Northern Italy: Xavier
Where am I? - Northern Italy: Milan, Riva del Garda and the Dolomites
Duration - 9 Days (during early July in 2026 summer)
Suitable for - Everyone for a summer trip! The diversity of Northern Italy is fabulous: stunning lakeside villages at Lago Di Garda and unparalleled outdoorsy exploration in the Dolomites.
I chose Italy as the first stop of my Europe 2026 trip! A country that offers so much variety in terms of landscapes, cities, cuisine and outdoorsy experiences!
MILAN
We landed in Milan on 01 July at 7:30am. After taking the Malpensa Express to our hotel in Milan, we hit the ground running to make the most of our 24hrs in this northern Italian city. We stayed at Urban Hive Hotel Milan in the fabulous Brera district of Milan. This area is just north of the city centre and is known for its historic, artsy and more residential vibe and is well connected by the Moscova metro station. The rooms at this hotel were funky, and the lobby was uniquely artsy and featured local design elements.
For sightseeing in Milan, this was my second time visiting this iconic city. I decided to revisit some of the key sites with the family including the fascinating Duomo di Milano (one of Europe's best gothic cathedrals) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy's oldest active shopping arcade. I also loved exploring Castello Sforzesco, a fabulous castle in Milan with a large park behind it and fascinating architecture, also a short walk from our hotel near the Brera district. A visit to the more modern side to Milan is also quite interesting with the Arco della Pace and Bosco Verticale green buildings.
Some of my favourite dining spots in Milan included:
Taverna del Borgo Antico, a lovely quiet local place located on Via Madonnina right in the heart of Brera with great summer outdoor dining tables.
Debbie's was another great café-bakery on Corso Garibaldi for lunch with yummy focaccias.
Osteria da Fortunata a homey trattoria (it does get busy here, so I suggest an early dinner!)
LAGO DI GARDA (RIVA DEL GARDA)
The next afternoon was a travel day to the fabulous Lake Garda, a new place of exploration for me in Italy. After two trains to Rovereto (via Verona), we then took a bus to the town of Riva del Garda, the town on the northernmost point of this massive lake! We stayed in the heart of the old town which was super vibrant with summer festivities. We spent 3 nights in this gorgeous town and enjoyed some lakeside swimming, relaxation and lots of amazing foodie options.
Some of my highlights in the old town included:
The walk up the 13th century clock tower (Apponale) in Riva del Garda with views over the old town
The main beach and surrounding areas Spiaggia Sabbioni - great for swimming, with the mountains flanking the lakeside as an insanely gorgeous backdrop. There are so many water sports to do here.
Lake Garda itself is Italy's largest lake and it has a quintessential Mediterranean feel despite being inland.
Some of my favourite restaurants in Riva del Garda include:
Bella Napoli - a very popular spot, historic family-run pizzeria and restaurant in the town centre.
L'Appetito - a small family run restaurant in a more intimate setting in one of the town's gorgeous alleyways.
Leon d'Oro - a gastronomic institution in the old town run by the same family since 1938 known for its pastas and risottos.
Punta Lido - is a great lakefront gelato bar and café with a panoramic terrace overlooking the lake and mountains, a great stop between the beach and old town.
Eta Beta - for gelato in the heart of the old town for a post-dinner dessert.
The afternoon of our second full day at leisure also included an hour-long ferry ride from Riva del Garda to Malcesine, a historic town about halfway down Lake Garda. The ferries are a great way to see the lake from a different perspective. Malcesine's Castello Scaligero is a fortress I really enjoyed exploring, perched on a rock right above the lake, built in the 13th century with fabulous views over Malcesine and nearby mountains! If you have a car, I also recommend the Cascata del Varone, a high natural waterfall just inland from Riva del Garda which plunges about 100 metres and has lovely landscaped botanical gardens.
DOLOMITES & BADIA ABTEI
The next 5 days consisted of fabulousDolomitesexploration. I highly recommend having a car for this area, given trains are limited in these mountain towns and the buses are extremely busy in the summer months with many hikers exploring the region! We enjoyed a lovely lunch on the side of the road on the journey toBadia AbteiatPizzeriaPetra. Make sure to try the amazing apple strudel in this part of northern Italy. What amazed me is that all the signs are in Italian, German and the local ancient Ladin language in this region!
We stayed at ApartmentsCampagnola in the lovely BadiaAbtei. This town, whilst not on many travellers' radars for accommodation, actually served as an amazing base for exploring the surrounding Dolomites and South Tyrol. This meant we had one base rather than splitting our time between the two main towns of Ortisei and Cortina D'Ampezzo. I loved our time in this unique, alpine village which sits below the iconic Sasso di Santa Croce cliffs. If you get a chance, visit Santa Croce Church and take a stroll into the Armentara Meadows. These can be accessed by the La Crusc cable car. I would definitely love to stay there again!
SECEDA RIDGELINE & ORTISEI
When you search for images of the Dolomites, Seceda is often the Ridgeline that appears - the quintessential Dolomites! This day was truly unmatched and featured some of the best mountains I have ever seen. About an hour drive from Badia Abtei, we reached Ortisei. I recommend leaving early for the Dolomites hikes to avoid more of the crowds and to ensure parking in the towns. From 2026, you need to reserve the cable car tickets in advance to reach the summit of Seceda via two consecutive cable cars from Ortisei to Furnes and Furnes to Seceda. Once up at the ridgeline, it's only about a 20min walk to the iconic Seceda viewpoint where you get 360º sweeping views over the Val Gardena valley below and wider Dolomites. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Hutte Sofie, a lovely rifugio with sweeping views. Following the morning at Seceda, we explored the lovely town of Ortisei. Café Corso was a great spot for gelati, tea and coffee in the old town.
TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO & CORTINA D’AMPEZZO
Our following day consisted of a 1.5hr drive east to explore this side of the Dolomites. With another early start we drove to Rifugio Auronzo to park the car (also needs to be reserved several weeks in advance). Tre Cime was another one of my favourite days in Italy with a fabulous 10km hike in an anticlockwise circuit. You can stop for snacks and drinks along the way at the rifugios. During this 4hr hike we enjoyed incredible photo opportunities passing through insane scenery of valleys, peaks, mountains, fields and rocky outcrops. The journey home in the evening included a stop in Cortina D'Ampezzo, one of the host towns of the recent 2026 Winter Olympics. We enjoyed a late lunch at the Hotel de la Poste with lots of shopping and dining options in Corso Italia. On the drive back to Badia, we made sure to stop at Falzarego Pass and Valporola Pass for some photos!
LAGO DI BRAIES & BRUNICO
On our third day, we visited the iconic Lago di Braies located about an hour north of Badia Abtei. This was the perfect day for a gorgeous 3.5km easy walk, perfect after a long hike yesterday. The water here was incredibly turquoise, with the lake flanked by the stunning towering mountains. Remember to also reserve car parking (P4 is the closest parking to the lake). Emma's Bistro was a great coffee and pastry stop by the lake, with views over Lago di Braies that reminded me of Lake Louise in Canada! After a stunning visit to the lake, we then stopped halfway home in the underrated Brunico. This amazing old town has a fabulous castle, river and quaint old town streets. We enjoyed lunch at Zum Goldenen Loren offering local South Tyrolean food in the heart of Brunico. Make sure to try the unique Südtirol specialty Hemaher Tagliagieno, a traditional hay liqueur produced by the Lerchnorf farm in the Dolomites.
After a stunning few days here in the Dolomites, I can't wait to continue our adventure through Central Europe and would absolutely return to Lake Garda and the Dolomites in the future! :)