TOUR TO NORTHERN ITALIAN LAKES
(10 days - 9 nights)
The fascination of tourist enjoying the Italian Lake District beauty is well summarized by Henry James’s thought 'One can't describe the beauty of the Italian Lakes, nor would one try if one could'. This idyllic landscape where mountains meet quiet lakes inspired poets, writers, and musicians.
It is the perfect place where to improve fine adventure.
DAY 1: MILAN
Pick up at Milan Malpensa airport. Transfer to the hotel, located in Milan.
Welcome dinner at a restaurant near the hotel
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The most popular building in Milan is its cathedral. It is a symbol of the greatest work of gothic architecture in Italy. It is the third cathedral in the world. The inside is amazed. The history of Milan is closely connected with the system of canals, that pass through the whole city. The area characterized by the Navigli is certainly one of the most picturesque of Milan. Typical, old Milan houses and craftsmen’s workshops remember on passed times. Today this area is a very fashionable area of the city, there are boutiques and ateliers of artists of Milan, cafés and restaurants. It is a good place where enjoying typical atmosphere and the young Milan people. |
DAY 2: MILAN - LAKE MAGGIORE - MILAN
Breakfast at the hotel in Milan.
Full day guided excursion to Lake Maggiore. Boat excursion in Lake Maggiore followed by lunch.
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It is the second largest of the Italian lakes. A boat guided excursion leaving from Orta will conduce you through the cultural and naturalistic beauties of this area, visiting Borromeo Islands, owned by the Borromeo family since the 16th century. Isola Bella is the most famous of these islands here there is the sumptuous palace containing invaluable art pieces and the majestic 'Italian gardens,' rich with a great variety of rare plants and flowers. Isola Madre is the largest and most peaceful of the islands. In Isola dei Pescatori, which means Fishermen's Island, people enjoy the very simple and rustic aspect of this hamlet. |
Depart to the village of Sizzano for a guided wine tasting excursion in a typical wine cellar, to appreciate excellent wine and food with typical products.
Return to the hotel in Milan for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3: MILAN - LAKE COMO - MILAN
Breakfast at the hotel in Milan.
Boat excursion in the lake; visit Bellagio island for excellent shopping. Look for the "Best of Made in Italy" leather, ceramic, wood, cashmere, and silk and admire the villas, their porches and gardens.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
The Romans called Lake Como 'the pearl of the Lario,' and Bellagio is located at the end of the promontory that divides the lake into two different branches. Since the middle of the 18th century, Bellagio had been chosen as the aristocracy and intellectuals’ summer residence . Return to Como. Founded by Julius Caesar in the first century B.C., Como has been famous for its silk manufacturing since 1510. Important fabric industries are not the only attractive of this city, in the historical centre there are several fascinating monuments, including the Duomo, a symbol of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. A break to taste a typical dessert is really advisable. |
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Return to Milan for dinner at a local restaurant and overnight.
DAY 4: MILAN - LAKE ISEO - SIRMIONE
Breakfast at the hotel.
Half day guided excursion to Lake Iseo. You will cruise the lake on board of a private motorboat, having a stop to visit Monte Isola. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Shared between the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia, Lake Iseo, 20 km away from the city, is the smallest Alpine lake but one of the most charming in Italy because of its landscape. In the middle of the lake there is Montisola, the biggest lake island in Europe, a real green jewel with beautiful noble villas. At its sides there are the two private little islands of Loreto and San Paolo. The winds blowing would allowed tourists surfing and sailing.
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Transfer to Lake Garda region where you will stay tonight with dinner at your hotel in Sirmione.
DAY 5: SIRMIONE - LAKE GARDA- SIRMIONE - SIRMIONE
Breakfast at hotel
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Half day guided boat excursion. Leaving from the enchanting Sirmione a public motorboat will take you to Salo.
Along the entire length of the lake tourists can admire fabulous views of the steep-sided shores and picturesque villages nestling between the mountains and lakeside. In Salo you will admire its cathedral and have time for lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Desenzano.
This small and fascinating city situated in the shores of lake Garda. Arranged like an amphitheatre upon the morainic formations surrounding the southern part of the lake, Desenzano is considered the capital of Lake Garda.
It is home to many fine hotels, tourist resorts, camping sites and inns, and its restaurants serve excellent dishes and famous wines (Lugana, Tocai, Rosso Riviera).
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This afternoon, a spcial treat, so make sure pack a swim suit before your leave for Italy .
Desenzano has numerous sports facilities (swimming pools, riding schools, tennis courts, etc.) and places of culture such as civic museum, library, auditorium, convention centre.
In the late afternoon departure to Colà, where you will be able to relax in the fascinating Thermal Park, experiencing pools with naturally warm water, different hydro water. |
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Return to the hotel and then to a local restaurant for dinner in Sirmione.
DAY 6: SIRMIONE - VERONA - VENICE
Breakfast at your hotel and transfer this morning to Verona.
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Verona, a city with many Roman vestiges, including the more renowned monuments of the glorious past, such as one of the best preserved Roman arenas in the world.
Tour the city, viewing the Castel Vecchio, Gavi Arch, Roman Arena, elegant shop-lined Via Mazzini and Piazza dei Signori. No visit to Verona would be complete without a visit to see the famous balcony where Romeo wooed Juliet.
Lunch will be served in a very intresting Veronese restaurant. |
After eating transfer to Venice and your hotel. On arrival a private water bus will take you through Venice canals directly to the hotel. Dinner tonight at your hotel.
DAY 7: VENICE
Breakfast at the hotel in Venice. This morningther will be a 3 hour introductory walking tour starting in St. Marks Square vsiting the Basilica and the Bell Tower and then through the side nd back streets experiencing the "non traditional" Venice. Your tour will end in the Rialto Bridge area and the rest of the day to explore at your own pace. Lunch today will be on your own and we will meet back at the hotel and go to a nearby restaurant for a festive dinner.
A visit of Venice, known as “La Serenissima”, must include St Mark’s square, the Basilica and the Bell Tower. Then, walking into Campo Santo Stefano from the Accademia, San Marco or Rialto, it is hard to resist the temptation to loiter in the sunshine and watch the world go by. The grandest of the immense palaces of the city, such as the Doge's Palace, Palazzo Fortuny and Palazzo Pisani, in the small square in front of which plays are often performed.
One of the most spellbinding views in Venice is the one where the Grand Canal makes its first sweeping curve, affording a view of the harbour of San Marco, a glimpse of, the extraordinary church of Santa Maria della Salute and the golden dome of the Punta della Dogana. You should also wander the narrow streets, called “calle” and then appreciate this magical atmosphere tasting a good “cappuccino”, maybe in the square commonly referred to as "Campo dell'Accademia", although its real name is Santa Maria della Carità, which is one of Venice's traditional meeting places.
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Dinner tonight will be at a local seafood restaurant, Venetian style.
DAY 8: VENICE - FLORENCE
Breakfast at the hotel in Venice.
Transfer by private motorboat to Piazzale Roma, where your bus will transfer you, with an intermediate stop for lunch on to your hotel in Florence.
Dinner at your hotel and overnight.
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The treasures of this magical city need little introduction. Florence is the artistic capital of Italy and, to many, the country’s very soul. The beauty and majesty of the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Campanile, the glorious palaces of the Renaissance’s noble families all must be seen to be believed. |
DAY 9: FLORENCE
Breakfast at the hotel in Florence.
Half Day guided visit of the beauties of this enchanting city followed by lunch in a local trattoria.
Afternoon at leisure.
Farewell Dinner in a local restaurant
DAY 10: FLORENCE - MILAN
Breakfast at your hotel in Florence.
Transfer to the airport in Milan for your flight home, or if you want to extend your holiday with addtional nights in Florence or Rome before returning home, check with our office.
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