Charming Lakes & Riviera

In the morning, we pick up the rental car at Venice airport, then departure for Verona. Here you will be given the possibility to take a guided walk through the historic centre. In the afternoon continuation to Sirmione, the pearl of Garda Lake, where a short boat cruise on the lake is included which will allow you to admire what was once Maria Callas’ Villa, the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, known as Catullo Caves, and finally the Scaligero Castello from an unusual perspective, passing under its drawbridges. After these visits, we continue towards Milan. Arrival in the evening and hotel accommodation.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Verona Walking tour (private).

Breakfast at the hotel, then free morning to visit the city. It is possible either to participate in a guided tour of the centre, which reaches the main symbols of the city, such as the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, La Scala theatre house and the Sforzesco Castle.Alternatively, you can take an in-depth visit to the “Teatro Alla Scalla” or for the sports enthusiasts a bike Tour is also available. Early In the afternoon, departure for Tremezzina on Como Lake, entrance to Villa Carlotta, where you can visit the museum admire the gardens all around.Free time to spend discovering the villages that line the lake, such as Tremezzo, Cernobbio, the ancient village of Bellagio with its noble villas and magnificent gardens. Do not miss Como, where you can either participate in a food tour to taste the local delicacies. Return to Milan in the late afternoon or after dinner, overnight stay at the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Milan Bike tour (semi-private); Milan Walking tour (private); visit at the Teatro Alla Scala and the Museum (regular); Milan Aperitivo Food Tour (small group); Como Food tour (small group or private)

Breakfast at the hotel, then departure towards Stresa, the pearl of Maggiore Lake. Here a cruise on the lake to the Borromean Islands is included, 3 small jewels to be discovered: Isola Madre, the largest, houses a villa-museum with a spectacular English garden; the picturesque Isola dei Pescatori was also mentioned by Hemingway in his ‘A Farewell to Arms’; and finally, the Isola Bella, where you can visit a noble palace with a beautiful botanical garden. For those interested, there is also the possibility to visit the interior of the buildings and gardens by buying an additional ticket. At the end of the boat cruise, return to Stresa and from here we continue to the hotel, located in Turin, first capital of the kingdom of Italy, which hosts numerous royal palaces, historic coffee houses, and the famous the Egyptian Museum. Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel, then early departure to the famous Langhe winery-growing area, recently named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The first stop will be in Barolo, where the entrance to the Wimu Wine Museum is included, an immersion in the world of wine, its culture and its myth. We continue to Alba, home of the very precious white truffle. On the road from Barolo to Alba do not miss the spectacle of the giant benches, which in Piedmont, but in the Langhe, have now become a real tourist attraction. These large brightly colored benches, created by American designer Chris Bangle, are in suggestive places of the Langhe landscape, off the beaten track, making them a fun way to organize an unusual tour of the Langhe, a treasure hunt that really brings us back to the childhood. In Alba,you can participate in an exciting truffle hunt accompanied by a real ‘trifulau’.The next stop will be in Savona, with its imposing Priamar Fortress overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Here you can walk around the city by yourselves. At the end of the day we arrive in Genoa, widely famous for its large aquarium. Meals included: Breakfast.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Truffle hunting (private).

After breakfast at the hotel, an entrance to Villa del Principe follows, the largest and most sumptuous noble residence in the city of Genoa. You will be given the opportunity to enter the beautiful villa and stroll through the imposing garden that once hosted Emperor Charles V and was the home of the successive generations of the Doria Pamphilj family.Rest of the morning to discover the main monuments and alleys of the historic centre, called “caruggi”, we can organize a guided tour. Then we continue towards La Spezia. Depending on the time available, you can stop in one or more of the many towns along the coast. We suggest not to miss the fishing village of Camogli and the small gem of Portofino, famous all over the world. Rapallo and Sestri Levante also deserve a stop. At the end of the day, we arrive in La Spezia surroundings, a great location for exploring the Cinque Terre. Accommodation and overnight stay at the hotel. Meals included: Breakfast.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Genoa Food tour (small group); Genoa Walking tour (private).

Breakfast at the hotel, then full day dedicated to the discovery of the famous Cinque Terre, the stretch of coast with the 5 fishing villages perched over the sea: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. A one-day Cinque Terre Train Card is included, which allows access to the National Park area and the use of regional trains that connect the village and of local buses. For gastronomy enthusiasts, we can organize a wine tasting in Manarola or Monterosso, or a cooking lesson to learn how to make the pesto. Overnight stay at hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Wine tasting in Manarola or Monterosso (regular); Pesto experience in Manarola (small group); La Spezia Food tour (small group); E-bike tour from La Spezia (small group).

Breakfast at the hotel, then departure to Lucca, a wonderful small town full of treasures, such as the beautiful Amphitheatre Square, elliptical in shape because it rises right above an ancient Roman amphitheatre. The next stop is in Pisa, the city of the famous leaning tower. Here we can organize a guided walk with a presentation of the monuments in Piazza dei Miracoli, namely the Duomo, the Baptistery, the Campo Santo and the Bell Tower. For the bravest who want to experience the thrill of climbing to the top of the tower, there is the possibility of purchasing an additional ticket. After the stop in Pisa, we continue southwards. Arrival in the evening at the hotel in the outskirts of Siena, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES: Pisa Walking tour (private).

After breakfast at the hotel, we set off for Rome. Along the way, we recommend stopping at the wonderful Tarot Garden, an artistic park made up of huge sculptures created by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, inspired by Gaudí’s Park Güell in Barcelona. Another absolutely recommended stop is in Viterbo, known as the city of the Popes. Here we suggest visiting the Popes’ Palace and the medieval quarter of San Pellegrino on one’s own, or to admire the Villa Lante in Bagnaia nearby, which houses one of the most famous Italian gardens, full of fountains, waterfalls, caves, and water games. At the end of the day, we return the car to Rome Fiumicino airport or Termini station, but you can continue the journey by joining another itinerary of ours. Meals included: Breakfast.

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