Italy

Lake Garda, The Dolomites & The Prosecco Hills: A Luxury Summer Vacation in Northern Italy

When

May-October

Price

From $10,370pp excl. flights
(based on 2 ppl sharing)

How long

11 nights ideal length

Shake off thoughts of the Mediterranean – for Northern Italy is having its time in the sun. It’s long held a reputation as home to Italy’s most inimitably stylish cities, however, it’s keen to show off it’s got the landscapes and the cuisine too. With that in mind, spend 12-days taking in the best experiences, hotels and unknown wonders the north has to offer. We’ll take you from private boat trips to the limonaie of Lake Garda to stargazing in the peaks of the Dolomites and hiking into mountain rifugios before winding up with a private Prosecco tasting in the newly UNESCO-dubbed DOCG region of Conegliano Valdobbiadene. Bookended on either end by the culture of Verona and Venice, this makes for one irresistible summer getaway.

Romance in Verona

Flying into Venice, your trip begins an hour and a half due west in the storied town of Verona. Immortalised as the home of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet, you’ll spend your first night at the equally historic Hotel Due Torri. Take some time to explore the sights, from the Arena to the Piazza Delle Erbe, before you leave the city behind tomorrow for the tranquil banks of Lake Garda.

See Lake Garda by Private Boat

On arrival at Lake Garda, you’ll check in the at the stylish and serene Lefay Resort & Spa. Seemingly suspended above the lake below, the hotel is home to an expansive spa that is sure to leave you feeling at ease. Our tip? Check in and head straight down for one of their innovative massages. Tomorrow, you’ll enjoy a day out on the water with a private boat tour taking in the lake’s most iconic sights, from its quaint villages to sweeping villas backed by soaring peaks. On your way back, we’ll arrange for you to explore our favorite section – the Riviera dei Limoni. Stop off at a historic limonaia with your private guide and learn all about the citrus-scented history of the lake.

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Tomorrow, you’ll go from life on the lake to life overlooking it as you head up to the towering Mount Baldo. Boasting some of the most impressive views, spend some time soaking in your surroundings before enjoying a guided hike back down to Malescine by the water’s edge. Here, you can treat yourself to lunch in one of the local trattorias before we whisk you back across the water to Lefay for one last night.

A Night of Stargazing and Mountain Dining in the Dolomites

You’ll already have glimpsed them during your time on Lake Garda but your next stop comes in the form of the majestic Dolomites. Winding your way up the mountain roads, you’ll check in at the Tyrolean-chic Rosa Alpina where you’ll spend a restful three nights – with a night out in the wilds sandwiched in between. Get to know the mountains with an evening visit to the Helmut Ullrich Astronomical Observatory where your expert astronomer will map out the night skies for you beneath a natural cupola at the foot of the Tofane mountains. To cap off the evening’s romance, we’ll then whisk you off for a traditional alpine dinner in a mountain chalet, complete with star-spangled views across the Dolomites.

Hiking the Dolomites

Tomorrow, you’ll put that what you learned at the observatory to use. Joining an alpine guide, you’ll begin your journey through the mountains at Pian de Frataces. From here, you’ll continue on through pine and larch forests and quaint mountain villages before turning the adrenaline up a notch with a via ferrata class. Having mastered this cliff-clinging course of ropes and ladders, you’ll then continue on along a panoramic plateau path to a traditional rifugio where you’ll spend the night. After a night of traditional Dolomites cuisine, we’re sure you’ll rest easy, ready for the return hike the next morning. Passing the peaks of Sassolungo-Sassopiatto and stopping for a hearty lunch with views of the Val Gardena valley, you’ll soon find yourself back in the luxurious embrace of Rosa Alpina.

A Taste of the Prosecco Region

From the Dolomites, you’ll then head back down into the valley and onto the UNESCO-listed Prosecco Superiore wine route alongside an expert guide. Your first stop is the city of Conegliano with its ornate Catherdral adorned in intricate frescoes, before continuing onto Valdobbiadene and the home of prosecco. Sprawling hillsides lined with vines and quaint villages characterise the region, whilst a private tasting at a small producer and a masterclass in making caciotta cheese will give you a taste for it. Having learned how to make, age and store this local cheese, it’s only right that you also know how it should taste with a private tasting of some of the dairy farm’s award-winning cheeses.

A Venetian Farewell

Capping off your trip in style, you’ll spend a final night in the Floating City. From your base at Ca Sagredo, get out and explore Venice with a private guide as you jump on a private water taxi down the Grand Canal to the Piazza San Marco where you’ll enjoy an in-depth tour of the Basilica before a scoop of the city’s best gelato. Tomorrow, it’s time to head home having truly experienced the best that Northern Italy has to offer.

Where to rest your head

Lefay Resort & SPA, Lake Garda

Time moves at an altogether slower space amid the serene atmosphere of Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda. Perched on a hillside, somewhere between…
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Rosa Alpina, The Dolomites

Sat snug within a picture-book village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, this sophisticated family-run hotel mixes traditional alpine charm with contemporary luxury and…
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Ca Sagredo, Venice

A private Palazzo, a noble residence, a gallery, a luxury hotel and so much more, Black Tomato presents Ca Sagredo. This lush 15th century Palace has…
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