Northern Italy Explorer: Lake Como to Venice

Day notes

Welcome to Italy!

You will be met on arrival once you have completed your entry formalities by your private guide and transferred to your luxury hotel on the shores of beautiful Lake Como. 

The remainder of the day and evening are at leisure to rest and adjust after your international travel. 

Day notes

Depart this morning from your hotel aboard a private boat to explore Lake Como.  After a scenic ride on the lake, your first stop will be Varenna, one of the most authentic of the lake towns.  Pay a visit to the exquisite terraced gardens of Villa Monastero before taking some time to wander through the village.  Journey a short distance to Bellagio, one of the lake’s most distinguished towns, which rose to prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries with the region’s upper class.  Enjoy some time on your own to stroll along the shop-lined cobblestone streets and for an independent lunch.  

Begin making your way back across the lake to Villa Balbianello, formerly an 18th-century Franciscan monastery.  Today, it is part of the Italian National Trust and features fine collections of African, Chinese and pre-Columbian art as well as period furnishings and extravagant gardens.  Your tour of the exquisite villa and gardens will be led by a curator of the National Trust.

Finally, relax for the final ride along Lake Como to your hotel.  The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day notes

Today, you will have the opportunity to discover another one of the breath-taking lakes of Italy's Lake District.  The resort town of Stresa will be your starting point after arriving at Lake Maggiore, home to the Borromean Islands. Visit two of the islands by private boat, Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori.  Isola Bella features the unique palace of Charles III, tour the palace and gardens before the short trip to Isola Pescatori, a typical and charming fishing village where you will enjoy lunch in a traditional trattoria.  Return to Stresa for some free time before the trip back to Lake Como.

Day notes

Enjoy a leisurely morning before traveling a short distance from Lake Como to Milan.  Settle into your  5-star hotel located in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s social center, before beginning your exploration of one of Italy's most eclectic cities.

Your afternoon walking excursion will begin with a visit to Santa Maria del Grazie to view DaVinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper”.  Continue to the city’s famed Duomo, the world’s largest gothic cathedral, for an interior visit that will highlight the cathedral’s architectural and artistic achievements.  Nearby is the renowned La Scala Theater, your next stop.  Enjoy a short visit to the interior museum and, if no rehearsals are taking place, you will have the opportunity to view the theater for a private behind-the-scenes tour.   Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists and many of the finest singers from around the world have appeared at La Scala during the past 200 years. Today, the theater is still recognized as one of the leading opera and ballet venues in the world.

Day notes

You bid Milan "arrivederci" this morning and begin the journey to one of Italy's true gems, Verona.

Enroute, visit Lake Garda and charming Sirmione. The historic center of the town as well as the Rocca Scaligera, a 13th-century castle, are complete with a moat that looks as if it came straight from a fairytale. You will also visit the Villa Romana with its ancient baths, a historic symbol of the area’s famous thermal springs. Finally, enjoy a one-hour cruise (via public boat) to enjoy the scenery of what is considered to be the region’s most picturesque lake. Time will be given for an independent lunch before you continue to Verona.

You will be provided with a short, introductory walking tour of Verona on arrival.

Day notes

Set out this morning on a walking tour of Verona, the “Pink City,” a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its urban structures and architecture. Verona is also world-renown thanks to Shakespeare, in part, who was inspired to write the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Your tour today will include Basilica San Zeno Maggiore as well as the town’s two primary, and bustling piazzas, Piazza Bra, and Piazza Erbe, both are lined with markets, cafes and an abundance of charm and atmosphere.  Piazza Bra is also the location of the Roman Arena, the most important Roman theater in Northern Italy, as well as one of the best-preserved structures of its kind.  Today, it is the site of Verona’s famed summer opera concerts. Continue to the Piazza dei Signori, the House of Romeo and Juliet’s Balcony. 

Lunch will be included today at the historic 12 Apostles Restaurant.   You can enjoy the remainder of the day exploring independently.

Day notes

Journey into the Lombardy region of Italy today to the Mantua (or Manova), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its Renaissance architecture and planning.  Visit the Palazzo Ducale, the home of the Gonzaga family from the late 13th to early 17th centuries, it is an immense series of buildings complete with courtyards and gardens. The Palazzo is 500 rooms and features one of the finest art collections in the region.  While in the Palazzo, view the famous “Camera degli Sposi” with frescoes painted by Mantegna. Time is provided to enjoy other sites in the city including the 16th century Duomo of San Pietro and Rotondo of San Lorenzo. Depart Mantua for a drive into the Veneto’s wine region for a visit to one of the area’s prominent wineries where noted wines such as Valpolicella and Prosecco are produced.  Learn what sets these wines aside from their Italian cousins during a tasting.  Return to Verona for a final evening in the famed town.

Day notes

Journey through the rolling hills and countryside of The Veneto to the city of Vicenza.  The city itself, along with the Palladian Villas of the Veneto, along with other works by Palladio, is conserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Widely known as “Palladio City”, Vicenza was ruled during the Middle Ages by the Scala family from Verona.  Later, it became part of the Republic of Verona.  Your tour today will highlight the life and work of renowned Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio.  Begin at one of Palladio’s masterpieces, Villa La Rotonda, the inspiration for Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. 

Continue on to the main square of Vicenza, the Piazza dei Signori, which is also home to another example of Palladio’s masterful architectural works, the Teatro Olimpico. Also, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site is the oldest surviving enclosed theater in the world. The trompe-l'œil onstage scenery, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, to give the appearance of long streets receding to a distant horizon, was installed in 1585 for the very first performance held in the theatre and is the oldest surviving stage set still in existence.  

At the end of the tour, you will transfer to your hotel and check-in.  The remainder of the day will be at leisure for Independent exploration.

Day notes

This morning travel to the picturesque Bassano del Grappa. Located about 45 kms from Vicenza on the Brenta River, the town, with a backdrop of the Dolomites, is a true hidden gem. 

Your excursion begins with the Alpini Bridge, also known as the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge).

 Your guide will lead you through the charming town, explaining the history such as how the art of printing developed here to a high level of excellence by the Remondini family, during the 18th century. It is pleasant to walk around the town's relaxing streets where its history is clearly visible through the buildings, beginning with the Middle Ages, when it was a small settlement belonging to the Ezzelino family. A not-to-be-missed sight is the Nardini Distillery. Stop for a tasting of the famous grappa at the distillery itself on the Old Bridge which was, founded in 1779 when Bassano del Grappa was ruled by the Republic of Venice. The inn soon became the “Grapperia Nardini” strategically located for both the ample water supply, a necessary element in the distillation process, as well as for its accessibility to the regional markets. The Brenta River at that time was an important water way utilized mainly for transporting goods to Venice by barges. Today, the Nardini distillery is part of “Les Henokiens”, an exclusive international club made up of family companies that are at least 200 years old.  Enjoy some free time to enjoy a cappuccino or sweet treat in the enchanting town square before returning to Vicenza for the remainder of the day.

Day notes

Depart for Venice today with time to take-in the amazing Renaissance art and architecture of Padua enroute to Padua.

A short drive from Vicenza, Padua is home to two of Italy's most remarkable sights.  Begin your visit to Padua with the Scrovengi Chapel, a masterpiece painted by Giotto and considered to be one of the 14th century's greatest works of art.  Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Renaissance town as you make your way to the renowned University of Padua, one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious universities. A highlight of your visit will be “Anatomical Theatre” one of the first surgical teaching facilities in Europe.

Free time will be provided to explore Padua on your own and to have lunch.  After lunch, board a traditional “burchi” for a scenic and relaxing ride on the Brenta Canal.  The famed canal is home to a succession of regal palaces and villas designed by the likes of Palladio and Preti as summer residences for the Venetian upper class.  Take time to visit some of the noted villas of your choice, such as the Villa Pisani, said to have the “hardest” hedge maze in the world.  The end of the canal will take you into Venice where you will be escorted to your hotel to settle in

Day notes

Begin your exploration of Venice today with a half-day tour of the city’s highlights starting with the Byzantine Basilica of San Marco (St. Mark’s), the patron saint of Venice.  The cathedral was originally the “chapel” of the Doge and only became the city’s cathedral in 1807.  Continue to the adjacent, gothic Doge’s Palace, home of the Doge of Venice – the highest authority of the Republic of Venice, for a private tour, and a visit to one of the city’s most nostalgic sites, the Bridge of Sighs.  The famed bridge connects the Doge’s Palace with the prison and was so named because it gave prisoners their final view of the city.  Let your guide lead you through the busy passages and secret alleys as you gain an in-depth perspective of the city as you make your way to the Rialto Bridge where you will board a gondola.  Finally, a special visit to the gondola building yard will be arranged for you to learn the secrets of building Venice's famed gondolas.   All the gondolas in Venice are built or repaired at just three remaining boatyards and are specifically built according to an exact science that has been maintained and practiced for centuries.

The remainder of the day will be at leisure. 

Day notes

Today, set out for an adventure to discover the Venice Lagoon islands of Murano, Torcello, and Burano.  You will take a public ferry to Murano, famed for the making of Venetian glass.  The island is only a mile wide and at one time was the main producer of glass in Europe. You will have the opportunity of visiting glass workshops to see the artisans at work during your visit to the island.  Continue to Torcello, populated with only about 60 residents, for a short visit before a visit to Burano – not one island but four!  All of the islets are linked to together by bridges.  The island(s) today is trendy for its brightly painted houses popular with artists.  The colors of the houses follow a specific system originating from the golden age of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by taking notice of the certain colors permitted for that lot. 

Return to the city in time for lunch and enjoy the afternoon in Venice at leisure.

Day notes

Depart your hotel this morning via private transfer to Venice's Marco Polo Airport.