BEAUTIFULL GARDA LAKE

General information

DurationDestinationDeparture
5 days and 4 nights
Italy (Valeggio sul Mincio, Bardolino, Legnago, Garda Lake)
Italy (Venice, Verona)

Description

Day 1 Desenzano del Garda

Arrival in afternoon. Check-in at your hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Desenzano del Garda.

Day 2 Sirmione, Lazise, Bardolino

Today we will visit the surroundings  driving through lush olive groves, vineyards and citrus trees. First stop, Sirmione, a historical town perched on a thin peninsula jutting four kilometres into the lake and whose beauty has attracted many famous artists. Strolling its cobbled streets we discover the imposing Rocca Scaligera, a well preserved 13th century castle surrounded by the large water-filled moat and will admire the largest Roman villa in Italy lying at the tip of the promontory: the Grotte di Catullo. The next stop, a short one, is Lazise, where we will see the medieval walls and the Port with the Old Customs House. We continue on to Bardolino, a charming town maintaining the look of the medieval times, with old streets, roadside café, villas and beautiful lakefront views. However, the world-renowned local wines contributed heavily to the establishment of Bardolino as an ideal destination: the Bardolino ‘rosso’ is well-known throughout the world. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Desenzano del Garda.

Day 3 Gardone Riviera, Salò

In the morning we travel to the Gardone Riviera, known for its prestigious gardens, where we will visit the jewel in the crown, the André Heller Botanical Gardens, founded in 1910 by the Austriac dentist Arthur Hruska who collected many types of plants on the land around his villa. Since 1988 this has belonged to the artist André Heller. It is now home to sculptures by Keith Hearing and Roy Lichtenstein, amongst others, which stand amidst over 500 plant varieties such as cacti, edelweiss, osmunda regalis, magnolias, orchids, water lilies and trees. We continue on to the Vittoriale, the amazing villa once owned by the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. He had an exentric personality and his home will not fail to fascinate his visitors. Then departure for Salò, for a short tour on the lake by motorboat for visiting the private island del Garda with splendid Gardens and Villa dated fist years of ‘900. At the end of te visit, after a  goodbye drink, we come back to Salò. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Desenzano del Garda.

Day 4 Parco Giardino Sigurtà, Valleggio sul Mincio, Borghetto

Departure for the exceptional Giardino Sigurtà Park, considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, with its wide variety of colourful plants, flowers and centuries-old trees. We will have a guided tour and will learn all about the seasonality of the plants. With features including ornamental ponds, lakes, a horizontal sundial and a meadow, a history dating back to the 1400s and an emphasis on conservation, there is much to capture your imagination. The next stop is the picturesque Vallegio sul Mincio, renowned for its "Tortellini di Valeggio", a delicious culinary speciality seld here in stores and restaurants. We continue on to Borghetto. Home to three restored water mills, this unspoilt medieval village is dominated by Scaligero Castle and the Ponte Visconteo, a bridge and fortified dam over the Mincio River. Return in late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay in Desanzano del Garda .

Day 5 Desenzano del Garda

Breakfast and departure for return journey. End of our services.

 

Category

 
Economy (Scheduled Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 3 Stars
 
Comfort (Scheduled Tour)
Half Board (dinner) 4 Stars
 

Price includes

Accommodation, depending on your option, in good 4* hotels centrally located or 3* not centrally located hotels, double occupancy rooms, as described:
4 night accommodation in hotel in Desenzano del Garda on a half-board basis, drinks not included
Entrance to Andre Heller Botanical Gardens, Parco Giardino Sigurtà, Vittoriale
Trip by boat to Island del Garda

Price does not include

City tax
Bus GT for the entire tour with arrival and departure from Rome / Pisa / Florence airport, including all expenses (check point and parking fees, board and lodging for driver)
Optional visits

Itinerary

Day Overnight Itinerary highlights
1   Venice - airport
  Verona - airport
  Valeggio sul Mincio
  Bardolino
  Legnago
  Garda lake

Accommodations provided in each place

PlaceEconomyComfort
Garda lake3 Stars4 Stars