What to do at Lake Garda with kids? That’s what we asked ourselves when we first visited the region with our daughter. Lake Garda is a vacation destination where many families with kids go to vacation every year. The area around Lake Garda has much to offer in terms of sightseeing. There is something for every family member to do at Lake Garda. We have now visited the area twice with our daughter and in this blog we list all the children’s activities at Lake Garda!
Lake Garda with kids: how to get there?
There are several ways to get to Lake Garda with kids. We list some of these ways below.
By car: most Dutch families visit Lake Garda with kids by car. From Utrecht, it is about a 12-hour drive to Lake Garda. This, of course, does not include the traffic jams and road works you may encounter along the way.
We ourselves have visited Lake Garda twice with our daughter and both times we drove to Italy by car. We always drove in two days there and two days back, staying overnight somewhere along the way.
By plane: you can also fly to Lake Garda with kids. The best cities to fly to then are Milan or Verona. For the city of Milan, there are many daily direct flights from the Netherlands, and to Verona you also have direct flights to this city in the summer months.
You can then rent a car from Milan or Verona and drive to Lake Garda in an hour (or two). Sunny Cars that we usually rent a car from also rents cars in Italy. Then you and your kids will be at your destination within a day. You fly to Milan or Verona in about an hour and a half.
We always buy all our airline tickets through Skyscanner, as this is the website that we find super clear and lists all flights at a glance. Check online for all flights to Milan. From the Milan airport you can very easily rent a car through Sunny Cars. Look online for car rental in Milan.
Verona is the city closest to Lake Garda. You can also fly to this city very easily. Check online for all flights to Verona. Also check online for car rentals in Verona.
Family-friendly campsites Lake Garda
Most Dutch families who go to Lake Garda with kids go to a campsite. You have some very well-known campsites, where most of the Dutch go. We list them below.
#1 Camping Bella Italia: this is the most popular campsite among Dutch people at Lake Garda and we ourselves also spent three weeks at this campsite with our daughter. This campground is huge. You have several large pools and you can have a great time here at the pool for a whole day.
We had rented a bungalow here and it was super! The only drawback of this campground we found was that there were cars driving around the campground, so with our daughter we sometimes had to be careful where she was (when she was playing in front of the bungalow).
They also have a nice animation team and our daughter has been regularly at camping Bella Italia doing crafts and dancing with this team. A little train also goes from the campground to the center of Peschiera del Garda. We had a super time here with our family. Look online for more information about Camping Bella Italia.
#2 Camping Altomincio Village: this is the second campsite you can visit on Lake Garda with kids. This campground is also enormously popular among Dutch families and we ourselves stayed at this campground for three weeks once. This campground is slightly quieter than Campground Bella Italia and cars are not allowed on the campground. We did find this to be a big plus of the campground.
This campground also has two large pools, including one for kids. The pool also has two slides for the kids. You can also have a great time here with the family for an entire day. Actually, this campsite can be compared to campsite Bella Italia and also at this campsite there is plenty of entertainment both during the day and in the evening.
Take a look online for more information about Camping Altomincio Village.
#3 Piani Di Clodia: This campsite is not located in Peschiera del Garda, but in the popular town of Lazise. This campground is very family-friendly, as there is an entire water park at this campground with as many as seven different slides. The campground has a Dutch animation team and also a mini-club for kids ages four to 12. Take a look online for more information about camping Piani Di Clodia.
Children’s activities Lake Garda
#1 Funivia Malcesine Monte Baldo
The literal highlight of Lake Garda is Monte Baldo. You have a beautiful view of Lake Garda with kids from this mountain. With the cable car you can go up here from the town of Malcesine. There are several hikes to be made here and, of course, it is also possible to walk the route down the mountain.
Besides hiking, you can also mountain bike here and even ski in winter. The first year we visited Lake Garda, we took the cable car up here and enjoyed the beautiful view. Just keep in mind that it can be chilly on top of the mountain.
The second year we went up here again, but this time to paraglide! We thought this was a fantastic experience because you really have a great view and you literally float over Lake Garda. There are several organizations that offer these flights.
Tandem Paragliding: here a flight costs 170 euros per person.
Roberto Paragliding: on the website we could not find the price of a flight.
Basically, most organizations don’t require you to bring much of your own. You usually get a windbreaker from the organization itself. However, it is easier to put on shoes than flip-flops, since you can lose them along the way. Generally, in the mail from the organization you book with, you’ll get a description of exactly what to bring.
You get on the elevator together with the instructor and then you jump down the mountain together. Sanne is afraid of heights with us, but did not find this scary at all. You do get a calming feeling from floating down the mountain like that. Eventually you land in a lakeside meadow near the town of Malcesine. This village is also a great place to grab a bite to eat before or after your flight. You can do this with kids as young as 8 years old.
#2 Sirmione
You can visit a number of fun places at Lake Garda with kids. Sirmione is the place on the southern side of Lake Garda most visited by tourists, and rightly so. Walking into this place is like walking into a castle. The village was also built around the castle in the fifteenth century.
You can visit this castle for a fee and again, on top of the castle you have a beautiful view of Lake Garda. Kids and teens may enter for free.
Especially in the summer it is very busy in the town and towards the village you are definitely in traffic jams. There are three different paid parking lots just outside the town where you can park your car. From the parking lot you can walk right into the village. There is a tourist train that goes through the town, but walking along the water and the various beaches is also a great option.
#3 Milan
You can also take a day trip to the city of Milan from Lake Garda with kids. Milan is not on Lake Garda, but you can get there by car in less than two hours. You can also take the train from the town of Peschiera del Garda and it takes less than an hour. You then get off in the center of Milan.
The most famous landmark in Milan is Milan Cathedral. This is the third largest cathedral in Europe. You can walk on the roof of the cathedral and if you want to skip the long queue in summer, you can buy tickets to Milan Cathedral online.
In the same square where Milan Cathedral can be found is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II. This is a mall with all last brands. For soccer fans, a visit to San Siro is not to be missed. When we were there, Inter Milan just happened to be playing and we could buy tickets for the match anywhere in the city center.
Wondering what all there is to do in Milan? Then read our travel blog Milan with kids.
#4 Verona
Verona is a beautiful city to visit near Lake Garda with kids. Verona is mainly known for Romeo and Juliet. The house from the fourteenth century can also be admired here (Casa di Giulietta).
There is also a large amphitheater at the beginning of town, where you can have your picture taken with men dressed as gladiators trying to earn a buck. You can also see this amphitheater inside with a tour.
In this amphitheater, it is even possible to go to the opera. Verona is a compact city and most attractions are easily reached on foot.
There is a possibility of free parking in Verona. The parking lot at Viale Colonnello Gailliano, opposite Porta Palio is free and it is a twenty-minute or so walk from here to the center. For more information about this city, read the blog Verona with kids.
#5 Venice
A 1.5-hour drive from Lake Garda is the world-famous town of Venice. Venice is famous for its canals, gondolas and romantic alleys. If you plan to visit many sights in Venice then you can purchase the Venice City Pass. With this pass, you can use public transportation, water cabs and have access to various churches, museums and the Doge’s Palace.
The most famous square in Venice is St. Mark’s Square with the famous St. Mark’s Basilica. The town is fun to walk through and take nice pictures in the different streets. The most famous bridge is the Rialto Bridge in central Venice.
We ourselves found the gondolas a bit too pricey, but did take the water cab through the canals. In Venice you can enjoy yourself for a day, but then you have seen the place. You can make this a great day trip from Lake Garda with kids. For more information about this city, read the blog Venice with kids.
#6 Gardaland
You can also go to an amusement park at Lake Garda with kids. In the south of Lake Garda close to the town of Peschiera del Garda is the amusement park Gardaland. The amusement park has as many as 40 different attractions and has rides for the youngest kids, as well as spectacular rides for older kids.
The park is divided into three different themes. You have the Fantasy section for the smallest kids, adventure for all ages and adrenaline is more for the slightly older kids. You can easily spend an entire day here entertaining the family!
In addition to the amusement park, there is also a large aquarium. In as many as 40 different tanks, there are more than a hundred different animals and a total of 5,000 sea creatures.
The third park you can visit with kids here at Lake Garda is the Legoland Waterpark. This is a water park with several pools and different slides all in the Lego theme. You can also spend a whole day here with kids. There is also a section where they have recreated all kinds of buildings from Italy with Lego.
You can buy a combination ticket for the different parks and then you will get a discount on the tickets. You can then spend several days visiting these different parks with kids during your vacation. For more information about these different parks check out the Gardaland website.
#7 Lazise
A visit to the village of Lazise should definitely not be missed during your visit to Lake Garda with kids. The old center of Lazise is completely car-free and you can enjoy a stroll through the medieval streets.
Once you have parked your car on the south side of town, you can walk through the old city gate to the small harbor. In the center you have the old church of San Nicole (Chiesa di San Nicolo) which you can visit. There are also plenty of outdoor cafes in this town to enjoy a good meal!
If you like to visit markets on your vacation, there is a market near the town on Wednesdays. You can have great accommodations in Lazise. Check online for family-friendly accommodations in Lazise.
#8: Bardolino
This town is also located on the southeastern part of Lake Garda. This town also has a nice harbor with a promenade. From the port you can walk across a large square to the Church Santi Nicole e Severo.
We usually visited these places by the afternoon. After spending a day at the pool, it was nice to visit the town in the afternoon and eat something here. That way, we made sure we didn’t have to cook at the campsite either. After all, it is vacation ;).
We found the old center of most places to be similar. Mostly car-free and winding roads with often loose stones with mostly tourist stores and cozy squares where you can eat and drink something.
For those who love wine, a visit to Bardolino’s wine museum is recommended. At winery Zeni, you can book a guided tour and wine tasting. Near Bardolino (a few minutes away by car), you can also grab a bite to eat by the water at Locanda San Vigilio, where it seems like time has stood still.
If you want to stay overnight in Bardoline, check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Bardoline online.
#9 Isola del Garda
Isola del Garda is an island in Lake Garda, which you can visit with the family by boat. From several destinations on Lake Garda, boats leave for this island. As a result, especially in summer, this tourist island can be quite crowded at times.
We found the boat ride across the lake a pleasant activity, but the visit to the island a bit drawn out. Especially with our young daughter who has little patience. Therefore, especially with young kids, consider whether this is a suitable Lake Garda getaway for your family.
#10 Peschiera del Garda
Peschiera del Garda is also known as the Venice of Lake Garda, which is a slight exaggeration. It is definitely a nice place to visit briefly during your vacation at Lake Garda with kids and you can have a great bite to eat and entertain yourself for a few hours. From the Bella Italia campsite we could take a very touristy little train from the campsite to the center of Peschiera del Garda.
In Piazza Ferdinando di Savoia square, you can visit the church of San Martino. At Viale Cordigero you have a number of terraces where you can have a nice meal and drink by the water. This town is also nice to visit for a few hours. If you want to know more about this place, read our blog Peschiera del Garda with kids.
#11 Mantua
Mantua is another fun city to visit in the Lake Garda area with kids. Mantua is not on Lake Garda, but is about a 45-minute drive from Lake Garda (from Peschiera del Garda).
The city is surrounded on three sides by three large lakes. The city is not super big and easy to walk around. The most famous landmark is the Ducale Palace. It is one of the largest palaces in Europe.
There is no shortage of palaces in this city, as you can visit two more palaces. In Castello di San Giorgio you can admire beautiful frescoes and in Palazzo Te you can also admire the palace from the inside. The latter palace does lie on the outskirts of the city and is about a half-hour walk from the center.
You have two large squares (Piazza Mantegna and Piazza del Erbe) that form the heart of the city. On both squares are several beautiful buildings such as the Basilica di Sant’Andrea. There is always a market in town on Thursdays.
#12 Salo
In the west of Lake Garda lies the town of Salo and is known for the long promenade that the town has. On this boulevard there are lots of cozy cafes overlooking the lake.
In the town of Salo stands the largest church on Lake Garda, the Duomo Santa Maria Annunziata. You can visit the church for free, but it is closed at noon. Also, you are not allowed to take pictures inside. Here again you have a car-free shopping street, keeping in mind that the stores are closed from 1 to 3:30.
Tip: In Salo, you can also visit a beach club Mokai Beach. You can rent sunbeds here and have a drink on the terrace. There is often live music in the evenings. Kids can also eat well here, as they also sell sandwiches, pizza and fries.
#13 The north of Lake Garda
The north of Lake Garda is a lot less visited by tourists, but even here you have several beautiful towns located. We did not visit these places ourselves, but still did not want to withhold them from you. We make a short list below of the different places to visit with kids in this part of Lake Garda.
Riva del Garda: this is the northernmost village of Lake Garda. This village looks different from the other villages around Lake Garda. The area is a lot more mountainous and mountain biking is a popular activity here. There is also a castle here and the center is also car-free.
Arco: near this town there is a medieval castle on a hill. Again, the village is all about activities such as hiking and biking. There are several hiking trails around the town, where you can take beautiful walks.
Torbole: this village on Lake Garda is all about the activity of windsurfing. Especially in the afternoon, the wind here can be brisk, so advanced surfers and sailors also get their money’s worth.
Canale di Tenno: this medieval town has many fountains, small courtyards and narrow streets.
Lago di Tenno: this lake is a 15-minute drive from Riva del Garda. The lake is best known for its blue water. You can take beautiful walks through nature here.
You can theoretically make a round trip around Lake Garda in five hours by car with kids, but especially in the summer this is difficult to achieve. It is then very crowded with tourists and traffic jams can occur at many villages.
#14 Jungle Adventure Park
You can also go climbing at Lake Garda with kids. In the east of the lake is climbing park Jungle Adventure Park. You can go climbing here with kids as young as 3 years old (minimum height is 1 meter). You have all kinds of courses and the easiest course is at a height of 1 meter. Because there are so many different courses, there is a challenging course for every member of the family.
We always find these types of climbing parks very fun to do with our daughter. You are busy climbing together among the trees and there is usually plenty of challenge for the parents as well. Just make sure to climb at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day. Especially in the hot summer months. We have climbed once in the middle of the day and that is way too hot.
Another climbing park you can visit on Lake Garda with kids is Rimbalzello Adventure. This is located in the west of Lake Garda, but is a lot smaller than Jungle Adventure Park.
If you are more in the northwest of Lake Garda, a visit to the Flying Frogs climbing park could be a good option. Again, you can go climbing with kids as young as 3 and they have multiple courses you can climb with the family.
#15 Parco delle Cascate di Molina
It is also possible to visit waterfalls during a vacation on Lake Garda with kids. Parco delle Cascate di Molina is located in the east of Lake Garda and you can see beautiful waterfalls here. This park is also recommended for kids, as there is, for example, a swing at the waterfalls for kids.
Just keep in mind that the park itself is quite hilly, so it can be a tough hike with small kids. You can walk different (colored) routes in the park with kids. You have a green route (1.2 km), a red route (2.3 km) and a black route (3.6 km).
The free parking lot is still a bit away from the park (a 1.5 kilometer walk). You have to add these kilometers of walking. Especially back to the parking lot you have to walk uphill a bit. This park is near the city of Verona, so you can combine these two children’s activities at Lake Garda.
#16 Movieland The Hollywood Park
You can visit another amusement park at Lake Garda with kids. Movieland The Hollywood Park is near Gardaland and here too you have both an amusement park and a water park. So in this area you have a lot of different parks that you can visit with kids. Movieland focuses mainly on somewhat younger kids and has several fun and special attractions.
In addition to the various attractions, there are also several shows you can watch here. Keep in mind that you can easily spend an entire day here entertaining the family. The water park also has several spectacular slides that you can go down. Again, it is possible to buy a combination ticket for both parks with a discount.
At the 2 parks there are also 3 themed restaurants where you can have lunch and dinner with kids. Among other things, you can eat in a castle and in this castle there are also shows you can watch with kids. For more information about the two different parks and the restaurants, take a look at the website of Movieland The Hollywood Park.
Other children’s activities Lake Garda
Of course, you can do much more at Lake Garda with kids. Here we briefly list the other children’s activities at Lake Garda.
#17 Riovalli: this is a somewhat smaller water park. where you can go with kids in the Lake Garda area. You have several slides here and you also have plenty of beds for parents to lie by the pool.
#18 Beaches at Lake Garda: You can also have great beaches at Lake Garda with kids. You have several beaches that you can visit with the family. For example, Lido Azzuro and Spaggia Porto Torchio are nice beaches for kids, since here there is also a playground near the beach. Most of the beaches are pebble beaches, so be sure to bring water shoes for kids as well.
#19 Giocabosco: west of Lake Garda, you can go to this play forest that is especially suitable for young kids. You have here several hiking trails in this gnome forest that you can walk.
#20 Parco Cavour: This water park is located south of Lake Garda. This is mainly a very nice water park with a Caribbean theme. You don’t have super many slides here, but it’s all very nicely laid out.
#21 Parco Natura Viva: you can also visit an animal park at Lake Garda with kids. Parco Natura Viva is located in the east of Lake Garda and you can explore 5 continents of animals here in the park. You can explore this safari park either by car or on foot. Keep in mind that this animal park is located in a hilly area and this can be tiring with young kids. The park is quite green and the animals’ enclosures are generally spacious.
#22 Reptilland: you can go to a reptile park in the north of Lake Garda with kids. They have different snakes and spiders here that you can check out with kids. However, online reviews of this park are very mixed.
#23 Pedal boat rental: there are several ways to explore Lake Garda with kids. You can rent a boat yourself, you can join an organized boat tour, but also at several places along Lake Garda you can rent a pedal boat with kids and explore Lake Garda that way.
#24 Rafting: another active activity is to go rafting with kids around Lake Garda. You can raft a 10 kilometer trip from Brentino to Gaium and this is already possible for kids as young as 5 years old. We have already rafted several times with our daughter and always find this a very cool activity with the family.
Best travel time Lake Garda with kids
The best travel time to visit Lake Garda with kids is the summer months. The weather is generally very good then. In the months of July and August it does get very crowded around Lake Garda and you are very likely to get stuck in traffic jams when visiting some destinations.
If you have the chance to vacation outside these two months, June and September are still great months to visit the lake. You generally still have fine weather then and there are a lot fewer tourists.
