Lake Garda Music School Tours
A favourite destination for NST groups, Lake Garda is the perfect place to enjoy a school band tour. This, the largest lake in Italy, offers a wide variety of performance options from world-renowned churches and castle courtyards to town squares and hotels. The typical lakeside towns and villages offer many diverse concert venues and the opportunity to perform for appreciative audiences. Verona and Venice are popular day trip options which also provide your group with additional prestigious performing opportunities.
Against a backdrop of dramatic mountains and sparkling waters, coupled with the typical laidback Italian culture, you can’t fail to be swept away with the charm of the area.
Trips and tours to Italy are popular with many schools, please contact us today to discuss your requirements.
Prices start from £955pp
Price includes
- 4 nights’ half board accommodation
- 2 nights’ overnight coaching
- Executive coach transport from & to school & throughout your stay
- Organisation & publicity of 3 concerts
- Services of a Concert Assistant in-resort
- Extensive group travel insurance
- 1 in 8 free place ratio
Price shown is based on 40 paying passengers departing from England & Wales and is subject to availability.
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Top performance venues
St Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Sacred choirs may travel to Venice for the day to sing at mass in this world renowned venue.
Community & Cultural Centres
Outside the summer months, performances can take place in local community cultural centres and theatres. These venues offer groups a high standard of performance space with excellent facilities and good promotion.
San Giorgio en Braida, Verona
Choral and orchestral groups can perform in the largest parish church in Verona, richly festooned with beautiful works of art.
Schools
During term time we can organise for your group to perform in Italian school auditoria across the region. Not only are schools great performance venues, they also give students an insight into day-to-day Italian life.
Chiesa Parrocchiale Di Malcesine
Groups may apply to perform in this parish church that is well-known to both locals and tourists.
Retirement Homes
These community venues are always happy to open their doors to guest groups to perform as part of their social programme. Residents provide a guaranteed warm welcome.
Holiday Villages
There are a number of holiday villages around the lake which, as part of their daily entertainment, welcome quality groups with a popular repertoire to perform for their guests.
Hotels
Groups may give concerts in the conference halls of several hotels around Lake Garda.
Summer Festivals
These popular festivals attract both local and tourist audiences.
Town Squares
The ‘piazzas’ in the towns and villages surrounding Lake Garda are great performance venues. Concerts during the summer months are offered by the local town halls of the region including Sirmione, Garda, Riva del Garda and Bardolino. The relaxed atmosphere of these towns and squares provide groups with an enjoyable platform to share music with the local community.
Top visits
Gardaland Theme Park
The largest theme park in Italy, attracting over two million visitors a year, with various rides and themed entertainments suitable for all ages.
Lake Garda Boat Cruise
Groups can take a leisurely cruise on Lake Garda and soak up the sun in stunning surroundings.
Opera at Verona
Held at the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre, one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind, which is internationally famous for its large-scale operatic performances.
Day Trip to Venice
Lake Garda provides a suitable base to visit this historic Venetian city for a day’s exploration of the narrow streets and canals.
Canevaworld Aqua Park
Canevaworld has two theme parks. Aqua Paradise has lots of exhilarating water slides, while Movieland has stunt-packed action shows. Choose to visit just Movieland, or both for a full day.
Need something bespoke?
Our dedicated team are on hand and ready to plan your tailor-made tour.
Try our itinerary planning tool
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Let’s make your trip planning experience even swifter.
On-tour support
Get even more from your trip with an NST Music Tour Manager! Call us for details.
On-tour support includes...
- Airport assistance during check-in, security and gate checks on your outbound flight from the UK
- Airport assistance when you arrive back at your UK airport when you book a coach transfer to take you home
- Services of a Concert Assistant
Accommodation
Popular options in Lake Garda
Hotel San Vito
Hotel Centro Turistico Gardesano
Set in a beautiful location, the Centro Turistico Gardesano is a spacious hotel with a good range of facilities that offers a friendly and warm welcome to a large number of youth groups throughout the year.
Hotel San Vito
Hotel Centro Turistico Gardesano
Set in a beautiful location, the Centro Turistico Gardesano is a spacious hotel with a good range of facilities that offers a friendly and warm welcome to a large number of youth groups throughout the year.
Expert's comment
“Summer is one of the best times to enjoy all that Lake Garda has to offer. There are many festivals, outdoor venues and holiday villages around the lake that welcome our music groups. As a base, Lake Garda is a great destination. Not only does it have a very diverse landscape from the majestic mountains in the north to the flat plains of the south, but it also allows groups to visit Verona and Venice for a day trip. This makes Lake Garda one of the most rewarding concert tour destinations for all types of music ensemble.”
FAQs
Why is Lake Garda such an inspiring destination for school music groups?
The Lake Garda region offers spectacular scenery, a relaxed Italian atmosphere and a huge variety of performance spaces that create memorable experiences for young musicians. As Italy’s largest lake, it provides a stunning backdrop of mountains and sparkling water that elevates every rehearsal and concert.
What kinds of performance opportunities does NST offer in Lake Garda?
Groups can perform in world-renowned churches, castle courtyards, town squares, hotels and lakeside holiday villages. Popular performance locations include Sirmione, Garda, Riva del Garda and Bardolino, all known for welcoming appreciative local and tourist audiences.
Can groups extend their tour with additional cultural or musical experiences?
Yes. Day trips to Venice or Verona give ensembles the chance to perform in prestigious settings and explore iconic Italian landmarks. Some groups may even sing at mass in St Mark’s Basilica, offering an unforgettable sacred performance opportunity.
How does NST support teachers during a Lake Garda music tour?
NST provides comprehensive support including a Music Tour Manager, Tour Assistant and Concert Assistant, ensuring smooth organisation from travel to concert logistics. Their local insight and hands-on help allow teachers to focus on musical development and student wellbeing.
What accommodation options are available for Lake Garda tours?
NST offers a range of group friendly hotels across the Lake Garda region, selected for comfort, location and suitability for youth ensembles. Options typically include properties such as Hotel San Vito or Centro Turistico Gardesano, with easy access to performance venues.
What’s included in a typical NST Lake Garda music package?
A standard package includes four nights’ half-board accommodation, two nights’ overnight coaching, full executive coach transport, concert organisation and publicity for three performances, extensive group travel insurance and a generous 1 in 8 free place ratio.
Giving you full support throughout
Before your tour
- Dedicated NST expert from day one
- Responsive, flexible communication - Teams, phone, or email
- Same-day quotes
- Trips tailored to your budget, with transparent pricing
- Straightforward planning - we handle the details
- Step-by-step risk assessment guidance
- Free accommodation for group leader preview visits
- Curriculum-driven, enriching experiences across 100s of locations
- Unrivalled local knowledge & expertise
Whilst you're away
- Our travel app keeps all your info in one place
- On-tour support from our reps on the ground
- Support & assistance from our specialists
- 24/7 helpline and support
- Extensive group travel insurance
- Group-friendly accommodation
- Free educational resources
On your return
- Priority rebooking services
- Loyalty reward scheme for valued customers
- You say, we act - we're committed to continuously improving our tours
Speak to one of our school travel experts
Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too!
So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.
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