Page 156 - Discoveries Await in 2022 & 2023

Itinerary where we’ll have dinner at a local restaurant to taste DAY 7 • Lake Iseo • Franciacorta
local Valtellina delicacies. vineyard tour
B,D — Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar Depart Tirano and head to Lago d’Iseo, a Lombard
DAY 1 • Depart U.S. lake in the Franciacorta wine region. Continue on to
Fly overnight from the U.S. to Milan, Italy. DAY 5 • A Day in the Life in the a winery in Franciacorta that is run by two sisters
Valtellina Valley where we’ll hike the property to appreciate the lush
DAY 2 • Milan, Italy • Lecco Experience our NEW A Day in the Life in the hills of the region. Then, learn about the ancient
Arrive in Milan and transfer to Lecco, where we’ll Valtellina Valley, renowned for its natural beauty, production process of sparkling wine, and enjoy
meet members of your group, including those who wine, and regional cuisine. You may visit a locally- lunch and a wine tasting.
took the Italian Riviera, Genoa & the Cinque Terre or owned goat cheese producer and enjoy a tasting, B,L,D — Cocca Hotel Royal Thai Spa or similar

New! The Swiss Alps: Lucerne, Bern & Zermatt pre-trip head to San Rocco and explore a renovated water
extensions. mill that grinds buckwheat for traditional pasta, DAY 8 • Lake Iseo • Montisola • Optional
Hotel NH Lecco Pontevecchio or similar and stop by a family-run farm to participate in daily Brescia tour
farm chores before sitting down for a homemade Most of the day is yours to explore on your own.
DAY 3 • Milan lunch with the family. If you’d like, you may join our optional tour to
Set off on a walking tour of riverside Lecco. Then, B,L — Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar the nearby village of Brescia, where we’ll visit
depart for Milan where we’ll explore on foot—the an artisanal market and Roman ruins. Later this
highlight being the Duomo di Milano, Milan’s DAY 6 • Bernina Red Train to Switzerland • afternoon, our group will have the option to visit
Gothic cathedral. After, you’ll have some time to Home-Hosted Dinner Montisola, a small town in the Franciacorta hills.
explore on your own. We’ll gather tonight for a Board the Bernina Red Train for a full-day excursion

Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant. across the Alps and into Switzerland. After crossing B — Cocca Hotel Royal Thai Spa or similar
B,L,D — Hotel NH Lecco Pontevecchio or similar the Swiss border, we’ll depart the train at Diavolezza DAY 9 • Trento • Visit Verona
station to board a cable car that will take us to a Head to Trento, with a stop along the way in Verona,
DAY 4 • Orrido di Bellano • Tirano scenic viewpoint. After, we’ll catch our train back to made famous by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Along the way to Tirano, we’ll visit Orrido di Tirano. Later, enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner in the Our walking tour of Verona includes the market at
Bellano, a waterfall and natural gorge. We’ll admire home of a local family. Piazza delle Erbe (the old Roman forum).
its beauty before departing for Varenna, a fishing B,L,D — Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar
village nestled along Lake Como. There, we’ll stroll B,D — Grand Hotel Trento or similar
along a waterfront pedestrian path called the Walk
of Lovers to a local gelateria. Continue on to Tirano,

Meet the people
who call northern
Italy home

Italian Families in Tirano:
During a NEW A Day in
the Life of the Valtellina
Valley on Day 5, we’ll sit
down to lunch with a local
Italian family at their farm. And on Day 6, we’ll feast
on traditional northern Italian specialties in the home of a local family in
Tirano during a Home-Hosted Dinner.

Vineyard Owner in Franciacorta: During our time in Franciacorta on
Day 7, we’ll meet with a local vineyard owner whose family specializes in
making Franciacorta sparkling wine. After touring the vineyard, we’ll learn
about the hand-harvesting grape process and have an opportunity to sip
this local favorite.

Ladin Locals: Numbering about 35,000, Ladins are a little-known ethnic
minority living in the foothills of Italy’s Dolomites. On Day 13, a Ladin-
speaking local will give us insights into Ladin culture while accompanying
our small group on a hike amidst the scenic beauty of the valleys of the
Dolomites.

Tour a vineyard in Franciacorta on Day 7.

156 Northern Italy: The Alps, Dolomites & Lombardy

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