From dazzling Lake Como to romantic Verona and fabled Venice, discover one of the most glamorous corners of Europe.
Northern Italy is so rich with natural wonders that it is possible to ski the Alps in the morning and sunbathe by the lake in the afternoon. Relish in the riches of this irresistible region as you find the perfect romantic hideaway in Lake Como. Feel Shakespeare's presence in the dreamy city of Verona and pair the region’s hearty cuisine with an award-winning valpolicella classico at Chianti’s charming wineries. Unleash your inner shopaholic in Milan’s renowned boutiques and explore the historic buildings and art collections that live in this cosmopolitan city. Take a gondola ride beneath the arches of Venice’s Rialto Bridge and explore the exquisite city that seems miraculously built on water. Here in northern Italy, living the good life is easy. Your biggest challenge will be deciding when to return again. Enjoy a personalized vacation that best suits your needs, developed by one of our experienced destination experts. Relax during your trip with our 24/7 support and expert local guidance.
Day 1: Milan
For your added comfort upon arrival at Malpensa Airport, there will be an English speaking assistant waiting for you outside the customs holding a sign with your name on it. Your representative will help you to co-ordinate meeting up with your private driver and accompany you to your accommodation.
A welcome package with a city map, train tickets (if relevant), and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.
Accommodation: Uptown Palace (4*)
The Uptown Palace is a modern and elegant hotel just a short walk from the Missori underground station (Yellow Line), from the Piazza Duomo cathedral square and from Milan’s most famous shopping streets. The hotel has lovely sound-proofed guestrooms; the beds have LinoVivo bed linen and the latest generation of Simmons mattresses. Each room has LCD TVs and private bathrooms, with showers or bathtubs, soft bath robes, slippers, hair dryers and elegant amenities. The Uptown Restaurant has a menu with a variegated range of traditional Italian and International dishes. Each morning guests can start the day with a delicious buffet and there is also a healthy corner with locally-grown and gluten-free products.
Day 2: Milan
Milan maybe one of the top fashion cities in the world but there is much more to see in this trendy, urban metropolis it is also home to an incredible patrimony of art and culture which includes one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s greatest masterpieces: the Last Supper.
The Last Supper is housed at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan and has earned a spot in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This Skip the Line Tour of the Best of Milan includes this difficult to obtain pre-booked entrance, guaranteeing exclusive no line entry and an intimate viewing of the Last Supper. But there is plenty more to Milan than Leonardo's masterpiece! Your half-day sightseeing tour of Milan also includes a walking tour, introducing you to Italy most stylish city. Stop by the alluring Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping gallery, a 19th century glass vaulted shopping arcade. Brimming with fashionable shops and cafes, it is often called the salotto di Milano or Milan drawing room for its importance over the years as a common meeting point for the people of Milan. Visit the medieval Sforza Castle. A grand medieval Castle and fortress, the Sforzesco was once the seat and residence for the ruling family of Milan and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections. Next, tour the splendid Duomo, one of the world's largest, most striking Gothic cathedrals. Some 135 spires and 3,200 statues are crammed onto the roof and facade of the building. Finally, visit the famous Opera House, the fabulous La Scala theatre. Founded in 1778 and still in use, some of the greatest musicians and opera singers have performed here including Pavarotti and Giuseppe Verdi, whose famous operas such as Falstaff often premiered in this very theatre. Tour includes: walking tour, entrance tickets to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, The Last Supper, two language speaking guide, visit of Duomo, admission to La Scala, air-conditioned coach. Please note: proper clothing is required to enter religious sites. Visit to the "Last Supper" guaranteed; visit to Duomo and La Scala prohibited in case of special events.
This afternoon is perfect for shopaholics! Milan is world famous for its shopping. Begin your shopping discovery in the heart of the luxury shopping areas in Milan: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant'Andrea. These elegant streets, together with Via Manzoni, Via Borgospesso and Via Santo Spirito are the outer limits of the famous Fashion Quadrilatero. This area contains the most prestigious boutiques and showrooms in the world, full of minimalist design and high tech.
Accommodation: Uptown Palace (4*)
Day 3: Milan - Como
Enjoy a private transfer from Milan to Como. Journey will take approximately an hour.
Take in the scenery of Lake Como and explore the many quaint lakeside villages and towns as you explore by public boat. You will be able to buy a day pass for between 1-8 trips, and these range from 5 euro up to 22 euro per person (payable locally).
Accommodation: Metropole Suisse (4*)
Nestled in Como between the Swiss border and the city of Milano is the Hotel Metropole Suisse. Located in the main square and directly on the Lake Como, the hotel boasts four generations of Cassani family ownership. Featuring 71 rooms, the hotel offers all the amenities to ensure that your stay is as comfortable as can be. The Imbarcadero Restaurant features the best regional and international cuisine in the formal dining salon or outside on the summer lakefront terrace.
Day 4: Como
Today you will be picked up from the hotel and met by your guide at Stresa, "the pearl on Lake Maggiore," The tour will consist of a mini-cruise by private taxi boat ride providing gorgeous panoramic views of the Borromean Gulf. Enjoy a guided visit to Isola Madre (Mother Island) which is fully covered by a botanic garden, rich in rare plants and exotic flowers, where peacocks, parrots and pheasants live. You will also visit Isola Bella (Beautiful Island) which was built by Count Vitaliano Borromeo in 1632. On it, lies a monumental Baroque palace amidst a majestic setting of blooming terraced gardens. You will have the opportunity to dock on Isola dei Pescatori (Fisherman's Island) and given free time for a pleasant walk along the narrow lanes, discovering cute corners and shops. Lunch is at your own account, not included. In the afternoon, the taxi boat will approach the village of Laveno Mombello and will reach another jewel of the lake the Heritage of Santa Catherina del Sasso. It is a marvelous monastic complex perched on a rock. At the end of your tour, you will be transferred back to Stresa by a taxi boat. Entrance fees to Isola Bella, Isola Madre, private taxi-boat are included.
Accommodation: Metropole Suisse (4*)
Day 5: Como
Today you will be picked up by a driver at your hotel in Como and transferred to Lugano, which will take approximately 1 hour. Here you will meet with your guide for a tour of the city center and the lakeshore of this elegant town. During your time here, you will be provided with ample time for individual activities and exploration. Following lunch (not included), you will transfer to Campione d'Italia, which is an Italian municipality of the province of Como and given free time to roam about. This region will leave you breathless with its beauty, and the vastness of the surrounding mountains will give you a very awe-inspired experience. Lastly, a transfer to Morcote, situated about 10 kilometers from Lugano, will give you a chance to explore the southern part of the lake with its small alleyways, ancient houses, and authentic cultural atmosphere on your own. From here, a private car will take you back to your hotel.
Accommodation: Metropole Suisse (4*)
Day 6: Como - Verona
Meet your driver for a private transfer from Como to Verona.
Meet your guide today for this classic sightseeing tour, which unfolds through the streets and alleys of Verona. Experience Verona as it stood more than two thousand years ago, with buildings and monuments of various ages accumulated through the centuries: Romanesque churches, Gothic towers and castles, Renaissance palaces, squares, and elegant courtyards. This walking tour will include the famous house of Romeo, the famous house of Juliet, the stunning Scala family tombs, masterpiece of gothic architecture, Signori square, Erbe square with the fountain of Madonna Verona, the Arena, and the Roman amphitheatre.
Accommodation: Villa Quaranta Park (4*)
Villa Quaranta Park Hotel is located between Lake Garda and the city of Verona, covers an area of more than 20.000 square metres in the heart of the historic wine growing area known as Valpolicella Classica. The hotel has 85 rooms finely furnished, the restaurant “Borgo Antico” and a new Wellness Centre – Termarium. Villa Quaranta Park Hotel is a stunning villa with frescos, marble staircases and luxurious furnishings. There is an ancient chapel decorated in the Romantic style and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Here you can admire frescoes depicting scenes of the New Testament. Hotel amenities are numerous and attractive and have been created to make your vacation a truly remarkable experience. Facilities include a fine restaurant, a lobby bar, an ample garden and park, an outdoor swimming pool, TV room and wireless Internet connection in the hall.
Day 7: Verona
Meet your driver and guide today to take you to the enchanting village of Bardolino, along the Veronese shore of Lake Garda. This half day tour includes a walk through the streets and along the lakeside of Bardolino. You will enjoy a visit to the ancient churches of San Severo and San Zeno, as well as a wine-tasting session with Bardolino, Chiaretto and Bardolino Superiore wines. To finish off, your taste buds will become satisfied with an olive oil tasting at a local farm.
Accommodation: Villa Quaranta Park (4*)
Day 8: Verona - Venice
Meet your driver for a private train station transfer.
Enjoy the direct train ride from Verona to Venice. The train ride is approximately 1 hr 10 mins.
Take a private water taxi transfer from your hotel to the train station or vice versa. You will be accompanied by an assistant (with meet & greet for arrivals), who will help you locate your water taxi, and travel with you to your hotel or the closet pier.
Sit back and relax on a marvellous and enchanting half an hour evening gondola ride through the Grand Canal and inner canals of Venice. You will breathe the atmosphere of this ancient city built on water. Start your journey at the 'Stazio Gondole Santa Maria del Giglio." Close to Saint Mark, right on the Grand Canal, in front of Guggenheim Collection palace and Santa Maria della Salute church, this gondola station is one of the oldest Gondola stops in Venice.
Accommodation: Palazzo Sant`Angelo (4*)
Palazzo Sant'Angelo, located in the heart of Venice on Canal Grande, is a charming hotel housed in a noble building, elegantly restored and completely furnished in Venetian style. The welcoming hall, with splendid original Palladian pavement, is decorated with warm colours and an old stone fireplace. The rooms and suites at Palazzo Sant’Angelo feature stunning vistas over the waters of the lagoon, the lush garden or a typical Venetian side street. Start your morning in the cozy breakfast room and in the evening at the hotel bar, that conveniently overlook the Grand Canal.
Day 9: Venice
Be intrigued by the fascinating history of La Serenissima and discover what it is like to live in this unique city. Walking around the open-air museum, your informative guide will take you to the external sights of Saint Mark’s square, the Doge’s Palace, the Bell Tower and the incredible legends of the Clock tower. Discover the extraordinary architectural masterpieces and why they were built that way. Enter inside Saint Mark’s Basilica, and walk through to one of the main highlights of the Basilica, the “Pala D’Oro” (Golden altar). See masterpieces by generations of Venetian Goldsmiths, and universally recognized as one of the most refined and accomplished works of Byzantine craftsmanship and the most precious treasure in the Basilica. Please note that shared tours can have up to approximately 50 people (depending on the number of people that have signed up for the tour on the particular day), and are carried out in a number of languages. The group may be divided out into smaller groups so the tour is led in one language or kept as one larger group (in which case the tour will be led in various languages).
Enjoy time at leisure exploring the three famous islands of the Venetian Lagoon – Murano, Torcello and Burano. After sailing past the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, the tip of Sant' Elena and the famous Lido beach resort, the public boat arrives in Murano. Known for its glassware shops and factories, Murano boasts a long and still-thriving tradition dating back to 1291, when glass artisans moved their kilns from the old city center. Continue to the picturesque island of Burano, famous not only for its lace but also for the fishermen's houses painted in bright colors. When you reach the island of Torcello – established between the 5th and 6th centuries and the earliest center of civilization in the Venetian Lagoon – you’ll see evidence of the island’s glorious past as it once flourished with ornate palaces and churches. Explore the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the 7th century, and the excavated remains of the circular baptistery in the church of Santa Fosca. Boat tickets are not included and are to be paid locally.
Accommodation: Palazzo Sant`Angelo (4*)
Day 10: Venice
Take a private water taxi transfer from your hotel to the airport and vice versa. The service includes full time assistance with meet & greet. A private motor launch will take you from the airport landing stage to the hotel or closest pier.
