This five-day tour from Milan is a blur of deep blue lakes, flowing hills, snowy mountain peaks, and wild alpine valleys. A special day trip to St Moriz offers unsurpassed alpine views along the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express train route. From the simple beauty of Lake Como to the idyllic view of Lake Garda, you’ll explore this region in style. Como offers stunning natural views, Varenna charms with its blend of modernity and medieval history, and Sirmione inspires with its tree-lined shores along Lake Garda.
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You can request to book this tour privately, travelling only with people you know.
DAY 1: WELCOME TO MILAN
Benvenuti a Milano! Meet your driver at Milan Malpensa Airport for a private transfer to your hotel.
In the afternoon, meet your professional local guide at the hotel and set off on a three-hour walking tour through the heart of Milan. See the highlights of the city including Porta Venezia, La Scala Opera House, the Milan Cathedral, and Sforza's Castle. At the end of the tour, enjoy an aperitivo (happy hour) at a local bakery before returning to your hotel.
Accommodation at the Starhotels Ritz, Milan, or similar
DAY 2: BERNINA EXPRESS EXPERIENCE
Today you will board the Bernina Express train for a truly memorable experience. Just like sitting in a theater, you will admire unique views from your seat on board the Bernina Express train, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After breakfast at the hotel, meet our driver and reach Tirano. You will get on board there and start this ride along one of the most beautiful railway routes in the world, with its unsurpassed alpine views. The journey will need two hours to complete. As the train winds its way over the Alps, occasionally passing through mountain tunnels, and puffing its way past a myriad of towns and villages, a number of highlights will catch your attention.
Look out at the Swiss Alps as you ride along the Bernina pass to St. Moritz, and then enjoy free time to explore on your own before returning back to Milan. Meals: B
Accommodation at the Starhotels Ritz, Milan, or similar
DAY 3: MILAN > COMO > BELLAGIO > VARENNA > BERGAMO
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then prepare for a short visit to Como, a tourist destination for its vicinity to Lake Como and the Alps. Amazing views over the lake and the alpine valleys are guaranteed! The lake itself, sometimes called Lario, has long been famous for its y- shape and for Bellagio, which you will reach by boat with some of the most charming landscapes in Italy.
Spend some time exploring this picturesque village and its small streets, luxury hotels, villas, and gardens, and have lunch at your leisure in one of the many restaurants or cafés. Back on board, you will make your way to Varenna in the afternoon, where you will take a panoramic tour before moving on to Bergamo, a truly historic and artistic jewel characterized by its urban structure. Check into your hotel for dinner and overnight. Meals: B, D
Accommodation at the Starhotels Cristallo, Bergamo, or similar
DAY 4: BERGAMO > SIRMIONE > RIVA DEL GARDA > BERGAMO
Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, is the next destination. After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a panoramic tour of the lake’s west coast, taking in the splendid natural landscape, like the Brenta Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the area’s rich vegetation, including lemon trees, oleanders, magnolias, and bougainvillea, and be sure to taste some of the locally-made olive oil and wines.
Next, you will move to Sirmione, where Lake Garda and its surroundings are at their finest. See the sun reverberating on the lake’s blue waters, the tree-lined shores, and Sirmione Castle as well as the ruins of Catullus’s villa or Grottoes of Catullus during a boat tour. Once you’re through, you will have some free time to have lunch before departing for Riva del Garda. Located on the north side of the lake, you will see its quaint Venetian-style historical center. Meals: B, D
Accommodation at the Starhotels Cristallo, Bergamo, or similar
DAY 5: BERGAMO > VERONA > FRANCIACORTA > MILAN
After breakfast, reach the romantic city of Verona, home to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. A local professional will be waiting for you and take you on a guided tour of the city. After the Verona tour, you will drive toward the territory of Franciacorta, whose soil consisting of gravel and sand over limestone is ideal for the cultivation of grapes and for winemaking. This is where you will enjoy a light lunch and taste some local food as well as the renowned local wine. After this experience, you will head for Milan, where your tour will end. Meals: B, L