Grand Hotel on Lake Como

Fly to Milan and transfer to the Grand Hotel Menaggio for seven nights.

After a welcome meeting, the rest of the morning is free to explore Menaggio. Enjoy an afternoon private boat trip along Lake Como to the 18th-century Villa Balbianello. Built as a cardinal’s literary retreat, in the 1970s it was bought by explorer Count Guido Monzino and is, in part, a museum of memorabilia from his expeditions.
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Choose an easy day or enticing optional excursion, taking you by road to the town of Tirano, and transferring to train tracks at Poschiavo for a scenic spectacular of gorges and glaciers on the Bernina Express to Diavolezza. A short onward journey to St. Moritz gives you free time to view the crystal-clear lake, rub shoulders with the rich and famous, and take in the uber-elegant shops (£90).
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Leisure time or an optional full-day tour to Lombardy’s capital, Milan. We start by taking the scenic route past Como and continue to meet a city guide in Milan to visit the formidable fortress of Castello Sforzesco, world-famous La Scala opera house, the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele and view the enormous yet ethereal Duomo. Your afternoon is free to stroll the elegant streets of designer shops, visit museums and galleries, or people-watch in charming Brera’s cafés (£98 bookable May-Sept).
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A private cruise in the afternoon takes you to Villa Carlotta, whose grand terraces and glorious gardens overlook the lake; then visit the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia for an aperitif on the terrace, with views over the water to Bellagio and Varenna.
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A day at leisure or perhaps take a ferry or shuttle boat to the traditional and picturesque villages hugging the shorelines of Lake Como, such as Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo and Lenno (Ferry port is approx. 100 metres away from hotel).
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A day to relax or join either one of the two optional full-day tours on your final day of exploration. This is a full-day excursion of fairytale beauty and scenery. We reach Stresa by bus where we will embark on a private boat for a wonderful boat tour with a stop on Isola Bella, whose gardens were inspired by the 'hanging gardens of Babylon' and Count Borromeo fashioned them into the shape of a ship for his wife, Isabella, giving the island its name (entrance fees not included). We then continue by private boat to Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen's island). It is the most picturesque of the Borromean Islands, as well as the only one to be permanently inhabited. Distinctive features of its ancient little village are narrow lanes with characteristic two-storey houses, with long balconies traditionally used for drying fish; the island's inhabitants earn their living mainly by fishing and tourism. On the island are little boutiques and renowned restaurants where you can eat freshly caught fish – a culinary pleasure for the humble and the famous alike. In the early afternoon transfer by private boat to Stresa where you will have some free time before returning to Lake Como (£98). Or alternatively, travel by bus to Lugano, one of the finest cities in Switzerland and home to the largest Italian speaking community. Visit the historic heart of Lugano, the chic Via Nassa, the square of Riforma boasting elegant buildings and exclusive shops. Enjoy an hour cruise on Lake Lugano to Cassarate viewing the charming villages and Crotti (typical restaurants) accessible only by the lake (£80 bookable from May-Sep).
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Transfer to Milan for your homeward flight.
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