15 days, 14 nights · Best for Escorted touring from Dolomite peaks to Mediterranean shores
Dolomites, Italian Lakes and Cinque Terre: An Escorted Journey Through Italy’s Mountains, Lakes and Sea, 16 Days / 14 Nights
From the peaks of the Dolomites to the shores of the Italian Riviera, a grand escorted journey.
From the jagged peaks of the Dolomites to the sun-warmed coves of the Italian Riviera, this escorted journey traces the most spectacular landscapes of Northern Italy in one unforgettable, effortless adventure. Over sixteen days you travel by deluxe motorcoach with a dedicated English-speaking tour escort at your side, so you can simply relax and take it all in. You wake beneath the UNESCO-listed Dolomites in Cortina d’Ampezzo, wander the storybook villages and turquoise lakes of Alto Adige, and lose yourself in the romance of Verona and the timeless magic of Venice. Then come Italy’s legendary lakes, Garda, Como, and Maggiore, with boat cruises to Bellagio, the Borromean Islands, and beyond. Fashionable Milan and Leonardo’s Last Supper give way to a grand finale on the sea, the rainbow villages of Cinque Terre, glamorous Portofino, and the secluded abbey of San Fruttuoso.
Along the way you savor Amarone wine in Valpolicella, speck and strudel in the Alps, cicchetti in Venice, and warm focaccia on the Riviera. Comfortable four-star hotels, curated tastings, expert local guides, and seamless logistics make this the effortless way to experience the very best of Northern Italy. Reserve your place on a journey you will be talking about for years.
Your Adventure Starts Here
This is a starting point. Change the nights, choose the style of hotel, add the experiences you want. Your planner takes it from there.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Winter Olympic resort beneath the Dolomite peaks
You arrive in Venice and travel north into the Dolomites, where Cortina d'Ampezzo sits in a valley surrounded by the pale limestone walls and spires that earned this range UNESCO recognition. The resort hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and keeps the warm hospitality of an Alpine mountain town. From here you reach Lake Misurina, its mirror surface reflecting the Dolomite ridges, and Lake Braies, where turquoise water meets dark forest. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, three iconic peaks rising above high meadows and scree, mark the centerpiece of a landscape built on contrast: vertical rock against green valley, jagged silhouette against open sky.
Arranged for you: We arrange your transfer from Venice airport, your hotel in Cortina, a full-day tour to Lake Misurina, Tre Cime and Lake Braies with your escort, and a welcome dinner.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Cortina d'Ampezzo
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Guided via ferrata climb with equipment Day Trips · Half day
Scale a protected mountain route with a certified guide, fixed cables and Dolomite panoramas.
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Private sunrise photography tour Day Trips · Half day
Reach high vantage points before the crowds with a local photographer who knows the light.
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Mountain rifugio lunch hike Day Trips · Half day
Walk through alpine meadows to a high hut for polenta, speck and canederli dumplings.
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San Giorgio, Murano Glass Factory and Gondola Ride Shore Excursions · Tour in a DayThis 5-hour tour allows you to explore a working Murano glass factory, takes you through stunning San Giorgio and lets you relax and unwind with a magical gondola ride through the canals of Venice.
Day by day in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Benvenuti in Italia. You arrive at Venice airport, where your tour escort is waiting, then travel to Cortina d’Ampezzo, an enchanting resort ringed by the majestic Dolomites and host of the 1956 Winter Olympics. Settle into the traditional Alpine atmosphere and warm hospitality, and gather for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
After breakfast you set out to discover why UNESCO named the Dolomites a World Heritage Site. You admire Lake Misurina, a fairy-tale lake framed by mountains, and Lake Braies with its turquoise waters set against deep forest. The famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the three peaks of Lavaredo, crown a day of breathtaking natural beauty. Return to Cortina for dinner with your group. (B, D)
Bressanone, Trentino Alto Adige
Bressanone
Medieval bishop's town where Italy meets the Alps
You leave Cortina through the Falzarego Pass, descending into Val di Fassa and Val Gardena, where the Sassolungo massif rises above green pasture and Lake Carezza sits beneath the Catinaccio peaks. Bressanone, known as Brixen in German, straddles the Isarco River at the point where Mediterranean warmth meets Alpine cold. The town served as a bishop's seat for over a thousand years, and that history shows in the 10th-century cathedral, the frescoed cloister, and the baroque Bishop's Palace. In Bolzano, the regional capital an hour south, gothic and Mediterranean architecture share the same piazzas, and Otzi the Iceman rests in the archaeology museum. A visit to a medieval castle includes a merenda of speck, cheese, wine and grappa, the afternoon snack tradition of Alto Adige.
Arranged for you: We arrange your hotel in Bressanone, a full-day tour through Val di Fassa and Val Gardena with your escort, a guided visit to Bolzano including the cathedral and Piazza Walther, a castle visit with tasting of local products, and two group dinners.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Bressanone
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Private apple orchard and cider tasting Day Trips · Half day
Visit a family farm in the Val Venosta, walk the orchards and taste cider, strudel and apple distillates.
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Alpe di Siusi cable car and guided walk Day Trips · Half day
Ride to Europe's largest high-altitude meadow and hike with a naturalist across wildflower plateaus.
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Wine road tour of Caldaro cellars Day Trips · Half day
Drive the oldest wine route in Italy and taste Schiava and Gewürztraminer at two historic estates.
Day by day in Bressanone
Leaving Cortina, you drive through the Falzarego Pass between Val di Fassa and Val Gardena, past charming villages, the striking Sassolungo, and lovely Lake Carezza beneath the Catinaccio peaks. You arrive in Bressanone, also known as Brixen, once a Bishop’s seat, and stroll its medieval quarter to admire the 10th-century cathedral, the Bishop’s palace, and the Town Hall. Check in and enjoy dinner with the group. (B, D)
You reach Bolzano, capital of Alto Adige and a crossroads of Mediterranean and Germanic cultures. A sightseeing tour takes in the gothic Duomo, the medieval center, and beautiful Piazza Walther, and you can meet Otzi, Europe’s oldest natural mummy, at the Museum of Archaeology. After free time beneath the porticoes, visit a medieval castle and enjoy a tasting of local products, wine, and grappa, a true merenda altotesina, before returning to Bressanone for dinner. (B, T, D)
Verona, Veneto
Verona
Roman arena and Renaissance palaces on the Adige
You stop in Trento, where the Castello del Buonconsiglio overlooks a city that once hosted the Council of Trent, then continue to Verona on the Adige River. The Arena, the third-largest Roman amphitheater in the world, still hosts opera in summer. A local guide walks you through the medieval quarter to Juliet's balcony, the house of Romeo, and Piazza delle Erbe, where the market has run since Roman times. Piazza dei Signori holds the Scaligeri family tombs and the striped marble of the Lamberti Tower. The Duomo and the Church of San Francesco al Corso add Romanesque detail to a cityscape built on pink marble and river light. You return from Verona for a full-day visit to Venice, traveling by coach and water taxi along the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square, where reserved entry brings you into the basilica and the Doge's Palace without the public queues.
Arranged for you: We arrange your hotel in Verona, a guided walking tour of the historic center including the Arena and the houses of Romeo and Juliet, and a full-day excursion to Venice with water taxi transfers, reserved skip-the-line entry to St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, and a guided walking tour with aperitivo and cicchetti.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Verona
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Private opera or concert at the Arena Day Trips · Half day
Reserved seating for a summer performance in the Roman amphitheater with pre-show dinner.
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Valpantena wine cellar and lunch Day Trips · Half day
Visit a hillside estate, tour the cellars and taste Valpolicella Ripasso with local salumi and risotto.
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Guided market walk and cooking class Day Trips · Half day
Shop Piazza delle Erbe with a chef, then prepare bigoli, risotto all'Amarone and tiramisù.
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Private boat tour on the Adige River Day Trips · Half day
Cruise the river by traditional flat-bottomed boat, past medieval bridges and Renaissance gardens.
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San Giorgio, Murano Glass Factory and Gondola Ride Shore Excursions · Tour in a Day
This 5-hour tour allows you to explore a working Murano glass factory, takes you through stunning San Giorgio and lets you relax and unwind with a magical gondola ride through the canals of Venice.
Day by day in Verona
Traveling toward Verona, you pause in Trento, a city of Roman origins and a crossroads of Italian and northern European cultures. Admire the magnificent Castello del Buonconsiglio, the Duomo and its splendid square, and the frescoed medieval streets. After free time for lunch, continue to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, and check in for a relaxed evening. Dinner is on your own, the perfect chance to try Verona’s traditional bigoli pasta. (B)
This morning a local guide leads a walking tour of Verona’s greatest sights, from the Arena, the world’s third-largest Roman amphitheater, to the houses of Romeo and Juliet with the famous balcony, the Duomo, and the Church of San Francesco al Corso. Afterward you are free to explore iconic squares such as Piazza dei Signori and Piazza delle Erbe, or relax in a cafe over a buttery ofella cake. Dinner is at your leisure. (B)
Today you explore Venice, one of Italy’s most famous jewels. A water taxi carries you along the Grand Canal, past extraordinary palaces and the Rialto Bridge, to St. Mark’s Square. After time to enjoy an aperitivo and cicchetti, a guided walking tour reveals St. Mark’s Basilica with reserved skip-the-line entry, the Doge’s Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs, then continues through the characteristic calli to the true heart of the city. Return by water taxi and coach to Verona. (B, T)
Como, Lombardy
Como
Cathedral town and silk capital on the lake
You leave Verona through the Valpolicella wine region, where a cellar visit includes Amarone paired with cheese and cold cuts, then pause at Lake Garda in Sirmione, a peninsula town of thermal springs and a Scaligeri castle. Como sits at the southern tip of its namesake lake, where silk weaving has supplied Milan's fashion houses since the Renaissance. A local guide walks you through the historic center to the Cathedral, a mix of gothic and Renaissance detail, and past the workshops where silk is still printed and finished by hand. The lake itself draws you north by boat to Bellagio, the elegant town at the junction of the lake's two arms, and to Varenna, a fishing village of stepped lanes and lakefront cafes. On Lake Maggiore you reach the Borromean Islands by boat from Stresa: Isola Madre with its English garden of exotic plants, Isola dei Pescatori with its cobbled village, and Isola Bella, where the baroque Palazzo Borromeo rises above ten terraced gardens.
Arranged for you: We arrange your hotel in Como, a vineyard tour and Amarone tasting in Valpolicella with cheeses and cold cuts, a stop in Sirmione, a boat cruise on Lake Como with visits to Bellagio and Varenna, a guided walking tour of Como's historic center and Cathedral, and a full-day boat excursion to the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Como
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Private boat to Villa Balbianello Day Trips · Half day
Cruise to the 18th-century villa on Lenno point, tour the gardens and terraces used in film shoots.
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Silk atelier tour and scarf printing Day Trips · Half day
Visit a working silk workshop, see the printing tables and hand-print your own scarf to take home.
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Funicular and Brunate hillside lunch Day Trips · Half day
Ride the century-old cable car to the village above Como, walk the paths and dine on the terrace.
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Day trip to Lugano, Switzerland Day Trips · Half day
Cross the border by coach, explore the lakeside promenades and return with Swiss chocolate.
Day by day in Como
Leaving Verona, you drive into the Valpolicella wine region for a vineyard tour and a tasting of the famed Amarone and other local wines, paired with cheeses and cold cuts. You continue to Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, whose mild climate nurtures lemon trees, olives, and vineyards, and pause in the lovely lakeside town of Sirmione for lunch. In the afternoon you reach Como for a relaxed evening. (B, T)
Today you tour Lake Como, renowned worldwide for its beauty and its elegant villas that have captivated everyone from artists to celebrities. After a panoramic drive, a boat cruise on the central lake reveals mesmerizing shoreline views, and you explore the famous town of Bellagio and picturesque Varenna. Return to Como and dine on typical local dishes at your leisure. (B)
A local guide leads a walking tour of Como, an ancient yet lively town with a beautiful historic center and an impressive Cathedral, long famous for the silk it supplies to Milan’s fashion houses. The rest of the day is yours, perhaps a trip to nearby Lugano in Switzerland, some silk shopping, or a quiet coffee overlooking the lake. (B)
From Como you travel to Stresa, the pearl of Lake Maggiore, and set out by boat to the Borromean Islands. On Isola Madre you admire the palace and its lush English garden of rare and exotic plants. Isola dei Pescatori charms with its old fishermen’s village, ideal for a lakefish lunch, and Isola Bella dazzles with the baroque Palazzo Borromeo, its magnificent gardens, and cobbled village lanes. Return to Como for the night. (B)
Camogli, Liguria
Camogli
Riviera fishing village between mountain and sea
You spend the morning in Milan with a guide who shows you the Duomo, the gothic cathedral of white marble spires, the Sforzesco Castle, La Scala opera house, and the glass-vaulted Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Reserved entry brings you to Santa Maria delle Grazie to stand before Leonardo's Last Supper. In the afternoon you cross the Apennines to Liguria, where the coast drops from chestnut forest to the Mediterranean in a series of cliffs, coves and terraced vineyards. Camogli, a fishing village on the Golfo Paradiso, climbs from a pebble beach in tiers of pastel houses. From here you explore the Cinque Terre by boat when the sea permits, by train through the tunnels, and on foot along the coastal paths. The five villages, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso, cling to rock above the water, connected by trails built for farmers and fishermen. You taste pesto, anchovies, focaccia and the white Sciacchetrà dessert wine made from grapes dried on racks. A boat carries you to Portofino, tucked into a narrow cove that has drawn artists and sailors for centuries, and to San Fruttuoso, where an 11th-century abbey sits on a beach reachable only by sea or footpath.
Arranged for you: We arrange your hotel in Camogli, a guided tour of Milan with reserved entry to Leonardo's Last Supper, a full-day exploration of Cinque Terre by boat, train and foot with wine and food tastings, a boat excursion to Portofino and San Fruttuoso abbey, and a farewell dinner at a local seafood restaurant.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Camogli
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Private boat along the Portofino coast Day Trips · Half day
Cruise from Camogli past San Fruttuoso to Portofino, swim in hidden coves and return at sunset.
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Pesto-making class in Recco Day Trips · Half day
Learn to pound basil, pine nuts and Parmigiano by hand in a marble mortar, then eat it with trofie.
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Guided hike on the Portofino promontory Day Trips · Half day
Walk the coastal path to San Fruttuoso with a naturalist, through Mediterranean scrub and sea views.
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Genoa historic center and market tour Day Trips · Half day
Explore the UNESCO palazzi of Via Garibaldi, the old port and the Mercato Orientale with a guide.
Day by day in Camogli
You travel to Milan, one of the world’s fashion capitals, for a guided tour of its heart, the magnificent Duomo, the 15th-century Sforzesco Castle, the La Scala opera house, and the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, with reserved entry to admire Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. In the afternoon you continue to the breathtaking Liguria coast, the Italian Riviera, and settle in for the evening. (B)
Today you explore the famous Cinque Terre National Park and its five villages, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, perched on a rocky coast of colorful houses and terraced vineyards above a brilliant blue sea. You take in the panoramas by boat when the sea permits, by train, and on foot, and learn how the local wine is made while tasting authentic specialties such as pesto and irresistible focaccia. (B, T)
Your day explores the picturesque Tigullio coast. A boat trip brings you to Portofino, a charming village tucked into a narrow cove and a longtime magnet for artists and celebrities, and to San Fruttuoso, a beautiful abbey set on a tiny gulf reachable only by boat or footpath. You continue to colorful Camogli, famous for its focaccia with Recco cheese and its Camogliesi cakes. In the evening the group gathers for a farewell dinner at a local seafood restaurant to celebrate an unforgettable journey. (B, D)
Day 15
Arrivederci, Italy
After breakfast and check-out, you transfer to the airport for your flight home, carrying with you the peaks of the Dolomites, the shimmer of the lakes, and the colors of the Riviera. End of our services. (B)
Why plan with Trips 2 Italy?
Designed around you by Italian-born planners
Guides, drivers and boats for your party alone
Hand-selected hotels in every destination
Local English-speaking guides who know their city
Met at the airport, private transfers throughout
Testimonials
Hear from travelers who have planned Italy with us
They took the time to understand our preferences and designed an itinerary that was comfortable, personalized, and enjoyable. They offered thoughtful recommendations while never being pushy.
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Questions travelers ask
What makes this an escorted journey?
A dedicated English-speaking tour escort accompanies you from arrival to departure, handling logistics, hotels, and timing, while expert local guides bring each destination to life. All you do is relax and enjoy Northern Italy.
Are international flights included, and can Trips 2 Italy arrange them?
Round trip airfare from the USA is not included in the listed price, which keeps your departure city and dates flexible. As a full service Italy specialist, Trips 2 Italy is happy to arrange your flights from any U.S. gateway in the class and schedule that best fit your preferences and budget. Just ask and we will tailor the airfare to your needs.
How much walking is involved?
The pace is comfortable, but Italy’s historic towns, lakeside villages, and Cinque Terre involve walking on cobblestones, steps, and gentle hills. Boat cruises and the motorcoach cover the longer distances.
What is included beyond hotels and touring?
Four-star hotels, daily breakfast, four half-board dinners plus a farewell dinner, curated wine and food tastings, guided visits, boat cruises on Lakes Como and Maggiore and along the Riviera, and premium entrances such as the Last Supper, the Arena of Verona, and the Borromean Islands.
Can the itinerary be customized?
Yes. This is a custom escorted journey and can be tailored to your group’s interests, pace, and dates. The route may also be adjusted or reversed for operational reasons.
When is the best time to travel?
Late spring through early autumn is ideal for the lakes, the Dolomites, and the Riviera, with long, luminous days perfect for boat cruises and outdoor scenery. The journey operates on request.