Bellissima Northern Italy

•   TAUCKS YELLOW ROADS! A picture-postcard setting awaits along every turn, dip and bend of Taucks winding Yellow Roads through the beautiful Italian Lakes region – tranquility perfected

Day 1: Arrive Milan
A transfer is included from Milan Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel et de Milan. At once you’ll feel the vibrancy of this cosmopolitan city that synergizes ancient and modern cultures in its art, fashion, and cuisine, gateway to the gorgeous lake region of Lombardy. A welcome cocktail reception this evening is followed by dinner.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Milan: City of Fashion and Art
On a tour with a local guide, stand in awe of The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci on a wall of the 15th-century convent, Santa Maria delle Grazie. The quiet power of this legendary fresco reverberates through centuries of western culture. Continue from its humble setting to the gilded halls of Castello Sforzesco, the power center of Milan for generations. View the Duomo, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world; bristling with spires, it is adorned with a staggering display of statues, gargoyles and stained glass. A more recent architectural wonder is the Galleria, a vast 19th-century shopping arcade whose massive glass dome shelters brilliant mosaics, stylish shops and cafés. Take a short walking tour of the Galleria and the Duomo Square. After lunch on your own, visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, housing one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian art, including works by Raphael, Caravaggio, Bellini and Tintoretto. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight; your hotel is across the street from one of Milan’s most elegant boulevards, famed Via Napoleone.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Beautiful Lake Como and Bellagio
Lake Como is the most beguiling of the Italian lakes, sought after for centuries by aristocrats and film stars for its lush waterways, luscious villas, and the stunning Alps as a backdrop. Travel to Tremezzo to visit the 17th-century Villa Carlotta, called “a place of heaven,” set on acres of landscaped gardens. Take a private boat to Bellagio, a resort town on the tip of a slender peninsula with spectacular views of the lake and mountains. Glimpse some of Lake Como’s famed villas on a private cruise on the lake before returning to shore to continue to your opulent hotel in Stresa. Nestled in a park-like setting on the shores of Lake Maggiore, enjoy a two-night stay; built in 1861, it evokes the grandeur and romance that personified the Belle Époque era.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: Lake Maggiore and a visit to Isola Bella
Long and languorous, Lake Maggiore, with its secluded villas and lazy islands, offers a retreat from the bustle of the city. Take a boat to Isola Bella and the ancient home of the Borromeo family, Palazzo Borromeo. Rising on a small island of landscaped gardens and terraces, the Baroque palazzo has hosted countless illustrious visitors, including Napoleon and Josephine. A tour reveals exquisite works of art; stroll through a classic Italian garden, filled with exotic plants, as you please. Depart Isola Bella and return to Stresa to explore at your leisure. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy your resort’s amenities, such as the spa, or perhaps take the cable cars of Mattarone for superb views of the Alps and the lake.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Medieval Bergamo / On to Verona
Depart Lake Maggiore and head for the ancient town of Bergamo; explore the town’s Città Alta (“upper city”), its walled, hilltop medieval center, with a local guide. Visit the lovely Piazza Vecchia; the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, begun in the 12th century; and the adjacent Cappella Colleoni, a colorful masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Continue on to an agriturismo in Franciacorta for a wine tasting and lunch. Arrive late afternoon in Verona, where you’ll spend the next two nights at the Hotel Due Torri, just a stone’s throw away from the famed balcony that inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Enjoy dinner at your leisure in the hotel this evening.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Verona, Home of “Romeo and Juliet”
A guided walking tour of Verona reveals that this city is second only to Rome in its number of Roman ruins. Pastel villas, built from rosso di Verona, the local pink limestone, line the cobbled streets where Romeo and Juliet resided. But besides its romantic history, the city is celebrated for its outstanding wine and cuisine. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening as you please.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: Mantua and Spilamberto
Mantua (Mantova), a city of imposing Gothic architecture, bounded on three sides by lakes, is the birthplace of the poet Virgil and the setting for Verdi’s Rigoletto. Your tour includes the Palazzo Ducale, and the Castello San Giorgio, a 14th-century fortress that houses some classic works of art. After lunch, drive to Spilamberto, famous for the balsamic vinegar that is produced only in this area. A tour of Museo del Balsamico Tradizionale di Spilamberto reveals the art of balsamic vinegar making – an elaborate process of rendering grapes and decanting must into wooden barrels. Your visit is both eye-opening and memorable, as is the sampling of this aromatic staple of gourmet cooking! Journey on to the celebrated university city of Bologna, where food, fashion and culture reign supreme.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Majestic – gia Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Epicurean Delights in Bologna
Enjoy a guided walking tour of the elegant center of Bologna, where buildings cluster in the shade of two colossal medieval towers. The afternoon is yours to explore Bologna on your own. Discover why the city’s nickname is La Grassa (the Fat One); gastronomic opportunities abound in this gourmet capital! An early evening cooking demonstration by a master chef will show you some secrets, followed by a memorable dinner.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Majestic – gia Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 9: Legendary Venice
Your destination today is Venice, northern Italy’s famed Renaissance city of canals, for a two-night stay. Your renowned hotel, the Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, is set on the Grand Canal; built in 1525, it is the epitome of elegance and gracious service, annually making numerous “best” European hotel lists. Take a walking tour of Venice with a local guide that ends with a visit to the Doge’s Palace, official residence of Venetian rulers in the Middle Ages. Tonight, a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica (subject to availability and day of the tour may vary) without the daytime crowds; enjoy more time to see the mosaics, the intricate floor, and the many treasures that were acquired by the Crusaders.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: Venetian Delights
Venice defines the word art by itself – in its passion and eccentricity, in its streets that are a maze of canals arched by bridges and lined with magnificent palazzi demanding attention. Spend a full day exploring on your own before joining us for the iconic Venetian experience, a serenade aboard a gondola ride along the canals. Join us tonight for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Journey Home
Tour ends: Venice, Italy. Fly home anytime. A transfer from Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice to Venice Marco Polo Airport is included. You should allow 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/26/2012 - 6/6/2012	$5,490
6/9/2012 - 6/20/2012	$6,290
6/23/2012 - 7/4/2012	$5,490
7/7/2012 - 7/18/2012	$5,490
7/21/2012 - 8/1/2012	$5,490
8/4/2012 - 8/15/2012	$5,490
8/18/2012 - 8/29/2012	$5,490
9/1/2012 - 9/12/2012	$5,490
9/10/2012 - 9/21/2012	$5,490
9/15/2012 - 9/26/2012	$6,290
9/17/2012 - 9/28/2012	$6,290
9/24/2012 - 10/5/2012	$6,290
9/29/2012 - 10/10/2012	$6,290
10/8/2012 - 10/19/2012	$6,290
10/13/2012 - 10/24/2012	$5,490
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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