Northern Delights

Benvenuti in Milan! Today you will enjoy your free time walking around this bustling metropolitan city and discover from the most renown shopping street areas to the restaurants that serve the most authentic Milanese dishes. Have fun shopping and Buon Appetito!

Today your first tour guide is organized to visit The Duomo of Milan which tells a story of faith and art spanning over six centuries. Construction work on the Duomo of Milan began in 1386 when the style of Gothic cathedrals had reached its peak. Afterwords you will visit the Castle Sforzesco, a medieval fortification built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification, and other interesting points of the city such as the Scala Museum, and the Castle Sforzesco.

The next wonderful landmark is the famous Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, is one of the most beautiful Italian churches and typical of the late Gothic architecture of Milan. The Gothic church was built by the Dominicans 1463-1482 and in the years 1495-1498 Leonardo da Vinci painted the famous mural “The Last Supper” in the refectory of the monks. Despite the destruction of the church by Anglo-American bombing in World War II, the valuable mural could be saved.

This morning you will be travelling to the mesmerizing Lake Como to gaze at its beautiful colorful towns, its gleaming lake waters, and enchanting beauty.

Once arrived at the hotel, you can relax and enjoy the beautiful lake views while waiting for your luxury cruise and dinner along the lake side.

An enchanting one-hour cruise with a motorboat – an open Venetian taxi – along the lakeside of Como to a charming lakefront restaurant with spectacular views where you will be served a delicious dinner.

Or:

You can enjoy a gastronomical tour in Como.

Stroll through the historical center while admire the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Duomo of Como, pass by the Broletto, the medieval town hall of Como, and the Church of San Fedele built around 1120 AD in the city center.

On your second day in Como, you will take a private cruise in an open-top Venetian taxi. Relax while cruising on the Western branch of the lake, admiring the spectacular mountains and the stunning villas. Disembark at Villa del Balbianello for a guided visit, a real gem not to be missed.

After visiting the villa and its gardens, cruise onwards to Bellagio called the “Pearl of the Lake.” Here you shall stop for lunch at a restaurant of your choice.
After lunch, visit the town of Bellagio and the gardens of Villa Melzi, adorned with classical statues and rare, exotic plants. In May, the azaleas are justly celebrated. After some time in Bellagio and perhaps some shopping, your private water taxi will pick you up at 17.00 to bring you back to the departure location.

After a long tour of this majestic lake, we suggest you enjoy a nice evening dinner at the hotel’s renowned restaurant and admire the magical night views of the stunning lake.

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Departing from Tremezzo, you will take a guided tour to Villa Carlotta and its amazing art collection including beautiful sculptures by Canova, followed by a walk in the colorful and astounding botanical gardens of the villa.

You will then take a 1-hour cruise on a private open-top Venetian water taxi, touring the coast from Tremezzo down to Lenno, to admire Villa del Balbianello from the water and circumnavigate Island Comacina.

Then we will slowly cruise along the opposite coast to reach the botanical gardens of Villa Melzi and finally Bellagio.

After a long tour of this majestic lake, we suggest you enjoy a nice evening dinner at the hotel’s renowned restaurant and admire the magical night views of the stunning lake.

This morning you will be traveling to the world renown city of Romeo Juliette, Verona! After settling in at the hotel, you will visit the house of Romeo and Juliette which is just a stone’s throw from the central Piazza Erbe. In the keystone of the entrance arch is carved a hat, perhaps the coat of arms of the family who lived there in the Middle Ages.

After a morning’s travel and seeing the world-famous house of Romeo Juliette, we suggest strolling toward the Piazza delle Erbe, the oldest square in Verona, for centuries the fulcrum of the social, economic, and religious life of the city. Part of its charm comes from the harmonious overlapping of palaces, towers, statues and architectural elements of various ages and styles, creating a unique collage.

Today you will discover the famous Arena of Verona, the best-preserved Roman amphitheater still in use today. Following the Arena, you will walk through Verona towards the Ponte Pietra, crossing the oldest bridge in Verona from the Roman times, destroyed during WWII, and rebuilt back to its magnificence towards the Teatro Romano (Roman Theater), the oldest building, situated on the edge of the Adige River, it was constructed at the end of the first century A.D. and it is part of the Museum of Archeology of Verona.

The Roman Theater is one of the most preserved theaters in northern Italy and since 1948, Verona’s summer events have been conducted in the theater till today.

After a full day of exploring Verona’s Roman times, we suggest going for a nice aperitivo near the Roman Arena and enjoying a delicious traditional Garibaldi, which is a sprightly mix of Campari and shaken orange juice.

This morning you will arrive at the romantic city of Venice. On your arrival, you will be greeted by a water taxi taking you to your hotel in Venetian style. After refreshing yourself at the hotel, an organized tour guide to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica of Saint Mary of Health), the second most renowned church in Venice, it sits on the opposite side of the Grand Canal to Saint Marks Basilica. Built in 1631 and completed in 1687 with a Baroque design, the Basilica takes the center stage on the Grand Canal, with four statues of the apostles and a dome that towers the skyline.

After a morning travel from one heavenly Italian city to another and discovering on of the most renowned churches in Venice, we suggest taking a romantic and delightful gondola ride through the winding canals of Venice.

On your second day at the charming city of Venice, a guided tour has been organized to take you to Piazza San Marco to visit two important and stunning iconic land marks, first the Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace), one of the most renowned buildings in Venice that sits in Saint Marks Square and looks on the Grand Canal, the palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic. It was built in 1340 in Venetian Gothic style in which it has been modified and extended in the following centuries.

Secondly, the Basilica di San Marco, created in 1092 and located in Piazza San Marco. The Basilica is one of the best surviving examples of the Italian Byzantine culture.

After a wonderful venetian day, we suggest taking a nice stroll through the city towards the famous Rialto Bridge, one of the most important and iconic bridges in Venice, it connects the Saint Marks and Saint Paul districts of Venice. Originally a wooden bridge, it stood for hundreds of years until its collapse in 1524. After the incident, an ornate stone bridge was built, and it still stands to this day.

On your third day in the mystical city of Venice, you will take a boat guided tour to the islands of the Venetian Lagoon. With this tour, you’ll depart from a pier conveniently located near St. Mark’s square to visit the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. You’ll tour a glass factory and watch a glass blowing artist in action in Murano and enjoy free time strolling the colorful canals and browsing the artisan shops of Burano. The last stop is the mysterious Torcello with the oldest churches of Venice, here the Venice Republic was born. During your journey back you’ll admire the beauty of the Venetian Northern lagoon.

After returning to your hotel and ready to enjoy your last night at this magnificent city, we suggest stopping for a nice Spritz, and reminisce all the beautiful places that you have seen and enjoyed in Venice.

This morning you will travel to Florence while enjoying the Roman and Tuscan countryside. After checking in at the hotel, you will take a guided tour at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo), Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and completed in the 15th century, it is the third largest churches in the world after Saint Peters in Rome and Saint Paul in London. The cathedral was dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, The Virgin Flower of Florence in 1412.

After a wonderful morning at the Duomo of Florence, we suggest a nice stroll towards the famous Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge) and a nice Tuscan dinner. Most of all, before the stroll, a well-earned aperitivo such a beautiful glass of Tuscan red or white wine can be savored.

n your second day in the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence, you will take a tour guide at the Accademia Gallery, where you can indulge yourself in a large collection of sculptures and paintings are collected, such as the most famous sculpture of Michelangelo, the statue of David.
After a wonderful learning experience at the Accademia Gallery in this enchanting Renaissance city,

we suggest for to go the Piazza della Signoria for an aperitivo while looking at the famous Palazzo Vecchio or the famous fountain of Neptune, the mythical God of the Sea.

On your third day in Florence, you will take a tour to the Pitti Palace, a wealthy banking family that could no longer pay for the Palace and taken over by the Medici, the most important and powerful family of Florence. Today the palace is divided into four museums.
The Galleria Palatina, is located in the palace with masterpieces of the Medici’s collection and also located behind the palace, the Boboli Gardens can be described as the most beautiful gardens in Florence.

After a fascinating day in the history of one of Florence’s most important Renaissance families and exploring the most elegant and charming gardens of Florence, we suggest for a nice aperitivo at the Piazza della Repubblica, One of the most famous squares in Florence. The square has the triumphal arch in honor of the Italian King Vittorio Emanuele II, a beautiful antiques carousel, the Column of Abundance, and the Navel of Florence which marks the precise center of Florence.

On your last day in Italy, in the gorgeous city of Milan, you can savor all the wonderful memories that you have experienced and shared. Being the last day in Italy it does not mean not to enjoy a nice real Milanese aperitivo and some final shopping, the Italian fashionable way!