Sue Fowler 2021

Packages

The Superior and Single use packages include lake view at Lake como and nicer rooms in all other places. The Comfort package does not offer lake view and has the more basic kinds of rooms accommodations.

Inclusions and Exclusions

All packages include: 

• • your private Chauffer (not a guide) with Van tour (6 people) that will be with you the whole time

  • or coach with your personal guide (if we have 16 or more people) that will be with you the whole time

  • all tours with entrance tickets and special  transportation (except a EUR 2 shuttle service on day 5)

  • all hotels accomodation

  • all breakfast meals, one lunch (day 5) and one cooking class with dinner (day 8). You will have the opportunity to stop for food as needed on the other days.

Packages do not include:

• • EUR 2.50 per person per day overnight taxes (must be collected directly by the hotel staff)

  • EUR 2.00 shuttle service on day 5

  • all meals not mentioned in the "includes section"

  • gratuities

DISCLAIMER : all prices are indicative and will have to be confirmed.

Price per person assuming 6 people (chauffeured tour by van)

Comfort package EUR 2,193   or $2,651.77 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Superior package EUR 2,313   or $2,796.87 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Single use package EUR 2,613 or 3,159.63 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Price per person assuming 11 people (tour by coach with guide)

Comfort package EUR 2,043 or 2,470.39 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Superior package EUR 2,160 or 2,611.87 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Single use package EUR 2,463  or 2,978.25 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Price per person assuming 16 people (tour by coach with guide)

Comfort package EUR 1,680 or 2,031.45 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Superior package EUR 1,79 or 2,170.51 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Single use package EUR 2,098 or 2,536.90 (USD value was calculated on 1/18/21 and may change over time)

Itinerary

• • Day 1: arrive in Milan pick up by private chauffeur + Milan city tour and transfer to Como Lake. 

    • Arrive in Malpensa airport and transfer to Milan (1 hr more or less). 

    • Milan 4h private city tour to visit :

      • The Duomo di Milano and it's square

      • Galleria Mall (La Rinascente) see pictures

      • Sforzesco Castle and Square, see pictures

  • Transfer (1h drive) to Malgrate (Lecco) at Hotel Griso (Great Lake Como view). 

    • We have identified this hotel for it's location being in the middle of the most interesting places and also providing a great view of the lake at a reasonable price. I do not have specific experience with the hotel, but I reviewed it both on booking and Tripadvisor.

    • Here you can see the rooms options. They do not have a king size bed option (the beds are all 180 cm which is a queen size). They also have rooms with 2 double beds (their family rooms) .

    • Relax at leisure for the rest of the day taking advantage of the hotel features and location (rooftop solarium and hot tub). 

    • The center of Lecco is a 15 minute walk. An external elevator can take you directly to the Lake level and the beautiful promenade. The hotel has also a coffee shop and very scenic restaurant. 

  • Day 2: Lake Como private chauffeured tour 

  • pick up at hotel and transfer to Como (40 minutes approx driving time)

  • Here you will have a chance to take the Funicular that connects Como and Brunate for an amazing spectacular view of the lake (about 1.5 hours)

  • You will then take a Public Cruise to Bellagio and visit at leisure (4.5h includes cruise time). Ferry schedule to Bellagio and to Como.

    • drive to Cernobbio (15 min) to visit the famous Villa D'Este.

    • IMPORTANT NOTE: the villa and the gardens can only be visited by people staying in the hotel or having lunch or dinner at the hotel restaurant.

    • We hope that by the time you will go there,  the policy will change and the gardens will be open to the public. As of now, we can not guarantee that you will be able to visit the gardens as the situation is not under our control. 

    • return transfer to hotel (45 minutes approx driving time to hotel in Malgrate)

  • Day 3: Lake  Lake Maggiore private chauffeured tour 

  • pick up at hotel and transfer to Stresa(1.30 minutes approx driving time)

    • Just near Stresa, for the more romantically inclined, we suggest a visit to the splendid Borromean Islands: Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Madre. In just one day you can visit Isola Bella, home to Palazzo Borromeo and a terraced garden, the picturesque Isola dei Pescatori with its characteristic houses adorned with wooden balconies and Isola Madre,

    • return transfer to hotel (1.5 hours approx driving time to hotel in Malgrate)

• Day 4: Transfer to Verona with stop at Iseo Lake

  • • Transfer from Malgrate Hotel and drive to Verona (total transfer time 2.45 h). On the way we will make a stop in Sulzano to visit Iseo Lake for a boat tour (guided or on your own) of the 3 islands and visit of the hamlets. Details to be added, we are still looking for the best boat tour for the group.

• • Drop off at Sole Hotel Verona in Verona (high customer ratings)

  • Day 5: can be used to visit the Sanctuary "Madonna della Corona" which  can be visited during a 7 tour from Verona, if we take the tour with the lunch stop at a  local farm. The Madonna della Corona Sanctuary is set like a jewel in the cliffs above a magnificent valley. First we would transfer to the small town of Spiazzi, where there is a connection to the sanctuary by 10 minutes shuttle drive. There are steep steps to reach the sanctuary. Find more details about the itinerary below:

    • • The group will meet the guide in Spiazzi at 10:00 AM. It will be possible to calmly start the tour from the parking lot after drinking a coffee or leave immediately for a 20-minute walk, 1 km approx (the road is closed to traffic, only shuttle buses are allowed to accede the traffic restricted area), in order to reach the Sanctuary. On our way we will find a curious alpaca farm, with a kiosk selling wool products.

      • On the way we will see the 14 stations of the Via Crucis with bronze statues. After a gallery in the stone, we will reach a bar for a restroom stop.

      • A staircase of about 30 steps leads to the entrance of the Church. We will visit the structure, gathering peace and harmony, and around 12.00 PM the shuttle bus will take us back to the parking lot (alternatively you can go back on foot). From there we will move by minivan to the nearby farm (5 minutes by car).

      • The local producer will offer us a lunch with typical products of Monte Baldo. The lunch will be accompanied by a good glass of wine, in a wonderful position with a view of the lake. It will be possible to buy the products and relax in the beautiful garden. Around 2:00 PM, we will leave the farm to return.

        • Lunch: includes malga gnocchi with smoked ricotta, cutting board with cold cuts and cheeses, dessert, water and wine, coffee; the portions are abundant, the products are all homemade. There is also the possibility of buying jams, honey, as well as cheeses and other products. The setting conveys a sense of craftsmanship and tradition, and the restaurant has an indoor space and a large garden overlooking Lake Garda.

  • IMPORTANT NOTE: we think that the group will be better off by following the easiest route and avoiding most of the steps that take to the sanctuary. The shuttle bus (additional cost EUR 2 per person not included and paid directly on location) will leave you at 300 yards approx from the Church. Than, once reached the church, you will have to take an elevator (that is located under the steps) and than you will have to climb 30 steps. 

  • Day 6: Visit Verona city tour + Sirmione and Garda Lake

  • Chauffeured private Tour of Verona (4 hours including lunch). This is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Here is a great Wikytravel article. It is famous for it's:

    • • Verona Arena: perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater and the world's largest open-air opera venue.

      • Walk Verona's most famous shopping area, the Corso Porta Borsari and its adjacent squares.

      • Juliet's House - Romeo and Juliet. Three Shakespeare plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

      • Optionally visit Juliet’s Tomb: located in the vaults of the Abbey of San Francesco al Corso, not very far from the Arena di Verona

      • Admire the Castelvecchio Bridge: Verona's historic castle was a product of the Della Scala family dynasty during the Middle Ages. 

      • Lunch break

• • • Reach the town of Sirmione (40 minutes approx driving time). 

      • spend 2h at leisure visiting the unbelievably charming town of Sirmione, a perfect location of one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe: Garda Lake. 

      • visit the amazingly preserved medieval Scaligero Castle in Sirmione (see pictures)

• • Return to your Hotel in Verona

• Day 7: Transfer to La Spezia for a full day at Cinque Terre

• • transfer from Verona to La Spezia.

    • Enjoy your custom guided walking tour of Le Cinque Terre. Your giuide will take you to the main sites of interest of Le Cinque Terre illustrating their main features. You will create an itinerary with your guide between Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

    • The tour will take you to 3 different villages of the Cinque Terre. Movement between villages will be by train or by ferry (weather permitting).  Click here to check the ferry boat timetable.

    • Check in at Hotel Firenze Continentale in Laspezia (one of the better hotels in Laspezia) 

  • Day 8 transfer to the villa  Valle Del Marta Resort and Spa - In Tarquinia, for 2 nights stay (about 4.5 hours total travel time)Stop at Saturnia Thermal Waterfalls when transferring to Valle del Marta.

  • You will spend about 2 hours visiting the thermal baths of Saturnia. 

  • Check in at Valle del Marta at about 3 PM.

  • 6:00 pm cooking class at Valle del Marta with lavish dinner included.

• Day 9: day trip to Viterbo and  Bomarzo for a fun day tour

  • • Viterbo

      • Viterbo is a dazzling ancient city situated between two magnificent lakes, Bolsena and Vico. Enclosed by walls made of lava stone, Viterbo has spectacularly preserved medieval architecture (one of the best in Italy) and an abundance of antique shops. The main attraction in Viterbo is the Papal Palace (Palazzo dei Papi), which served as a country residence and a refuge during times when Rome was unsafe. Viterbo's historic center of San Pellegrino is one of the best preserved medieval squares in all of Italy. Here you can see the intact authentic stone walls that were vital in protecting the residents from Papal attacks. As we walk through Viterbo's Piazza della Morte and Piazza del Plebiscito, history can be seen through its magnificent architecture. Viterbo will surprise you with its abundance of rich history.

      •  

      • Bomarzo Gardens or Park of Monsters

      • A short drive away from Viterbo rest the enchanted Bomarzo gardens, laid out by Vicino Orsini in the 16th century at Bomarzo. Here you'll find larger-than-life statues sculpted in the bedrock, grotesque masks, and a twisted little house, all unconnected to any rational plan and apparently strewn almost randomly about the area, "solo per Sfogare il Core" ("just to set the heart free") as one inscription on an obelisk says.

• Day 10 transfer to ship about 30 min.

Interesting article: Discovering the Lakes of Lombardy