This summer we created more family memories on a whirlwind Italian adventure — flying into Milan and setting off on a trip filled with sunshine, city strolling, lake swimming, bargain hunting, and just the right amount of gelato (& Hugo Spritz!).
Scroll to the end for our accommodation choices, airport options and timeline for the week.
Milan: Pools, Navigli & the Duomo
We began with a few relaxing days in Milan, where our hotel pool became the kids’ happy place (and ours too!). When we weren’t splashing around, we explored the city, which apparently is quieter in August as locals head to the coast (even our taxi driver said how quick the journey was from our hotel to the centre, so worth considering? I think there may be more chance of rain storms though so bear this in mind… we missed them by a week).
Our favourite walk started at the majestic Castello Sforzesco, wandered past the Lindt chocolate shop (we couldn’t say no to an ice cream – the limited edition Dubai Chocolate version!), then meandered through the glamorous shopping district. We ‘may’ have come away with a bag each – they had such a good sale on! (maybe another reason to visit in August?)
Our stroll ended at the iconic Duomo di Milano — the spectacular gothic cathedral overlooking the piazza. We enjoyed dinner (and an Aperol Spritz or two) at Obicà, where our table overlooked the glowing cathedral as the sun went down. Pure magic that you wouldn’t stumble across as it’s actually on the 7th floor of a department store and through their food hall!
Making a Splash at Aqualand
One of the kids’ Milan highlights was a full day at Aqualand. We booked a cabana at Tiki Bay, one of five, which came with its own tiki hut, fridge stocked with cold drinks, hammock, comfy seating, sun loungers in a private garden, and a shared hot tub between four cabanas (the fifth was more exclusive with its own private hot tub). It also came with a safe so we could all go and enjoy the slides together without worrying about our belongings. It made the day so relaxing as the rest of the park is naturally pretty busy and noisy.
Alternatively, you can pay for sunbeds on the beach area at Tiki Bay or the rest is a free-for-all (indoor and outdoor options) which may be a gamble during peak season.
The slides were brilliant — and because they start/end indoors, there’s no queuing in the heat. Genius. There are pools indoors and outdoors, a small lazy river, an adult only spa and pool area and a splash park for younger kids as well as the slides so there’s something for everyone. The reviews online aren’t great so we were apprehensive going, but we can only assume the reviews were left before Tiki Bay opened and perhaps during winter when everyone is trying to get loungers indoors?
Evening Along the Navigli Canals
We couldn’t visit Milan without going to Navigli (we actually went for two evenings for drinks, dinner and gelato!). We strolled along the canals, found the perfect dinner spots and indulged in some good old-fashioned people watching.
Aperitivo is big in this area of Italy and offers great deals on food… spend roughly €2 more than a cocktail price and get Aperitivo (food platter), a main dish like pizza or pasta, or a help yourself buffet with your drink. It was around €15 per person.
We came across the most random Alice in Wonderland inspired bar halfway down the canal which was crazy inside and Emmie loved it! A stark contrast to the charming old-world buildings outside and more gimmick than quality (the food was ‘ok’ so perhaps just go for a drink to experience it?) but sometimes that’s part of the fun!
We wanted to head to Rita’s for cocktails (they do a ginger based speciality) but we never quite made it to the very end of the main canal… it does come highly recommended though (by Siobhan_theskiiinnutritionist who lived in Milan) so worth checking out.
Sirmione: Lake Views & Ferry Hops
After a 1.5-hour drive from Milan, we arrived in Sirmione on Lake Garda, where we’d booked an apartment on a complex with a shared pool, cabana, and sun loungers just outside our terrace. The best part? We were right on the lake, which was warm to swim in and a refreshing change to sea water. You can walk out a fair way because the water is so shallow which is great for kids and there were pedalos and paddle boards to hire too. It’s a tad pebbly when you first walk in but after that it’s soft; a little too much in parts and we didn’t like the sludgy feeling underfoot so took our lilos the next day!
In between chill time by the pool, we explored Sirmione castle (roughly a 15 minute drive from our complex) and hopped on a 40-minute ferry to Lazise.
We wandered through charming streets, browsed incredible shops, picked up a few wardrobe additions, and had lunch with the best Hugo Spritz (everrrrrrr) by the castle. We’re glad we got the ferry in the morning (coming back just after lunch to spend the afternoon in Sirmione) because the queue was massive when we got back!
Lazise:
Emmie’s new outfit and my new skirt and dress:
Sirmione:
Verona: Romance & Retro Finds
Just 40 minutes from Sirmione, Verona felt like stepping onto a movie set for the evening. We strolled the cobbled streets, admired the architecture, and, of course, visited Juliet’s famous balcony. Dinner in the piazza as the sky turned pink was the perfect ending.
The surprise highlight? A vintage shop treasure hunt!
In Humana Vintage we got:
- Retro Nike hoodie for Emmie – £10
- Versace shirt for Isla – £11
- Vintage dress for me – £11
- Brown linen jacket for me – £12
- A red real leather bag (Hermes Birkin lookalike) for Isla – £11
Everything was 30% off too — total thrifting heaven!
If you love a good search for unique vintage pieces, I’ve saved you the work by sharing our Google pin maps for Milan and Verona vintage shops.
These include some higher end options and larger shops which include homeware etc as well. I created these while laying by the pool so we could pop in if we happened to be nearby; we didn’t make specific trips as we had other plans as a family.
However, if everyone in your party is on board with a whole schedule of thrifting you could totally make this happen in both Verona and Milan! Girl’s trip anyone?!
Bergamo: A Fairytale Farewell
On our last day, we stopped in Bergamo, just 45 minutes from Sirmione and perfect for a pre-flight explore since it’s on the way to Linate airport – and it was breathtaking!
We took the funicular train up to the old town (Città Alta) and were instantly blown away. Narrow medieval streets, flower-decked balconies, and sweeping views — it felt like the perfect full stop to our trip. Lunch on the piazza was incredible (we opted for a sharing board since we’d overloaded on the pizza and pasta!), as were the boutiques along the cobbled streets and the architecture at every turn. Stopping to listen to a violinist play by the piazza was really magical.
Thanks to Nikita @thekitchenflorist who recommended this place to us via Instagram Stories while we were in Sirmione; it was really worth the change of plans!
Final Thoughts:
Italy gave us a little bit of everything — city glamour, lakeside calm, historic romance, waterpark fun, and bargain-hunting thrills. We came home with full hearts, full shopping bags, and a camera roll that will keep us smiling for years. There really was something for everyone.
Top Tip: the mosquitos were out in force so make sure you are prepared!!
Timeline for reference:
Wednesday afternoon – arrival in Milan. Straight to pool! Navigli for dinner, people watching and gelato
Thursday – chill by the pool until mid afternoon then taxi to Milan (drop off at castle) for the afternoon into evening
Friday – Aqualand all day, stopping in Navigli for dinner and gelato on the way back
Saturday morning – drive 1.5 hours from Milan to Sirmione. Explore the complex, have lunch at the local restaurant, shop at Lidl. Watch the sun set on the lake. Card games & grazing board on the terrace!
Sunday – all morning/afternoon at Sirmione castle and Lazise. Back late afternoon for a swim & games/food on the terrace
Monday – chill day by the pool/lake. Dinner overlooking the lake. Back for card games on the terrace!
Tuesday – chill day by the pool/lake. Verona for the evening
Wednesday– check out. Get to Bergamo before lunchtime. Leave mid afternoon for the airport.
Accommodation for reference:
Milan;
We stayed at Quark Hotel Milano – only because it was close to Dan’s office where he had to work for a day. It’s in an ‘ok’ area, about 20-30 minutes from the centre with nowhere to really walk to, but it’s really modern inside, has a new pool (opened May 2025) with food truck and terrace, and we had an amazing suite with two bedrooms, entryway, walk in closet and bathroom. It has a fairly large car park if you’re driving and is on the right side of Navigli which is only a 15 minute drive away. I would say it’s not for you if you’re looking to walk to the main tourist areas but perhaps suitable if you’re looking for better value for money space and amenities wise (particularly if you have kids who love a pool) and if you don’t mind travelling to places of interest.
Lake Garda (Sirmione);
We stayed at Villaggio Turistico Lugana Marina, a kind of self catering apartment / hotel hybrid… you have a kitchen in the apartment which doesn’t get serviced, but you do get clean towels delivered and you can charge food and drinks from the pool/restaurant to your room. It was a fairly basic but nice apartment and we loved having a terrace (or balcony if you’re first not ground floor) with table and chairs, sun loungers, drying rack and cabana.
There are a few little car parks on site, a lovely chill out area with board games, shaded table tennis table, lake-view modern restaurant with roof terrace and two lovely pools.
Between certain hours, staff from the restaurant (definitely at the lake-view pool since it’s next to the restaurant, I’m not sure about the other one) come around the pool to take food and drink orders and deliver to your sun-beds. There’s a full poolside menu available and if you order drinks they generally bring little plates of appetisers or crisps and breadsticks too.
The complex is right on the lake and seemed extremely good value given the facilities and location (we set a pretty heavy filter on booking.com and this one kept standing out for our price point!)
Airport options:
There are actually a few airport options if you want to visit this area (there are also three Milan airports).
Best airport for quick access to Sirmione: Verona Villafranca (VRN) — shortest drive (~30–40 min).
Best airport for budget-friendly, efficient entry to Lake Garda and Milan: Bergamo (BGY) and Malpensa (MXP) – both Milan
Smallest airport with fastest transfers to Garda: Linate (LIN) — centrally located, shortest transit time. – Milan (this was our airport and we flew with British Airways)
Venice (VCE) offers a scenic A4 motorway route with moderate drive time (~1h 35m).
Rome is more of a long-distance origin, over 4 hours to Milan or Lake Garda
