11 Days Bellissima Northern Italy Tour Package
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Priced From: $4960 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: May - Oct

Even if you’ve been to Italy before, you’ve never experienced an Italian vacation like our 11-day Bellissima Northern Italy journey! Indulge yourself with another side of Italy during this unique Italian vacation. Begin in fashionable Milan and discover the legacy that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo left behind. Take in the beauty of the Italian lakes and imagine the privileged lifestyle of those who live on their shores as you visit Isola Bella and Bellagio, and see the most popular Italian vacation getaway of Verona’s rich folks in the 1st century BC on Lake Garda. You’ll think of Romeo and Juliet as you tour Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site also famous for its many relics of the Roman Empire. Attend a Balsamic vinegar tasting as well as a wine tasting and savor authentic flavors of Italy. Walk on streets that Dante once trod in Bologna as you discover why the city’s nickname is La Grassa (the Fat One). Cap off the perfect Italian vacation in Venice, truly a city of dreams.

Day 1: Benvenuti a Milano!
Your Northern Italian vacation begins at 6:00 PM at Grand Hotel et de Milan. A transfer is included from Milan’s Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel et de Milan. Please join us to meet your Director and your fellow travelers at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy

Day 2: Artful inspirations
This morning will be a special treat for aficionados of religious art masterpieces… or The Da Vinci Code. Visit the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to take in Leonardo da Vinci’s mural The Last Supper, which he painted on the refectory wall at the request of his patron, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. With dimensions of 15 by 29 feet, this beloved mural covers the entire large wall. Continue on to magnificent Castello Sforzesco which houses Michelangelo’s last unfinished masterwork, the Rondanini Pieta. Later, admire the Duomo, the great Cathedral of Milan, a striking example of Gothic architecture, and the impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. After a walking tour of the city center, the rest of the day is free to explore what interests you most on your own.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy

Day 3: Lovely Lake Como and Bellagio
It’s said to be Italy’s most beautiful lake and you’ll understand why it entrances celebrities, aristocrats and jetsetters when you see Lake Como for yourself today. In Tremezzo, discover Villa Carlotta, known for its lovely setting and splendid 17th-century gardens decorated with sculptures, stairways and fountains. A private cruise across the lake to Bellagio reveals the grand villas of the rich and famous. After lunch on your own, board another private boat for a cruise to Como en route to your Belle Époque hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy

Day 4: Baroque Isola Bella
Your northern Italian vacation continues as you travel by boat to Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore and the exquisite Borromeo Palace on the tiny, private island. Count Vataliano Borromeo began the construction of this opulent Baroque palace and its splendid gardens in 1632. The ornate family home showcases priceless works of art, tapestries and furniture in an elegant and sumptuous setting. Later, after a walking tour of lovely Stresa, the afternoon and evening are free to enjoy as you please.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy

Day 5: Lombardy and Lake Garda grandeur
Today’s journey begins with a visit to an Italian farm to sample the sparkling wine for which this region is famous and have lunch. Then it’s on to stunningly beautiful Sirmione, set on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Garda and a favorite vacation spot for wealthy citizens of Verona in the 1st century BC… just as it is for contemporary Italians. During free time to explore, you might want to visit Rocca Scaligera, a castle seemingly straight out of a storybook illustration with its battlements and towers.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy

Day 6: Verona variety
Verona is probably best known as the home of Shakespeare’s tragic lovers, Romeo and Juliet… and of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Valentine and Proteus. But, Verona is so much more. In honor of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and still used for operas and other cultural entertainment, and other buildings that have survived since Roman times. A walking tour this morning reveals the many charms of the city; the afternoon and evening are free to continue your explorations on your own.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy

Day 7: A different taste of Italy
Journey this morning to Mantua, birthplace of the poet, Virgil, and once the site of one of the greatest Renaissance courts in Europe. Tour the impressive Ducal Palace, the former stronghold of the powerful Gonzaga family, and admire grand rooms and stunning frescoes dating from the 13th through the 18th centuries. Visit the 14th-century fortress of Castello San Georgio to view its impressive art collection. In Spilamberto, a visit to a local museum reveals how authentic Balsamic vinegar is produced, complete with a tasting that will be an interesting memory of your northern Italian vacation. Arrive in Bologna for a two-night stay at the Grand Hotel Baglioni.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy

Day 8: Bountiful Bologna
Surrounded by hills, the dusky red buildings, marbled-floored ancient porticoes and wide piazzas contribute to the distinctly Renaissance feel in the center of Bologna. Home of the world’s oldest university, the Alma Mater Studiorum, founded in 1088, notable scholars such as Dante, Boccaccio and Petraca once walked its streets. A walking tour this morning reveals sights that they may well have seen centuries ago. After time to explore on your own, indulge in a cooking class prior to dinner before savoring the delicious results of what you’ve learned.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy

Day 9: Vibrant Venice
As your Italian vacation continues, travel to Venice, one of the world’s most enchanting cities. Guided sightseeing includes the famous Piazza San Marco, impressive St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doges’ Palace, official residence of Venetian rulers in the Middle Ages, where you’ll learn how the “bridge of sighs” got its name. Then, sit back and relax as a singing gondolier propels your gondola through the canals. It’s an experience that you’ll long remember. Your home in Venice is the magnificent Hotel Gritti Palace, built in 1525 as the palatial residence of the then-Doge Andrea Gritti.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy

Day 10: More Venetian delights as you please
Awaken in intriguing Venice, one of the world’s most beloved cities, today and indulge in all things Venetian just as you choose. You might begin your day enjoying a coffee in Piazza San Marco, referred to by Alfred de Musset as “the drawing room of Europe.” Here in the city where streets are paved with water, the sound of human voices replaces the traffic noise so common in the other great cities of Europe as pedestrians (and pigeons) flock to this central gathering place for Venetians. Perhaps you’ll choose to see the magnificent view of the city from the top of St. Mark’s bell tower, stroll over to the Rialto Bridge, take in some of the city’s excellent museums or shop for distinctive Venetian souvenirs such as the traditional Carnival masks and colorful Venetian glass. Or, just follow your nose and see where the tiny streets might take you. Please join us for our farewell cocktail reception and dinner this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy

Day 11: Homeward bound
Tour ends: Venice. Fly home anytime. Your northern Italian vacation comes to an end with an included transfer from the Hotel Gritti Palace to Venice’s Marco Polo International Airport. Please allow 2 1/2 hours for airport check-in formalities. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Meals: Breakfast

Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252

10/10