Milan and the Northern Italian Lakes

Arrival in Milan Malpensa Airport. Meet your driver for your private transfer. If your room is not ready upon arrival at the hotel, take advantage of your Hop on Hop off 1-day pass to visit the city. The Hop on Hop off includes more than 40 stops, 4 lines, 7 buses and commentary in 10 languages. Line A will allow you to discover attractions such as: Sforza Castle, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Piazza Cordusio, and then continue towards the Duomo, pass under the Madonnina, and reach the Teatro all Scala. Line B runs through the new skyscrapers of the city and takes guests on the shopping streets where 2 km non-stop showcases attract the most demanding international customers. As for line C, it is aimed at sportsmen, customers will have the chance to admire the San Siro Stadium, Casa Milan and the new CityLife space. Overnight at your hotel.

After breakfast you will have the chance to discover the beauty of the Italian lakes! This charming experience includes the transfer by bus from Milan to Como. Lake Como is surrounded by stunning alpine scenery and beautiful villages famed for their high-quality silk production. It is one of the best places to visit in Italy. Our bus will take you to Lake Como and you will start the tour from Tremezzina, it is a beautiful and charming place to visit. With its stunning scenery, luxurious villas, and picturesque villages, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the Italian Riviera lifestyle. The tour continues with a 1-hour cruise on the lake with a private boat. Admire the lakeside villas and keep an eye out for a luxurious hotel set in tropical gardens, but also Villa Balbianello, Villa Carlotta and many more! The mild Mediterranean climate ensures an abundance of exotic and rare plants thrive year-round. Docking at the town of Bellagio, one of the most famous towns on the lake, you can follow the steep alleys running up from the lake and stop for a coffee or gelato at one of the lively cafes housed in grand historic buildings. Spend more time at your leisure here before you cruise to Cadenabbia and continue the tour to Como, visiting its historical attractions, such as the city center. Continue into Como’s historic center and enjoy some free time to get to know the town and shop in the many local boutiques before going back to Milan by bus. Overnight at your hotel.

Today you will learn the tricks of the trade at the best cooking class in Milano!
Master the art of preparing typical Milanese fare and traditional Italian cuisine, enjoy a unique pasta-making class in Milan led by an experienced charismatic chef. First, set off to explore Milan’s fascinating culinary scene visiting the city’s bottegas, crammed with fresh produce and local specialties. Led by your chef you will browse, learn about the local specialties and traditional food heritage, and liaise with the vendors, tasting some specialties offered by the bottegas, before heading to our cooking school, a brand-new stylish facility in the heart of town. Aprons on, following your chef’s skilled instructions, and learn how to prepare exquisite traditional dishes: risotto, fresh hand-rolled pasta, and dessert, too. Measure, mince, mix, and stir (and taste of course, to get seasonings right!). Once all is ready sit down with a good glass of wine and relish the best Italian meal ever: the one you made yourself in the heart of Milan. At the end of the experience, you will receive a Cooking Class Attendance Certificate, as well as a full Digital Recipe Booklet by email to share the recipes you learned with your friends and family at home… everyone will love tasting what you learned to make at your cooking class in Milano!

On the borders of Piedmont, Lombardy, and Switzerland, spectacular Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy and known for its incredible beauty. Your tour will take you from Milan to picturesque Stresa, on the western shores of Lake Maggiore. Stresa is a lovely town with beautiful villas and gardens, some of which are open to the public. With a comfortable climate, Stresa offers stunning lake views, and you can also take the cable car up to Monte Mottarone for views of the Alps and the lakes. Next, hop on board a cruise on Lake Maggiore, and admire the stunning scenery as the boat takes you out to the Borromean Islands. You will visit Isola Bella, or “beautiful island”, just offshore from Stresa. On this rich historic island, you will visit the Palazzo Borromeo, an exquisite palace dating back to the 17th century. You will also be able to explore the beautiful public gardens.

Get to know Verona and Lake Garda on this day trip from Milan. Your tour guide will take you to the famous Shakesperean sights of Romeo and Juliet before you finally get to see an incredible panoramic view of the country’s largest lake. After driving from Milan to Verona, you will be taken on a guided tour, following the footsteps of William Shakespeare’s remarkable play Romeo & Juliet. You will get to see the notorious balcony of the Capulet residence where Romeo was said to have called out to his beloved Juliet. Although Verona is extremely popular thanks to this novel, this city has much more to offer: the famous Roman amphitheater built in the 1st century AD and where every summer Verona’s open-air operas take place. Furthermore, the tour will take you to Piazza Mercato (the market’s square) and to other beautiful architectural worth seeing spots in downtown Verona. For lunch, you will be given some free time to explore the city by yourself and optionally do some shopping or simply enjoy the picturesque old town in one of Verona’s splendid cafés. After lunch, we will continue our adventure to Sirmione, an ancient, fortified village at the end of a narrow peninsula that extends about 4 km into Lake Garda and offers wonderful panoramic views of the eastern and western shores of the lake. You can have an optional boat tour on the lake. Transfer back to Milan and overnight.

There is no better way to observe the majesty of the Swiss Alps, than on the legendary Bernina Red Train.
Imagine yourself, admiring the fairy-tale alpine landscape on board carriages equipped with opening windows to enjoy the mountain air and activate all your senses, to fully immerse yourself in the surrounding nature. On a 100 years old railroad route, today protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site, from the luxurious Saint Moritz up to the Bernina Pass and back down to Italy, our guide will deep dive you in the history of this fascinating Swiss territory. Your adventure among the stunning landscapes of the Alps will depart from Milan. On an air-conditioned coach you will arrive in St. Moritz, where you will have the chance to admire the majestic Swiss Alps while sipping the famous Swiss hot chocolate at the best chocolate house in Switzerland, have a walk around the lake or indulge in some shopping in the luxurious boutiques. Here the train ride will start, from the spectacular St. Moritz into the Engadin Valley up to the Bernina Pass (2253 meters above the sea level) before descending to Italy, crossing the helical stone bridge in Brusio, a bold and spectacular engineering work, ending in the ancient town of Tirano. Along the way you will pass wild gorges and icy glaciers, cross soaring bridges and shoot through loop tunnels. An indescribable experience, impossible to transmit through photos or video. At the end of your train journey, you will be returning to Milan in a comfortable coach where, exhausted by an overload of emotions, you will be able to have a quiet rest.

Enjoy a complete day at leisure to discover the posh homeland of Italian Fashion and style!
We suggest using the day for shopping for some great Italian fashion products, but also you may be interested in visiting the Last Supper, Leonardo’s masterpiece.
In the evening, enjoy your farewell experience: cruising the Navigli is one of the most authentic ways to get to know the real Milan. Doing it while enjoying the evening breeze, sipping on a good glass of wine is even better. The Navigli district is famous for its canals and vibrant evening life. With this tour, you will have the pleasure of cruising along the Naviglio Grande, sipping an excellent cocktail and tasting great food.
You will see the typical Milanese railing houses, which represent the Milan of the past, now home to numerous bars and restaurants, going upstream to one of the oldest churches in the city: the Church of San Cristoforo, whose construction began in the 13th century. You will see the historic headquarters of Canottieri Milano Olona and the famous alley of the launderers, an architectural jewel that takes his name from the residents who washed their laundry there, all in complete relaxation and in a convivial atmosphere.
If you want, you can listen to an audio-guide while cruising or simply enjoy the navigation and the beauties of Milan. Overnight at your hotel.

After breakfast, private transfer to Milan railway station or Malpensa airport. End of services.