Tour description
The Best of Northern Italy Private Tour
This 12-day tour includes the most iconic as well as undiscovered gems of Northern Italy, in one bespoke and relaxing vacation! From romantic Venice, to the quaint villages of Valpolicella, the scenic Lake Garda, enchanting Piedmont and trendy Milan. Not only will you have the pleasure of exploring the hidden corners of La Serenissima Venice, visiting some of Italy’s most picturesque vineyards in Barolo, Barbaresco and Valpolicella, you will also get to experience the exquisite cuisine and legendary truffles of Piedmont. Unique accommodations, charismatic guides and truly authentic experiences, this is an Italian vacation which will have you wishing you need never leave!
DAY 1 VENICE
Your Best of Northern Italy Private Tour starts with arrival to Venice airport, where our assistant will meet you and accompany you to the hotel. The service includes porters to help with luggage, minivan transfer to pier and private water taxi transfer.
Free day to recover from the flight and jet lag, with plenty of recommendations on what to do and where to eat. We usually do not plan any sightseeing on the arrival day, so you can better ease into the tour, but if you prefer to start with some activities, just let us know.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 1: Venice Airport transfer with assistant, porterage, minivan and water taxi. Accommodation at a 4* centrally located boutique historic hotel in Venice.
DAY 2 VENICE
This morning our charming Venice guide will collect you from your hotel and take you on a private guided tour of this magical city on water. You will visit Venice’s most-loved basilica, San Marco, and your official guide will explain its fascinating history. Then on to the Doge’s Palace – once home to the Duke of Venice and the city’s courts, this palace has been witness to the rise and fall of the republic. After the fall of the republic of Venice, the Doge’s Palace was transformed into a prison. Today it is home to 11 of the best art museums in the city. In the company of your expert, English-speaking guide, you’ll visit the palace’s most iconic sights. You will also discover Romantic Venice, the most beautiful hidden corners of Venice and picture perfect spots! Then you will enjoy some local cicchetti (delicious local tapas/finger food) and drinks at some lovely baccaro bars, frequented by locals.
Free afternoon to explore Venice with our personalized suggestions.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 2: Private guided tour of Venice. Entrance to San Marco & Doge’s Palace. Local finger food & drinks. Overnight in Venice.
DAY 3 MURANO & BURANO
Today your Bespoke Custom Tour takes you to the glass making islands of Murano and lace making island of Burano. Around the end of the 13th century, the Venetian government determined that it was too dangerous to have glass-blowing furnaces continue to operate in Venice, with it´s mostly wooden buildings. Since then all glass making was done in the nearby islands of Murano. By cloistering them on Murano, Venice was also able to protect the traditional processes and trade secrets of Murano glass. On the tour you will get to watch local artisans give live demonstrations of their traditional glassblowing and lacemaking crafts, and see their collections of world-famous pieces. Your English speaking guide will tell you about the history of the islands and show you the best places to visit.
In the afternoon you will be back in Venice and free to explore the city with our personalized suggestions.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 3: Day tour to Murano & Burano with guide & transportation. Overnight Venice.
DAY 4 VALPOLICELLA
Say goodbye to Venice and head to the famous Valpolicella wine region. Along the way, you will stop for an aperitivo in Vicenza, a gem of the Renaissance, and admire the many elegant Palladian buildings by 16th century architect Andrea Palladio. Then on to Valpolicella, ranking only second after Chianti in total Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine production and famous for its velvety Amarone reds, as well as Recioto, Ripasso and Valpolicella Classico wines. On this Wine, Food & Cultural Tour of Italy you will visit a prestigious family run winery with a personalized tour of their historic cellar and a local cuisine lunch of simple and authentic dishes, paired with their best Reds and finishing with the sweet passito wine Recioto.
Your chauffeur will then take you to your 4* hotel in the heart of beautiful Verona, a short walk away from the famous Arena, Piazza delle Erbe and the iconic Juliet’s balcony. Verona has its own local pasta (Bigoli – a chunky spaghetti) and local fare tends to be rice based, so why not try a wonderful risotto, or perhaps a risino –a tart made with sweet, creamy rice for dinner tonight!
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 4: Private chauffeur from Venice to Verona with stops enroute. Aperitivo in Vicenza. Visit & Wine pairing lunch at a Valpolicella winery. Accommodation at a 4* hotel in the heart of Verona.
DAY 5 VERONA & LAKE GARDA
This morning you are free to enjoy romantic Verona. Alternatively we can arrange a morning private transfer and start the day in Lake Garda, Italy´s largest lake and less frequented than Lake Como. You might enjoy a stroll around Malcesine, a medieval town clustered around the harbor, replete with a castle and full of wonderful lakeside restaurants. Or perhaps Sirmione with its Roman Ruins (Grottoes of Catullus) and Scaliger Castle.
After lunch your private chauffeur will take you to the Piedmont/Barolo area. Piedmont is a region of Italy known for its high quality foods and wine, but also for it´s diverse landscape where plains, rolling hills and mountains all come together. An ideal region for your Private Food, Wine, and Culture tour! Art and history buffs will be amazed by the abundance of abbeys, castles, fortresses, baroque towns, and alpine villages to visit. Your home for the next three nights is a beautiful rural retreat run by a charming family, in the heart of the most beautiful Barolo vineyards. A fantastic dinner with wine awaits at the hotel restaurant, renowned for incredibly delicious traditional Piemontese cuisine and homemade excellent Barolo and Langhe wines. Take in the panoramic views from the relaxing terrace.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 5: Private chauffeur from Verona to Piedmont. Dinner with wine at your hotel. Accommodation at a beautiful rural retreat in the heart of the famous Barolo wine-making region.
Why not extend your stay with a night in Lake Garda and a cooking class? At our small group cooking class your charming chef will show you the secrets of authentic local recipes like risotto. Then feast on what you have prepared on the lovely terrace overlooking the lake.
DAY 6 BAROLO & BARBARESCO
Today you will be in the hands of our charming sommelier and guide, who is an expert on the area and its incredible wines, and will share her insider knowledge with you!
On your Luxury Food & Wine Tour of Italy you will visit the most important wine producing villages of Piedmont; Barbaresco and Barolo (considered the queen and the king of Italian wines). You will have a tasting at a prestigious Barbaresco wine producer. Barbaresco is made from 100% nebbiolo grapes and is highly tannic and acidic, which means it needs a long time in the cellar before you can enjoy it (aged for minimum of 26 months to be DOCG). Barbaresco wines are more elegant and refined, whereas Barolo wines are powerful and structural. Barolo is also made from 100% nebbiolo grapes but requires a longer aging time (minimum of 38 months) and a longer time in oak before being released. Both are wines with great aging potential! You will stop at one of the region’s premier producers of Barolo wine, famous for their majestic Barolo wines of extraordinary depth, complexity and longevity and enjoy a premium tasting. You will also stop at other quaint villages nearby, like Neive and Morra, in this region full of castles and rich in history. In between visits you will enjoy a wine pairing lunch of traditional Piemontese cuisine. Evening free to relax and enjoy the village.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 6: Full Day private tour of Piedmont Wine Country with driver/wine guide. Wine pairing lunch. Premium tastings at two wineries. Overnight in Piedmont wine country
DAY 7 PIEDMONT TRUFFLE HUNTING
Morning truffle hunting excursion with local guides and their dogs. Subject to availability, as there are some periods during the year when it is not permitted. Truffle culture is at the heart of this region where you will find many fairs, events and feasts centered around the truffle. Piedmont is home to 9 varieties of truffles, the most prized (and expensive) being the white truffle, celebrated at the international Alba White Truffle Fair each year.
In the evening your Private Food & Culture Italy Tour continues with an engaging cooking class with our lovely local chef, to discover the many delicious specialties of Piedmont, an area especially known for its truffles and chocolates. After the class you will dine on the things you have prepared, and also taste more local wines!
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 7: Truffle hunting excursion. Cooking class with dinner and wine. Overnight in Piedmont wine country.
DAY 8 LAKE COMO
This morning your private chauffeur will transfer you from Piedmont to the Lake Como Area, visiting Turin on the way and learning about the rich history of Northern Italy. Once the capital of the House of Savoy, this elegant baroque city filled with bustling old cafés and the stunning Alps as its backdrop, is well worth a visit. Our engaging officially licensed Turin guide will take you on a private tour of the city (including entrance to one Savoy Residence and a chocolate tasting). Your tour ends with a delicious local lunch with wine. Then you will continue with your chauffeur to your 4* hotel in a lovely small town in central Lake Como. Your charming hotel overlooking the lake is the perfect spot to discover the best of this stunning area, with access to many restaurants and cafés as well as trains and ferries. We will give you plenty of suggestions for things to do and places to eat during your stay.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 8: Private chauffeur from Piedmont to Lake Como area, with a stop in Turin. Private guided tour in Turin. Entrance to Savoy Residence. Chocolate Tasting. Local lunch with wine. Accommodation at a 4* lakeside hotel centrally located in Lake Como.
DAY 9 LAKE COMO
Our charismatic guide will collect you from your hotel and will take you on a full day introductory tour to Lake Como, visiting the scenic Bellagio/Varenna/Tremezzo area and its amazing historic lakeside villas. You will explore the town of Bellagio and get to know the people and culture like a local. Then you will visit Villa del Balbianello with its mesmerizing views of the lake. This elegant, romantic 18th century mansion and its magnificent garden have hosted writers, scholars and travelers and was also the film location for Star Wars and James Bond. In between visits you will enjoy a lovely lunch at a picturesque hilltop restaurant. You will take public ferries (with skip the line access) and our guide will give you the best local tips for making the most of your Customized Italian Vacation.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 9: Full day Tour of Lake Como including guide, entrances, ferries and local lunch with wine. Overnight in Lake Como Area.
DAY 10 LAKE COMO
This morning (or after lunch if you prefer), you will enjoy a fantastic 3 hour Luxury Private Lake Como Boat Trip, aboard a beautiful wooden Venetian boat, to further explore with your charming captain the views and the magnificent lakeside villas, such as Villa Oleandra (George Clooney), Villa Fontanelle (Versace), the Comacina Island etc. Get your camera ready, as you will surely end up with many photos commemorating this romantic experience. See the lake in style on this super VIP boat ride.
Later on, how about lunch in the village and some “dolce far niente” at your hotel, by the poolside? Or perhaps a hike along the most scenic part of the Wayfarer’s Path (we will provide you with all the info and the best stop suggestions).
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 10: Private 3 hour cruise to better explore the magic of Lake Como. Overnight in Lake Como Area.
Alternatively if you are really into shopping, museums, and the culture of big cities, you may want to spend more time in Milan. We can arrange a morning or afternoon transfer to Milan on this day.
DAY 11 MILAN
This morning your private chauffeur will meet you at your Lake Como Area hotel and take you to Milan (about 1.5 hour journey). In Milan you will be staying at a 4* elegant and impeccably run boutique hotel on a charming quiet street in the heart of Milan’s glamorous Quadrilatero fashion area in the historic center. Drop off your bags and have a bite to eat before your Private Milan Custom Tour. We will give you plenty of suggestions for restaurants nearby.
In the afternoon our fantastic guide will meet you in your hotel lobby for a private guided tour of Milan. She also happens to be an art historian and personal shopper! Her tour will combine cultural sites with a route along the trendy Navigli district and fashion icon Quadrilatero della Moda, finalized with a delicious aperitivo at one of the hottest spots.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 11: Private transfer from Lake Como area to Milan. Private guided tour of Milan including entrance to the Duomo, taxis, and aperitivo in Navigli. Accommodation at an elegant 4* hotel in Milan´s fashion district.
Why not extend your trip to include a Free Day in Milan? We will give you many suggestions for sightseeing, shopping, Milanese contemporary and traditional cuisine restaurants, and more!
DAY 12 MILAN
Today is the end of your Bespoke Northern Italy Tour and we are sure that you will be taking away some wonderful memories with you!
Your chauffeur will collect you from your Milan hotel and whisk you off to the Milan airport for your flight home.
Included in Your Best of Northern Italy Tour Day 12: Private transfer to Milan airport.
Tour quotation
The Best of Northern Italy Private Tour Details
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