Lake Como, St Moritz and the Bernina Express

You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Milan from where you will be taken to your choice of hotel. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure, allowing you time to settle into the hotel and start exploring if you wish.

Lake Como, one of the deepest in Europe, has been beloved of romantics since the famous Roman chronicler Pliny wrote of its luxuriant beauty and it has inspired some of the best works by greats such as Verdi and Rossini. A favourite of Shelley and Wordsworth, the delights of Lake Como are many and varied and this morning you can enjoy one of its many highlights, a private boat and tour of the beautiful, 18th century Villa del Balbianello, one of the finest villas surrounding the lake. Originally built for a cardinal, it features a renowned collection of art and historic furniture, ironically much of it English, including an oak bureau from Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. The gardens are equally stunning, being a series of manicured terraces full of fragrant roses and colourful borders, dominated by a classic three arched ‘loggia’, and all creatively planted using the rugged topography to great effect.

The boat then takes us to the elegant and exclusive resort of Bellagio which, with its idyllic location on a promontory on the lake, is often described as the most beautiful town in Italy, and when you see it you will almost certainly agree! Once the haunt of European monarchs, today the attractive, pastel-coloured buildings, faded by decades of sunshine, line the lake shore and narrow cobbled streets and lanes climb their way to the hilly centre. Awash with colourful flowers Bellagio cannot be bettered for a long lazy lunch in one of the many lakeside restaurants, followed by a stroll perhaps amongst the many typically formal Italian gardens so beloved of romantics over the centuries, sprinkled as they are with fine, 18th century sculpture. Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace before returning to your resort by boat when you wish.

(Subject to available boat timetable)

Signature Experience:

As you soak up the spectacular views - forested hillsides sweeping down to clusters of terracotta roofs elegantly nestled at the lake shore and snow-capped peaks reflected in the sparkling lake, savour an inspirational view unchanged in centuries, over a refreshing local aperitivo and nibbles in a local cafe.

Today, we enjoy a contrasting day of spectacular scenery and extraordinary Swiss engineering. Firstly we ascend up the Valtellina, a classic alpine valley with soaring peaks rising steeply on both sides to Tirano, where we board the famous Bernina Express. One of the slowest ‘express’ trains in the world, this remarkable Swiss train twists upwards in an amazing sequence of spirals, loops and tunnels to the summit at Ospizio Bernina, the highest through station in Europe. Here, you are surrounded by stunning vistas over snow-clad peaks and ice-cold glacial lakes which strikingly mark the watershed between Mediterranean and Black Sea river systems. We descend sinuously through pretty pastures and dense pine forests to the ostentatiously chic resort of St Moritz, home of the infamous Cresta Run toboggan track, where there’s time for a spot of window shopping or perhaps afternoon tea and cake. Listen carefully and you may notice a rather unusual tongue: here, in this tiny corner of Switzerland, the locals speak Romansch, an ancient and little known Latin language. We return through yet more spectacular scenery to Lake Como for dinner.

Signature Experience:

From Tirano settle into your upgraded first-class seat in a spacious carriage, sit back and soak up the dazzling mountain views as you ride the legendary Bernina Express in style and comfort. This world-famous journey will be something special as you recline in luxury in extra spacious leather seats to stretch out and relax whilst admiring the stunning landscapes through the train’s panoramic windows – and free WiFi so you can share the views with your loved ones back home.

Today we visit nearby Lake Maggiore and its most attractive lakeside town, Stresa, which owes its origin to the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ when Europe’s 19th century aristocracy, having crossed the border from Switzerland, experienced their first taste of Italy! Unmistakably Mediterranean in character, its shores, lined with oleanders and palms, backed by classic belle époque hotels create an ambience of classic gentility. Take a stroll along its impressive palm-lined promenade and enjoy the fine views across the shimmering lake to the Borromean Islands just offshore. You can also take the short boat trip to Isola Bella, an island transformed by a 17th century count, from a barren rock into an amazing terraced garden. This stunning display has long been visited by the famous, amongst them Queen Caroline of England, wife of George IV, plus Napoleon and Josephine. For the literary enthusiasts, you can relax at the bar of the Grand Hotel, featured in Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and also frequented by the likes of George Bernard Shaw and Charlie Chaplin.

Today you are free to explore as you wish. Enjoy a delicious Italian coffee in one of the pleasant cafés. Alternatively you may decide to take the boat to the lakeside town of Como or visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo.

Signature Experience:

Discover a true Italian treasure with an included visit to the 17th-century Villa Carlotta with its majestic views over the lake. From world-famous azaleas, heavenly camellias and exotic orchids, wander its magnificent gardens, immersing yourself in the glorious displays of a spectrum of colourful and fragrant plants from around the world. Step back in time as you explore the villa’s impressive interior with an included entrance to view its superb artworks, sculpture and antique furniture collected over three centuries. 

This morning we travel to Lugano, capital of the Italian speaking canton of Ticino which was seized by the Swiss in 1512 and has steadfastly refused any opportunity to revert to Italy ever since! It is absolutely fascinating, an eclectic mix of traditional Swiss values and the more laid-back Latin influences from across the border. The trains run on time and shops are just as chic, but there’s a distinctive Mediterranean feel unlike anything you’ll experience elsewhere in Switzerland. Tiny alleyways lead to unmistakably Italian piazzas, where you can relax over a typically Italian lunch, but like everywhere else in Switzerland, the traffic laws are obeyed without question - it really is a quirky blend! The town is a delight to explore being centred round the café-lined main square, ideal to people-watch whilst enjoying a superb coffee. Alternatively, you can explore the myriad of twisting lanes of the old town or the dense network of shops with their displays probably unmatched anywhere in the world. Lugano is a lovely place to idly wander, before we enjoy yet more outstanding scenery on our return journey to our hotel for dinner.

After breakfast, we visit the town of Bergamo for a morning guided tour. Said by many to be the most beautiful town in all of northern Italy, Bergamo is simply enchanting. The historic centre – or Città Alta (Upper Town) – strikingly crowns a hill and was ruled for centuries by Venice, one of the world’s great powers in the Renaissance, when much of the city we admire today was built, while the walls separating the Old Town from the Città Bassa (Lower Town) have recently been granted the status of World Heritage Site.

The focus of hilltop Bergamo is the Piazza Vecchia, a graceful main square that gathers together some of Italy’s finest medieval and Renaissance buildings, including a palace and grand houses featuring wrought-iron balconies. Marvel at the 12th-century bell tower from ground level, but also consider a walk to the top to enjoy irresistible views over the jumble of ancient roofs, the maze of lanes and alleys and the lush Lombardian landscapes beyond.

We return to the airport at the appropriate time for our flight home after a memorable and varied tour.