Italian Lakes Discovery Tour 2024

You can meet the tour group at Milan Malpensa airport or Milano Centrale station on the first afternoon for the transfer north to Lake Maggiore and your first base in Cannobio (or arrive under your own steam).
Check-in to your lake-view room and start experiencing the magic of Lake Maggiore!
Meet your tour leader for welcome drinks and dinner.
Overnight: Cannobio (D) 

The Borromean Islands, still owned today by the Borromeo family, were the original project of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, a 17th Century Archbishop of Milan who set out to create a floating cornucopia of style and beauty. You’ll visit the stunning villa and gardens on Isola Bella in the morning and travel across to Isola Pescatori for lunch. Return to Cannobio in the afternoon, and there is free time for the rest of the day.
Overnight: Cannobio (B,L) 

Your mini-coach and driver will pick you up at the hotel this morning for the short drive to Lago d’Orta, one of the lesser-known and prettiest of the Italian Lakes. You will start the visit in the main town of Orta San Giulio, where there is time for a coffee before you take a boat across to the island of San Giulio to visit the impressive Romanesque Basilica from the 9th Century.

There is free time for lunch by the lake before an afternoon visiting the Sacro Monte, a shrine to San Francesco set above Lago d’Orta with beautiful views.
Overnight: Cannobio (B)

You check out of the hotel in Cannobio this morning and travel north along the shores of Lake Maggiore. You will slip over the border into Switzerland and stop for coffee in Lugano, the pretty Swiss town on Lake Lugano.
A short drive will take you back into Italy and to the lake-side town of Porlezza where you’ll stop for lunch on the lakeside.
Drive on to Bellagio, the pearl of Lake Como and check-in to your lovely lake-front hotel.
Overnight: Bellagio (B.L)

You begin the day in style with a private boat tour of the central lake, seeing many of the towns and villas from the best vantage point, the water. The boat tour will finish in the town of Varenna, on the lake’s east shore. The afternoon is free time to wander around Varenna or return to Bellagio. A ferry ticket from Varenna to Bellagio is provided so you can make your own plans for the afternoon.
Meet the group for dinner together in Bellagio.
Overnight: Bellagio (B,D) 

You’ll leave the shores of Lake Como behind this morning to visit the Valtellina, famous for its pretty mountain scenery, cheese and wine production. You’ll have the chance to learn more about, and try, the latter when you visit a historic winery.
You’ll stop for lunch at a local trattoria before returning to Bellagio in the afternoon.
Overnight: Bellagio (B, L)

Today you will ride the ferry, heading across the lake to visit a couple of the most charming of the aristocratic ville that sprung up along Como’s shores across the centuries. Your day will include a visit to Villa Carlotta, with its spectacular gardens in the morning. After a short break in the pretty town of Lenno for lunch, you’ll visit Villa Balbaniello, immortalised as the location of Darth Vader’s marriage in the more recent Star Wars trilogy, but with a longer and very illustrious heritage. From Lenno you head back to Bellagio for a well-earned dinner on the hotel’s terrace overlooking the lake (weather permitting).
Overnight: Bellagio (B,D)

This morning it’s time to pack your bags and leave the Italian Lakes, hopefully with plans to return! Your transfer arrives at  Milan’s Malpensa airport by 12pm and at Milano Centrale by 1pm for your onward travel. If you need to arrive at the airport or station at a different time, please get in touch with us before booking any tickets.
Overnight: N/A (B)