Bardolino
Eastern shore
Wine cellars, olive groves and the easiest lakefront stroll on the eastern shore
Lake Garda weather · October
Lake Garda Weather in October
October is mild at Lake Garda, with 19 °C days and a wine festival, but ferries thin out and the season ends 1 November.
October is the last month of the season, and it runs down as it goes. The first week is close to September. By the last week things are closing around you. Timing within the month matters more than in any other.
Is October a good time to visit Lake Garda?
Yes, especially the first half. Afternoons average 18.6 °C, good for walking, cycling and vineyards, though there are about seven rainy days and sunshine drops to five and a half hours a day.
In 2026 the ferries switched to a reduced timetable on 5 October, and 1 November is the last day for passenger boats, Gardaland and the Monte Baldo cable car alike. Come for food, wine and autumn colour, not for the beach. We rate it 4 out of 5.
What's open in October
- Limited Ferries — Reduced timetable from 5 October to 1 November 2026. Some sailings run daily only until 11 October.
- Open Gardaland — Open daily until 1 November 2026: 10am–5pm on weekdays, to 8pm at weekends. On Fridays the park opens for the evening only, 5pm–10pm.
- Open Monte Baldo cable car — Until 1 November 2026, with shorter autumn hours. Closed from 2 November.
- Closed Lidos and beach clubs — Beaches are public all year. Staffed lidos and beach bars are seasonal businesses with no shared calendar; most have packed up by October.
- Open Campsites — The large sites stay open to the start of November (Bella Italia to 1 November, La Rocca to 3 November).
Events in October
-
Festa dell’Uva e del Vino
Bardolino’s grape and wine festival on the lakeside promenade, with over 100 stands, food, music and Sunday fireworks.
-
Gardaland Magic Halloween
Halloween shows and scare zones, with Friday evening openings from 5pm to 10pm through October.
What to pack
- A warm jacket and a jumper
- A waterproof and shoes that cope with rain
- Long trousers
- A T-shirt layer for sunny afternoons
- A torch or phone light if you walk late: dusk comes early after the clocks change
Where to base yourself in October
Bardolino has the wine festival at the start of the month and vineyards all around. Lazise and Peschiera are closest to Gardaland for half-term and sit on the railway side of the lake. Malcesine gives you the cable car and autumn colour until 1 November.
Bardolino
Lazise
Eastern shore
Medieval walls, a working harbour and thermal pools, ten minutes from Gardaland
Peschiera del Garda
Southern shore
A UNESCO fortress town on canals, with a train station, ferries and the Mincio cycle path
Malcesine
Eastern shore
A castle on the water, a cable car to 1,760 m and the north shore's liveliest old town
What October feels like
Soft and mild at its best: mist on the water early, a warm sun by lunchtime, a chill as soon as it sets. The average night is 9.5 °C, so evenings are indoor affairs. The lake itself is still about 16.5 °C, the same as in May.
Rain becomes more regular. October averages 79 mm, and the following month is wetter still. Storms after a cold front can bring the Balinot, a gusty north-westerly, down onto the northern lake.
Plan around the timetable change
From 5 October 2026 the boats run a slimmer timetable with long gaps and early last sailings, and it thins again after 11 October. A day trip that worked in September may not work now. Check our ferry timetables page before you fix a plan, and consider hiring a car; see car hire.
For half-term families, Gardaland is open every day to 1 November. Note the Friday quirk: evening opening only.
Good to know
Is Lake Garda still warm in October?
Mild, not warm. The average high is 18.6 °C and the average low 9.5 °C. The first half of the month often has T-shirt afternoons; by the end you will want a coat.
Is everything open at Lake Garda in October?
Most things, until 1 November. Ferries run a reduced timetable from early October, lidos have closed, and Gardaland, the cable car and the passenger boats all stop after 1 November 2026.
Is Gardaland open in October?
Yes, daily until 1 November 2026, with Halloween theming. Fridays are evening-only, 5pm to 10pm. More in our Gardaland guide.
Can you swim in Lake Garda in October?
The lake is about 16.5 °C in the readings we use, so it is a brisk dip at best. Hotel pools and spas are the better bet; see our luxury hotels for places with both.
When is the Bardolino wine festival?
The Festa dell'Uva e del Vino is held over five days at the turn of September and October. The 2027 dates are 30 September to 4 October.