Group Tour Operator and DMC for Italy
Glorious Lake Garda including Venice and Verona
-
Venice - Bridge Rialto
-
Lasize, Lake Garda, Italy
-
Ponale Path with views of Lake Garda ©Watchsome©APT Garda Dolomiti SpA
-
Panoramic view of Torbole ©Watchsome©APT Garda Dolomiti SpA
Lake Garda is the largest of the Italian lakes and provides a beautiful taste of Italy’s laid-back atmosphere. The lake is known for having crystal clear waters and beautiful surroundings. The spectacular mountainous backdrop of the Dolomites lies on the Northern shoreline and at the south, sit the gentle slopes. This varying scenery provides an ever-changing vista of the stunning Italian Lakes. Explore the numerous delightful towns and villages dotted along the edge of the lake. Sirmione, located to the south of Lake Garda boasting incredible views of the lake. You will find numerous restaurants, bars, shops, a market and a picturesque castle. Where as Limone, on the steep northern shores, is covered in lemon groves. These small villages and historic towns combine to offer a wealth of memorable experiences.
Discover two of Italy’s most fascinating cities – Venice and Verona. Romantic Venice is a magical city on the water, set on more than 100 small islands. While you are there, explore the narrow streets, take a ride on a gondola along the Grand Canal, and visit the Rialto Bridge. Venice has absolutely no roads, instead a maze of canals service the city. The most famous of these is the Grand Canal thoroughfare, which is lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. Also visit Romeo and Juliet’s Verona. Here you will find a great number of Italian piazzas, including the famous Piazza delle Erbe, where you can sit back, relax and enjoy watching the world go by. There are many ornate churches and Roman monuments that remain in the town – the most famous being the Roman Arena, still in use some 2,000 years later.
Dates
On request
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Depart the UK
Travel to Dover and take the ferry crossing over the Calais or Dunkerque. Continue south towards the Reims area for an overnight stop. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.
Day 2
Travel to Lake Garda
Depart after breakfast and continue south through France, crossing the border into Switzerland and then across into Italy and on to your hotel on Lake Garda for the next 6 nights. After check-in, there may be time to start exploring the hotel and resort before having dinner together in the hotel.
Day 3
At leisure (if hotel is located in either Riva del Garda or Torbole) – Driver’s rest day
A day to relax and enjoy the facilities of your hotel and the surroundings. Perhaps take a stroll along the purpose-built walkway between Torbole and Rive del Garda or v.v. Or maybe take one of the frequent ferries to the delightful little town of Limone, famous for its lemon production, with its houses seemingly clinging on to the side of the lake. There are many shops, bars, cafes and restaurants to sit and watch the world go by whichever resort you are based in. Enjoy dinner together at the hotel this evening.
Note: If your hotel is based at another resort on Lake Garda we will provide an alternative suggestion for the ‘At leisure’ day. The above can be done if an excursion is included in the itinerary to Riva del Garda or Torbole.
Day 4
Romantic Venice
An early start for a full day to Venice, the magical city on the water. On arrival at the specified coach parking area, embark on a private boat transfer to St Mark’s Square to meet up with a local guide for a short walking tour. See the Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Basilica, the Campanile, the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge amongst many of the famous sights in this city.
There will be plenty of free time to explore the narrow streets at your own pace, get something to eat or drink whilst relaxing in one of the many canalside cafes, or take a ride on a gondola along the Grand Canal. Optional sightseeing boat trips around the islands of the Lagoon are available.
Before leaving we will enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant due to late arrival back at the hotel.
Day 5
Southern Lake Garda – Sirmione and Lakeside Villages
Sirmione is located at the southern end of the lake and is dominated by the Rocca Scaliger, a fortress with magnificent views and a harbour. Entrance to the castle is included and can be explored at leisure. After some free time and lunch we will return to our hotel via some of the picturesque lakeside resorts such as Malcesine with cobbled lanes and a castle, Lazise, a walled town, where you can stroll along the lakefront or through its alleys, squeezed between ancient buildings and Garda, one of the main resorts around the lake with a picturesque old town and medieval villas.
Dinner will be at the hotel this evening.
Day 6
Romeo and Juliet’s Verona
Verona is one of Italy’s most beautiful cities and is famously the setting for Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Meet up with a local guide for a tour which will include a visit to ‘Juliet’s House’, a 14th-century residence with a tiny balcony overlooking a courtyard. Entrance is also included to Verona Arena, a huge 1st-century Roman amphitheatre which continues to host concerts and large-scale opera performances. There will be free time to discover more of Verona with its array of beautiful churches and Roman ruins. Relax and enjoy a drink in the many piazzas – the most famous being the Piazza delle Erbe.
Return to the hotel for dinner and evening at leisure.
Day 7
Scenic Dolomites and Trento
A scenic drive north into the alpine region of the Dolomites, famous for its outstanding mountain scenery. Visit Trento, the ‘City of Wine’, located in the shadow of the mighty Monte Bondone. It is a magnificent city of art and culture and with a local guide, see the Gothic Cathedral, Piazza Duomo, Neptune’s fountain and the historic Castle of Buonconsiglio and Cesare Battisti Mausoleum which overlooks the city.
If time allows, there is the option to take a cable car ride directly from the centre of Trento to the Busa Degli Orsi, a popular viewpoint or maybe explore Trento itself and sample a glass of ‘Trentodoc’, a local prized sparkling wine. Optional vineyard visits and tastings are possible – please ask for details.
Return to the hotel for a final dinner and evening at leisure.
Day 8
Depart Italy
It’s time to leave Lake Garda and start the journey home through Italy and Switzerland and once more making an overnight stop in the Reims area of France. Dinner will be included at the hotel this evening.
Day 9
Return to the UK
Depart after breakfast and drive to Calais or Dunkerque where you will take the ferry across to Dover, and home.
Greatdays offer a good selection of 3* and 4* hotels in the Lake Garda area
| Departure date | Departure date9 days/ 8 nights | Single supplement |
| on request |
