tauck luxury escorted tours - bellissima northern italy tour

Bellissima Northern Italy Tour

Northern Italy journey! Begin in fashionable Milan and discover the legacy that da Vinci and Michelangelo left behind. Take in the beauty of the Italian lakes as you visit Isola Bella and Bellagio. Think of Romeo and Juliet as you tour Verona… attend a wine tasting at an agriturismo in Brescia and a Balsamic vinegar tasting in Spilamberto. Walk on streets that Dante once trod in Bologna, discovering why the city’s nickname is La Grassa (the Fat One) – and learning the secrets of its cuisine in a cooking class from a master chef followed by a sumptuous dinner. Cap off the perfect northern Italy vacation in Venice, truly a city of dreams.

Itinerary

Day 1 Benvenuti a Milano!Your Northern Italy 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 Tauck Director and your fellow travelers at a welcome cocktail reception followed by dinner this evening.

Meals: Dinner

Lodging: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Day 2 Artful inspirations in MilanThis 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 BellagioIt’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 BellaYour northern Italy 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. A tour of 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 Across the countryside to Bergamo and VeronaToday’s travels take you across lush rural landscapes to ancient Bergamo, where you’ll explore its walled medieval center – straight out of a storybook illustration – with a local guide; visit the Piazza Vecchia, the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Cappella Colleoni. After a wine tasting and tasty lunch at an agriturismo in Brescia, in the Franciacorta region, your northern Italy vacation continues to Verona, land of Romeo and Juliet.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy

 
Day 6 Verona varietyVerona 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 ItalyJourney 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 Giorgio 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 Italy 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 BolognaSurrounded 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 and lunch on your own, learn the secrets of Bologna’s cuisine in a cooking class from a master chef prior to dinner… where you’ll savor the delicious results of what you’ve learned!

Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Lodging: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Day 9 Vibrant VeniceTravel on to Venice today, 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 gondolier propels your gondola through the canals, complete with a serenade. It’s an experience that you’ll long remember. Your home in Venice is the magnificent Hotel Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal; it was 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 pleaseAwaken 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. Then, join us as we celebrate the end of a splendid northern Italy vacation with our farewell cocktail reception and dinner this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Lodging: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Day 11 Homeward boundTour ends: Venice. Fly home anytime. Your northern Italy 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

 

Price Guide

11 Days from $4,990

  Double Single Triple
2010 Price per Person $4990 $6447 $4710

All prices are per person in U.S. dollars.

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