7 Days
Arrive in Milan and meet with your English speaking assistant. Milan is the second largest city in Italy and the capital of the Lombardy Region. Hotel check in, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Start the guided city tour of this amazing city, which combines art, fashion, style and finance. See the Duomo, the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery (called Milan’s lounge), the Scala opera House and the amazing Castello Sforzesco, once home of the Sforza family, and “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci, in Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie. Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon free time at disposal to enjoy your shopping in the most fashionable city in the world. You will be able to explore personally Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, where all the great stylists’ boutiques are located, and see with your eyes what you normally see on catwalks. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast and transfer to Bergamo for a full day guided city tour. In the Alpine foothills, just 50 km from Milan, Bergamo is the most striking town in Lombardy. Structured in two levels, the lower city is more modern and dynamic, whilst the famous ‘upper city’ boasts a stunning historic centre full of monuments and works of art. Considered one of the richest and most elegant cities in Italy, Bergamo owes its splendor to the domination of Venice, which ruled the city from the beginning of the 15th century until the end of the 18th century. The upper city is easy to reach with the funicular railway, and its main square, the Piazza Vecchia, hosts the most important religious and civic buildings as well as representing the focus for most of the main commercial and historic streets. Travel to Brescia. Hotel check in, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Visti of Brescia, rich industrial city between Lake Garda and the Valtrompia in the foothills of the Alps, about 100 km east of Milan. You will see the Tempio Capitolino, the old Roman ruins, the last remains of what once was the city’s forum during the Roman Empire, built by the emperor Vespasian, and then Santa Giulia’s cloister, a museum and former convent which houses a massive collection of art and archeology dating back more than 10,000 years. Lunch at leisure. Transfer to Franciacorta. This area belongs to the Province of Brescia and it extends from Mount Orfano to the shores of Lake Iseo. The climate is rather mild. Thanks to the proximity south to the Alps’ foothills and nearby important lakes , the ground of gravel and limestone is ideal for grapes, so on the rolling hills shaped by glacial action many well known wines are produced (Berlucchi, Bellavista, Cà del Bosco, Mosnel, Cavalleri,etc). This area established a “Strada del Vino Franciacorta” on the model of the famed German Wine Route (Weinstraße) in 2001. In the afternoon visit of a wine cellar. Back to hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast and meet the guide to start your full day excursion around the lake. Start by driving to Sirmione, located on the south coast, a particularly popular destination, home to the Virgilio & Catullo Spa Complexes, as well as numerous restaurants, bars, hotels, fashion stores. The picturesque Scaliger Castle dates from the 13th century. The Roman poet Catullus had a villa here, and visitors can see an ancient Roman Spa named “Grotte di Catullo”. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon cross by boat* to the other side and visit Salò and Gardone Riviera. Back to Brescia, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Depart towards Mantua, beautiful art city surrounded on three sides by lakes formed by the Mincio River, southwest of Verona. Start the guided tour: at the centre of the city stands its cathedral, which was rebuilt in the 16th century. The vast Ducal Palace, also called the Reggia of the Gonzagas, stands opposite the cathedral. You will also see the “Palazzo del Te’”, a spectacular building and masterpiece of art which still echoes Renaissance atmospheres. In 2008 Mantua was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lunch at leisure. On the way back stop in Borghetto, medieval village. Back to Brescia, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Transfer back to Milan airport in time for your flight. End of services.
