Contrasts Of Northern Italy Small Group Tour - 12 Days/11 Nights

Arrive in romantic Venice, a city unlike any other, where light and water create a world of timeless beauty. Your private driver will meet you at the airport and accompany you to your centrally located hotel. Take a moment to unwind or wander through quiet lanes and graceful bridges that reveal glimpses of daily life along the canals. This evening, meet your tour director and fellow travelers for a welcome drink before sharing dinner in a traditional Venetian restaurant. It is a gentle beginning to your journey through Northern Italy.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch on your own, dinner included

Accommodation: Overnight in Venice

Fall in love with Venice on a guided walking tour that reveals the city’s most treasured landmarks, including St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the graceful Rialto Bridge. Inside the Basilica, admire the Byzantine mosaics and the ornate Treasury, where jewels and sacred art reflect centuries of history. Beyond the grand squares, your guide will lead you through quieter streets and canals, offering a glimpse of authentic Venetian life. Pause to enjoy cicchetti and a glass of prosecco in a local wine bar, a moment to live like a local and savor the city as Venetians do. Take the afternoon to explore the district of San Polo, home to the Gothic church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and Titian’s masterpiece “The Assumption of the Virgin“. As evening falls, gather for a gondola ride through the canals, a timeless way to experience the romance of Venice at sunset.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Venice

A private boat carries you across the Venetian Lagoon to the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, each known for its artistry and charm. In Murano, wander among canals and colorful façades to see glassblowers transform molten glass into luminous works of art, continuing a tradition that has endured for centuries. After lunch in a welcoming local tavern, sail on to Burano, a cheerful island where lacemaking remains a living art and the houses seem painted in sunlight. Return to Venice by private boat as the light softens over the lagoon, an enchanting close to another Venetian Day.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included, dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Venice

Head inland to the vine-covered hills of Conegliano Veneto, home to Italy’s most celebrated sparkling wine. Visit a family-run estate and learn how Prosecco is crafted with care and tradition. Enjoy a tasting that reveals the crisp, aromatic character that has made this wine famous throughout the world. Travel on to Padua, one of Italy’s oldest university cities and a place where art and intellect have long flourished. Stroll through graceful squares and arcaded streets that once inspired scholars such as Petrarch, Dante, and Galileo. A guided visit to the Scrovegni Chapel reveals Giotto’s luminous fourteenth-century frescoes, a masterpiece of Italian art. Finally, be welcomed by the serene lake and mountain views of Riva del Garda, where you will stay for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Riva Del Garda

You will sail first to Malcesine, rising gracefully between the mountains and the lake, crowned by the medieval Castello Scaligero and framed by winding lanes that lead to the harbor. Wander its cobbled streets and take in the views reflected on the still blue water. Sail on to Limone sul Garda, a picture-perfect village surrounded by terraced lemon groves and dramatic cliffs. Pause in a café, browse small shops, or visit the Limonaia del Castèl to breathe in the scent of citrus carried on the breeze. Cruise back to Riva del Garda and enjoy the remainder of the day relaxing by the lake.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Riva Del Garda

Begin the day with a hands-on cooking class led by a local chef who shares the secrets of Italian home cooking. Prepare regional dishes using simple, seasonal ingredients and enjoy the meal together over laughter and wine, a true moment to live like a local. Take the afternoon to explore Riva del Garda at your own pace. You may wish to stroll along the waterfront promenade, relax with a book by the lake, or browse the elegant boutiques tucked within the old town. Once part of Austria until 1918, Riva del Garda carries both Italian warmth and Tyrolean charm, reflected in its architecture and cuisine. Notice how grazie and danke blend easily here, just as strudel and espresso share the same table

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included, dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Riva Del Garda

Meet your local guide for a walking tour of Trento, a city where history and faith intertwine. Known as the site of the Council of Trent, which shaped the Counter Reformation in the sixteenth century, Trento still reflects the grandeur of its past in elegant Renaissance architecture and quiet piazzas. Visit the Castello del Buonconsiglio at the heart of the city and admire its rich sense of history and beauty. Take time for lunch on your own in one of Trento’s inviting trattorias, perhaps sampling canederli, the beloved bread dumplings of the region. Travel on through valleys and meadows at the foothills of the Dolomites to a traditional farmhouse surrounded by vineyards and natural beauty. Share a dinner of regional dishes before continuing to Bolzano, your home for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Bolzano

Learn about Bolzano on a walking tour with a local guide. Cobbled lanes, pastel façades, and arcaded streets lined with cafés and artisan shops create a quintessential Northern Italian village. Visit the medieval Castel Roncolo, admired for frescoes that recount the tales of Tristan and Isolde, then continue to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to meet Ötzi, the five-thousand-year-old Iceman preserved in remarkable detail. After lunch on your own, take the afternoon to explore to your heart’s content, perhaps browsing the arcades, pausing for espresso, or tasting local specialties that reflect both Italian and Tyrolean traditions. As evening arrives, relax with fellow travelers or enjoy a quiet drink in one of Bolzano’s inviting cafés.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Bolzano

Discover the phenomenal views of the Renon plateau, a peaceful stretch of farmland and open countryside high above Bolzano. Glide up the mountain in a cable car, then continue on a vintage narrow-gauge train dating from 1907. With your local guide, explore the plateau while learning about the Teutonic Knights and the remarkable earth pyramids that make this area so distinctive. For lunch, enjoy kaiserschmarrn, a lightly sweet, shredded pancake, just as the locals do. Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace and taking in the simple pleasures of life in South Tyrol.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included, dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Bolzano

Join a local guide for a walking tour of Bressanone, a colorful town set where the Eisack and Rienz rivers meet. As the oldest settlement in South Tyrol, Bressanone blends centuries of history with graceful Alpine charm. Stroll through lively squares framed by pastel façades, browse small shops and cafés tucked beneath arcades, and admire the quiet beauty of the cathedral square. Continue to nearby Novacella Abbey, a magnificent Augustinian monastery founded in the twelfth century and surrounded by vineyards and landscaped gardens. Visit the richly decorated chapel and its historic wine cellar, where the abbey’s renowned white and red wines have been produced for generations. Travel on through the peaceful Funes Valley, a fairytale landscape framed by the Odle Mountains, before crossing into Austria for your final two nights in Innsbruck, the capital of the Alps.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Innsbruck

Begin the day with a guided tour of Innsbruck, once a Celtic trading post and later a proud Habsburg capital. Follow the trail of the Habsburgs through the well-preserved old town, admiring landmarks such as the Golden Roof of Emperor Maximilian, the baroque St. Jakob’s Cathedral, and the Imperial Palace, once home to Empress Maria Theresa. In the afternoon, explore at your own pace, wander the medieval streets, browse the shops, or simply enjoy the sound of street musicians echoing through the squares. This evening, gather for a farewell dinner in a regional restaurant to toast the beauty, history, and warmth of Northern Italy and the Alps.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Innsbruck

After breakfast, private transfers will be provided to Innsbruck airport or train station for your journey home. As you travel, remember the beauty of Northern Italy, from the canals of Venice to the peaks of the Dolomites and the peaceful shores of Lake Garda. You have shared meals, stories, and laughter, discovering the warmth of Italian hospitality and the charm of life in the north. May these memories stay with you always, a reminder of Italy’s art, beauty, and grace.