About your tour
Hotels
The Grand Hotel Dino has been
recently restored
and overlooks Lake Maggiore, whereas the
Massimo D’Azeglio lies in the heart
of the Eternal city of Rome. The
Residence Palazzo Ricasoli echoes the
Renaissance
past of Florence.
Fellow Passengers
By offering three nights in each
destination,
this tour appeals not only to those who
enjoy the benefits of coach touring, but
also the more independent traveller. It
is great for people who want to take it
easy or those who want a more in depth
look at Italy’s major cities.
Highlights
Each centre is a highlight. The
Italian Lake District
sees Alpine scenery combine with
luxuriant subtropical vegetation; the
canals of
Venice are magical and romantic; while
Florence and Rome overflow with ancient
buildings
and monuments.
Enjoy
our Premium Highlights plus
these extra tour features
Excursions &
Sights
- Visit the lakeside resorts of Como
on Lake Como & Lugano in
Switzerland
- See Milan’s Gothic Cathedral,
Sforza Castle
and La Scala Opera House
- See Juliet’s Balcony and the
ancient Roman arena in
Verona
- Cruise to St Mark’s Square in
Venice by private launch
- See St Mark’s
Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the
Bridge of Sighs in Venice
- See the Duomo, Gates
of Paradise and visit Signoria
Square in Florence
- Visit the Basilica of St Francis
in Assisi with its amazing frescos
by Giotto
- Visit Rome’s Spanish Steps &
tour St Peter’s Basilica in the
Vatican City
- Florence leatherwork & Venetian
glass-blowing demonstrations
Scenic drives
- Italian Lake District,
Tuscany, Apennines
Guided City Tours
- Indepth sightseeing tours in Rome
& Florence
- Orientation
tours of Milan, Lugano, Verona
& Venice
Insight's First Class Services
- Escorted by a professional Tour
Director
- Luxury
air-conditioned 40 seat coach with
onboard toilet
- First-class hotels with all service
charges, taxes and porterage
- Travel bag, document wallet, map
book journal and information
pack
Quality Dining
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Your itinerary
13 Days ~ Italy ~ Switzerland
Tour Pace
Being an ‘Easy Pace’ tour,
with three
nights in each city, this is as relaxed
as it gets. Use your free time to explore
or shop, or ask your Tour Director for
suggestions. A complete list of optional
excursions will be offered at the start
of your tour.
DAY
1 – UK - MILAN – ITALIAN
LAKES
Welcome to Italy. After your
scheduled flight to Malpensa airport
there are complimentary transfers to
your tour hotel at 09.00 & 12.30
hours. Settle into the tour hotel
overlooking Lake Maggiore and relax
– the rest of the day is at
leisure. Before dinner, enjoy a Welcome
Drink with fellow
passengers and your Tour Director.
Hotel: Dino. (D)
DAY 2 – MILAN
EXCURSION
Visit Milan, Italy’s renowned
fashion capital,
a city dominated by the magnificent
Cathedral, its marble facade bristling with
135 pinnacles and over 2000 statues. See
the massive Sforza Castle and world famous
La Scala Theatre before using your free
time to explore or shop. Return to your
beautiful lake-side resort for an
evening of leisure. (BB)
DAY 3 – LAKE COMO
EXCURSION
Today’s highlight is enchanting
Lake Como,
considered the jewel of the Italian
Lakes for its superb mountain setting. Stop
in the resort of Como, dominated by its
marble cathedral set in the narrow streets
of the Old Town. After some time to
explore, return to the hotel to relax
and enjoy
your beautiful surroundings. Why not
take a cruise out to the lovely Isola Bella
to visit the palatial home and
magnificent gardens of the Borromeo
family? (BB)
DAY 4 –
ITALIAN LAKES – VENICE
Briefly enter Switzerland to visit
mountain ringed
Lugano, and take time to stroll the
lake’s shores and shop for watches and
chocolate. Continue to the elegant city
of Verona. See the ancient Roman arena,
venue for the opera each summer, and
visit the courtyard of the Capulet home to
see Juliet’s balcony. Then
it’s on to romantic Venice, a
glorious city
of quaint bridges, ornate palaces, and
gondolas. Hotel: Sant'Elena/Hungaria
Palace.
(BB,D)
DAY 5 –
VENICE SIGHTSEEING
Cruise to St Mark’s Square by
private launch
to see the ornate Basilica. Admire the
Doges’ Palace and its adjoining Bridge
of Sighs, and later visit a glass
showroom for a demonstration of
traditional craftsmanship,
unchanged for centuries. Relax and enjoy
the atmosphere as you cruise along the
Venetian canals by gondola. (BB)
DAY 6 – VENICE AT
LEISURE
A day is set aside to drink in the
unique atmosphere
of this wonderful city. Explore the
treasures of the Academy Museum, browse
through
the shops on the Rialto Bridge or sit a
while at a canal side cafe with a glass
of local wine. (BB)
DAY 7
– VENICE – FLORENCE
Follow the smooth highway across the
valley of
the river Po and into the wild Apennines
to the Renaissance city of Florence.
Sightseeing
with a local guide shows you
Michelangelo’s statue of
‘David’ in
the Academy Gallery. Continue to see the
Duomo, ‘Gates of Paradise’ and
Signoria Square, political stage of the
Florentines. Hotel: Palazzo
Ricasoli/Croce di Malta.
(BB,D)
DAY 8 –
FLORENCE AT LEISURE
A whole day is reserved to enjoy
Florence. Take
an optional excursion to see the Leaning
Tower of Pisa or visit San Gimignano to
admire the picturesque Salucci Towers.
(BB)
DAY 9 – FLORENCE
AT LEISURE
Why not dedicate today to shopping
for leather
and gold products, visit one of the many
museums or simply relax at an outdoor
café with a glass of vino? (BB)
DAY 10 – FLORENCE
– ROME
Travel through the vineyards of the
Chianti region
en route to Assisi. There is the chance
to visit the tomb of St Francis and the
frescoes of Giotto in the great basilica
before continuing along the Tiber valley
towards the ‘Eternal City’,
Rome. Hotel: Massimo D'Azeglio. (BB)
DAY 11 – ROME AT
LEISURE
Today there is the option to take a
full day excursion
to visit the excavations at Pompeii or
spend the day exploring Rome at your own
pace. Spend time in the designer stores
of the Via Condotti, visit the well
preserved
Pantheon or sip a cappuccino in the
Piazza Navona, the ‘Living Room of
Rome’.
(BB)
DAY 12 – ROME
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing with a local guide begins
with a visit
to the Vatican Museums to see
Michelangelo’s ceiling in the
Sistine Chapel.
Visit St Peter’s Basilica, built
around the tomb of St Peter, and designed
by some of history’s greatest
architects, Bramante, Bernini and
Michelangelo.
Crossing the Tiber, explore ancient Rome
as you visit the Colosseum and see the
Roman Forum. Spend the afternoon at
leisure: shop, relax or continue
sightseeing.
As night falls, stroll to the Boat
Fountain at the foot of the elegant
Spanish Steps
before enjoying a typically Roman dinner
in a local restaurant. (BB,HD)
DAY 13 – ROME - UK
The tour ends with transfers from the
hotel to
Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci
Airport at 07.00 & 09.30 hours. (BB)
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