October
Wk 41–43
The quietest stretch among this region's best weather weeks: crowd level around 18 out of 100, weather comfort near 64.
- Crowd level
- 18–19
- Comfort
- 59–69
Italy · Gardasee
Lake Garda: three regions on a foothill lake
Italy's largest lake is shared between Trentino-South Tyrol, Lombardy and Veneto. Scaliger castles stand on its shores, and since 2017 the Venetian fortress of Peschiera has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Busiest week
AugustCrowd level 100
Wk 32 · 5,503,127 overnight stays
Quietest weeks
NovemberCrowd level 0
Wk 45–47 · measured against the region's own year, not against other regions
Sweet spot
OctoberCrowd level 18–19
Wk 41–43 · quietest while the weather still holds
Warmest month
25 °CComfort 65
July · around 141 mm of rain in the month
Gardasee in brief
Lake Garda, at 369.98 square kilometres, is Italy's largest lake and is shared between three regions: Trentino-South Tyrol to the north, Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the east. Its shores carried Scaliger castles in the 13th and 14th centuries, before the lake passed to the Republic of Venice in 1454, which fortified Peschiera into what has been a World Heritage Site since 2017. On the western shore, between Salò and Limone, lies the Riviera dei Limoni with its lemon orangeries, and on the eastern shore the Riviera degli Olivi, named after the olive groves of Monte Baldo. Several wine regions ring the lake, from Lugana in the south to Bardolino and Soave in the east.
When is Gardasee busy, when is it quiet?
Click a week. The panel on the right explains why it is busy or quiet.
Weather profile
Weather comfort is an absolute scale (0 = poor, 100 = ideal) and a second axis next to the season-relative crowd level.
JanuaryØ 5
FebruaryØ 9
MarchØ 9
AprilØ 21
MayØ 32
JuneØ 62
JulyØ 90
AugustØ 95
SeptemberØ 51
OctoberØ 19
NovemberØ 2
DecemberØ 7
Colour = season-relative crowd levelBar = weather comfort (Sun & warmth), absolute 0–100
Why this week?
October · Wk 41
Crowd level18/100 · fairly quiet
quietbusy
Weather comfort33/100 · Sun & warmth
-26 % versus the region's annual average.
- Contributing months
- October (100 %)
- Overnight stays/week
- 1,931,508
- School-holiday pressure (source markets)
- 6 % of source markets on school holidays · -1 % crowding from holidays
- Main source markets
- Italy (57 %) · Germany (17 %) · France (4 %) · 87% of guests modelled
- Region range
- 1,172,234–5,503,127 (avg 2,606,341)
- Base years
- 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 (excluding 2020, 2021)
Several destinations share this statistical region, so the base curve is identical.
v1: Crowd-Score aus der Eurostat-Basisschicht (Übernachtungen), moduliert vom Schulferien-Druck der Quellmärkte, region-spezifisch gewichtet mit dem Quellland-Mix. Season-relativ zur Region. Event-Schichten folgen.
Plan your trip
Pre-filled with the next date in week 41.
DestinationGardasee
Travel datesPick a week in the calendar
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StayFind stays (opens in a new tab)
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Photos: Johny Goerend · reisetopia · Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash
The travel year in Gardasee, month by month
The year as a table to read and to cite: crowd level for every month, plus weather comfort and temperature from the climate normals.
| Month | Crowd level0–100, season-relative | Weather comfort0–100, profile “mild” | Avg temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 22 | 3 °C |
| February | 9 | 30 | 6 °C |
| March | 9 | 45 | 9 °C |
| April | 21 | 60 | 14 °C |
| May | 32 | 66 | 18 °C |
| June | 62 | 70 | 23 °C |
| July | 90 | 65 | 25 °C |
| August | 95 | 69 | 24 °C |
| September | 51 | 74 | 20 °C |
| October | 19 | 66 | 15 °C |
| November | 2 | 41 | 8 °C |
| December | 7 | 25 | 4 °C |
The crowd level is season-relative: 100 is the annual peak of Gardasee itself, not the busiest destination in Europe. The figures say when it is quiet here — not where it is quieter than elsewhere.
Weather comfort 0–100 from the climate normals, profile “mild” – the same profile as the recommendation above, not the selection in the calendar. A “–” means the data for that month is missing.
Index 2.0 · As of 25/08/2026
The windows worth catching
Three windows from the model: first whether the weather suits the region, then how busy it gets.
April
Wk 14–16
A second option, also with usable weather: crowd level around 21, weather comfort near 59.
- Crowd level
- 19–22
- Comfort
- 56–62
August
Wk 31–33
The region's peak: crowd level around 99 out of 100. Only if the dates are fixed.
- Crowd level
- 98–100
- Comfort
- 66–67
Gardasee compared with Europe
How full the accommodation is here, measured against Europe – on the only measure on which two travel regions can be compared.
- Bed occupancy in Gardasee
- 21.2
- European median
- 23.1
per cent of bed places, annual mean
per cent of bed places, annual mean
Furthest from the median: November, at 0.6× the value. Closest to the median: September, at 1.0× the value.
Mean across 12 months, weighted by their weeks. This occupancy compares travel regions with one another. The crowding in the table above compares Gardasee with itself. The two measures are never combined.
Climate through the year
Average temperature with day/night range and precipitation across the twelve months.
- Avg temperature
- Day/night range
- Precipitation
| Month | Avg temperature (°C) | Day avg (°C) | Night avg (°C) | Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 50 |
| Feb | 5 | 6 | 3 | 70 |
| Mar | 8 | 9 | 6 | 79 |
| Apr | 12 | 14 | 10 | 103 |
| May | 16 | 18 | 14 | 164 |
| Jun | 21 | 23 | 19 | 119 |
| Jul | 23 | 25 | 21 | 141 |
| Aug | 22 | 24 | 21 | 136 |
| Sep | 18 | 20 | 17 | 121 |
| Oct | 13 | 15 | 12 | 125 |
| Nov | 8 | 8 | 7 | 113 |
| Dec | 3 | 4 | 2 | 71 |
The band shows mean daytime to nighttime temperature. Precipitation shown as monthly total (mm). Typical monthly value (climate normal), not a forecast.
How sunny?
How much sun a typical day delivers, month by month, expressed as hours of full midday sun.
Sunny
≈ 3.8 h of full midday sun per day, annual average
Jun
Sunniest month
| Month | ≈ h of full midday sun per day |
|---|---|
| Jan | 1.7 |
| Feb | 2.5 |
| Mar | 3.9 |
| Apr | 4.9 |
| May | 5.2 |
| Jun | 6.1 |
| Jul | 6.0 |
| Aug | 5.3 |
| Sep | 3.9 |
| Oct | 2.6 |
| Nov | 1.7 |
| Dec | 1.3 |
Basis: mean daily solar irradiance in kWh/m²/day; 1 kWh/m² is roughly one hour of full midday sun (1,000 W/m²). Not the same as measured sunshine duration. Typical monthly value (climate normal), not a forecast.
Directly reachable from
Destination airports of Gardasee and every European departure airport with a direct connection to them.
Destination airports
Select a destination airport to see the direct departure airports.
“Directly reachable” means a direct connection exists according to our sources. We do not show a live timetable. Availability and flight days can vary by season and airline.
Ski areas in Gardasee
Mapped ski areas in this region with slope kilometres, lifts and elevation, plus the long-term snow average from our climate data.
- Ski areas
- 94
- Slopes in total
- 1,659 km
- Lifts
- 813
- Highest point
- 3,235 m
On a long-term average, February sees the most snow: 31 cm mean snow depth across the region. In 5 months of the year the regional average reaches at least 10 cm of snow depth.
| Ski area | Slopes | Lifts | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | 112.91 km17.78 km cross-country | 35 | 859–2,739 m1,880 m vertical drop |
| Livigno | 82.58 km33.11 km cross-country | 37 | 1,811–2,791 m979 m vertical drop |
| Val di Fassa | 78.14 km | 38 | 1,331–2,435 m1,105 m vertical drop |
| Ski Civetta | 61.38 km | 28 | 984–2,078 m1,095 m vertical drop |
| Alpe Cimbra | 59.19 km | 48 | 1,181–1,811 m630 m vertical drop |
| Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta | 58.45 km | 23 | 1,513–2,511 m998 m vertical drop |
| Ponte di Legno - Passo Tonale | 56.33 km | 29 | 1,120–2,993 m1,874 m vertical drop |
| Ski Area San Pellegrino - Falcade | 52.56 km | 18 | 1,216–2,513 m1,297 m vertical drop |
| Arabba | 45.29 km | 16 | 1,609–2,485 m876 m vertical drop |
| Latemar Dolomites | 41.97 km | 20 | 1,539–2,423 m883 m vertical drop |
| Folgaria, Area sciistica Folgaria | 41.66 km | 31 | 1,240–1,811 m571 m vertical drop |
| Belvedere - Col Rodella - Passo Pordoi | 41.03 km | 21 | 1,440–2,423 m983 m vertical drop |
| San Martino di Castrozza - Passo Rolle | 39.83 km | 22 | 1,402–2,351 m950 m vertical drop |
| Folgarida-Marilleva | 39.41 km | 27 | 1,290–2,167 m877 m vertical drop |
| Cortina Tofane | 39.17 km | 12 | 1,212–2,739 m1,528 m vertical drop |
| Aprica | 38.47 km | 15 | 1,157–2,254 m1,097 m vertical drop |
| Skiarea Valchiavenna Madesimo/Campodolcino | 35.45 km | 15 | 1,537–2,877 m1,340 m vertical drop |
| Paganella, Area sciistica Andalo Fai della Paganella | 34.11 km | 16 | 1,025–2,124 m1,099 m vertical drop |
| Lagazuoi - 5 Torri | 34 km | 9 | 1,654–2,727 m1,074 m vertical drop |
| Bormio Ski | 31.57 km0.76 km cross-country | 14 | 1,197–3,010 m1,814 m vertical drop |
| Ski Area Alpe Lusia | 30.4 km | 9 | 1,371–2,339 m968 m vertical drop |
| San Martino di Castrozza | 30.1 km | 16 | 1,402–2,351 m950 m vertical drop |
| Buffaure - Ciampac | 25.77 km | 13 | 1,332–2,435 m1,104 m vertical drop |
| Santa Caterina | 25.68 km10.53 km cross-country | 8 | 1,723–2,879 m1,156 m vertical drop |
| Alpe Cermis | 24.51 km | 8 | 862–2,250 m1,388 m vertical drop |
and 69 more areas in this region
Slope, lift and elevation figures come from open mapping and are complete to varying degrees. “Not available” means not mapped, not “does not exist”. Opening hours and season are not included. Snow figures are long-term averages for the whole region, not snow depth on the mountain and not a forecast.
Gardasee in detail
Location and shape
Lake Garda, with an area of 369.98 square kilometres, a length of 51.6 kilometres, a width of 17.2 kilometres and a maximum depth of 346 metres, is Italy's largest lake, lying 65 metres above sea level. Three Italian regions share its shore: Trentino-South Tyrol with the Province of Trento to the north, Lombardy with the Province of Brescia to the west, and Veneto with the Province of Verona to the east. The lake lies between the Alps to the north and the Po Valley to the south; its northern shore is ringed by peaks over 2,000 metres such as Monte Baldo, while its southern shore already belongs to the North Italian plain. It is named after the town of Garda on the eastern shore; its ancient name Lacus Benacus, in use from around 200 BC to 800 AD, probably derives from a deity called Benacus.
Geology, islands and tributaries
The lake was carved during the last ice age by a side branch of the Adige glacier; terminal moraines around the southern shore, at Lonato del Garda, Solferino, Valeggio sul Mincio and Custoza among others, still bear witness to this, and the earliest settlements on the shore date back to around 2000 BC. Five islands lie in the lake; the largest, Isola del Garda with its Villa Borghese, lies off Salò, along with Isola di San Biagio near Manerba and San Felice, the militarily restricted Isola di Trimelone, and Isola del Sogno and Isola dell'Olivo near Malcesine. The main inflow is the Sarca, which enters the lake at Torbole; as the Mincio the river leaves it at Peschiera del Garda and later flows into the Po, alongside a total of 25 tributaries and the artificial Adige-Garda tunnel completed in 1959.
From pile dwellings to the Republic of Venice
Bronze Age pile-dwelling settlements around the lake, among them at Ledro and Peschiera del Garda, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. In November 268, the Battle of Lacus Benacus between the Alemanni and the Romans under Emperor Claudius Gothicus took place on the lake's shores. Between the 13th and 14th centuries the lake stood under the influence of the Scaligeri, who built castles mainly on the eastern and southern shores, at Malcesine, Torri del Benaco, Lazise and Sirmione. In 1439 the Republic of Venice hauled a fleet from the Adige valley across the mountains to Torbole, an undertaking called Galeas per montes; in 1454 the Peace of Lodi settled the lake on Venice for good, which fortified Peschiera at the Mincio outflow, itself a World Heritage Site since 2017.
19th and 20th century
The Battle of Solferino on the southern shore on 24 June 1859 was the decisive battle of the Second Italian War of Independence and prompted Henry Dunant to found the Red Cross. After the loss of Lombardy in 1859 and of Veneto in 1866, only the northern tip with Riva del Garda remained part of the Habsburg monarchy until 1918. The Gardesana Orientale shore road on the eastern shore was fully passable by 1929; the Gardesana Occidentale on the western shore was opened to traffic by Gabriele D'Annunzio on 18 October 1931, built with around 70 tunnels between Gargnano and Riva. Between 1943 and 1945 the Italian Social Republic under Mussolini had its seat of government in Salò on the western shore.
Vegetation and wine
Around the lake, planted Mediterranean trees and shrubs such as Mediterranean cypresses, oleander, cedars, olive trees and palms shape the landscape, while agaves, prickly pears and caper bushes grow on sun-drenched slopes. Lemons and oranges were formerly grown in orangeries (limonaia); most lie on the western shore along the Riviera dei Limoni between Salò and Limone, with another at Torri del Benaco on the eastern shore, which is called the Riviera degli Olivi after the olive groves of Monte Baldo. In the northern part of the lake, the endemic Lake Garda trout, called carpione, lives on steeply sloping underwater banks. Wine regions ring the lake: the Lugana region south of Desenzano, the Bardolino and Soave regions to the east, the Valpolicella region between Lake Garda and Verona, and the Garda DOC zone with 25 municipalities in the Province of Brescia, six in the Province of Mantua and 40 in the Province of Verona.
Towns and sights around the lake
Castles and viewpoints mark the towns around the lake: at Sirmione stands the Scaliger castle, with the Grotte di Catullo at the tip of the peninsula, the remains of a Roman villa named after the poet Catullus, who never lived there himself; at Malcesine stands another Scaliger castle beside a historic old town, from which a rotating panoramic cable car runs up the roughly 30-kilometre ridge of Monte Baldo, whose highest points lie between 2,079 and 2,218 metres. At the Varone waterfall near Riva del Garda, the water of Lake Tenno plunges 98 metres through a rock gorge, and in the Valle di Ledro, at 655 metres, lies Lake Ledro, whose drop to Lake Garda the Ponale pumped-storage power plant uses with a head of 590 metres and an output of 76 megawatts. Castelnuovo del Garda is home to Gardaland, Italy's largest amusement park, with the roller coasters Oblivion, Raptor and Magic Mountain and an attached Sea Life aquarium; at Limone sul Garda, surviving columns recall former citrus greenhouses, alongside a lemon museum, a historic old town and a harbour promenade. Arco, a few kilometres north of the lake, is a European centre for sport climbing and has for years hosted the Rock Master each September, regarded as the unofficial world championship of sport climbing.
Frequently asked questions about the best time to visit Gardasee
Short answers on timing, weather and getting there, all from the data on this page.
When is the best time to visit Gardasee?
- The best time to visit Gardasee is October (Wk 41–43): it is the quietest stretch among the region's best weather weeks – crowd level around 18 out of 100, weather comfort about 64 out of 100.
When is Gardasee quietest?
- November (Wk 45–47) is the quietest time in Gardasee. Crowd levels there sit at 0 out of 100, the lowest across the year.
When is Gardasee busiest?
- Gardasee is busiest in August (Wk 32) with around 5,503,127 overnight stays in the peak week.
What is the weather like in Gardasee and when is it warmest?
- It is warmest in Gardasee in July with an average of 25 °C and around 141 mm of rain in the month.
When is there the most snow in Gardasee and when are ski conditions best?
- Gardasee has the most snow in February with an average of around 31 cm. Those are the most reliable weeks for winter sports.
When is Gardasee least busy while still having good snow?
- The best time for quiet winter sports in Gardasee is January: with still around 27 cm of snow, the crowd level of about 5 out of 100 is below peak season.
How do you get to Gardasee?
- Gardasee is reachable via 7 destination airports with direct flights, including Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP), Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY) and Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
Quiet travel windows across Europe, once a month
The Crowd Report names the emptiest weeks of the coming months — for every region, not just this one. Free, unsubscribe any time.
Sources and data vintages
Every provenance note on this page, collected in one place.
- Cover photo
- Photo by Collin Croome on Unsplash
- Cover video
- Video by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels
- Crowding figures
- Index 2.0 · As of 25/08/2026. v1 approximation, calculated from Eurostat overnight stays. Day tourism and cruises (Venice, Dubrovnik …) are still missing, so we show these destinations as quieter than they are. The crowd score is a model-based forecast, not a measurement.
- Climate data
- Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2025.
- Reachability
Data sources: direct connections from Wikipedia (“Airlines and destinations”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, aggregated and modified by us), cross-checked with Eurostat, Destatis and the UK Civil Aviation Authority; airport data from OurAirports (Public Domain). The derived connection data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data as of: September 2026
- Ski areas
Data sources: ski areas from OpenSkiMap, based on OpenStreetMap, licensed under ODbL 1.0; snow depths from ERA5-Land (Copernicus Climate Change Service).
- Region text
- Text by HolidayHub, written from Wikivoyage „Gardasee“ (1774992) · Wikipedia „Gardasee“ (268658626) · Wikidata Q6414. Wikivoyage and Wikipedia are licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikidata CC0.
- Data basis
- All figures are approximations derived from open data (crowd level from Eurostat overnight stays, climate from Copernicus/ERA5-Land), not measurements.