Dates & Prices

To book a tour, call and speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/22/2010 - 6/2/2010	$4,990
6/5/2010 - 6/16/2010	$4,990
6/12/2010 - 6/23/2010	$4,990
6/19/2010 - 6/30/2010	$4,990
6/26/2010 - 7/7/2010	$4,990
7/10/2010 - 7/21/2010	$4,990
8/7/2010 - 8/18/2010	$4,990
8/21/2010 - 9/1/2010	$4,990
9/4/2010 - 9/15/2010	$4,990
9/11/2010 - 9/22/2010	$4,990
9/25/2010 - 10/6/2010	$4,990
10/2/2010 - 10/13/2010	$4,990
10/9/2010 - 10/20/2010	$4,990
10/16/2010 - 10/27/2010	$4,990

What's Included

•   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

Your Tour Itinerary Includes

Day 1: Benvenuti a Milano!
A transfer is included from Milan's Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel et de Milan. Please join us to meet your Tauck Director and your fellow travelers at a welcome cocktail reception followed by dinner this evening.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Artful inspirations in Milan
This morning will be a special treat for aficionados of religious art masterpieces... or The Da Vinci Code. Visit the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to take in Leonardo da Vinci's mural The Last Supper, which he painted on the refectory wall at the request of his patron, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. With dimensions of 15 by 29 feet, this beloved mural covers the entire large wall. Continue on to magnificent Castello Sforzesco which houses Michelangelo's last unfinished masterwork, the Rondanini Pieta. Later, admire the Duomo, the great Cathedral of Milan, a striking example of Gothic architecture, and the impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. After a walking tour of the city center, the rest of the day is free to explore what interests you most on your own.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Lovely Lake Como and Bellagio
It’s said to be Italy's most beautiful lake, and you’ll understand why it entrances celebrities, aristocrats and jetsetters when you see Lake Como for yourself today. In Tremezzo, discover Villa Carlotta, known for its lovely setting and splendid 17th-century gardens decorated with sculptures, stairways and fountains. A private cruise across the lake to Bellagio reveals the grand villas of the rich and famous. After lunch on your own, board another private boat for a cruise to Como en route to your Belle Époque hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: Baroque Isola Bella
Your northern Italy vacation continues as you travel by boat to Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore and the exquisite Borromeo Palace on the tiny, private island. Count Vataliano Borromeo began the construction of this opulent Baroque palace and its splendid gardens in 1632. A tour of the ornate family home showcases priceless works of art, tapestries and furniture in an elegant and sumptuous setting. Later, after a walking tour of lovely Stresa, the afternoon and evening are free to enjoy as you please.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Across the countryside to Bergamo and Verona
Today's travels take you across lush rural landscapes to ancient Bergamo, where you'll explore its walled medieval center – straight out of a storybook illustration – with a local guide; visit the Piazza Vecchia, the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Cappella Colleoni. After a wine tasting and tasty lunch at an agriturismo in Brescia, in the Franciacorta region, your northern Italy vacation continues to Verona, land of Romeo and Juliet.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Verona variety
Verona is probably best known as the home of Shakespeare's tragic lovers, Romeo and Juliet… and of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Valentine and Proteus. But, Verona is so much more. In honor of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and still used for operas and other cultural entertainment, and other buildings that have survived since Roman times. A walking tour this morning reveals the many charms of the city; the afternoon and evening are free to continue your explorations on your own.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: A different taste of Italy
Journey this morning to Mantua, birthplace of the poet Virgil, and once the site of one of the greatest Renaissance courts in Europe. Tour the impressive Ducal Palace, the former stronghold of the powerful Gonzaga family, and admire grand rooms and stunning frescoes dating from the 13th through the 18th centuries. Visit the 14th-century fortress of Castello San Giorgio to view its impressive art collection. In Spilamberto, a visit to a local museum reveals how authentic Balsamic vinegar is produced, complete with a tasting that will be an interesting memory of your northern Italy vacation. Arrive in Bologna for a two-night stay at the Grand Hotel Baglioni.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Bountiful Bologna
Surrounded by hills, the dusky red buildings, marbled-floored ancient porticoes and wide piazzas contribute to the distinctly Renaissance feel in the center of Bologna. Home of the world's oldest university, the Alma Mater Studiorum, founded in 1088, notable scholars such as Dante, Boccaccio and Petraca once walked its streets. A walking tour this morning reveals sights that they may well have seen centuries ago. After time to explore and lunch on your own, learn the secrets of Bologna's cuisine in a cooking class from a master chef prior to dinner... where you'll savor the delicious results of what you've learned!
Overnight: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 9: Vibrant Venice
Travel on to Venice today, one of the world's most enchanting cities. Guided sightseeing includes the famous Piazza San Marco, impressive St. Mark's Basilica and the Doges' Palace, official residence of Venetian rulers in the Middle Ages, where you'll learn how the "bridge of sighs" got its name. Then, sit back and relax as a gondolier propels your gondola through the canals, complete with a serenade. It's an experience that you'll long remember. Your home in Venice is the magnificent Hotel Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal; it was built in 1525 as the palatial residence of the then-Doge Andrea Gritti.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: More Venetian delights as you please
Awaken in intriguing Venice, one of the world's most beloved cities, today and indulge in all things Venetian just as you choose. You might begin your day enjoying a coffee in Piazza San Marco, referred to by Alfred de Musset as "the drawing room of Europe." Here in the city where streets are paved with water, the sound of human voices replaces the traffic noise so common in the other great cities of Europe as pedestrians (and pigeons) flock to this central gathering place for Venetians. Perhaps you'll choose to see the magnificent view of the city from the top of St. Mark's bell tower, stroll over to the Rialto Bridge, take in some of the city’s excellent museums or shop for distinctive Venetian souvenirs such as the traditional Carnival masks and colorful Venetian glass. Or, just follow your nose and see where the tiny streets might take you. Then, join us as we celebrate the end of a splendid northern Italy vacation with our farewell cocktail reception and dinner this evening.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Homeward bound
Tour ends: Venice. Fly home anytime. Your northern Italy vacation comes to an end with an included transfer from the Hotel Gritti Palace to Venice's Marco Polo International Airport. Please allow 2 1/2 hours for airport check-in formalities. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Sightseeing Highlights

1. Arrive Milan Tour begins: 6:00 PM at Grand Hotel et de 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, set in the gorgeous lake region of Lombardy. A welcome cocktail reception this evening is followed by dinner. Meals D   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. Tour 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 walking tour of the city center; 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 streets, famed Via Napoleone. Meals B   3. Beautiful Lake Como and Bellagio Lake Como is the most beguiling of Italian lakes, sought after by aristocrats and film stars for its lush green islands, 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 cruise 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 your way to your opulent hotel in Stresa, nestled in a park-like setting on the shores of Lake Maggiore, for a two-night stay; built in 1861, it evokes the grandeur and romance that personified the Belle Époque era. Meals BD   4. Lake Maggiore and 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 and a classic Italian garden filled with exotic plants. Depart Isola Bella and return to Stresa to explore as you please. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy your resort’s amenities, such as the spa, or perhaps take the tram to the top of the mountain. Meals B   5. Medieval Bergamo / On to Verona Depart Lake Maggiore and head for the ancient town of Bergamo, whose long history includes nearly four centuries as part of the Venetian Republic. 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 Brescia for a wine tasting and lunch. Arrive late afternoon in storied Verona, where you’ll spend the next two nights at the Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, just a stone’s throw away from the famed balcony that inspired Shakespeare’s tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. Dine in the hotel this evening. Meals BLD   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 – and Romeo and Juliet played out their illicit affair here. 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. Meals B   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 an outstanding art collection. After lunch, drive to the 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. Meals BLD   8. Epicurean Delights in Bologna Enjoy a guided walking tour of the elegant center of Bologna, where palaces cluster in the shade of two colossal medieval towers. The afternoon is yours to explore on your own. Discover why the city’s nickname is La Grassa (the Fat One); gastronomic opportunities abound in this gourmet capital! A cooking class by a master chef will show you some secrets, followed by a memorable dinner. Meals BD   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 with remarkable views; built in 1525, it is the epitome of elegance and gracious service, annually making numerous “best” European hotel lists. Walk to Piazza San Marco for a guided tour, where you’ll get an insider’s view; St. Mark’s Basilica features exquisite mosaics and carvings. You will also visit the Doges’ Palace, official residence of Venetian rulers in the Middle Ages. Nothing compares to a serenade on a gondola ride along the canals; it is something you expect to do in Venice, yet it will tug at your heartstrings long after your return home. Meals BL   10. Venetian Delights Venice is art itself, in all its passion, eccentricity, and poignancy; its streets are a maze of canals arched by bridges and lined with magnificent palazzi. Spend the entire day exploring on your own before returning to the hotel for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner. Meals BD   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. Meals B

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Details & Specials

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SPECIALS

Special Air Savings - Learn More

Hurry! Air Savings End March 26!

Special International Air Savings – Europe

Book and deposit summertime departures of the following Tauck journeys to Europe by March 26, 2010 and save $2,000 per couple off Business Class Air ($1,000 off per person) from select U.S. cities.

Savings are valid for travel between June 29 and September 5, 2010, subject to availability:

•Treasures of the Aegean – 14 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Wind Star / Wind Spirit

•Sicily, the Amalfi Coast & Rome – 11 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Le Ponant

•Switzerland – 11 days featuring travel along Tauck’s scenic Yellow Roads

•Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence & Rome – 10 days in Italy with all multiple-night stays

•Paradors of Northern Spain – 14 days exploring culturally rich Iberia

•The Best of Ireland – 13 days featuring iconic cultural treasures of the Emerald Isle

•A Week In… Ireland – 8 days with a 2-night stay at Dromoland Castle

•A Week In… Spain – 8 days from Barcelona to Andalucía, Seville and Madrid

•A Week In… Scotland – 8 days with 2- and 3-night stays in Loch Lomond, Inverness & Edinburgh

•Spain and Portugal – 14 days of Iberian pleasures and culinary treasures

•Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley – 13 days showcasing joie de vivre

•A Week In… London & Paris – 4 nights at a grand hotel in London and 3 nights in Paree

•Castles & Kings: London to Paris – An 8-day family vacation alive with royal traditions

Deposit must be paid at time of booking and certain restrictions apply. Valid on new bookings only and not combinable with other promotions; ask for details.

Tauck Tour Deals

Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey.

Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE.

Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE

Tauck Single Specials

For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost.

Tauck Single Specials in North America

Best of the Canadian Rockies

Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island

Charleston/Savannah

Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia

San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys

Tauck Single Specials in Europe

A Week in Ireland

A Week in Spain

Mediterranean Discovery

Istanbul and the Black Sea

Treasure of the Mediterranean

Cruising Mediterranean Shores

The Blue Danube

Holland Belgium in Spring

Strasbourg to Prague Serenade

The Rhine and Moselle

Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat

Budapest to the Black Sea

Classic Italy

Bellissima Northern Italy

Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome

A Week in Paris and Provence

Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America

Panama Canal & Costa Rica