Northern Italy
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Overview
Highlights
- Enjoy Relaxing three-night stay on Lake Maggiore
- Lake region touring, including medieval Orta San Giulio and Stresa
- Cruise to Isola Bella, with palace and gardens tour
- Explore Full-day Cinque Terre excursion featuring Vernazza
- Visit to medieval Lucca
- Explore Beautiful Florence
- Enjoy Winery visit and tasting
- Visit Venice and Majestic Dolomites
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
- 13 nights’ accommodations in Superior First Class and First Class hotels
- 23 meals: 13 breakfasts, 3 lunch, 7 dinners
- Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
- Luggage handling for one bag per person
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
- $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)
Itinerary
Depart U.S. for Milan, Italy
Meals: Dinner
After arriving in Milan, we drive to the international resort of Stresa on lovely Lake Maggiore, straddling the border between Italy and Switzerland. This afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s welcome dinner.
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we visit the lovely lakeside town of Orta San Giulio – dubbed “God’s watercolor” by Italian writer Piero Chiara – with its cobblestoned streets, 16th-century town hall, and medieval houses flanking the inviting town square. After lunch on our own here, we return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
We embark this morning on a cruise to Isola Bella, the beautiful Borromean island in the middle of Lake Maggiore. Fully occupied by 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo and its extravagantly landscaped gardens, the island offers lovely views...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We leave the Piedmont region today, bound for Santa Margherita and the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. En route, we stop in the village of Barolo for lunch and to sample Barolo, the “king of wines," at Marchesi di ...
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we travel by boat to the renowned – and beautiful – resort town of Portofino, a former fishing village where palatial yachts now crowd the port and the good life is celebrated. We have free time to wander the colorful streets and visit the chic boutiques and galleries here before we return to our hotel mid-day.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
We depart this morning by train for the hour-long trip to the Cinque Terre (literally, “Five Lands”), the five cliff-clinging villages seemingly carved from the mountains. Originally medieval fishing villages, the Cinque Terre were i...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Moving on today, we travel south to beloved Tuscany, stopping first in the atmospheric medieval town of Lucca. We take a walking tour of this incredibly well-preserved gem, whose city walls and ramparts remain intact and a popular attraction. After time for lunch on our own, we continue on to our lodgings in the heart of Florence.
Meals: Breakfast
We spend today touring and exploring wondrous Florence, a living monument to the Renaissance and crown jewel of Tuscany. Our day includes a guided morning walking tour followed by free time. Together we visit the Galleria dell’Accademia to vie...
Meals: Breakfast
Today we visit the walled city of Siena, whose historic center is a UNESCO site and whose ochre-colored buildings and ancient ramparts vividly evoke its medieval past. Fan-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of Europe’s greatest public squares; its ...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
As we travel north today, we stop in storied Verona, renowned as the setting of several Shakespeare plays, including, of course, “Romeo and Juliet.” A UNESCO site, Verona boasts well-preserved monuments from antiquity, including a 1s...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Set in a basin surrounded by rounded forest-green hills, Bolzano boasts an enviable quality of life – and truly spectacular scenery. We take a cable car to a spot for views of the 18-peak Dolomites, their vertical walls and sheer cli...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
En route to Venice today, we travel through the Dolomites themselves, enjoying jaw-dropping scenery at every turn. When we reach Venice late this afternoon, we are free to begin savoring this wondrous city as we wish and enjoy dinner on our own.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning we take a guided walk through vast St. Mark’s Square. The afternoon is free for independent exploration; tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and to our fellow travelers at a farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast
We depart early this morning for our connecting flights to the U.S.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Odysseys Unlimited.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
Small Groups: Our Only Focus
Small group travel is all that we do – just 12 to 24 guests on our own custom-designed tours. And it’s all we’ve ever done, from the day we opened our doors in 1998.
We design and operate our tours specifically for small groups, rather than adapt a conventional tour to take fewer guests. And while you’re sure to find tours with fewer guests, or lower prices, or labeled “Deluxe” (with the prices to match), you won’t find the combination of value, quality, superior accommodations and amenities, and guaranteed small groups that we offer.
We do this by creating and operating our own tours, and offering them to you without any middlemen. We work closely with our airline, hotel, and other travel partners to secure the lowest rates possible. Then we put those rates to good use by offering our tours at an excellent value – not necessarily the lowest price, but the best ratio of price to experiences, quality, and service.
We invite you to compare our tours with those of other travel companies and see for yourself. You’ll find that Odysseys Unlimited offers the best package of small group travel and premium quality – at an excellent value.
The Small Group Experience
The small size of our tour groups allows us to move about more flexibly and efficiently; enjoy more spontaneous encounters; and experience a degree of freedom and independence simply not available to travelers on conventional group tours of 40 or more.
Traveling on your own you’d see the major sights, but chances are you’d stick close to the traditional tourist routes. Our goal is to show you the major sights and take you behind the scenes: into private homes and traditional villages, to local schools and neighborhood restaurants. And you’ll travel in the company of experienced, knowledgeable tour directors and guides who share their countries – and their lives – with you, bringing destinations alive in a truly personal and meaningful way.
Not only do these opportunities enhance your travels, but someone else makes the arrangements and manages all the details – leaving you free to savor the small group experience.
Extensive Included Sightseeing
Our small group tours include a great deal of thoughtful and engaging sightseeing and activities, from camel-back rides, rainforest walks, and scenic excursions to guided museum tours, home visits, cultural performances, and wine tastings. In major cities there’s usually free time to explore on your own after a guided city tour.
Respect for Your Freedom and Individuality
If you’ve avoided taking group tours, preferring to travel on your own, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by our level of service, independence, and value. And if you’re a veteran of traditional group tours, we’re confident you’ll be impressed by the many advantages of small group travel, as well as by the high quality and outstanding value you’ll enjoy with Odysseys Unlimited.
We offer the best of both worlds: the value, ease, and comprehensive itinerary of a group tour, and the freedom, quality, and service that sophisticated travelers demand, and deserve. Should you choose to sit out an included tour or two and go off on your own, you’re entirely welcome to do so. And we think you’ll appreciate having the occasional lunch or dinner on your own, away from the group.
Our Tour Directors Make the Difference
We believe personal attention is key to an outstanding travel experience, so we’ve ensured that it’s a hallmark of Odysseys Unlimited. It starts with our travel counselors when you reserve your trip, then continues on the road with your tour director. Our professional tour directors rank among the best in the business; their love of travel is surpassed only by their desire to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with others. And traveling in a small group means your tour director will have more time to spend with you and to share the personal insights that can add so much to your experience.
A Variety of Accommodations
We know that hotels aren’t the main reason for traveling. But good accommodations can enhance your overall tour experience, and great accommodations can contribute to a great trip. So we select hotels that we believe are best for a particular trip and experience – those that offer the best combination of quality, value, and atmosphere for each destination. Our hotels in major cities are usually centrally located so guests can get around easier; our unique lodgings are often out of the way, offering our tour members a local ambiance larger groups never experience.
Our lodging options are divided into three segments:
Excellent Hotels
These are the Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class accommodations we use in major cities, including well-known chain hotels and independently owned properties. You can expect excellent service and amenities in these well-located properties.
Unique Lodgings
Perhaps our most interesting lodgings, these properties cater to small groups and independent travelers, and generally are not available to conventional groups of 40 or more. From the historic paradores of Spain, to a French farmhouse, to a Japanese ryokan or a Tuscan villa, these accommodations often are destinations in themselves.
Small Ships
We leave the mass-market big ship cruise experience to others, and instead focus on the smaller, more intimate ships that ply distinctive waterways. As you cruise along the Yangtze River, the Turquoise Coast, or through the Patagonian ice fields, among others, your small ship is as much a part of the journey as the places you visit. These vessels let you see the life of a country up close, and allow you to disembark frequently to explore. And while they may vary from simple and comfortable to truly deluxe, these ships generally feature a casual onboard atmosphere, single-seating dining, and amenities such as lounges, boutiques, and plenty of open deck space.
Most Gratuities Included
Experienced travelers know that tipping is an expected element of worldwide travel; but at times it can become a nuisance or inconvenience. For that reason, we’ve eliminated the worry by including in your tour price all gratuities for local guides and drivers, hotel and airport porters, and dining room servers. Gratuities for your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and shipboard personnel (if your tour includes a cruise) are not included and should be extended on a voluntary basis, in recognition of truly excellent service.
What Your Tour Price Includes
We design our tours to be highly inclusive, while still making it possible for you to exercise some personal preferences. So we include all the essentials – airfare, accommodations, most meals, extensive sightseeing – but leave some room for you to explore on your own or to enjoy a few meals away from the group.
In general, every Odysseys Unlimited trip includes:
- Travel in a small group of just 12 to 24 guests – guaranteed
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; plus all flights within your tour
- Accommodations
- Many meals: all breakfasts, many lunches and dinners – and you’ll also have the opportunity to dine on your own, without the group
- All advertised sightseeing (plus all entrance fees and admissions)
- Singular activities and more intimate cultural encounters possible only with a small group
- The services of an experienced, professional Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
- Luggage handling for one bag per person
- $100 frequent traveler credit toward your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours; $300 after 10 tours)
Fully Refundable Deposits
A deposit of just $375 confirms your reservation, which you can make with a personal check or major credit card: American Express, MasterCard, Discover, and VISA are all accepted. Best of all, your deposit is fully refundable up to 95 or 125 days before departure (depending on the tour). It’s easy to reserve your tour with us; simply call toll-free, 1-888-370-6765, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Six-Time Honoree Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Tour Operators” Award
We are honored that Odysseys Unlimited has been named six times as one of the “World’s Best Tour Operators” by readers of Travel + Leisure in the magazine’s prestigious annual poll. Based on surveys completed by thousands of readers and travelers, the “World’s Best” list judges tour operators on their staff and guides, itineraries, activities, destinations, accommodations, food, and value.
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Logistics
Accommodation
Cancellations and Refunds
You will receive a full refund for any cancellations made up to 95 days before departure (125 days for In the Wake of Lewis and Clark). If you must cancel your tour, the effective date of cancellation will be upon our receipt of your notification. Refunds for cancellations are subject to the following per person charges:
For all tours (except as noted)
Prior to departure
Charge
95 days or more
Full refund
94–65 days
25% of tour price
64–45 days
50% of tour price
44–30 days
75% of tour price
29–0 days
No refund
13 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 7 Dinners
Post-Tour Extension
Venice – On Your Own: 3 days/2 nights for $395 total price
Single Supplement: $295
End your journey with a longer stay in this most beautiful of cities.
Your Tour Price Includes
- 2 nights' accommodations at Palazzo Veneziano (Superior First Class)
- 2 meals: 2 breakfasts
- Transfer to airport
Please note: This trip involves considerable walking up hills or stairs, and on uneven or cobblestone streets. In addition, Italy does not allow buses to enter many historic city centers, meaning that we will be walking to and from our tour bus, which must park in designated areas. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy this trip to the fullest.
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