Lake Como and the Beautiful North

An arbiter of international style, Milan is Italy’s financial and industrial heart, a thoroughly modern European city with a great history not far under the surface. Whether shopping, seeing da Vinci’s Last Supper, dining or out discovering hip canal-side bars, Milan is a city with an overlooked charm hiding just beneath the chic surface.

Nestled in the north west of the country and fringed by the French and Swiss Alps, Piedmont is one of Italy's most naturally beautiful regions. Its name means 'at the foot of the mountains' and it is a patchwork of snow capped peaks, sweeping valleys and plains dotted with vineyards, farmhouses and pretty baroque towns. It is also a region famous for its food and drink with enough wineries and chocolate shops to ensure no visitor is ever left hungry or thirsty.

Some of the finest Italian wines come from Piedmont; the rolling hills of Monferrato, Le Langhe and Roero are responsible for Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera red wines and the white wines of Asti and Moscato. As well as the more well-known names, you will get to taste a number of indigenous grape varieties that do not make their way out of Italy, such as Dolcetto, Ruche, Grignolino and Arneis. A must for any wine lover, this tour will take you to a variety of local wineries and give you ample chance to taste these delicious drops.

Visit one of Italy’s greatest wine regions, driving through vine-clad hills, planted predominantly with the Nebbiolo grape variety, before visiting a prestigious winery where an expert sommelier will introduce you to three local wines. In the heart of the district is the beautiful medieval town of Alba, known throughout the world for its succulent white truffles; in October, it hosts a massive truffle festival which attracts visitors from far and wide. After lunch the foodie experience continues with a visit to Cherasco for some chocolate tasting in a renowned pastry shop, famous for the production of Baci di Cherasco - Cherasco kisses. The Baci were invented as a way of using up the fragments of hazelnuts left over from the production of nougat.

Explore the heart of this beautiful baroque city, walking through elegant piazzas and down streets lined with designer shops and cafes. Home to the Savoy dynasty, Turin was the first capital of Italy after unification in 1861; it did not pass to Rome until ten years later. You will explore the Piazza Castello with its grandiose Savoy palace and the baroque church of San Lorenzo, as well as Piazza San Carlo with its twin churches and historic cafes. You might like to stop and try a 'bicerin', special Torinese coffee with cream and chocolate. Continue to the Piazza Carignano where the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele, was born, then pass down the monumental arcaded Via Po, until you arrive at the Mole, a 548ft tower built originally as a synagogue in the 19th century. The Duomo is the only example of Renaissance architecture in Turin and houses the Turin Shroud, a length of linen cloth bearing the image of a man, believed by some Christians to be the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth.

Lake Como has been a popular retreat since the time of the Roman Empire, and its popularity shows no signs of waning. Shaped like an inverted ‘Y’, the lake is long and slender and one of Europe’s deepest. Surrounded by the Rhaetian Alps and close to the border with Switzerland, its enviable position means few fail to be charmed by its beauty. Picturesque towns, grand villas and beautiful gardens are scattered around the lake and exploring them is easy thanks to the ferry service.

The sparkling waters of Lake Como and the surrounding Rheatian Alps make this one of Italy’s prettiest destinations. Take to the water and enjoy a boat tour of the lake that lets you appreciate its beauty from the best angle. The lake is flanked by beautiful villas and small villages with ancient stone bell towers. You’ll see the small wooden island of Comacina as well as the characteristic bell tower of Santa Maria Maddalena, before proceeding to Bellagio, known as the pearl of the lake, where you can walk along its narrow streets.

Its proximity to Lake Como and the Alps has made Como one of Italy's most desirable cities. It contains numerous works of art, churches, gardens, museums, theatres, parks and palaces, including the Duomo, the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio and Tempio Voltiano dedicated to the life and work of Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist responsible for the invention of the modern battery. Como was also the birthplace of many historical figures, including the poet Caecilius, writers Pliny the Elder and the Younger, Pope Innocent XI, and Cosima Liszt, second wife of Richard Wagner and long-term director of the Bayreuth Festival. Como is also known for its silk and you'll visit a silk factory to see how this famous fabric is made.

Bergamo is very much a city of two parts, the lower town, Citta Bassa and the upper town, Citta Alta. The city started with the upper town and this is the chief area of interest. Walk along narrow winding medieval streets and see some wonderful Renaissance architecture, dating to the time when the city was ruled by Venice for over 350 years. It is also ringed by a magnificent set of gated walls, that kept invaders out until 1796, when French Revolutionary troops successfully stormed it. At the heart of Bergamo lies the Piazza Vecchia and from here, you will visit the Colleoni Chapel and the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.

A splendid city of art inextricably associated with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and straddling the winding Adige River, Verona is a wonderfully relaxed place to visit.

In the historical centre, modestly grand piazzas and a maze of streets are dotted with quietly humming cafes, tucked away osterie (old inns serving wine and simple food), artisan shops and high couture boutiques. For lovers of Italian art, a visit to Verona is a must as the rich collections held in 12-century churches and art museums here encapsulate the transition in Western European art from late-Medieval to early-Renaissance styles.

With a private driver, spend today discovering the southern shores of Lake Garda. The whole area is very much a summer playground, with numerous water sports on offer and a couple of spa towns, where you can take to the waters and treatments. You will also be able to take a steamer or catamaran trip on the lake which will give you a much better glimpse of some of the sumptuous private villas which line the lakeside.

This hilly, agricultural and marble-quarrying region surrounding Verona is famous for its wine production. A variety of wines are produced here, including a Recioto dessert wine and Amarone, both made from dried grapes. Several light and fragrant styles are also produced here. You'll visit a local winery to learn all about the processes and techniques used in the production, and enjoy a tasting.

Sat within a shallow lagoon between the mouths of the Po and Piave rivers, Venice is formed of 118 islands which are dissected by some 170 canals and connected by over 400 bridges. The entire city is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an extraordinary architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest building may contain works by some of Europe's greatest artists.

Iconic attractions on the main Rialto islands are evocative by name alone - Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, Doge’s Palace, Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Grand Canal - a unique collection of brooding Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Days can be spent discovering tucked away galleries, museums and palazzos, while away from the crowds, you can discover other islands where traditional Venetian culture still runs deep.

As you wander through Venice's winding streets and waterways, you'll learn all about the city's history and development. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the Doge's Palace is just as impressive inside with works by Titian, Veronese, Tintiretto, Vittoria and Tiepolo adorning the walls. Your historical walking tour will also take in a visit to the shimmering, mosaic-filled St. Mark's Basilica, the mightiest of Venetian monuments. Its architecture, a mixture of Byzantine, Roman and Venetian, is the work of artists and craftsmen from all over the world.

You'll also visit the lively market on and around the Rialto Bridge, where sellers hawk their mountains of colourful fruit and veg and shimmering seafood.

Discover Venice and its traditions and visit a typical bacaro. These wine bars are popular meeting points for Venetians, and take their name from Bacchus, the Roman god of agriculture and wine. People meet here after working or during lunch breaks to have a glass of local wine and a cicchetto, a typical appetiser.

Visit Venice’s most famous islands, Murano, Burano and Torcello, and learn about their importance in history and trade. Your first stop will be in Murano, world-famous since the 1200s for the art of glassmaking, where you'll visit one of Venice’s most important glass factories and have a private show of how the intricate glasswork is made, as well as a tour of the showroom to spot works of great glass masters like Signoretto.

The second picturesque island is Burano, a fisherman island known for its brightly coloured houses and for its lace school. You'll see the women who still work this antique technique of lace-making by hand. The last stop is Torcello, the first island to be inhabited in the lagoon, where you'll hear the history and see its beautiful cathedral with its magnificent mosaics dating back to the 1100s. In Torcello, you'll also see the Locanda Cipriani where Ernest Hemingway stayed when in Venice and wrote A Farewell to Arms.

No visit to Venice would be complete without experiencing it. Travel like a Venetian on a gondola down the city’s iconic canals. It gives you a very special point of view and it is from the water that Venice offers its most spectacular side.