Malcesine day trip from Riva del Garda or Bardolino
A day trip to Malcesine from Riva del Garda or Bardolino: the Scaliger Castle on its rock above the lake, a walk through the historic centre, then the Monte Baldo cable car. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Malcesine in 1 day
Day 1
Scaliger Castle, Malcesine
Medieval castle on a rock above the lake, rebuilt by the Della Scala lords of Verona, with a tower to climb and small museums.
Historic centre of Malcesine
A walk through cobbled lanes, the small harbour and lakeside squares of an old town at the foot of Monte Baldo.
Monte Baldo cable car
Cable car, with rotating cabins on its upper section, climbing from Malcesine to the Monte Baldo ridge, for walks and wide views over the whole lake.
Palazzo dei Capitani
The Venetian captains' palace in Malcesine, with a small garden on the water and a museum with views over the lake.
Val di Sogno
A pebbly bay with small islands south of Malcesine, good for a swim or just for watching the lake.
Watch: Malcesine
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
From Riva del Garda, lake ferries take about an hour (fast boats about 40 minutes), and buses and cars follow the east shore road in about 40 minutes. From Bardolino, the drive or bus along the east shore takes roughly an hour, and the ferry ride up the lake takes longer.
Staying in Riva del Garda or Bardolino? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Malcesine
May, June and September are the best months, with warm weather and fewer crowds than July and August, when the town and the cable car are at their busiest. The cable car usually closes for a few weeks in late autumn, and winter brings snow to the top of Monte Baldo while the lakeside is quiet.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Malcesine on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Malcesine on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Malcesine on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Malcesine
- The Monte Baldo cable car has long queues on summer days; buying tickets online ahead or riding up early saves time.
- It is much cooler at the top of Monte Baldo than by the lake; bring a jacket and good shoes for the paths along the ridge.
- The cable car may stop in strong wind or bad weather, so check that it is running before planning the afternoon around it.
- The castle tower gives the best view of the town and the lake; the climb is up narrow steps.
- Check the last ferry or bus back to your base, as boat services on the lake are much reduced outside the summer season.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Historic centre of Malcesine: Imcall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monte Baldo cable car: No machine-readable author provided. Tanarus~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo dei Capitani: CTHOE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Val di Sogno: Imcall, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
