Lake Garda in October

[EnglishRose1320]

So we've book our first family holiday abroad. We know it won't be super hot at that time of year and that's okay for us.
Just wondering, what activities do people recommend? Where is stunning to visit?
We fly in and out of Verona, staying at the south end of Lake Garda. We will be two adults and two teenagers, fairly active but the teens aren't massively in to hiking for hours.

Sirmione, Isola del Garda, Malcesine and Monte Baldo

Thanks, I'd heard Sirmione was beautiful and worth a visit, plus definitely want to check out Mount Baldo but hadn't heard of those others places, off to do some reading about them!

We got married in malcesine it's beautiful. For kids we took them to caneva aquapark amd movieland they loved that

Thanks @mrsbitaly , I have a feeling the aqua park is closed when we go, was wondering about movieland though, so good to hear that was enjoyed. Is it a mix of bigger and smaller rides, I've got one thrill seeker and one more nervous one to cater for.

I remember the theme park being good. Is it called gardaland? Definitely a mix of rides. I loved canyonning in the mountains north of Riva.

Grotte di Catulla on Sirmione are well worth a visit. Fab views from there too. Garda and Bardolino for a wander round/ lunch. You could rent boats for the afternoon from Desenzano/Sirmione when we were there. Parco Natura was good - though I would skip the safari park bit. Desenzano has some roman ruins. And McDonalds and a cinema and shopping mall out of town. If your teenagers have seen/like Call Me By Your Name, there a lot of filming locations not so far away.

Adding Desenzano to the list if places to visit, thanks @MissAmbrosia sounds perfect for us.

I'd seen Gardaland as well as Movie land, @pinksquash13 , glad to hear that has a mix of rides as well, most of the photos just showed big roller coasters.

Canoeing sounds like a possible activity for us as well.

Cable car up Alp at Malcesine. Boat to Riva. Outdoor opera in Verona. I would imagine Lake Garda is lovely out of season.

Verona Opera finishes before October but the arena is worth a visit anyway.

We are there just now with 3 teenagers. Canyoning was very popular with my active sons and so Jungle Adventure Park (high ropes). We all enjoyed ferry across the lake and have a sunset cruise booked for tomorrow. Also planning the thermal park on Friday. It’s very beautiful and relaxing. The roads around the lake can be a little hair raising!

I've always got on really well with the local bus service around Garda. In October it is infrequent, but it's reliable and very cost-effective.

Day trip to Venice! Goon a gondola!

@TAmum123 , ooh please let me know how you get on at the thermal park. I'm really tempted but it looks quite pricey, so want to know if it's worth the cost.

@Thereisnolight , cable car is definitely on my ds' lists, I'm terrified of them but will try and be brave!

@ClaudiaWankleman , good to know about the bus service, we aren't hiring a car so will be relying on public transport.

@FunsizedandFabulous , I'm really tempted with a trip to Venice, going to look into the train times and prices.

Are you going October half term. That’s quite late in the season, prepare for things to be closed. Smaller towns for example might not have many restaurants open.
agree with many suggestions, really like Sirmione and Peschiera. A day trip to Venice is also feasible. If you like designer clothes, there is a big outlet in Affi. (and an animal park).

I really recommend this place, it has beautiful gardens. There's a war ship actually in the gardens that you can walk around in. It's fascinating and really unusual.
www.vittoriale.it/

@AdriannaP , yes its the last week of the main season, but that suits us down to the ground.
We will mostly eat where we are staying, will eat out a few times but should be able to find places still open from what I've read.
Some of the tourist attractions are closed, but mainly things like waterparks, which my ds' have no interest in anyway.
My eldest ds reacts badly to the heat, so this seems like the ideal holiday, somewhere exciting enough for younger ds, beautiful with lots of history for me and oh, but going when it's not too hot for eldest ds.

@DesMoulinsRouge, that looks great and its open all year round, perfect. Thanks

It's absolutely gorgeous. Verona is also a lovely place. Take the funicular up to look over the city. We went in October half term and there was plenty to do.

I see that you don't want it too hot and you've taken this into consideration but beware that the evenings / early mornings may be colder than you expect - ie we needed coats rather than just a sweatshirt .

You can also visit Venice a couple of hours by train from Peschiera or Desenzano.

Verona opera amazing if it's still on when you go.

@DesMoulinsRouge ooh that looks a good way to see Verona, thanks for all the great tips.

@shinynewapple22 , yes I've seen it can get quite chilly in the evenings/overnight- have been researching warm but lightweight and packable coats this week! Have you been in October? Would you say a lightweight coat over a jumper would be enough?

@WhisperGold, unfortunately I think it will be too late in the year, but if this trip goes well, I think it sounds like definitely enough things there to be worth another trip in the future.

Beautiful in October. We were there mid October, 26 degrees during the day but the buses had the heating on and the locals were wrapped up in scarves and puffa jackets.......

Bardolino's wine festival is at the beginning of the month, great fun, good markets etc. If you're staying at the south end of the lake it's worth getting a ferry to Riva and staying overnight or for a couple of nights.

We stayed in Sirmione and our favourite part of the day was cocktail hour - Aperol overlooking Scaligero castle, watching the ferries pootle about. Bar Della Torre is lovely, slightly away from the hordes.

Gardaland, cable cars, water sports, Via Benaco if the driver's game.

Cable car Monte Baldo.

funiviedelbaldo.it/en/cable-car/

The car does an 360 turn.

If you are really brave you can do this from the top of Monte Baldo.

www.gardairstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tandem-paragliding-lake-garda-monte-baldo.jpg

or this: funiviedelbaldo.it/en/mountain-bike-en/

Would echo previous posters suggestion of visiting Vittoriale - it’s mad and spectacular! My younger children loved it when we visited about 4 years ago.

How about hiring bikes and trying out the 3km stretch of suspended cycle path between Limone and Capo Reamol - it looks so much fun!! en.eurovelo.com/news/2021-05-14_cycle-on-water-along-the-hanging-cycle-path-of-lake-garda-next-to-eurovelo-7-sun-route

@EnglishRose1320 I have been to Lake Garda at October half term but it was 20 years ago. I can't remember exactly what clothing I took, only that I remember feeling chilly in the evening as it was colder than expected . Also we went on a trip to Montova (sp?). We had gone fairly early in the morning and my feet were freezing! We may have been unlucky that particular year though . I would probably recommend a light puffer jacket - one that packs away.

I don't know if you are hiring a car or will be using public transport but it's surprising how long it can take to travel around the lake (in high season anyway) so I would recommend prioritising your time looking for activities in the region you are staying . We've been 8 or 9 times and never got bored so you'll definitely find things to do for a second trip if you like it .

Yes evening/early morning might be a little chilly but if the sun is out during the day it will be nice and warm. Layers are your best bet.