3 Day Itinerary in Ticino Switzerland

Have you been to the Italian Ticino region of Switzerland? If not, add it to your list! I spent a few days there this month and would like to share my delightful 3-day itinerary to see the best highlights of this area.

Day 1 – Locarno
- Madonna del Sasso
- Locarno Town
Day 2 – Verzasca Valley
Day 3 – Bavona Valley and Ascona
- Foroglio Waterfall
- Ascona
Bonus Stop in Ticino

Day 1 – Locarno

Madonna del Sasso

For the three nights, we stayed in a very nice boutique hotel (called Boutique Hotel La Rinascente) which was conveniently located in the center of Locarno. I ventured out the first day to walk up the hill behind our hotel to see the Madonna del Sasso. This is a catholic sanctuary and pilgrimage church in the village of Orselina.

The Madonna del Sasso (which means Our Lady of the Rock) is the most important sanctuary in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. For many centuries, pilgrims would walk to the Sacred Mountain. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared here in 1480.

It was a 30-minute steep walk up the hill but well worth it for the view. You can also take a funicular from the town of Locarno to reach the village of Orselina. I chose to get some exercise on foot. There were many steps and small chapels on the path.

The entrance to the sanctuary is free, and you can walk inside the main chapel and all around the buildings. The last restoration of the Basilica was in 2013. If you walk up a path above the property, you will get a great view of the church and the lake in the background.

Locarno Town

After visiting the church, I walked back down to the lakeside and through the town of Locarno.

There are many brightly colored buildings in the Old Town that look like Italy. You would never imagine you were in Switzerland because of the Italian influence in this region.

Beautiful colored buildings in a Locarno pedestrian street

I walked all through the Old Town through many narrow pedestrian streets. There are cute boutique shops in the alleys. I fell in love with all the colors here! If you like colorful places, see my post about the most Colorful Places in the World!

In the Old Town is a 12th-century castle called the Castello Visconteo. It served as the seat of the Visconti Dukes of Milan from 1513 to 1798. Only a fifth of the original structure remains and the buildings date from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The castle is now an archaeological museum with local artifacts from the late Bronze Age to the High Middle Ages. I only walked around the exterior of the castle to see the ancient ruins.

Another spot not to miss is the cobblestoned Piazza Grande (big square) where there are many shops and restaurants. We went there each night for outside dining. They had live music with a stage which added to the nighttime ambiance.

Night scene in the grand square of Locarno

Day 2 – Verzasca Valley

Not far from Locarno is a very nice drive through the Verzasca Valley. It takes about 50 minutes to drive all the way to the end. There are a few key spots to stop along the way.

The route from Locarno to the end of Verzasca Valley

Verzasca Dam and Bungee Jump

Our first stop was at the Verzasca Dam. It is also called the Locarno or Contra Dam. It was constructed in the early 1960s and its height is 220 m (720 ft). This dam is the fourth tallest in Switzerland.

Verzasca Dam with Bungee Platform in the middle

The main reason I wanted to stop here was to see the bungee jump. This location was the opening scene in the movie “GoldenEye” when James Bond jumped off the dam. It is the world’s highest stationary bungee station.

I had heard about this place and hoped to see some people jumping. We got lucky and saw 4 people jump during the 30 minutes we were there. It was thrilling to watch them plunge into the air and hear their blood-curdling screams! This dam is known as one of the 9 scariest bungee jumps in the world!

“Ponte dei salti” (jump bridge)

Our next stop along the route up the Verzasca Valley was the Roman scenic bridge called ‘Ponte dei salti’. I had seen so many gorgeous pictures of this place on Instagram. It was the main reason I wanted to visit this area of Locarno.

View after crossing the bridge from the roadside

This typical medieval stone bridge is in the town of Lavertezzo. This double-arched bridge was constructed in the 17th century. It was partially destroyed in 1868 and reconstructed in 1960. What makes this area extra special is the crystal clear emerald-green and the turquoise-blue water. There are many rocks and places along the valley to sunbathe and swim in the natural pools.

It is a very popular spot for tourists and locals. We had to drive past the bridge to find an available parking spot in a gravel lot. We then walked back for only 5 minutes to reach the bridge. There were tons of people there as it was a warm summer day.

Tourists and others jumping off the bridge

We walked over the bridge and around the rocks on the other side to get different views of the bridge and the water. We mostly enjoyed watching the crazy people jump off the bridge and big rocks. I was happy to finally see this special place!

Sonogno

Our last stop for the day was at the end of the Verzasca valley in the town of Sonogno. We had planned to see the Froda waterfall there, but unfortunately, the weather turned bad. We had just enough time to walk around the medieval village and have a refreshing beer before heading back to Locarno.

Day 3 – Bavona Valley and Ascona

For our third day, I planned an interesting itinerary starting in a different valley near Locarno. The highlight of this excursion was the Foroglio waterfall and the swing below it. Yes, I learned about the swing by researching on Instagram!

The route from Locarno to Foroglio in the Bavona Valley

Foroglio Waterfall

The walk to the waterfall from the parking area was less than 10 minutes. We could see the 108-meter waterfall immediately. I love waterfalls and this one ranks high on my best-waterfalls list!

View from the bridge that leads to the waterfall

Luckily there weren’t many tourists on this day and we were able to get some nice photos without people. I headed first to the famous swing to get my perfect picture and video of me swinging! We are never too old to swing, right?!

On the way back through the valley, we stopped at a medieval village where you could see the waterfall in the distance. We walked around these mostly abandoned stone buildings (there were a few houses with people there). It was like being in another time in history!

16th-century stone house village in Bavona Valley

This village dates back to the 16th century. They say the entire Bavona valley doesn’t have electricity and is only populated during the summer months. The valley is known as the rockiest, the aridest and steepest valley of the Alps.

Looking toward the Foroglio waterfall in the Bavona Valley

This fairytale-like village was ideal for photographs. We walked all along the rock paths and admired the ancient stone houses and cliff views.

Ascona

Our last stop of the day was the town of Ascona. This popular tourist spot is right next to Locarno. I found this town to be much more scenic than Locarno with its palm trees and beautiful lake promenade.

Ascona is Switzerland’s lowest-lying town at only 196 meters (643 feet) above sea level. The area of Ascona is known for its mild climate, its old town, and a lake promenade with street cafés.

We parked near the lake and walked along the edge of Lake Maggiore. We stopped at one of the lakeside restaurants to have a refreshing glass of white wine. It was so relaxing to enjoy the warm afternoon and admire the glistening lake.

Our view at the lakeside restaurant in Ascona

If you come to this area of Ticino, I would definitely recommend a stop in Ascona.

Bonus Stop in Ticino

On the way home from Locarno, we took the route over the Nufenen Pass. This particular journey was not planned but was a highlight of the trip!

The drive over the mountain pass was spectacular! The Nufenen pass is 2478 meters (8130 feet) high and is Switzerland’s highest traveled mountain pass.

At the top of the pass, we stopped and walked around the area to take in the jaw-dropping views of the surrounding alps. It’s a great spot for a picnic or to have some food in the restaurant at the top.

Restaurant in the background at Nufenen Pass

There were many tourists at this location including people who were biking or riding motorcycles. It was a bit chilly at the top but a beautiful blue-sky day to enjoy this paradise.

After driving down the winding roads from the mountain pass, we came across many typical Swiss villages. This was my first time in this part of Switzerland but definitely worth seeing!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my 3-day itinerary for Ticino. It was a mini-vacation for us and only four hours from home. To see more of my photos from this trip, check out my Facebook Album here!

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If you are looking for other ideas on what to see in Switzerland, you will want to see my other blog posts below!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!