From 20 December to 6 January, Navigazione Lago di Garda will offer special sailings to reach the most popular local destinations: from Desenzano to Sirmione, from Peschiera to Lazise, Bardolino and Garda
With the arrival of the Christmas holidays, Lake Garda is preparing to welcome thousands of tourists, visitors, and local residents eager to experience the magic of the lake, which is at its most enchanting at this time of year thanks to festive lights and market stalls selling typical local products that decorate the lakeside villages. To make travelling easier during this busy and important period for the area, Navigazione Lago di Garda has once again launched a special boat route schedule, offering extra connections between the most picturesque towns of the southern shores of the lake. From 20 December, 2025, to 6 January, 2026 (except Christmas Day), tourists and residents will be able to sail more easily among the decorated villages and Christmas markets on the shores of the lake.
“Given the positive feedback from last season,” said Pietro Marrapodi, Government Manager of Navigazione Laghi, “we decided to organise special connections again for this year’s festive period to facilitate travel and help reduce road traffic, congestion, and parking issues”. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with local municipalities, offers two festive routes: one between Desenzano and Sirmione, on the Brescia shore and another connecting Peschiera, Lazise, Bardolino, and Garda, in the heart of the Veronese shore of southern Lake Garda. For the Desenzano–Sirmione route, there will be 16 daily round trips from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., ideal for those planning a day trip to the thermal baths and the charming streets of Sirmione. On the Venetian shore, the shuttle service between Peschiera, Lazise, Bardolino, and Garda will offer six round trips, with stops allowing passengers to move easily between the main towns in the area. These special sailings will allow everyone to experience Christmas from a unique perspective — that of the lake.
The boats, decorated for the occasion, will offer spectacular views of the market lights reflected on the water, while passengers can take advantage of the trip to visit the Bardolino Christmas markets, admire the illuminations in Garda, or explore the Christmas village in Sirmione, with concerts, crafts, and local traditional food. The initiative also aims to promote sustainable regional development, encouraging low-impact travel and slow, experiential tourism that allows visitors to rediscover the gentle rhythm of sailing on the lake. With this in mind, Navigazione Lago di Garda reaffirms its role not only as a public transport service but also as a cultural and environmental promoter of the Lake Garda area: “It’s an opportunity to make the waterway the fastest and most comfortable means of experiencing the magic of the holidays,” concluded Marrapodi. Information, timetables and tickets are available at the Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera, Lazise, Bardolino, and Garda ticket offices, or online at www.navigazionelaghi.it, where detailed route information is also provided.
