Departing from Stresa with your private driver, you’ll make your way through mountain tunnels to picturesque Lake Orta, where you’ll spend the day exploring it with your guide. The journey will last approximately half an hour, and you will start the tour at Il Sacro Monte di Orta. These sites were all built during the Counter-Reformation period and were designed to strengthen the presence of the Catholic church in the region. The Sacro Monte di Orta is a unique place and offers some of the most picturesque views of Lake Orta and the island of San Giulio (Isola san Giulio) below. The Chapels of Il Sacro Monte di Orta are dedicated to the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. This incredibly peaceful area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 and contains 20 chapels built between the 16th and 18th centuries. After visiting the chapels, you will descend via a steep panoramic path to the medieval pedestrian heart of Orta San Giulio, on the lake shore. You will enjoy a short tour through the winding streets to the main square where you will board the public ferry to the small island of San Giulio. You can visit the small Basilica of San Giulio and take a walk along the delightful, cobbled streets that run alongside the convent and the seafront. You will then return to the mainland where you can have some free time to explore or simply take a break before returning to Lake Maggiore.