Tour Overview
When thinking of the Italian Lakes one cannot help but envision great expanses of sparkling, deep blue water, lush vegetation, enchanting villages and sumptuous villas harmoniously dotting their shores, and an overall serenity of the landscape. And, indeed it is! But, there is also another aspect of this spectacular region that is little known, an undiscovered world too often overlooked- secluded valleys with centuries old traditions, artisans with their exquisite handicrafts, and wilderness areas and verdant summer pastures, where silence is broken only by the soothing sound of cowbells. Our distinctive program encompasses all these diverse and unique aspects, incorporating into our day’s exclusive activities and exceptional hiking excursions off the beaten path. We enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere of lakeside towns such as Orta San Giulio, Bellagio and Vareena. Venturing into the foothills of the Alps. We hike to perfect vantage points offering stunning balcony views over the lakes and their backdrop of mountains. We visit lovely islands, manicured gardens and opulent palaces and villas. Except for Day 7 when we overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Como, we end our days with comfortable accommodations in 3-Star hotels by the lake. Our elaborate picnics will consist of exquisite delicacies of the area. Lunch on days 4 and 5 will be at local restaurants. For environmental purposes, the use of vehicles will be kept to a minimum and used specifically for essential transfers. There will be no support vehicle during the hikes. Highlights: · Walk off the beaten path, with superb views of Lakes Orta, Maggiore and Como.· Venture into the Valgrande National Park, the largest wilderness in Italy.
· Explore enchanting lakeside towns and dine on fine Piemontese and Lombard cuisine.
· Exclusive visits to unique and renowned artisans.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Milan- Orta San Giulio, ItalyMeet your tour leader in the early morning on the Arrivals floor of Terminal 1 at Milano Malpensa Airport and transfer by private vehicle (about 1 hour drive) to Orta San Giulio, a picturesque village on the shore of Lake Orta. This is the smallest of the Italian Lakes we will explore, and is nestled among gigantic mountains and surrounded by the stunning backdrop of the Prealps. We take a relaxing half-hour walk and enjoy the peaceful environment of the lake before a light lunch at a local caf¨¦. Then, transfer with a short boat ride to the Island of San Giulio, founded according to tradition, by San Giulio at the end of the fourth century, where you take a guided tour of this tiny island and of the noteworthy Romanesque basilica with its frescoes and valuable works of art. Return to Orta and enjoy the rest of the afternoon on your own. Worthwhile is a visit to Sacro Monte, the perfect vantage point above town, with great views of Lake Orta and the surrounding mountains. Here you can visit the 20 chapels depicting the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. You will meet your guide again in the early evening for a briefing before dinner at the hotel.
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: 3-Star hotel in Orta San Giulio Day 2: Quarna- Monte Mazzoccone
Transfer by private vehicle to the start of our hike. The peaceful and spectacular trail, with a few short but steep stretches, winds through pristine birch and chestnut forests, over granite boulders, then follows a grassy ridge offering us a serene view of Lake Orta, the surrounding hills, and the distant Po Plains. Once at the top (1424 m/4741 ft), a spectacular world opens up to us, with views of wild, narrow, and precipitous Valstrona, also called the Valley of Pinocchio. In fact, even today, family-run factories still produce Pinocchio¡¯s of different sizes in an artisan way and export them internationally. Slate-roofed villages still clinging to superstitions and legends are perched mid-way up the sunny side of the valley. On a clear day, the impressive summit of Monte Rosa (4654 m/15348 ft)¡ªthe second highest mountain in Western Europe¡ªcommands the view to the west, blanketed in its perennial snows. Descend into an idyllic pastoral setting where, accompanied by cowbells, we have a picnic lunch consisting of mouth-watering delicious local cheeses and cold cuts, olives, and other delicacies. We then continue our descent along a nice path through conifer, birch, and chestnut forests back to Quarna, a small town where wind instruments have been manufactured since 1818. We meet our bus and drive back to Orta San Giulio.
Total hiking: about 4.5 hrs, elevation ¡ü¡ý 524-m/1391 ft.
Accommodations: 3-star hotel in Orta San Giulio.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch. Day 3: Val Grande
Today we transfer by private bus to Miazzina (950 m/3165 ft), a sunny destination favored by famous painters and artists of the 19th century. We then start hiking on a gentle uphill panoramic trail that takes us through conifer forests and along the ridge that follows the southern boundary of Val Grande National Park. All along the trail, rhododendrons, heather, ferns, raspberries, blueberries (and porcini mushrooms in the fall), contour and color our path. The trail becomes steeper for about twenty minutes as we approach Pian Cavallone (1565 m/5133 ft). Here we relax, spread out our display of yet more local delicacies, and enjoy a view of Val Grande, the largest wilderness area in Italy. This unique valley, crowned by solitary and craggy peaks, is where nature is reclaiming its space after the dramatic events that unfolded during World War II, when the area was a Partisan stronghold. At our feet, the blue expanse of Lake Maggiore conveys a sense of peace to this rugged landscape while creating a contrast of colors and textures. We continue our hike, descending through a peaceful forest into Caprezzo, where we meet our private vehicle and drive to Stresa or Intra, depending on hotel availability. Stresa and Intra are two exquisite town located on the shore of Lake Maggiore. Popular destinations, they both have maintained their charm, tucked away amongst the narrow streets of their historical centers. Promenades along the lake allow for some downtime after a full day in the mountains.
Total hiking: about 4.5 hrs, elevation ¡ü¡ý 630-m/2067 ft.
Accommodations: 3-star hotel in Stresa or Intra.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch. Day 4: Isole Borromeo
Today we shed our hiking boots, and spend the morning on Lake Maggiore, the second largest of the Italian Lakes, with a visit to the Borromeo Islands. We start with a short boat ride to Isola Madre, the largest and most peaceful of the islands, where silence and the occasional call of peacocks accompany us during our visit. We continue to Isola Bella, where we take a guided tour of the sumptuous palace containing invaluable art pieces, and whose architectural style spans from the neoclassical to the baroque period. On your own, you will visit the impressive, most exquisite and elegant example of ¡°Italian gardens,¡± rich with an incredible variety of rare flowers, and home to the famous white peacocks. We then ride to Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen¡¯s Island), where we enjoy the very simple and rustic aspect of this hamlet and a lunch at a waterfront restaurant. After lunch, we take a boat ride to Stresa where we meet the bus for our transfer to Varenna, on Lake Como, which will take about two and one half hours. Varenna is a romantic and quaint medieval town with a layout of Roman origin and an obligatory stop for those who visit Lake Como¡¯s eastern shore. Sitting at the base of a small promontory, Varenna beckons the visitor like a sparkling jewel while maintaining its medieval atmosphere. Its houses painted with bright ochre and red are a splash of color in the lush vegetation surrounding the town. A few religious sites comprise the town¡¯s historic center, and patrician villas, enclosed in parks, house rich art collections and host exhibits and conventions.
Accommodations: 3-star hotel in Varenna.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Day 5: Monte San Primo- Bellagio
A short boat ride takes us to Bellagio where we transfer to Piano Rancio. Here we start our gentle two-hour hike up to the ridge of Monte San Primo (1590 m/5,215 ft). We¡¯ll walk through woods and across peaceful pastures filled with wildflowers, including cyclamens, ranunculus, narcissus, primroses, and more. We will be thrown back into a fairytale world, and look at the dramatic, calcareous spires of the Grigne range, a famous rock-climbing destination. From the ridge and to the north we¡¯ll have an unparalleled view of Lake Como and its characteristic Y-shape, and of the Alps in the background. On a clear day we can see Milan to the south, as well as the chain of the Appennini Mountains. We then descend through more pastures to a mountain restaurant, where we enjoy a hearty, traditional meal before returning to Bellagio where you can spend the rest of the afternoon on your own visiting the town or shopping and to let your imagination take you back to that splendid past. The Romans called Lake Como ¡°the pearl of the Lario,¡± and Bellagio is perched at the very end of the promontory that divides the lake into two separate branches. Since the middle of the 18th century, eminent personalities of the nobility, artistic, and literary worlds have chosen Bellagio as their summer residence. Return to Varenna by boat.
Total hiking: about 4 hours, elevation ¡ü about 510 m/1673 ft, ¡ý 436 m/1430 ft.
Accommodations: 3-star hotel in Varenna.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch. Day 6: Above Vareena- Como
Today we start by exploring Varenna¡¯s surroundings. A half-hour walk up the hill, through olive groves, takes us to the 14th-century Castle of Vezio (350 m/1148 ft), from which we enjoy a beautiful view of the rooftops of Varenna and both branches of Lake Como. We then continue on a beautiful mule path following the lakeshore, and used in the old days to bring goods from Milan and the plains to the north. As we hike along, we pass through hamlets surrounded by vineyards and thick woods, while to the north we take in a spectacular view of the Alps. We will step over the official geological border between the Prealps and the Alps. We descend to the lakeshore, where you¡¯ll have a quick lunch on your own. After lunch, we board the public boat to Lenno where we have an exclusive tour of Villa del Balbianello, a villa on Lake Como of unique, unusual history and of exceptional interest. Sitting at the edge of a promontory jutting out into Lake Como, the Villa is today a museum hosting a breathtaking array of memorabilia and equipment collected by its late owner, Guido Monzino, an Italian industrialist and a famous and extravagant explorer responsible, among other feats, for organizing the first successful Italian expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1973. The Villa is an extraordinary expression of his taste and character. After the tour we transfer by public boat to Como, arriving in the late afternoon. Founded by Julius Caesar in the first century B.C., Como has been famous for its silk manufacturing since 1510. But pretty scarves, ties, and printed silk fabrics are not all the city has to offer. The historical center holds several astounding monuments, including the Duomo, a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. We will bid good-bye with a farewell dinner at the hotel or at a local restaurant. We encourage you to spend an extra day on your own to explore this beautiful town.
Total hiking: about 2-2.5 hrs, elevation ¡ü¡ý 200 m - 656 ft.
Accommodations: 4-star hotel in Como.
Meals included: breakfast, dinner. Day 7: Como- Depart
The trip ends in Como. After breakfast, transfer on your own to your next destination. Please finalize all of your travel plans before you leave the US, as you will not have access to travel agencies or train stations while on this trip.
Meals included: breakfast. Every effort will be made to adhere to the itinerary as stated; however, due to schedule changes beyond organizers control, we reserve the right, without prior notice, to change the routing. Trip Difficulty:
This is the perfect trip for those looking for easy to moderate hikes combined with a cultural experience. There are four to four and a half hours of hiking on most of the hiking days, so it does require some degree of stamina. Although the hikes are quite varied and there are some ascent and descents, they are not strenuous. There is always the option to skip a hike and spend the day on your own, or modify the hikes to suit the group¡¯s preference. To minimize the environmental impact, we keep the use of vehicle to the essential minimum. Our vehicle will take us to the start of the hike and meet us at the end. There is no vehicle support during the hikes, as we will be hiking on trails that are inaccessible by vehicle. You will hike with only a daypack, but it needs to be big enough to hold your wind/rain jacket, your water, your share of lunch items when we picnic, and whatever else you may need during the hike. We will generally leave our hotel around 8:00-8:15 and return no earlier than 16:30. The early departure is done in order to hike in the coolest part of the day and anticipate any possible thundershowers, which, in summer particularly, tend to gather in the very early afternoon.
Trip Itinerary
We always try to adhere to the trip itinerary, but please keep in mind that weather and natural conditions in general, or causes of force majeure, play a big role when it comes to safety on a trip. The guide has the right and responsibility to make changes to any of the days on the itinerary, if necessary. Also, last minute changes in logistical details, such as hotels or restaurants, at times are out of our control. Should any such changes occur, we will inform you as promptly as possible. Please note that the total hours of hiking do not include breaks, and they are based on a good level of fitness. Guides
Our local guides are an integral part of the place and culture you visit. They come from all walks of life, and years of guiding experience and intimate knowledge of the history and culture of the area, complemented by stories handed down to them by their parents and grandparents, will bring everything around you fully alive. Extreme curiosity, enthusiasm, spirit of adventure, spontaneity and a playful attitude are the powerful engines that drive them. They interact with the local people, providing valuable opportunities to immerse you in their customs and traditions. They will be friends and teachers throughout your trip. And their passion, sense of humor and caring personalities, along with their in-depth overall knowledge, combine to make each moment of your trip a memorable experience.
