Is Isola Bella Worth It? Palace and Garden Entry, Hours and Who Should Skip Inside
Updated October 20, 2026 · 5 min read
For most first-time visitors, yes: go inside, but buy the Isola Bella entry ticket and a cheap boat ticket separately. The ticket covers the baroque Palazzo Borromeo and the terraced garden, costs €27 for adults and has 4.6 stars from 111 reviews on GetYourGuide. The island is worth the boat ride on its own; the palace is worth the money if you like historic interiors and have time to spare. If you only want the view and a coffee, the boat ticket is enough.
What the ticket covers
According to the operator, the admission ticket includes the visit to Palazzo Borromeo and the Italian baroque garden. The island has belonged to the Borromeo family since the seventeenth century. What was a bare rock was turned into terraced gardens that look like the prow of a ship from the water, with the palace and the pier forming the stern. The island took its present form in 1948, when a new hall was finished in the palace.
The official prices for adults and children are:
- adults: €27
- ages 6 to 15: €18
- ages 3 to 5 and ages 0 to 2: free
The operator adds that prices can vary with the date of the visit, the type of ticket and the sales channel. The GetYourGuide ticket is listed at €27, the same as the adult price on the operator’s own site. The description does not mention a time slot or a queue-free entrance, so look at the booking page to see what the ticket adds.
Hours
The operator’s 2026 season ran from 12 March to 8 November. Until 24 October, the island was open daily from 10 am, with the last entry at 5 pm, the palace closing at 5.30 pm and the garden at 6 pm. From 25 October the last entry was 4 pm. Entry is allowed up to thirty minutes before closing, and a ticket is checked at the door of each site. Dates shift from year to year, so check the season before you travel.
How long and what to expect
The visit route is fixed, and visitors are asked to stay behind the barriers. According to the operator’s visit rules, the visit inside the palace may last a maximum of 60 minutes; the garden has no fixed duration but must end no later than one hour after the last palace admission. The order is fixed: the palace rooms first, then the garden terraces. Do not arrive in the last hour: entry stops thirty minutes before closing, and a late start leaves you a rushed palace and a garden at dusk.
Outside the ticketed area there is a small village on the island with shops and restaurants. The ticket is for the palace and garden only; how you spend the rest is up to you.
Rules that catch people out
These come from the operator’s visit rules and are worth knowing before you board:
- Strollers, umbrellas and large backpacks are not allowed inside the palace. Free lockers and a free stroller storage area are near the ticket office.
- Small and medium backpacks must be worn on the front of the body.
- Photography is not allowed in the Berthier Gallery. Flash and selfie sticks are banned in all palace rooms.
- Pets are not allowed in the palace or the garden. Guide dogs and medical assistance dogs are admitted.
- Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is allowed only in the designated outdoor café areas.
Mobility
The operator says that the island’s layout and the heritage restrictions can make access difficult for people with reduced mobility. The palace has a lift to the rooms on the first floor. Visitors with a certified disability of 30 % or more get free entry. Call the operator’s call centre before you go to ask how your situation would work; this article cannot tell you that.
The boat and the combined ticket
You reach Isola Bella by boat from Stresa. The Isola Bella boat tour costs €8 and has 4.7 stars from 64 reviews. A palace ticket plus that boat comes to €35 for an adult. The Isola Bella entry ticket with boat transfer from Stresa costs €46 for 4.3 stars from 36 reviews; the description promises a return boat transfer and entry to the palace and garden. That is €11 more than buying the two parts yourself, and the description does not say what the difference buys. If you want Isola Madre as well, the operator’s combined ticket for both islands is €40 for adults and €23 for ages 6 to 15.
For the full picture of the boats, see hop-on hop-off from Stresa. Other tickets and boat trips are listed under palaces, villas and gardens around Lake Maggiore.
| Ticket | Adult price | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Entry ticket (palace and garden) | €27 | 4.6 from 111 reviews |
| Boat trip from Stresa | €8 | 4.7 from 64 reviews |
| Entry with boat transfer | €46 | 4.3 from 36 reviews |
When to skip the inside
Skip the palace if you travel with a stroller you cannot leave at the ticket office, if the day is short and you would rather see two islands from the pier than one in detail, or if interiors do not interest you. In those cases the hop-on hop-off tickets give you the island for €8 instead of €35.
The verdict
If you are going to be on the lake once, go inside: buy the entry ticket for Isola Bella for €27, add the boat tour for €8 and arrive before the last hour. If it is your second visit, the boat and the village are enough.
