Lake Garda – Dolomites

In the last days of spring, the days are warm and the fields are filled with flowers although the mountains are snowcapped.

The romantic city of Verona, adventure playground of Riva del Garda and the magic of the Dolomites will leave you lost for words, so dramatic and breathtaking is the beauty of these destinations.

Contrary to belief, you don’t need to be an experienced hiker or extremely fit, as a network of cablecars and gondolas ascend 2,000+ metres to beautiful valleys and easy walking trails.

Itinerary

Rome x 2 days

Rome is fascinating, impressive and irresistible. It’s like tiptoeing your way through an open air museum and never knowing what to expect around the next corner. For early risers, there is no better time to capture the famous landmarks of the historic centre than when Rome is still sleeping. To see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona virtually tourist free is amazing.

As we explore ancient neighbourhoods, quiet cobblestoned alleyways will reveal a hidden cafe inside a 15th century monastery; a trattoria that opened in 1895 that serves the best cannelloni; artisans at work in the urban village of Monti and the artist’s street made famous in the movie Roman Holiday.

Verona x 3 days

Romantic Verona is an easy city to fall in love with as you explore its delightful piazzas, Roman amphitheatre that predates the Colosseum, winding streets and fast flowing river Adige that flows down from the Italian Alps. There are hidden jewels everywhere, including the world’s oldest library dating back to AD517.

Being so close to Venice, this is the perfect opportunity to spend the day in a city that everyone needs to see at least once in their lifetime. If you have seen Venice, Sirmione on the southern end of Lake Garda is delightful and easy to reach from Verona.

Riva del Garda x 3 days

Tucked into the northern tip of Lake Garda is charming Riva del Garda. Popular for its adventure sports including windsurfing, sailing, hiking and cycling, this lakeside village with its narrow alleyways, colourful buildings and dramatic backdrop of majestic mountains has a lot to offer. A short ferry ride away are two more picturesque lakeside villages. Limone sul Garda, the Italian village where residents live to over 100 years old, has a heritage of lemon groves and exquisite olive oil. For bike riders there is a fabulous cycling path suspended over Lake Garda that starts from Limone sul Garda.

Across the lake is Malcesine, an historic fishing village that was voted one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy” in 2023.

Selva di Val Gardena x 5 days

A private transfer takes us to the heart of the Dolomites to a beautiful valley called Val Gardena. Our home for the next five days is in a charming family owned boutique hotel in the small village of Selva di Val Gardena. The town sits at an altitude of 1563 metres surrounded by magnificent mountains soaring to above 2500 metres. We are spoilt for choice with the Ciampinoi Gondola and the Dantercepies Gondola both within a ten minute walk of our hotel. The beauty of the Dolomites is that it’s a network of cablecars and chairlifts, allowing you to spend all day hopping on and off whilst walking magnificent trails in between. Scattered along the walking trails are cafes offering delicious food including apple strudel, a must have every day!

Only eight kilometres away in the same valley is the gorgeous village of Ortisei with a pedestrian only centre and international fame as the town of traditional wood carving. A bus service every half an hour from our village to Ortisei makes it easy to access two more gondolas and a state-of-the-art funicular to soaring, jagged mountains and wide open plateaus full of spring flowers.

To walk amidst a jaw-dropping landscape of snow capped mountains in spring temperatures of mid twenties at an altitude of between 2,000-2,700 metres is quite surreal.

Milan x 1 day

After breakfast, we leave via private transfer for Milan. Not far from our family owned boutique hotel is the incredible Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanule II, the world’s oldest shopping gallery. Walk the rooftop of the Gothic cathedral; indulge in a delicious lunch of Milan’s famous risotto; wander the fashion quarter of Quadrilatero della Moda or immerse yourself in the artist’s quarter of Brera with its cobbled streets full of art galleries, boutiques and restaurants.

Tour Inclusions

Your Italian adventure includes:

Deb is your Tour Leader from the start of the journey to the end

Accommodation x 14 nights in a twin share/double room in boutique hotels or villas centrally located

Hotel city taxes

Breakfast every day

Transfers in private, luxury airconditioned minibus: