Love & Lakes

On arrival into Rome, transfer to your hotel. Enjoy free time to explore the sights including the Duomo with its terraces, the Castello Sforzesco, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the famous fashion and shopping streets. Spend the night in Milan.

 

After breakfast at the hotel make your way to Milan Central Station to take a train to Stresa on Lake Maggiore. The shores of this lake are shared between Switzerland and Italy. Check in at your hotel and spend the rest of the day strolling through the beautiful and picturesque streets of this town. Spend two nights at Lake Maggiore.
 

Today visit the famous Borromean Islands, a small archipelago that owes its fame to its three main islands: Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Ile) and Isola Bella. The first stop will be Isola Madre, the largest of the three and the most important island on Lake Maggiore. On the island is a 16th-century palace set in a magnificent English-style botanical garden dating back to the late 19th century. From Isola Madre travel to Isola dei Pescatori which is the only public island of the three and is also the only one permanently inhabited by a small community. Next is Isola Bella, which is famous for its paradisiacal Italian garden with the Teatro Massimo at its centre. Composed of ten terraces forming a truncated pyramid adorned with statues and fountains; the scenographic layout is of rare beauty! The garden and palace were commissioned by Count Vitalino Borromeo in 1650, but it took a good four centuries to transform a rock into the magnificent work we visit today. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
 

Depart Stresa and the beauty of Lake Maggiore and board a local train to discover the beauty of another famous Italian lake, Lake Como. The journey will pass through valleys and landscapes typical of northern Italy, moving from Piedmont to Lombardy, before arriving in the charming town of Como. Como is known for its Gothic-style cathedral, the panoramic funicular railway and the pedestrian path along the lake. To the north are the lakeside gardens of Villa Olmo and other elegant villas. The afternoon is free to stroll through the streets of this beautiful town or take the funicular and enjoy the breathtaking views of the lake from above. Spend the next two nights at Lake Como.

 

Spend today discovering the beauty of Lake Como, on the stretch of the lake that leads from Como to Bellagio. Your included boat ticket allows you to get off at each stop and visit the various villages on the western shore before arriving in Bellagio. Enjoy time visiting this romantic town which is situated exactly between the two arms of Lake Como. Bellagio is known for its cobbled streets, elegant buildings and the Villa Serbelloni Park, an 18th-century terraced garden overlooking the lake. On the way back to Como, you can admire the changing colours of the lake in the late afternoon light.

 

Today leave to scenic beauty of Lake Como behind as you travel to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. Verona is located close to Lake Garda and nestled between the Italian Alps and the Po Valley and is in fact where one of the poet William Shakespeare's most famous works is set. Check in at your accommodation and then enjoy a free afternoon to stroll around the city or visit the famous Arena di, Verona. Spend two nights in Verona.

 

This morning visit Verona with the help of an expert local guide on a small group tour. Your guide will bring the history of the city to life, discovering people who helped build the Verona of today and learning about legendary stories that have made the city famous throughout the world. See the main monuments, such as Juliet's balcony, Piazza delle Erbe, Castelvecchio, the Lamberti Tower and the Arena. Discover the medieval castle in the centre and some bridges that have withstood more than one war. Enjoy a free afternoon to do some shopping or to visit the picturesque places around Verona: the Prosecco hills or the art cities of Mantua, Vicenza or Padua.

 

Your tours ends after breakfast.