peninsula we will enjoy a breathtaking sunset view of the mountains surrounding Lake Garda on one side while in the other direction we will see the spectacular ruins of the Grotte di Catullo, an ancient and large palace built by the noble senatorial family Valerii here in Sirmione around 2000 years ago. The angle from which we see them makes the view and the moment absolutely memorable
Duration: 5 minutes
BOAT RIDE A view of the 1500 years old church of San Pietro in Mavino, placed on the Mavino hill, is a view that most of the tourist are not able to see while in Sirmione. It will give you a different perspective of this very busy place
Duration: 5 minutes
Duration: 5 minutes
📍 Meeting Point
Starting Point
End Point
Frequently Asked Questions
This tour has a specific cancellation policy. We recommend checking the terms at the time of booking to understand the refund conditions.
You will receive your confirmation via email immediately after booking. Viator sends your voucher as soon as payment is completed.
The expected duration is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. We recommend arriving at least 10-15 minutes before the departure time.
The tour price includes:
- Entrance Tickets to the Roman Villa of Desenzano del Garda
- A Licensed local Tour guide
- 1 Glass of wine for each partecipant over 18 years old of age.
- 75-minute boat ride from Desenzano, around Sirmione old Town and Castle bridges and back
The starting point is: We will meet up at the statue of Sant’ Angela Merici. We will be waiting with a green Umbrella Tours sing exposed. We recommend using Google Maps to easily reach the meeting location.
We recommend bringing comfortable shoes, water, sunscreen, and a camera. Check the tour's additional information for any specific requirements.