Milan &
Lake Como
Art & Relaxation

Duration: 3-6 nights

Starts: Milan airport

Cost: based on number of days and participants

Included: 7-seat van for the whole tour, private tour director and driver (8 hrs/day), bookings for hotels, museums & local services, all airport/hotel transfers and one fancy dinner

DAY 1:

Meet your driver-guide at the airport of Milan (hotel/train station). Board your private van to reach the city centre. The city guide will show you the must-sees of Milan: starting from the Castle of the Sforza family, the tour will feature the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where you will admire Leonardo's Last Supper; the Duomo in its imposing gothic aspect; the opera theatre La Scala and its elegant private rooms; the Brera museum; the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and the famous shopping street Monte Napoleone.

The three hour tour will be partly on foot and partly by car. At the end of the visit, enjoy some leisure time for private activities. Meet your tour guide to board the van and reach the hotel, in about an hour drive, located in the lake Como area. Check in at your hotel (we'll offer you the best selection upon your booking of the tour). Evening at your leisure. (your tour director will give you all the information about the local restaurants).

DAY 2:

Meet your tour director for the half day excursion. Take the ferry boat with her for a tour along the lake shores. You will be making short stops in the main villages around the lake. In particular you will visit the Villa Melzi and its gardens. Among the famous guests of this 19th century villa Liszt and Stendhal were deeply inspired by the beauty of the place. At the end of the morning excursion, stop for lunch and for some shopping in Bellagio. Back to hotel in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 3:

In the morning board the van with your private driver guide to drive to lake Maggiore. Visit the enchanting town of Stresa and then take the boat to reach the main lake islands: the Isole Borromee. Here the local expert will show you around for a 2 hour walking tour, featuring the Palazzo Borromeo and its gorgeous gardens. These little islands are considered a very special and unique natural environment for their 'micro climate' which favours the growth of tropical plants and flowers, despite the nearness of the high Alps. Lunch in a typical trattoria in the Fishermen island. By early afternoon board your van and drive back to Como area. Upon request, make a short stop in the city of Como and visit one of its world-famous silk factories. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 4 **:

A day mostly dedicated to relaxation and easy walks. Your tour director will show you one of the most beautiful villas in the area: Villa Carlotta. Besides its luxurious gardens full of exotic flowers and rare plants, the villa is enriched with precious statues by Antonio Canova, like 'Amore and Psiche', and furnished with fine 18th century pieces. Dine tonight in a renowned fancy restaurant of the area. Overnight.

**In case you choose the 3 nights tour, DAY 4 will be your departure day.

DAY 5:

The day's highlight is Lake Garda, in the Veneto region. Bordering with Lombardy, the region where Venice is located , it offers many opportunities worth an excursion: its delicate and excellent wines, its villas and castles, its art cities. Starting from a visit to the most famous villa by the lake Garda- Il Vittoriale - the day trip will include the highlights of the art city of Verona, with its Arena, Romeo and Juliet's balcony, the Arche Scaligere, the church of San Zeno and the Piazza delle Erbe. Driving back to Como area, stop en route for a wine tasting in one of best local wineries where the Amarone is produced.

DAY 6:

Board the van with your driver guide for a full day excursion to the nearby cities of Monza and Bergamo. You will be driving through 'Brianza', an area which combines a highly industrialized look with the traces of a glorious artistic past, as Romanesque parish churches, Castles, and aristocratic villas. Bergamo is one of the most representative cities in this respect, being divided in two parts: the oldest city upon the hill and the more modern, industrial one laying in the plain. Monza is mostly famous for its medieval Cathedral preserving an incredibly ancient treasure. But you will also visit the Villa Reale and its huge park, within which is located the fastest Italian circuit for international Formula one car races. In the afternoon, along the way back to Como, make a short stop in the village where the painter Caravaggio was born. Back to your hotel by 6:00 pm.

DAY 7:

Morning at disposal for the last private activities before your departure. Transfer to the airport of Milan. End of tour.