Ticket for Isola Bella and Isola Madre from Stresa

Isola Bella’s palace and its ten terraces of gardens are the headline sights, but the trip also takes you to quieter Isola Madre, where subtropical plants fill an old island garden. This is a straightforward boat transfer between Stresa and two distinct Borromean Islands, not a guided tour of their palaces.

I like the flexible ticket, which lets you request a voucher to change your travel date without a change fee, and the chance to see both Isola Madre’s botanical garden and Isola Bella’s grand Baroque setting in one outing. The boats are shared, and the captains are multilingual.

The main catch is the price: $17.35 covers transport, not island admission. You will need to pay separately to enter the palaces and gardens, and Isola Bella involves many steps, with busy areas inside the palace.

The essentials at a glance

• Two islands, one boat outing: Travel from Stresa to Isola Madre and Isola Bella on a shared motorboat service.
• Isola Madre comes first: Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes for its palace and botanical garden, with subtropical plants and rare camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
• Isola Bella brings the Baroque drama: Its Borromeo palace and garden rise across ten terraces, but expect stairs and potentially crowded rooms.
• Admission costs extra: The $17.35 ticket pays for boat transport, fuel, and VAT. Palace and garden entry is not included.
• Plan on four to five hours: The trip begins and ends at Piazza Guglielmo Marconi in Stresa.
• Date changes have some flexibility: You can request a voucher to move your Flex-Ticket to another date, subject to the available dates.

A boat connection, not a guided island tour

This experience is best understood as transport between Stresa and two islands, with time to explore each on your own. The shared motorboats belong to C.M.A. Stresatour, a fleet of 11 boats with capacities ranging from 30 to 60 seats. The service includes fuel, VAT, and multilingual captains.

That distinction matters when you compare the price with a fully guided excursion. You are paying for the boat connection, not admission to the Borromeo palace or gardens and not a dedicated guide to explain the rooms or plants. If you want to understand what you are seeing, plan to explore independently or arrange your own guide separately.

The usual visit takes about four to five hours. The stated itinerary allocates roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to Isola Madre and 1 hour 30 minutes to the palace visit on Isola Bella, with additional time for transfers and the Stresa departure. Treat those timings as a useful outline, not a promise that every stop will last exactly that long.

The trip starts and finishes at Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, by the lakefront in Stresa. Stresa itself is described as a historic resort town, known for its villas and grand hotels, and for attracting royal and literary visitors. The boat ticket does not appear to include a guided town walk, so regard Stresa as your departure point unless you choose to make time for it separately.

Isola Madre: a quieter first stop

The first island is Isola Madre, set in the middle of the gulf. Its main draw is a botanical garden surrounding a Renaissance palace. A mild climate has allowed subtropical varieties to grow here, alongside unusual and rare camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.

I would choose this stop for a slower change of pace before the more elaborate interiors and terraces of Isola Bella. The garden is the point, so give yourself time to notice the range of plants rather than treating the island as a quick photo stop. The planned visit is about 1 hour 30 minutes, which gives you a meaningful window without making the outing an all-day commitment.

The palace is part of the island’s appeal, but admission to the palace and gardens is not included in the boat fare. Check the entry cost as you plan your overall budget. The supplied information does not give current opening hours or ticket prices, so do not assume those are covered by the $17.35 transport ticket.

Isola Bella: palace rooms and ten garden terraces

After Isola Madre, the boat takes you to Isola Bella, the best-known of the three Borromean Islands. Its palace and formal Italian garden are built into a dramatic arrangement of ten terraces. The combination of palace, sculpture, paintings, and garden design gives the visit a grander, more theatrical feel than Isola Madre’s botanical setting.

The palace holds period furnishings, Flemish tapestries in gold and silk, weapons, sculptures, paintings, and frescoes dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The route described through the rooms includes the Hall of Medals, the Hall of Honor, a music room with old instruments, Napoleon’s room, the Luca Giordano room, the Zuccarelli room, and the ballroom. Napoleon slept in his room on August 17 and 18, 1797, a small historical detail that can make the palace feel more connected to actual events than a succession of decorated rooms.

The visit is scheduled for about 1 hour 30 minutes, but the palace can feel packed in certain areas. If you prefer to study paintings and interiors at length, crowds may make it harder to linger. The garden is another highlight, and white peacocks are one of the island’s memorable sights.

There is a practical drawback for garden-focused visitors: access to the gardens requires going through the palace, according to the information provided. You cannot simply skip the indoor visit and head straight to the terraces. Isola Bella also has many steps, both in the palace and garden, so allow extra effort if stairs are difficult for you.

What the ticket price does and does not buy

At $17.35 per person, the fare is a relatively modest way to arrange boat transport from Stresa to both islands. It includes the shared transfer, fuel, and VAT. The reliable, clean boats and punctual service are important parts of the value: they let you focus on the islands rather than arranging separate transport between them.

But do not mistake the fare for an all-inclusive island pass. Admission to the Isola Madre and Isola Bella palaces and gardens is excluded. Your actual cost will be higher once you add those entry tickets, so check the current admission charges before booking if you are working to a strict budget.

The ticket is most useful if you want the boat connection and are happy to plan the island visits yourself. If your priority is a guide who interprets the palace rooms, garden design, or Borromeo family history, this particular service does not promise one. The captains are multilingual, but that does not mean a guided tour is included.

Flexibility, weather, and practical planning

The Flex-Ticket option lets you request a voucher to change your chosen date, with no fee for changing the reservation date. This is helpful if your plans are still taking shape, though it is a date-change option rather than a guarantee that you can board on any date without checking availability.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours in advance are not accepted for a refund. The activity is weather-dependent: if poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund.

The listed meeting and ticket redemption point is Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 28838 Stresa. The activity ends back at the same point. Confirmation is provided at booking, service animals are allowed, and the departure point is near public transportation. The service says most people can participate, but that broad note does not remove the practical issue of stairs at Isola Bella.

The maximum listed group size is 900 travelers. That is a high overall cap, not the capacity of a single boat: the fleet’s individual motorboats carry between 30 and 60 seats. Expect a shared service rather than a small private excursion.

Is this the right Borromean Islands outing for you?

I would book this if you want a simple, reasonably priced boat link from Stresa and enough time to explore two islands on your own. The contrast is the real strength: Isola Madre offers a botanical garden with subtropical varieties, while Isola Bella pairs a richly decorated palace with a formal, terraced garden.

Consider skipping it if you want a guided experience, need island admissions included in one price, or would struggle with stairs and crowded indoor spaces. And if you have enough time, think about whether you would rather visit all three Borromean Islands; the two-island ticket does not include the third, and some people wish they had chosen all three.

For a first visit with a half-day available, this is a sensible way to see the two best-known sides of the lake’s island scenery. Just budget for entry separately, check the weather, and give yourself permission to take the islands at your own pace.

FAQ

How much does the ticket cost?

The listed price is $17.35 per person. Admission to the palaces and gardens on Isola Madre and Isola Bella is not included.

How long does the experience take?

Plan on approximately four to five hours, including the boat transfers and visits to both islands.

Which islands are included?

The shared boat transfer serves Isola Madre and Isola Bella from Stresa.

Where do I meet the boat?

The meeting and ticket redemption point is Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 28838 Stresa, Italy.

Where does the activity end?

It ends back at the meeting point in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.

What is included in the ticket?

The ticket includes shared boat transfers to Isola Madre and Isola Bella, fuel costs, and VAT. The captains are multilingual.

Are palace and garden admissions included?

No. Entry to the Isola Madre and Isola Bella palaces and gardens is not included.

Can I change the date of a Flex-Ticket?

Yes. You can request a voucher to change the date, with no fee for changing the reservation to a different available date.

What happens if bad weather cancels the experience?

You will be offered a different date or a full refund if poor weather causes the activity to be canceled.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.