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Close-up of a golf ball resting on a beautifully maintained green fairway, perfect for a sunny game day. photo: Pexels (stock photo, indicative only)

Destinations / Veneto / Lake Garda & Valpolicella

Golf, Wine & Spa in Lake Garda & Valpolicella: 3-Day Itinerary

golf, wine and slow water in Lake Garda & Valpolicella

Lake Garda pairs the highest concentration of courses on this site, 12 within reach of a base 14 km from Verona airport, with the Amarone cellars of Valpolicella and thermal water on the Sirmione peninsula that has drawn bathers since Roman times.

12 courses in range
5 wineries in range
8 thermal spots in range
7 itineraries within 2 h
Vineyard rows in Valpolicella
01

Two rounds' worth of courses, then Amarone

Morning: Golf Club Paradiso del Garda, the base for this itinerary, 14 km from Verona airport. If you would rather start on a bigger name, Chervò Golf San Vigilio is 9 km away with 36 holes among Lugana vineyards at the southern tip of the lake, and Gardagolf Country Club, consistently ranked among Italy's top ten, sits 20 km further under the Rocca di Manerba.

Afternoon: Masi, one of the names that built Amarone's reputation, in the Valpolicella hills. Allegrini in Fumane and Zenato on the Lugana side of the lake make equally credible pairings if the group wants to compare styles across a single afternoon.

Recommended tasting

Masi

A guided tasting of Amarone and Ripasso in the Valpolicella hills. From 35 euro per person.

Close-up of a golf ball resting on a beautifully maintained green fairway, perfect for a sunny game day.
02

The Sirmione peninsula

Aquaria Terme di Sirmione, on the tip of the Sirmione peninsula, draws its water from a spring the Romans already used, next to the ruins of the Grotte di Catullo. Terme di Sirmione Virgilio, a separate address on the same peninsula, is 9 km from the clubhouse. On the lake's western shore, Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda, Italy's flagship eco-luxury spa, makes a quieter, more secluded alternative to the Sirmione crowds in high season.

No golf today, on purpose: this is the day the itinerary slows down.

Dark grapes on the vine in Valpolicella
03

Verona side, or deeper into Valpolicella

Morning: Golf Club Verona, 9 km from the base, or Golf Club Villafranca, 10 km away, both easy detours towards the airport if the trip is ending here. Golf Villa Giusti, 7 km out, is the closer option if you would rather stay put.

Afternoon: for a second cellar without repeating yesterday's route, Corte Pianton and Ca'Lojera, both 4 km from the clubhouse, keep the visit short. Serious Amarone drinkers who have a fourth day should build in extra time for Valpolicella proper, the hill country west of Verona where the appassimento houses are concentrated.

The recommended route
FromToKmDrive
Day 1
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaChervò Golf San Vigilio9 km~15 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaGardagolf Country Club20 km~25 min
Day 2
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaTerme di Sirmione Virgilio9 km~15 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaAquardens13 km~20 min
Day 3
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaGolf Club Verona9 km~15 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaGolf Club Villafranca10 km~15 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaGolf Villa Giusti7 km~10 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaCorte Pianton4 km~10 min
Golf Club Paradiso del GardaCa'Lojera4 km~10 min

Distances calculated from OpenStreetMap coordinates, August 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Drive times are estimates on rural roads.

Getting there by car

VRN
From Verona

About 14 km, under 20 minutes on the A4, the closest of the airports serving this itinerary.

BGY
From Milan Bergamo

About 83 km, around an hour on the A4.

VCE
From Venice Marco Polo

About 128 km, around an hour and a half on the A4.

Times are approximate, to Golf Club Paradiso del Garda, outside peak traffic. A car is essential for this itinerary.

The weather

Bars: average rain days · Line: average daily max, °C
0102030°C7.910.814.318.421.927.43029.524.419.312.98.7JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJFMAMJJASOND
01

May is the wettest month on this itinerary, 15.9 rain days and 11.7 of those washouts over 3 mm: the wine cellars make a better plan B than the fairway.

02

July peaks at 30.0 degrees, the hottest reading of the year, with rain dropping back to 10.1 days: book early tee times and keep the Sirmione pools for the afternoon.

03

October is the best month by the numbers, 19.3 degrees and washouts down to 6.8 days, as both the fairways and the Valpolicella harvest settle into their quietest, driest stretch.

When to go

Apr–Jun

April opens cool and comparatively dry at 18.4 degrees; May turns wet fast, 15.9 rain days, before June warms to 27.4.

Jul–Aug

Hot, 29 to 30 degrees, with rain holding around 10 days a month. Play early, spend afternoons on the water.

Sep–OctOur pick

September cools to 24.4 degrees with fewer washouts, but October is the measured peak: 19.3 degrees and the driest ratio of the year.

Nov–Mar

Properly cold by February, 7.9 to 10.8 degrees, but the thermal water on the Sirmione peninsula never changes temperature. Quiet fairways, lower rates.

Computed from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), daily data 2015–2024, Golf Club Paradiso del Garda coordinates.

Close-up of a golf ball resting on a beautifully maintained green fairway, perfect for a sunny game day.

The territory

photo: Pexels

The land

Terroir

Valpolicella's hills, immediately west of Verona, grow the Corvina and Rondinella grapes that go into Amarone: bunches are dried for months on straw racks before pressing, concentrating the sugars into one of Italy's richest reds. Lugana, on the lake's southern shore, works the opposite way, a crisp white grown on the clay soils where the Veneto plain meets the water.

History

The Sirmione peninsula has drawn bathers to its thermal spring since Roman times, and the ruins of the Grotte di Catullo still sit at its tip. Verona, 14 km from the golf base, adds a second reason to fly into this itinerary rather than pass through it.

Climate

A lake climate, milder in winter than the inland Veneto thanks to Garda's thermal mass, but wetter in spring: May's rain days here run well above the summer average. October, not September, is the calm window: see the measured chart above.

Vineyard rows in Valpolicella

Golf courses

Wineries

Spas and thermal baths

Outlet shopping nearby

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What to pack

Tuned to the climate above. Even in the driest months, keep a light shell within reach: this is the wettest itinerary in the wave-two set.

A packable rain shell

May averages 15.9 rain days here, more than any other month on this page. Keep a light shell in the golf bag even in a warm forecast.

Spa sandals

Between Aquaria and Lefay, this trip moves you across several pools and treatment areas in two days. A grippy, quick-dry pair beats bare feet on wet stone.

Wine luggage protection

Amarone bottles are heavy and worth flying home with. A padded wine case turns a case of Valpolicella red into safe checked luggage.

Travel cover for the clubs

Flying into Verona with your own set: a padded travel cover costs less than replacing a bent driver at the carousel.

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Good to know

Do I need a car?

Yes. Twelve courses sit within a short drive of the Paradiso del Garda base, but there is no useful public transport between them and the wineries or spas. Automatic rentals are limited around Verona in season, so book the car before the tee times.

Which airport should I fly into?

Verona, 14 km from the golf base and under 20 minutes on the A4. Milan Bergamo, at 83 km, is the practical backup if fares favour it.

Is October really better than September here?

By the measured numbers, yes: October averages 19.3 degrees with washout days down to 6.8, a drier ratio than September's 24.4 degrees and 6.3 washout days at a warmer read. Both beat the summer, but if cooler golf weather with a dry forecast matters more than heat, book October.

Can I fit in both Amarone and Lugana in one trip?

Yes, and the itinerary is built around exactly that split: Masi and Allegrini on the Valpolicella side, Zenato and Ca'Lojera on the Lugana side near the lake's southern shore, all reachable without backtracking through Verona.

Are visitors welcome on these courses?

Every course on this page accepts green-fee players. In high season, book tee times at least a week ahead, and check handicap requirements directly with the smaller clubs.

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