Tour Switzerland & Italy’s Northern Lakes
Tour Switzerland and Northern Italy for an experience unlike any other! Idyllic villages tucked in the mountains, stunning vistas everywhere you look, Alps excursion by aerial gondola, Swiss fondue and chocolate, boat rides on Maggiore and Como, fascinating history; soak up all the magnificent beauty of these alpine regions on our tours to Northern Italy and Switzerland.
Tour Dates: August 30 – September 12, 2021
Tour Price: $8,390
Tour price includes:
- Roundtrip airfare from Boston or New York to Zurich, home from Milan*
- Airport transfers
- 12 nights in charming, elegant hotels with magnificent mountain or lake views
- All breakfasts, 1 lunch, 9 dinners
- Full-time tour leader
- Transportation by mini-coach or mini-van
- Scenic mountain cable car rides in Switzerland
- Highlights in Switzerland: Zürich, Luzern, Brienz, Gruyères, Lauterbrunnen,
Wengen, Grindelwald, Zermatt, Ascona and Lugano - Highlights in Italy: Bellagio (Lake Como), Salò and Sirmione (Lake Garda),
Verona and Stresa (Lake Maggiore) - Walking tours led by local expert guides
- Chocolate tasting
- Winery tour and tasting
- All tour guides, attraction/monument entrance fees
- All tips and taxes
Switzerland & Northern Italian Lakes Itinerary
Depart the US, flying overnight to Zürich
Day 1, Zürich: Your trip begins with a guided tour of Zürich, followed by a welcome dinner in this lovely lakefront city with views of the Alps.
Days 2-3, Brienz: On your way to the Bernese Oberland region, visit beautiful Luzern. Spend 2 days in the mountains of Brienz at a beautiful hotel on the lake. Take a fantastic alpine journey by aerial gondola, see UNESCO’s Trümmelbach Waterfalls inside a mountain, and visit the idyllic village of Lauterbrunnen, in the deepest U-shaped valley in the world.
Days 4-6, Zermatt: After a cheese and chocolate tour, continue to the pedestrian village of Zermatt, nestled at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn mountain. Ride a gondola up the mountain for spectacular views, walk inside a real glacier, visit the tiny hamlet of Findeln, enjoy plum brandy, swiss fondue, dry-cured meats and Alpine cheeses.
Day 7, Lake Como: A scenic ride east through the Alps takes you to the picturesque towns of Ascona and Lugano. Cross into Italy and spend the night at a beautiful hotel on the shore of Lake Como.
Days 8-10, Salò / Lake Garda: Spend a day on Lake Como, visiting the Villa Carlotta and the tiny village of Bellagio. On Lake Garda spend 3 nights at an elegant lakefront hotel in the resort village of Salò. Boat ride to the ancient Roman village of Sirmione, Valpolicella winery visit, and guided tour of Verona. Wonderful northern Italian cuisine.
Days 11-12, Stresa / Lake Maggiore: Spend your last two nights at a lovely lakeside hotel in Stresa, Italy, on Lake Maggiore. Visit the three Borromean Islands and their palaces and gardens by boat. Gourmet northern Italian farewell dinner.
Days 13: Depart for Milan Malpensa Airport for the flight home.
- Oberhofen castle at Lake Thun, Switzerland
- Aerial view of downtown Zurich
- Panorama of the Matterhorn
- Aerial view of the Scaliger Castle in Sirmione by Lake Garda, Italy
- View of Chapel Bridge, Luzern
- Grindelwald Village Panorama, Switzerland
- Vineyards in Montreux Town, Switzerland
- Isola Bella, Borromean Island on Lake Maggiore, Stresa, Italy
- Lago di Luzzone, upper Blenio valley, Tessin, Switzerland
- Panorama of lake Brienz with the town Brienz, Switzerland in the background
- Lion Statue in Luzern, Switzerland
- Swiss flag flying at Mannlichen, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
- VIneyards on the shores of Lake Garda in Northern Italy
- View of the Matterhorn from Gornergrat Platform in Zermatt
- View from the top of Mannlichen, Jungfrau, Switzerland
- Matterhorn behind the city of Zermatt at night