**Single, triple occupancy or families and groups, please inquire

Also, additional charges apply for weekend stays in Venice during high season.

• Rooms for 13 nights in first class, superior, or deluxe hotels or villas
• Prices include $800 ($400 pp for 2 PAX) credit for rental car. Please book car**** and make deposit at travelplansintl.com/bookargus.htm
• Daily breakfast (continental or buffet, depending on hotel), cooking school and three dinners
• Guided excursion to Lago Maggiore and Ticino (the Italian and Swiss alps) by boat and train
• First class train tickets from Treviso to Verona and to Vicenza and Padua, with returns
• Half day excursion to Milano with a tour of La Scala, or perhaps one of Milano’s fashion shows
• 3 hour guided walking tour of the ancient center of Verona
• 2 - 3 hour guided walking tour of Venice highlights
• Gondola serenade or "Backstreet" Venice tour
• Reservations (you pay at Will Call windows) for opera or syphony performances in Venice, Milan, or Verona. Availability varies by season.
• Trip Packet with vouchers, detailed daily itinerary, driving directions, maps, guidebooks; trip coordinators in U.S. and Italy
  

ITINERARY

U.S.A. / Milano
Day 1

Depart U.S.A. for Italy. Meals Aloft

Milano / Lake District
Day 2

You will arrive at Milan Malpensa airport, collect your luggage, and walk to the rental car agency, which is located inside the airport. Unless you hit a traffic snarl, it is less than a 90 minute drive to your hotel. Please note that the itinerary for the next two days works regardless of which hotel in the Lake District you have chosen from our list (and the days are interchangeable). Explore the area near the hotel this afternoon and, to adjust your body clock to Italy time, try to discipline yourself to stay awake at least until 9 P.M. Meals Aloft

Lake District
Day 3

You are in the Lombardy region, which begins in the Alps on Italy’s border with Switzerland and features villas and pallazzi on lakes Maggiore and Como that have attracted vacationers for countless centuries and which includes Milano, the fashion center of Italy. Lake Orta, just a few miles south of Lago Maggiore, is smaller and less famous than the other lakes but many people consider it their favorite.

Today you will board a ferry (or hydrofoil) from a point on Lake Como that we will help you select based upon the location of your hotel. The ferries (steamers) are slower than the hydrofoil, but you can sit at a bar or restaurant on a ferry and soak in the beauty of the lake, surrounding mountains and rugged hillsides, and flower-filled little hamlets that grace the lakefront. You can disembark at towns such as Bellagio, Cernobbio, and Como to experience the lakeside promenades, cafes, museums, churches,palazzi, and villas which add to the mystique of Lake Como.

If you are staying at Lake Orta, be sure to visit Isolo San Giulio and see the 12th century black marble pulpit in the basilica.

Later this afternoon you can engage in water sports, play golf or tennis, hike, bike or relax at the hotel. This evening, you can participate in the Lake District night life or possibly drive to Milano for the symphony or a performance at La Scala, which is arguably the world’s most famous opera house. If you wish, we will make dinner reservations at your choice from among many delightful Northern Italian restaurants. B

Lake District (excursion to the Italian and Swiss Alps)
Day 4

Because it extends into the mountains of Switzerland, and because of the flowers, vegetation, and trees on the gently sloping banks of the lake, many people consider Lago Maggiore to be even more warm and more picturesque than Lake Como. Today you will explore Lago Maggiore and the nearby mountains on a unforgettable journey by boat and train. Disembark from the dock at Stesa and admire views of the Borromeo and Brissago islands aand of the cannerro castles; discover the villages of Ascona and locarno; and traverse the Ticino region (Northern Italy and Southern Switzerland) by train. The journey takes 8 1/2 hours and ends in Stresa. Before leaving Stresa, you should consider taking the cable car to the top of Monte Mottarone, with panoramic views of the lakes and Alps.

This is the last night in your Lake District hotel. B

Lake District / Castelrotto (Kastelruth)
Day 5

Today you will take one of the most picturesque five hour drives of your life, beginning northbound on Highway S36 bordering the eastern bank of Lake Como. (If you stayed at the hotel in Lugano or Bellagio, you may want to take the car ferry across Lake Como.) Shortly past the northeastern most end of Lake Como, you will pick up eastbound Highway S38. For part of the drive on S38 you have the Swiss Alps on your left and the Italian Alps on your right. Take Highway S 39 eastbound through a mountain pass and then intersect with Highway S 42 eastbound. Highway S42 is partly a winding mountain road and, on the west side of Bolzano, S42 intersects with S38 (which diverted up through the Swiss Alps). Follow S38 westbound until intersecting with Motorway A22 northbound. Hotel Cavallino D’ Oro, an exquisite mountain resort and your home for the next two nights, is a 20 mile drive northeast of Bolzano, exiting from the motorway onto secondary roads.
The hotel is on the medieval market square of Kastelruth and you may want to explore the town on foot late this afternoon. If your room does not face the market square it has a balcony facing the Dolomite Mountains. There is a wellness center with Finnish sauna, solarium and Roman steam bath, built from the original 600 hundred year old wine cellar. You can book the exclusive use of the whole wellness center for one hour (for free) each day and you can use the lovely community pool in Kasteruth, which has fabulous views of the mountains.

Dinner tonight is at the hotel. B/D

Castelrotto (Kastelruth)
Day 6

There is much to do and see in South Tyrol, which exhibits substantial Austrian influence, including the predominant use of the German language through much of the area. Most of the people speak at least some English, however, and Americans who speak neither Italian nor German manage to communicate quite sufficiently.
If you decide to stay close to home today, the hotel can arrange “horseback riding, paragliding (even two-seater), hang-gliding, routes with fixed ropes, free climbing, angling, excursions by bike or mountain-bike”, and white water rafting. Or, if you are here in winter, “skiing, snowboarding (half-pipe), cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering, snowshoes”, ice skating, and horse drawn sleigh rides. The quotes are from the hotel.
Dinner tonight is at the hotel. B/D

Castelrotto (Kastelruth)
Day 7

For those more interested in art, architecture, history or religion, Bressanone (Brixen) is roughly 35 miles northwest of Kastelrurth. On the outskirts, Bressanone seems industrial and unkempt, but persist on to the Medieval center, with narrow streets and the Piazza del Duomo. Palazzo Vescoville has a museum of Medieval art and artifacts. Find your way to the bottom of Via Ponte Aquila (a street) and click a roll of film. Also, there are ancient monasteries and castles, complete with 700 year old frescoes, less than ten miles north of Bressanone. Still spectacular but at lower altitudes than the Grossglockner (which is further east), you can take S12 over Brenner Pass and into Austria about 50 miles north of Bressanone.

Alternatively, the Val di Fiemme, is a 55 mile drive south of Kastelruth and features Tyrolean structures, forested valleys, pretty flowers, and Cavalese, the principal town with excellent winter and summer sporting facilities. Cavalese also offers the 13th century Pallazo della Magnifica Comunita, which exhibits Medieval paintings and artifacts.

Return to the hotel in Kastelruth this evening. B

Kastelruth / Cortina d'Ampezzo
Day 8

As you drive today from Kastelruth to the Dolomites, you should consider crossing into Austria via the Grossglockner, the highest road in Europe, roughly 100 miles northwest of Cortina d’ Ampezzo. On a clear day, it is breathtaking beyond description.

Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Italy’s top ski resort, is 40 miles east of Canazei on a road that is in part serpentine. Because it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, Cortina is well equipped with a ski jump and bob sled run and offers excellent downhill and cross country skiing. In the summer, swimming pools, riding facilities, tennis courts, and water sports are abundantly available in the area; and, of course, a wide variety of hotels are available for all seasons.
Check into the hotel that you have selected from our list for this area. B

Cortina d'Ampezzo / Veneto (Asolo)
Day 9

You of course can select any of our hotels in the Veneto, but we have built this itinerary around Asolo because of its central location and aesthetic appeal. Six days are not enough to see both Venice and the Veneto, but we have tried to hit the highlights without wearing you out.

The drive from Cortina to Asolo will take less than three hours without stops, although you may want to have lunch on the Piazza del Marcatto in picturesque Belluno. Upon arrival in Asolo, check in at the hotel you have chosen, where you will stay for three nights. Asolo is a charming Medieval village situated among an abundance of cypress in the foothills to the Dolomites and has been a favorite haunt of writers, poets, and artists for many centuries. Robert Browning loved it so well that he made it his home.

If you want to digress from the narrow streets and boutique shops of Asolo this afternoon, it is an easy drive into Treviso, a lovely fortified city with a Duomo and palazzi that date back to the 12th century. Also, six miles east of Asolo in the town of Maser you can visit Villa Barbara, which was designed in the 16th century by the master architect Palladio, whose civic work you will see in abundance on Day 10 in Vicenza.

Tonight you attend cooking school in Asolo and consume the product of your labor. B/D

Veneto (Vicenza / Padua)
Day 10

Your hotel will have detailed instructions for taking the train to Vicenza, which is dominated by Andrea Palladio’s sixteenth-century urban buildings and villas. His work inspired the distinctive Palladian architectural style, which exercised a decisive influence on the development of architecture in Europe and North America. Learn about the history and architectural development of the area, visiting the Teatro Olimpico, a perfectly preserved semicircular indoor theater reminiscent of its Greek predecessors; the stately Villa Valmarana, decorated with intricate sculpture; and Loggia del Capitaniato, the second floor of which is still used by Vicenza’s council chamber. Other points of interest include the Piazza dei Signori, the nearby Torre di Piazza, and Piazza Dell Erbe, the city’s market square. (If you want to see La Rotunda, which many believe is the villa that reflects Palladio’s finest work, you will need to take a long walk, ride the bus from and back to town, or drive instead of taking the train.)

After lunch in Vicenza, take the train to Padua, where you will see the lectern at the university that Galileo used when he taught there. Other points of interest in order of importance: Basilica di Sant’ Antonio, a popular pilgrimage destination for Italians; Capella degli Scrovegni, home to Giotto’s frescoes; Duomo and baptistry, which contains a complete medieval frescoe cycle painted in 1378; Palazzo del Capitanio with a tower and astronomical clock made in 1344; Caffe Pedrocchi, a meeting place for the intelligentsia since 1831; Piazza dei Signori, for shopping, espresso, and people watching; and Piazza delle Erbe, the market square.

Take the train to your car and return to the hotel in Asolo this evening. B

Veneto (Verona / Lake Garda)
Day 11

If you do not feel comfortable about driving in Verona, you can take the train (from Treviso) or we can provide a driver/guide.

Verona has existed since the earliest days of the Roman Empire and is second only to Rome in the number and importance of magnificent Roman ruins. The massive arena (Arena di Verona) was built around 100 A.D. and is still the setting for events including performances of the Verona Opera. (Let us know if you are interested in attending a performance and we will secure tickets for you.) Before you leave the U.S.A., watch the movie A Little Romance and then before you leave Verona be sure to walk Ponte Scaligero, the bridge that connects Castelvecchio to the other side of the river.

Other points of interest in Verona: Piazza Erbe, site of the ancient Roman forum; Piazza Bra, where the people meet, walk and talk in the daytime but especially at night; Loggia dei Consiglio, a meeting hall on Piazza dei Signori; the Duomo, with a massive Romanesque portal created by Nicolo, in which he sculpted the figures of two of Charlemagne’s knights; Torre dei Lamberti, which offers outstanding views of Verona and the Alps; Teatro Romano, from 100 B.C.; Museo Archeologico, with ancient artifacts and a fabulous view of Verona; and 23 Via Cappello, otherwise known as Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house.)

If time permits this afternoon take the 30 mile drive from Verona to the Sirmione Peninsula at Lake Garda, which is Italy’s largest lake and highly popular because of the beautiful background of snow capped mountains. Return to your hotel in Asolo this evening. B

Veneto / Venice
Day 12The drive from Asolo to Venice will take less than two hours in normal traffic. Call our water taxi service 1 hour before arriving car in Venice at Piazzale Roma, where you will board the water taxi and will be transported to the dock closest to your hotel (most of our hotels have their own dock.)
You have a 2 - 3 hour guided walking tour of the highlights of Venice this afternoon, which will include Piazza San Marco, the Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, the Accademia area and the Rialto Bridge area.

This afternoon and early evening consider returning to Piazza San Marco (ask the hotel for directions back to the water bus station and take the water bus to San Marco) .Piazza San Marco is perhaps the most famous square in Europe and, when the open-air orchestras begin playing early this evening, you should have coffee or wine at either Florien’s or Quadric and observe the vibrant Venice scene. Even if you are not the sporting type, a visit to the casino tonight might be interesting. And, of course, we will make dinner reservations if you wish. B

Venice
Day 13

We suggest that you walk or take the water bus to Accademia Bridge and visit the Accademia, with a fabulous collection of Venetian paintings spanning 500 years, and also possibly visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, which features modern art. After departing the museum(s) cross the Accademia Bridge and walk straight (northbound) to Campo S. Stefano. This is a small square, with interesting shops and restaurants; and there is an Internet café on this square if you want to check e-mail, etc. The church Santo Stefano on the east side of the square (right side if the bridge is at your back) has a beautiful and unique interior. Leaving Campo S. Stefano, continue northbound to Campo S. Angelo for more shops, restaurants and Venetian architecture. From Campo S. Angelo it is ten minute walk to the Rialto Bridge or you can return to the Accademia Bridge and take the water bus to Rialto.

If you walk to Rialto Bridge, there are many turns because the streets are often blocked by buildings and canals. When you are forced to turn, return to a northerly course as soon as you can. Keep in mind that many of the corner buildings have signs (about two feet above your head) directing you toward Rialto. You will pass near Corte Teatro, the location of La Fenice, the world famous and recently restored Venetian Opera House. If you are not attending a performance of the symphony or opera, you may want to take a quick tour of the facility, which is magnificent.

When you reach Rialto, take pictures from the bridge and then explore the shops on the east side of the bridge from whence you came. Campo San Bartolomeo is a couple of blocks east of Rialto Bridge and you will want to explore the maze of narrow streets, shops and canals in that area. A short walk northeast of Rialto will take you to Santa Maria dei Miracle, an exquisite church built during the Renaissance and an extremely popular spot for Venetian weddings. Retrace your steps to Rialto to catch the water bus.

For the balance of this day, you are faced with a seemingly endless selection of historic palazzo, churches, museums, architecture, and open markets. Select your favorites from the Eyewitness Travel Guide that we will send and we will help you schedule your day. B

Venice
Day 14

Today you have a guided 3 hour walking tour of "backstreet" Venice which will include the Jewish ghetto and the Medieval labyrinth” which is missed by most tourists. Or you could choose to go on our gondola serenade (possibly 4 other PAX on board).

An hour before sunset this evening, you could choose to board your own gondola (extra cost). Best way to find a gondola: go to Piazza San Marco, exit past the shops on the opposite side of the square from the cathedral (put the front door of the cathedral at your back, walk entirely across the piazza and exit Piazza San Marco, bearing left). Keep bearing left and shortly you will arrive at a side canal with a gathering of gondolas. Do not cross the Grand Canal to hire a gondola because those gondoliers will take you on the side canals winding through the wrong side of the Grand Canal. Hire your gondola near San Marco and tell the gondolier that you want to pass under the Bridge of Sighs. B

Venice / Milan / U.S.A.
Day 15

Transfer to Marco Polo airport in Venice and begin your flights home. B/Meals aloft