When to Visit - Lake Maggiore & Lake Orta Travel Guide

The peak season is July and August. At this time you should book your accommodation in advance and expect heavy traffic on the lakeside roads and ongoing parking problems.

In these two months the average day and night temperatures are at their highest (28/29 and 17/18 °C respectively), rainfall is at its lowest and sunny days are at their most frequent.

The temperature of the lake in July and August is a pleasant 20-22 °C.

If you would like to see the current weather on Lake Maggiore, visit our pages on Locarno and Ascona, where we have included a webcam image on each.

The quieter months of June and September are certainly especially lovely too, with a mild late summer lasting into October and November.

The winter months are quite mild, and temperatures only rarely fall below freezing. Bear in mind, though, that many hotels and museums are closed at this time.

Rainfall is not spread evenly through the year but is markedly higher in April and May than in the other months. The often torrential downpours can cause the water level of the lake to rise alarmingly at this time, and whole villages and sections of the lakeside road have been flooded on several occasions.