Northern Italy for Seniors: 10 Days of Cultural Immersion

When your plane touches down at Milan Malpensa Airport, your friendly transfer will be waiting to greet and transfer you to your luxurious accommodation in the center of Milan. You will maneuver along the cobblestone streets with your guide to the Duomo di Milano. The heavy doors will open for you as you begin your private tour, and a holy silence will encircle you as you amble among the marble columns. Your tour will continue as you reach the cathedral rooftop, which will provide you with spectacular views of the city and square below.

After breakfast, a private guide will be waiting for you as the train churns to a halt in the Varenna train station and will cheerfully lead you to your opulent accommodation in central Varenna. Your luggage will be transferred to your room for you, and you will set off on a tour to absorb the magnificent beauty of Lake Como. Your guide will lead you around the town, stopping in lakeside cafes to sip hot cappuccinos or to nibble on freshly baked pastries. Your tour will continue as partake in a leisurely hike to the ruined hilltop castle of Castello di Vezio. Afterward, your guide will lead you on a tour of the manicured gardens of two iconic villas that were built in the late 1800s: Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.

Today, you will witness the sprawling beauty of the lake from an entirely new perspective. This morning, you will embark on a private boat tour around the lake. Your excursion will lead you to the town of Bellagio, which is considered to be the crown jewel of the lake. You will continue to cruise around the lake to uncover luxurious villas and their private boathouses. The afternoon sun will glisten on the lake, and your boat will pull up to the infamous villa in time for happy hour. Here, you will be provided with a private room to change and shower.

After breakfast, your private driver will arrive at your hotel and transfer you to the town of Tirano, where you will board a train with panoramic windows. This will be unlike any train ride that you have ever been on: you will relax in the lap of luxury and watch the dramatic scenery unfold before your eyes. Your destination will be St. Moritz, which is a high-class spa town in Southern Switzerland. A driver will be waiting for you at the train station and will assist you with your luggage before transferring you to your luxurious accommodation. Once you arrive at your accommodation, you will indulge in a world-class spa treatment of your choice.

This morning, your driver will escort you to a private jet that will fly you over the snow-capped Alps. Upon landing, your driver will lead you to your luxury accommodation in the heart of Verona, where you will be led on a walking tour of the city. Steeped in antiquity, mystery, and controversy, your tour will lead you through the narrow streets and introduce you to the stories that have characterized Verona for over a millennium. You will even have the opportunity to explore the 2,000-year-old Arena, which is the third-largest Roman amphitheater, and the 13th-century house of Juliet that supposedly inspired Shakespeare to write Romeo and Juliet.

This morning, your guide will lead you on a walking tour through the impeccably preserved medieval city that will have you crossing the gently flowing Adige River to visit the Romanesque-style Duomo. Here, you will sit in the wooden pews that have housed worshipers for over 700 years and allow your eyes to be amazed by the marble carvings and the impressive paintings that elegantly flank the interior. As the evening settles over the city, your driver will escort you to the infamous Arena that now hosts spectacular operas and concerts, where you will sit front and center to enjoy a unique show.

Shortly after breakfast, your private driver will transfer you to the delightful city of Padua. Your driver will then lead you to your deluxe accommodation, where you will settle in before setting out to discover the allure of Padua. The Scrovegni Chapel was built in 1303 and mesmerizes all who visit. Art scholars revere the chapel as being one of the most important masterpieces of Western Art. Afterward, you will continue to the Palazzo della Ragione, which is a medieval palace that once served as the seat of law. Finally, you will finish the day by resting your feet and indulging in gelato in Prato della Valle, which is the largest square in Italy.

Your private transfer will pick you up in Padua and usher you to the crown jewel of Northern Italy. Even before you arrive at your world-class accommodation in Venice, you will be immersed in the magical enchantment of this classic city, where beauty gracefully collides with history at every possible junction. A gondola will pull up to the dock, and your guide will help you to keep your balance as you settle into the boat. As you float down the canal, your guide will motion toward the infamous sites, including the 15th-century Ca’ d’Oro.

Your private tour will commence on the island of Murano, where artisans expertly practice the timeless art of glassblowing. The glassblowers of Murano are revered throughout the world for their exquisite glass, and you will receive individual demonstrations of molten liquid being effortlessly transformed into various shapes of immaculately crafted pieces. Following the demonstration, the artisan will assists you in creating your own piece of artwork. Following your glassblowing demonstration, you will venture to the island of Burano. As you stroll through the streets, you will see lacemakers as they carefully stitch their delicate craft.

Venice begins to wake up long before the sun peaks over the horizon. The fishing boats quietly rumble along the canals, not allowing the dim morning light to delay their daily catch. You can have a leisurely morning and enjoy your Italian breakfast. As the sun begins to reflect off the water, you can indulge in a final stroll through the crooked streets to visit your favorite corner of this colorful city. You will then meet your private transfer at the boat dock and be escorted to Marco Polo Airport for your flight home.