Dates
July 1st, July 18th, and August 2nd 2012
Itinerary
In this 14 night tour, we'll visit many of the most popular sights and regions in Northern Italy! The Lake District, The Italian Riviera, Tuscany, Chianti, Cinque Terre, Umbria, Liguria, Piemonte, we'll do it all!
Day 1 - Sirmione
We'll greet you at the airport in Milan, then, drive to the amazing lake side town of Sirmione, on Lake Garda for our first night. Sirmione is very medieval with its own fortress and is off the beaten track just enough to make it unspoiled by the tourism routes. In the evening we'll own the town. Spend the day shopping or visiting the fortress. Of course, gelato will be involved at some point! Our hotel overlooks Lake Garda and I will request rooms with a lake view. Dinner tonight at www.lasperanzina.it (D)
Day 2 -Sirmione to Verona
Just a short drive will take us to Verona, Shakespeare's setting for Romeo and Juliet. Our hotel is situated directly in the heart of the historic quarter and within walking distance of all the town has to offer. Dinner tonight at Ristorante Maffei in Piazza Erbe, one of Verona's most spectacular piazzas, www.ristorantemaffei.it (B,D)
Day 3 - Verona to Venice
Another short drive takes us to the gem of the Veneto, Venice! We'll park on the mainland and take a water taxi over to the island. From there we can either stroll to our hotel or take another water taxi. Our hotel, Hotel Rialto is right in the shadow of the famous Rialto Bridge and on the Grand Canal, the perfect location for exploring Venice. Dinner tonight at a canal side ristorante plus a serenading gondola ride, very romantic! (B,D)
Day 4 - Venice
Spend the day strolling the many small alleys of Venice. Visit St. Mark's Square, The Bridge of Sighs, the Duomo, the Doge's Palace, etc. Dinner tonight on your own. (B)
Day 5 - Venice
Another day to explore this amazing destination. Maybe take the water taxi over to the island of Murano, famous for its glass blowing. Dinner tonight on your own. (B)
Day 6 - Venice to Florence
Less than a 3 hour drive will get us to Florence, home to DaVinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, Donatello, the Medici's, the list goes on and on! Our hotel, Loggiato dei Serviti, is situated just a few blocks from the famous Duomo and the Piazza della Signoria, perfect for exploring this renaissance town. Spend the afternoon strolling, shopping, sitting at a cafe, eating gelato, or people watching. Dinner tonight at the very famous Il Latini. Seen many times on the travel channel and the food network, Il Latini has become known as a destination restaurant, meaning people come here from great distances just for the evening. Once we push through the crowds to get to our reserved table, we'll have it for as long as we want. Il Latini is what Italian hospitality and great food is all about, bring your biggest appetite, truly a night to remember! www.illatini.com/ (B,D)
Day 7 - Florence
Sightseeing in Florence, visit the Ponte Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens, the Pitti Palace, the open air markets, watch street performers, just enjoy! Dinner tonight on your own. (B)
Day 8 - Florence to Siena
As we leave Florence to the south, we enter the extremely scenic region of Chianti. Along our journey today we'll stop at the wonderful Vignamaggio for a "must do" wine tasting. Situated in the heart of Chianti, Vignamaggio is world renowned for it's Chianti and Super Tuscan wines. www.vignamaggio.com/index-english.html After that, it's really a question of how many charming Tuscan villages we want to visit, the "for sures" are San Gimignano, Greve, and Monteriggioni. Then, it's off to Siena for a wonderful evening and a great dinner at one of my all time favorites, La Logge, www.giannibrunelli.it/italiano/osteria_osteria.html, situated just a few steps from the Piazza Il Campo, the most famous sight in Siena, and home to the Palio, a famous local horse race that takes place around the piazza. Our home for the night is Villa Patrizia, an elegant Italian manor house located just outside the city walls. (B,D)
Day 9 - Siena to Cortona
Leaving Siena to the south, we enter the picturesque region of Colle di Senisi. Famous for its cypress tree lined driveways and rolling landscape filled with sheep, we'll stop and visit the towns of Pienza and Montepulciano on our way to Cortona. Cortona gained notoriety with the making of the motion picture "Under the Tuscan Sun". This hilltop village overlooks the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno, truly a breathtaking panorama, especially at night! Dinner tonight at La Grotta, www.trattorialagrotta.it. Our hotel, San Michele, is the best in the town and fortunately, is at the top of this very steep Tuscan village. (B,D)
Day 10 - Cortona to Assisi
Being so close to Assisi, it is a must see, and we will do it, but, today is really about indulgence, and enjoying the amazing Le Silve Resort in the Tuscan countryside. Relax by the pool with wine, cheese, and bread, and soak up "La Dolce Vita"! Dinner tonight at Le Silve. Prepare yourself, there may be tears when we have to leave! Btw, you’re actually in Umbria! (B,D)
Day 11 - Cortona to Manarola (Cinque Terre)
An early start will take us back through Tuscany and on to the hard to reach Cinque Terre, www.lecinqueterre.org/eng/, five remote fishing villages on the Mediterranean. On the way we'll stop at Pisa just to make sure the leaning tower is still standing, then on to Portovenere, our disembarkation point for getting to the Cinque Terre. A wonderful boat ride in the Mediterranean Sea will land us in Riomaggiore, the southernmost Cinque Terre village. From there, we'll take a very short "hike" along the "Via del Amore" to Manorola, our destination for the day. Talk about being far away from everything! Bring your back pack, seriously! Dinner tonight on your own, as you might guess, the restaurants in the Cinque Terre all specialize in fish dishes, although the usual fare is available. (B)
Day 12 - Manarola
Your 2 day pass will allow you to hike the entire length of the "Via del Amore" a day hike, visiting all five villages, or, the pass also allows you to take the train to get from here to there, or, a combination of both, you decide. Dinner tonight on your own. A fun idea might be to have dinner in Vernazza, one of the five villages, then take the train back to Manarola. (B)
Day 13 - Manarola to Portofino
Sorry, but we need to have another early start to get it all in today. By early I mean around 8:00. Anyway, we'll take the boat back to Portovenere and the van, then, on to Portofino, to visit the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". This is definitely the jet set town along the Italian Riviera. Probably the most picturesque and photographed town in all of Italy, heck, even Disney duplicated it at his resorts. Spend the afternoon shopping, hiking up to panoramic vistas, or just hanging out with Versace and Gucci. Dinner tonight in the village. (B,D)
Day 14 - Portofino to Milan
Today, we'll pass through Genoa on our way to Milan along a highway that is a miraculous series of bridges and tunnels. Once in Milan, our hotel is situated in the historic section, near the famous Duomo and close to all the major sights. Spend the afternoon shopping, visiting the sights of Milan or just reflecting on the past two weeks. Farewell dinner tonight at what else, a pizzeria, Premiata Pizzeria, www.premiatapizzeria.it. (B,D)
Day 15 - Malpensa Airport
after breakfast, we'll take you to Malpensa Airport for your flight back home.
Price for this 14 night tour: $4662 per person based on double occupancy, single supplement $500
Wanderlust Bike Tours reserves the right to change the price based upon the euro/dollar exchange rate.
Fly into and out of Milan (Malpensa)
What's Included
14 nights in Italy, (Tuscany, Piemonte, Lombardy, Liguria, and the Veneto)
All transportation by private vans and boats
9 dinners (D), 13 breakfasts, (B)
Boat taxi into Venice plus a 2 day unlimited water taxi pass
40 minute romantic gondola serenade in Venice
Boat cruise from Portovenere into Riomaggiore
Boat cruise from Santa Margherita into Portofino
Dinner reservation at Il Latini in Florence
2 day pass for the Cinque Terre
Wine tasting at Vignamaggio in Chianti
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