Day 1 - Arrival Verona

Upon arrival in Milan airport meet your driver and transfer your hotel in Verona. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

While most people opt to visit Italy during the late spring, early autumn, and during the summertime, there is a magical number of things to do in Verona in winter. To be fair, Verona anytime is fantastic.

Founded in the first century, the historic city of Verona is a UNESCO world heritage site and the backdrop to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in a beautiful ancient corner of the Veneto region, Verona is nestled between the River Adige and Garda. As well as being one of the most prosperous and vibrant trading centres in northern Italy, it is famous for its summer opera season, which sees tourists flock to its romantic medieval streets each year.

Overnight: Due Torri Hotel

Meal Plan:

Day 2 - Verona

Discover the beautiful and ancient city of Verona with a short walking tour.

Begin at the original Roman entrance to the city, the Porta Borsari, which now marks the start of the bustling main street. Continue your tour at Piazza Bra, home to Verona’s most iconic building, the Arena. This third-largest Roman amphitheatre in Italy once hosted gladiator battles and is still used today as a modern music venue. Glimpse the 14th century Casa di Giulietta, said to be the home of Shakespeare’s famous Capulet family. Your tour continues through some of the city's most beautiful piazzas, including Piazza delle Erbe with its historical buildings, sculptures and a colourful market. (2.5 hours, walking guide)

In the afternoon continue on your own to visit the International Exhibition of Nativity Scenes at the Arena and explore the Christmas markets. Verona has teamed up with the Nuremberg Christmas Market, the original and most traditional of all Christmas markets, to bring a taste of a traditional German Christmas Market to the streets and piazzas of Verona. During your tour, savour the local Christmas treats, including the famous Pandoro. This sweet bread, whose name literally translates to “golden bread,” is traditionally shaped like a frustum with an eight-pointed star section. When served with a dusting of vanilla-scented icing sugar, it resembles the snow-capped peaks of the Italian Alps during the holiday season.

Overnight: Due Torri Hotel

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Verona - Dolomites

Meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel in the Dolomites. (Approximately 2h40 by car).

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Italy’s Dolomite mountains promise year-round adventure. Nestled just across the border from Austria in South Tyrol, this landscape is characterised by evergreen forests and and pale-colored peaks in a variety of distinctive sculptural forms. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 2009, recognizing its “superlative natural phenomena.”

Summer here is the season for hikers, climbers and mountain bikers. You’ve plenty of scenic trails from which to choose, ranging from low-intensity, family-friendly routes to the more challenging circuits. During Winter, the Dolomites offer a stunning backdrop for skiing, snowboarding, and many other winter activities. As Christmas approaches, the atmosphere becomes more magical thanks to the ancient local traditions that illuminate and add color to the tiny hamlets nestled in the snowy valleys.

Overnight: Alpina Dolomites Gardena Health Lodge & Spa

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Dolomites

In the morning celebrate Christmas atmosphere with a special activity. Put your cooking skills to the test and learn the secrets of the local recipes. Prepare traditional Christmas biscuits, Vin Brule’ and Canederli. Canederli are bread dumplings found in the northern Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. They are a great way to use up stale bread and are flavoured with Alpine ingredients such as speck (a local cured meat) and cheese. Canederli are best served in a warming beef broth or tossed in brown butter with crispy sage. At the end of the class enjoy the meal that you have prepared. It is the perfect comfort food for a winter's day in the Dolomites. (3 hours, soft drinks included)

In the afternoon visit the Christmas Market of Merano (Meran Advent), one of the most visited of the Alto Adige area. This village hosts a big Christmas market embellished with dozens of wooden houses where craftsmen dedicate themselves to their craft, creating unique objects made of iron, glass, wood, or wax. Admire and purchase regional and typical handicrafts, candles, Christmas decorations, perfumes, and warm clothing of all kinds. End the afternoon with a short walk in the Old Town, before to meet your driver who will transfer you to the hotel.  

Overnight: Alpina Dolomites Gardena Health Lodge & Spa

Meal Plan: B/L

Day 5 - Dolomites

With the Cathedral’s two bell towers standing guard over the colorful stands, and snow-capped mountains framing the piazza where the market is held, Bressanone‘s Christmas market may be one of the most picturesque in all of Italy. Add to that the festive lights and decorations adorning the pedestrianized streets of Bressanone’s medieval center to experience an authenic touch of holiday cheer.

At the market, you’ll find stalls featuring handcrafted items and crafts from local artisans, perfect for both gifts and decorating ideas. These include nativity scenes, wooden sculptures, handmade ceramics, scented candles, glass ornaments, angels, and more. There are also food stands, as Bressanone is a foodie destination in its own right. But there’s more to Bressanone than just the Christmas market. While the shopping alone could keep you entertained for hours, take some time to explore the city’s rich history and architecture.

Bressanone is a good base for exploring another Alpine town with a smaller but equally charming Christmas market: Vipiteno, just a half-hour drive away.

Vipiteno is part of Italy’s network of ‘most beautiful borghi’ (hamlets), and it is truly enchanting. Surrounded by mountains, its quaint streets are lined with colourful houses featuring typical ‘erker’ or bay windows adorned with flowers. As in Bressanone, the Christmas market in Vipiteno prides itself on offering strictly handcrafted items from local artisans. Favourites include all-natural hangings made with dried fruits and spices such as oranges and cinnamon releasing a delightful fragrance; tiny wooden elves, traditionally the lucky charm of the Alps; Tyrolean-inspired placemats and pillow covers; and hand-painted glass candle holders depicting mountain scenes. (up to 8 hours, driver)

Overnight: Alpina Dolomites Gardena Health Lodge & Spa

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - Dolomites - Lake Como

Today meet your guide and transfer to lake Como (approx. 4h40 by car). Stop en route to a winery where you will enjoy a private tour of the historic cellars following a wine tasting of 3 different Franciacorta wines, paired with a tasting of cheese and ham and local grissini.

After the tasting, continue your transfer to Lake Como and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

The Lake District is for those whose idea of heaven is palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants and majestic Alpine vistas. This region is home to the magical lakes of Como, Maggiore and Garda. Lake Como is set in an idyllic landscape of blue waters set against the rugged, forest foothills of the Alps. The lake is rich in history as it was home to many Renaissance nobles who were captured by its peaceful charm and spectacular glacial lake. The lakeside village Cernobbio was the favourite resort of the exiled Queen Caroline of England in the early 19th century while the town of Bellagio offers stunning views of the entire expanse of the lake and the Alps.

Overnight: Villa D'Este

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Lake Como

Today enjoy a full day excursion to the town of Como - the main city of the Lake Como area and home to a local market on Saturdays.

Upon arrival in Como meet your expert local guide for a 3-hour walking tour around the city sights and have time for lunch at leisure (payable locally). In the afternoon, explore the hamlet on your own and immerse yourself in the typical Christmas atmosphere thanks to the charming wooden chalets that evoke the landscapes of Northern Europe. Ample space is given to local and Italian handicrafts, with special attention and priority given to the enhancement of zero-mileage production, short supply chains, recycling and reuse, and local businesses. (up to 8 hours driver, 3 hours local guide)

Overnight: Villa D'Este

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Lake Como

Meet your driver and Guardian Angel and transfer in the comfort of your private luxury vehicle to Milan Malpensa airport where you are assisted with check-in.

Overnight:

Meal Plan: B