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A Real Journey, Highlights of Italy - By Train By Land By Sea

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A Real Journey through Italy - Highlights and Delights

12 days from Milan

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Overviewicon Itineraryicon

This is a suggested tour itinerary for private departures, adjustable to best suit your specific wishes. Price based on how many travelers, your chosen package inclusions and your chosen level of accommodation.

 

Specific inclusions may vary depending on your specific chosen travel dates/day of the week and availability of attractions/special events.

 

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Day 1

ARRIVAL IN MILAN According to your flight details, you will arrive in Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Milan Linate (LIN). The first one is at about 55 km far from the downtown, while the second is closer, with a distance of less than 10 km. You will meet your driver waiting for you with a signboard, then board on your private car for the transfer to your hotel located in Bellagio, situated on the banks of the Lake Como. Overnight in Bellagio in a 4 star hotel for 3 nights, with breakfast and local city tax included.

Day 2

BELLAGIO (LAKE OF COMO) Breakfast at hotel. Today is completely at your disposal to enjoy the town. Bellagio is a pearl on the shores of the lake as it sits in the middle of a Y that gives the shape to this three-legged lake. You will experience the charming town with its narrow streets and steep alleyways, its cozy and inviting city center, the lakeside promenade aligned with flowers, markets and cafes. You may also go to the ferry ticket office to get information about villages you can reach and visit by ferries departing from Bellagio.

Day 3

LAKE OF COMO BOAT TOUR Breakfast at hotel. Today enjoy a tour of the lake by private boat, at your disposal for 7hrs. You will discover the lake from a new perspective, discovering enchanting historical villas surrounded by centuries-old gardens and spaces that artists have converted into a real art forms. In the morning you will have a guided tour of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, to visit its magnificent botanic garden and art masterpieces in over 70.000 square metres of gardens and museum. After the visit, free time to enjoy the lake and its villages, you can ask for suggestions directly to the pilot to know the best places to see. After the boat tour, relax at the hotel or stroll along the streets of Bellagio looking for a good restaurant to have your last dinner on the lake (not included).

Day 4

VENICE Breakfast at hotel. This morning you will travel to Milan to take your fast train leaving to Venice. Private car and driver will be at your disposal for this transfer. Train ride is about 2 hours and a half. Upon your arrival at Venice station, you will find an English speaking assistant that will escort to your hotel, transfer by private taxi boat is also included. Check in at your hotel in Venice, then acquaint with the nearby area. Walk through the canals to get to the magnificent Piazza San Marco, where you will find many café to stop in to sip the typical cocktail “Spritz”. Rest of the day at disposal. Overnight in Venice in a 4 star hotel for 2 nights, with breakfast and local city tax included.

Day 5

LAGOON ISLANDS Breakfast at hotel. Walk a little to join a morning group tour to the Lagoon islands. You will visit Murano, the Glass island, where you will have the opportunity to see a Glass Factory and assist to the glass-blowing by local artisans. Then move to the island of Burano, made of picturesque canals lined with brightly colored houses. The island is also famous for its artisan lace makers and there’s a Lace Museum as well as shops selling lace. Last stop will be in the island of Torcello to see the spectacular Byzantine mosaics inside the seventh century Cathedral of Santa Maria Dell’Assunta. Much of the island is a nature reserve, accessible only on the walking paths. Come back to Venice after the tour (duration is about 4 hours), then have free time to spend in Venice.

Day 6

VENICE TO ROME Breakfast at the hotel. Today you may enjoy a 7 days cruise in the Mediterranean sea, ending up in Civitavecchia (cruise not included) or heading south directly to Italy’s capital: Rome. Private transfer till Venice station by private boat is included, then board your fast train to Rome Tiburtina. Train ride is about 3 hours and 35 minutes. Upon your arrival you will meet your driver, for the transfer to the hotel where you will stay for 3 nights. The rest of the day is at your disposal to relax or to visit the city on your own. Overnight in Rome in a 4 star hotel for 3 nights, with breakfast and local city tax included.

Day 7

ROME Breakfast at hotel. Meet your English speaking guide and private car at the hotel lobby for a morning tour of the Vatican, including the admission to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica. Vatican Museums boasts one of the most impressive art collections in the world. Some of the most famous works of art on display here include the wall and ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel, the Stanze of Raphael, the Laocoön statue and the Apollo del Belvedere. The St. Peter’s Basilica is the most important church in the world, with its magnificent altars and monuments inside, amongst all the works by sculptor/architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini and also Michelangelo’s Pietà. The afternoon is at your disposal, you may visit the typical Trastevere district, the neighborhood „across the Tiber” on Rome’s left bank, that is a pleasant diversion from the tourist-heavy historic center.

Day 8

ROME Breakfast at hotel. Meet again your English speaking guide and private car at the hotel lobby for a morning visit to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The Colosseum of Rome is without doubt the most renowned symbol of Rome all over the world. For the enjoyment of the inhabitants of Rome, it hosted fights between gladiators or against wild animals and fabulous spectacles as „naumachie”, real naval combat in the arena filled with water, were organized. Under the arena of the Colosseum were numerous corridors and rooms used for housing the gladiators and the ferocious beasts that could be brought to the center of the arena thanks to a series of elevators and ramps. The Roman Forum was in ancient times a marsh. From the end of the seventh century B.C., after the drainage of the marshes, the Forum was constructed and this served as the center of the public life in Rome for over a millennium. Another afternoon at your disposal. Stroll along Via del Corso, that connect Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo, where you will find a lot of shops and café, and also the directions to reach the Trevi fountain and Spanish steps on a side, and the Pantheon and Navona square on the other side. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner to the Eternal City at a local typical restaurant (included).

Day 9

ROME TO CINQUE TERRE VIA LUCCA Breakfast at hotel. Meet your private car and driver at the hotel lobby for the transfer to Rome TIBURTINA station. Here take a fast train direct to Florence Santa Maria Novella. Train ride is about 1 hour and a half. Upon your arrival, meet your English speaking driver at the station and board your private car for the transfer to Monterosso with a stop en route to Lucca for max 2 hours. Lucca holds many attractions for the tourist. Its historic center, with medieval towers and nearly 100 churches, is completely enclosed by its walls and it’s a good city for walking, biking, and shopping. After the visit of Lucca, proceed north towards the Cinque Terre region, and Monterosso. The car can arrive till the main square of the town , from there then you will have to walk for about 5/10 minutes uphill with several steps to reach your accommodation. You can contact the B&B owners to meet them and get help to locate your accommodations. Rest of the day is free to relax at your hotel or to walk around the town. Overnight in Monterosso in a B&B for 2 nights, with breakfast and local city tax included.

Day 10

CINQUE TERRE Breakfast at hotel.The day is completely at your disposal to explore the Cinque Terre (Monterossom, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Rio Maggiore). The best way to visit is by the sea, the return ferry tickets to the villages are included. The ticket allows you to visit all the villages of the Cinque Terre except Corniglia, that cannot be reached by sea, only on foot or by train.

Day 11

MILAN Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast and check out at the hotel, walk till the main square to meet your driver for your private transfer to Monterosso station. Then board your train to Milan (included) where you will find another driver who will escort to the hotel in Milan. You spend your last night in Milan and have the chance of a short visit to Italy’s fashion and design capital. Milan is also home of Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece “The Last Supper”, and if you want to visit it do not forget to make a reservation in advance. Overnight in Milan in a 4 star hotel for 1 night, with breakfast and local city tax included.

Day 12

MILAN (END OF TOUR) Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast and check out at the hotel you will meet your driver for your private transfer to Malpensa or Linate airport for your departure flight.

 

 

 

Please note: All attraction opening times are correct at time of printing this website. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times beyond our control.

 

Please note that your final day to day itinerary may fluctuate to accommodate variable opening times/days for listed attractions, special events and places of interest. Please discuss your needs with us for an individual itinerary with rate quote.

 

This tour itinerary is bookable via Special Group Tours, written by partner Italian Discovery

Inclusionsicon

What Your Tour Package Includes

This is a suggested tour itinerary and can be modified to best you your individual wishes.

 

Suggested tour package includes: # of touring days with vehicle & exclusive services of your driver/guide/companion, your accommodation for # nights while on the tour including full breakfasts, all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide. Your price also can include dinners and/or entrance fees to attractions or these items can be left out of the up front package/to be paid directly for maximum flexibility. Airport transfers, accommodation pre and post tour, scheduled city day tours/attraction passes/transport passes or theatre/event tickets can be added to your package as you wish, subject to availability.

 

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The Special Group Tours Advantage is our unique and intimate understanding of what you expect traveling in the UK and Europe. We have not only visited but have spent many years living in and loving the cultures you will experience down the ‘B’ Roads and off the beaten track. We have worked with local suppliers and our guide/companion team for over a decade, creating unique special interest itineraries. Special Group Tours offers our “insider” knowledge to you.

 

The SGT Small Group Touring Concept is traveling with just 4 - 14 guests per departure. It is our aim to introduce you to the 'real' country and its people, not just ticking the boxes of a standardized route and treating you as an individual and not a number. Our concept allows for a leisurely touring pace and flexibility to get off the beaten track to discover hidden gems. Of course you'll see the major sites but so much more too!

 

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