Costs and practicalities for guided tours and visits

On this page we have collected the most common questions about the tours and the guided visits, adding a chart with the fees and the additional costs, where possible.

If you want to know the offer of tourist itineraries and our best sites to visit, please check the related sections.

For any request, please contact us here...

Where do our tours and guided visits take place?

Ortaeoltre is the only website mainly specialized in guided tours on Lake Orta (once called Cusio) and its gorgeous hills!
Ortaeoltre’s offer is therefore mainly focused on the area of Lake Orta.

Anyway, the name “Orta-e-oltre” (Orta and beyond) clearly suggests that we offer tours and guided visits also beyond the actual area of Lake Orta, such as on Lake Maggiore and in other areas of Upper Piedmont.

Are you looking for a place or an itinerary that is not included in this website?

All those sites or itineraries in Upper Piedmont or Lombardy you wish to explore, but which are not directly proposed here (e.g. the lovely historic towns of Novara, Vercelli, Pavia or Varese and their surroundings; the stunning Borromeo Islands with the Isola dei Pescatori; the amazing and sparkling rice fields around Novara and Vercelli; the Ossola valleys or the verdant Valsesia) you can simply contact Ortaeoltre and we’ll gladly put you directly in touch with a good and trustworthy Local Guide specialized in those specific areas.

What are the additional costs for a Guided Tour on Lake Orta?

• Tour Guide System hire (HD or FD): contact us.
• TRENINO di Orta (TOURIST TRAIN OF ORTA): in High Season the Tourist Train drives
  A) from the parking area for buses/coaches to the center of Orta (one way / round trip);
  B) from the parking area for buses/coaches to the Sacro Monte of Orta UNESCO (one way/round trip).
  Contact us for 2022 rates!
• Transfer by boat Orta-Isola San Giulio: there are two different boat companies operating in Orta (Piazza Motta): the first one - Navigazione di linea Lago d’Orta - has bigger tourist boats and operates from April to October with scheduled rides (several a day!). This Company covers almost the entire lake. Website: www.navigazionelagodorta.it (Navigazione Lago d’Orta - Battelli di linea). The second one, Consorzio Navigazione, is active during the whole year (rides departing every 10/15 minutes or whenever the boat is full). Website: www.navigazioneorta.it (Consorzio Navigazione Servizio Pubblico - motoscafi)
• Transfer by boat from Pella (to Isola San Giulio and Orta). This company is located opposite the village of Orta San Giulio, on the western shore. It is called Servizio Navigazione PELLA: if you are staying in Pella or nearby and you want to visit the Island San Giulio, the village of Orta and/or other villages around the lake, please contact: www.navigazionepella.com. Private cruises are possible as well.
• the Tourist Train “TRENINO di PELLA” (Sergio) In high Season it takes you to the breathtaking panoramic point of the Santuario della Madonna del Sasso from where you’ll enjoy the most beautiful views of the lake! See our tour here.
  Their website is: https://treninodipella.jimdofree.com/

Other possible additional costs: parking tickets, taxi service, etc.

Ortaeoltre is available for any further information or suggestions: contact us here!

What kind of customer can contact Ortaeoltre?

CAny kind of traveler visiting Lake Orta and its territory, from a single person to a medium-sized group. Whether you are tourists, Tour Operators, travel agents, or even schools, you’ll always be welcome!

Minimum/maximum number: our ideal groups range from 2 to 30/35 people. In fact, only in this case the quality of a guided tour will definitely be at its best, thanks to a greater flexibility in case of sudden change of programs, or when booking your tickets, or reserving a good restaurant, etc.

Are Tour Guide System devices obligatory?

Unless otherwise required by the Italian Law, using a Tour Guide System outdoors is not mandatory at the moment. Nevertheless, we all know that it really makes a difference in a guided tour, even with a few people only!
It’s a great convenience recommended to all groups over 10 / 15 people: the cost per person of receiver + earphone is usually just a bit more than an espresso, and allows you to move with greater freedom (to take a picture, or to stop at a nice shop window…) without ever losing a single word of the Guide!
Quality is definitely what makes a travel experience perfect, leaving wonderful memories and making you feel a special guest.

Ortaeoltre offers the opportunity to hire a Tour Guide system, in case you don’t have one already!

Please contact us if you’re interested.

Nature, stunning views and... Fitness! Are you dreaming of a knowledgeable and expert Hiking Guide taking you on fabulous walks around the lake, on unique panoramic trekking itineraries in the mountains, or even practicing with you the super trendy “Nordic Walking”?

Few people know it (and keep it to themselves): Lake Orta is full of lovely, historical paths - most of which with a view! - that run through chestnut woods, beech forests, verdant meadows and orchards, often along clear streams and creeks!

We can discover the history and culture of a place simply strolling through its woods and old stone villages, never completely abandoned, maybe stopping at one of the numerous, mysterious cup-marked stones or by an ancient quarry. The views you can enjoy here and there are breathtaking and the air is pure and sparkling. All this is possible here on Lake Orta, without driving for hours in order to reach some, maybe more famous, mountain resort!

Don’t fancy map reading? Ortaeoltre daily collaborates with excellent expert English-speaking Hiking Guides who provide different itineraries of different length and difficulty, beautifully immersed in the nature of the Lakes Orta and Maggiore.

The programs they provide are gorgeous, arranged for every level of ages and abilities: from a tourist level to a more demanding experience on the verdant hills surrounding our lakes, or even in the nearby mountains (Mottarone, Val d'Ossola, Valsesia).

Ortaeoltre also knows the best qualified Nordic Walking instructors who provide several walks around Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore.
Feel free to contact us here for more information...