7 Best Things To Do In Sirmione: A Self-Guided Walking Tour + Map

Sirmione, Italy - Water canal and beautiful old buildings and shops right inside the old city walls.

Sirmione, Italy is a stunning place to visit in Northern Italy. It is situated on the southern tip of beautiful lake Garda and it has amazing history. Sirmione, Italy is the quintessential Italian tourist destination. We arrived in Sirmione a bit tired, coming from Padua, but taking a swim in the warm waters of Lake Garda, completely refreshed us and made us ready to head into town.

If you are searching for the best things to do in Sirmione, you’ve come to the right place. While Sirmione, Italy is famous for its history dating back to Roman times, the real magic lies in its stunning location on the shores of Lake Garda. Whether you are looking to explore the historic old town, relax on the beaches, or tour the ancient Grotte di Catullo, this self-guided Sirmione walking tour covers the seven most charming things to do in Sirmione to help you make the most of your trip.

In this article:

Walking through the historic Scaligero Castle gates is the start of any great Sirmione walking tour.
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

Sirmione fills a thin lip of land (or peninsula) that extends into Lake Garda, exactly on its southern most point. Even though it is filled with tourists, especially in the summer, Sirmione feels like a small village. In fact, Sirmione is a small medieval village that dates back to the Roman times. If we would be able to put tourism aside, then old Sirmione would feel just like a few centuries ago with some modern improvements.

Sirmione Walking Tour: Route Overview

Sirmione, Italy has a beautiful old town. We arrived at Sirmione from Venice and Padua on our way back to Milano. We read on the internet about Sirmione’s beautiful location and I saw a few travel photos. But when we arrived in Sirmione we were just amazed at how beautiful this place was.

Piazza Castello and the old town. Old Town Sirmione is the main attraction and it is beautiful. Walk the two narrow streets leading to the end of the peninsula where the Roman ruins are. Make sure you take the few side streets as well as they will lead you to small beaches and piazzas.
Visit Santa Maria Maggiore church. An old small church with impressive murals.
Relax on the small beautiful beaches and even take a swim. There are several public beaches in Sirmione with easy access to Garda Lake.
Visit the San Pietro in Mavino church. Another small country church with simple exterior and old interior art.
Stroll through the Maria Callas park and take a break from the heat.
Visit the ancient ruins of the ritzy Roman Villa and enjoy the view. They are situated at the end of the Sirmione peninsula and they give you amazing views of the surrounding lake and shores.

Use this Sirmione walking tour map to find the best sights around the peninsula, from the castle to the ruins.
Green: Walk, Red: See

Stay in Sirmione. I recommend staying at Hotel Aurora, with its very convenient location near the old town. You can also find other budget hotels in Sirmione or in the Veneto area.

1. Walk Through Charming Old Town Sirmione

The charming streets of old town Sirmione offer some of the best things to do in Sirmione, including browsing local boutiques.
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

Any walking tour of Sirmione Lake Garda starts at the old town entrance. Once you walk under the old town gates of the Scaligero Castle (Sirmione Castle), you find yourself surrounded by very old stone buildings covered with flowers. Piazza Castello (Castle Square) is a small square located right inside the old town walls.

Two narrow and parallel cobblestone streets take you from the Sirmione Castle at the entrance of old town all the way to the end of the peninsula where the remains of the Roman villa are found.

2. Santa Maria Maggiore Church

Old water well and beautiful view of Lake Garda from Santa Maria Maggiore courtyard
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

The church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Sirmione Lake Garda, can be reached through a narrow medieval street on the way to the small public beach on the east side. Dating back to the 15th century, the interior houses old frescoes by various masters (especially on the south wall).

3. Stroll to Small Harbors and Piazzas

Exploring the small harbors is a relaxing highlight of our self-guided Sirmione walking tour.e
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

Everything in Sirmione Lake Garda is small, because there is no room. However, as you walk the main street make sure to take the larger side streets to the left as well as they lead you to small harbors and piazzas on Garda Lake.

4. Relax on the Small Sirmione Public Beach

Need a break? Relax at Spiaggia del Prette, one of the best public beaches to swim in Lake Garda.
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

Before starting our walking tour of Sirmione by going into the old town we were very hot and the kids were tired from the drive. We saw the inviting waters of the Lake Garda and we decided to take a little break and actually go for a swim. The water was very refreshing and yet warm and we all enjoyed the little swim.
We didn’t know that inside the old town Sirmione we could find a small public beach with easy access to Lake Garda. Located on the east side of old town, Spiaggia del Prette is a small public beach with an idyllic location that can help your relax and cool off on hot summer days.

In addition to this public beach inside old town, there are a few more beaches towards the end of the Sirmione peninsula. The largest and most beautiful being Jamaica Beach located at the very end.

5. San Pietro in Mavino Church

The San Pietro in Mavino church offers a peaceful retreat away from the crowds of the old town.
Photo by Allie_Caulfield

A lovely setting with fabulous old church simple decoration on the interior wonderful stained glass. The War Memorial is to the left of the church. Away from the crowds of tourists but only a short distance from the old town center. Well worth a visit in the area despite the trek up the fairly steep hill. Lovingly preserved it gives a great sense of the past. Wonderful location adjacent to Sirmione’s war memorial.

6. Maria Callas Villa and Park

Villa Callas is the former residence of opera singer Maria Callas

Continuing our walking tour of Sirmione, we come upon a small park with lots of shade and beautiful views of Garda Lake. The Maria Callas park is dedicated to the famous opera singer Maria Callas, who lived in Sirmione a number of years.
Across the street you will also find the actual villa where Maria Callas actually lived. The villa has been converted to apartments and it cannot be visited. You can however stay at Maria Callas Villa in a beautifully upgraded apartment.

7. Ancient Roman Villa

Touring the ancient Grotte di Catullo provides a fascinating look at Roman history and incredible lake views.
See my photos from Sirmione Lake Garda

Grote di Catullo is a large archeological complex housing the remains of a ritzy Roman Villa. This is an impressive site as one can easily imagine the opulence of Roman high society.

Plan Your Trip to Sirmione Lake Garda

Find budget hotels in Sirmione or in the Veneto area.
Get the best rental car rates in Italy. Sirmione is best reached by car. There is a large parking lot right before entering the old town. The parking fee is 10-15 euro, which is reasonable for an entire day parking.
Look for Lake Garda activities. Search for a Lake Garda boat tour, or for a day trip to Venice, Verona or Milan.
Finding parking was very easy, because right outside the entrance to the old town, on the right hand side of the road there is a very large parking lot. Even though the parking fee was somewhat expensive the location was great. Parking lot address and map for your GPS: Piazzale Monte Baldo, 25019 Sirmione BS
Getting to Sirmione by train is a bit more complicated because the train station is pretty far from town. The nearest train station is called Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione is conveniently located about 30 minutes either from Verona Porta Nuova or Milano Centrale stations. However it is located about 10 km away from the old town.
Getting to Old Sirmione by bus from the Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione train station takes about 30 minutes using bus number 26 towards Sirmione Porto.
Getting to Sirmione by boat. Sirmione is one of the many boat stop around Lake Garda. Check the Lake Garda boat schedule here.

Is Sirmione Lake Garda Worth Visiting?

All I can say is wow! We came from the surprisingly sweet village of Soave and we were a bit tired. But when we got to Lake Garda and we started our walking tour of Sirmione we were refreshed by how beautiful this place was. So, yes Sirmione is definitely a must see place if you are in the Milan or Verona area.

7 Best Things to Do in Sirmione: A Self-Guided Walking Tour + Map