Art, Gardens and Landscapes of Northern Italy and the Swiss Alps 2026
Tour Highlights
Travel with art and cultural historians Assoc. Prof. David Marshall and Dr Lisa Beavan on this journey from Udine in Friuli Venezia Giulia, through the majestic Dolomites and Swiss Alps to the beautiful Italian Lakes district.
- Explore charming villages and historic castles in Friuli Venezia Giulia; enjoy hosted private visits and stroll through the restored gardens that surround these monuments that still serve as family homes.
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Aquileia, an ancient Roman and early Christian city with brilliant mosaics in the 1000-year-old Patriarchal Basilica.
- Discover mountain valleys with medieval castles and churches decorated with beautiful frescoes depicting scenes of courtly life, the bible and the lives of the saints.
- Explore Trento in Italy’s Alto Adige region, famed for its Romanesque Cathedral, the late-medieval fresco cycles in the Buonconsiglio Castle, its Renaissance palace facades in the city centre.
- Visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, home to ‘Ötzi the Iceman’ – a 5300-year-old glacier mummy discovered in the Dolomites by hikers in 1991, together with his well-preserved clothing and equipment.
- Stroll through the beautiful terraced gardens of Trautmannsdoft and take ‘Sissi’s Path’ into the alpine town of Merano, a favourite Summer retreat of Hapsburg Empress Elisabeth.
- Explore the world of Thomas Mann in Davos, Switzerland; take a funicular to Schatzalp and walk along the Thomas Mann Way.
- Spend a day travelling from St Moritz to Zermatt on Switzerland’s famed railway, The Glacier Express, that travels through high alpine valleys, over soaring viaducts and over mountain passes, with panoramic windows providing exceptional views of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
- Visit the beautiful villas and gardens that grace the shores of Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, including Villa Balbianello, Villa Cicogna Mozzoni and Villa Porta Bozzolo, and explore the exquisite pleasure gardens on Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Giulio.
Overnight: Udine (3 nights) • Trento (2 nights) • Bolzano (3 nights) • St Moritz (2 nights) • Zermatt (1 night) • Stresa (3 nights) • Moltrasio (2 nights)
Itinerary
The following itinerary lists a range of site visits which we plan to visit. Many are accessible to the public, but some require special permission which may only be confirmed closer to the tour’s departure. The daily activities described in this itinerary may change or be rotated and/or modified in order to accommodate alterations in opening hours, flight schedules and confirmation of private visits. Participants will receive a final itinerary together with their tour documents. The tour includes breakfast daily, lunches and dinners, indicated in the itinerary where: B=breakfast, L=lunch & D=dinner.
Udine - 3 nights
Day 1: Saturday 26 September, Venice Marco Polo Airport – Cordovardo – Udine
- Tour commences at the Venice Marco Polo Airport at 12.30pm
- Castello delle rose di Cordovardo
- Welcome dinner at our hotel
Meeting Point: The tour commences at 12.30pm in the Arrivals Hall of Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
We travel by private coach to Udine, the capital of the Friuli Giulia region. On the way we stop at one of Italy’s most beautiful towns, Cordovado, to visit the beautiful garden designed by owner Benedetta Piccolomini. Having spent many years restoring historical gardens around the Veneto and Friuli regions, Benedetta now concentrates on the maintenance and development of the Cordovardo castle gardens which were laid out by Count Sigismondo Freschi in the early 19th century, and incorporate older medieval elements.
We continue our journey to Udine. After time to settle in to our hotel we gather for a Welcome Dinner. (Overnight Udine) D
Day 2: Sunday 27 September, Udine
- Piazza della Liberta & Loggia del Lionello
- Museo Diocesano e Gallerie del Tiepolo
- Galleria d’Arte Antica
Udine, capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia, is a delightful small city with deep historic roots; its locale was settled as early as the Neolithic and the town was probably founded by the Celts. It rose to prominence during the Roman period but declined when Aquileia and Cividale became regional religious centres. In 1223 Udine’s fortunes revived when patriarch Bertoldo di Andechs founded an important market – making it the most powerful trading town in this region. In the 16th century it came under the sway of Venice, which controlled the city for 400 years. In the 19th century it became a Habsburg possession. Much of its architecture is Venetian, including work by Andrea Palladio, while café culture is definitely Viennese.
This morning we will explore this charming town with its elegant arcades, picturesque alleyways and a beautiful Renaissance centre which features one of the most attractive piazzas in Italy, the Piazza della Libertà. Echoing the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the Piazza della Libertà boasts a clock tower based upon the Torre dell’ Orologio and the Loggia del Lionello – a lovely Venetian-style fifteenth century town hall that takes its name from its architect.
We visit the Diocesan Museum and the Tiepolo Gallery where we view works by Tiepolo who lived in Udine for many years, and a beautiful library. We then walk up to the castello, home to several civic museums. Our focus is the Galleria d’Arte Antica which primarily houses work by local and Venetian artists from the late 14th to early 19th centuries. Amongst its greatest treasures is Caravaggio’s Ecstasy of Saint Francis. (Overnight Udine) B
Day 3: Monday 28 September, Udine – Strassoldo – Aquileia – Cividale del Friuli – Udine
- Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra (subject to confirmation)
- Aquileia Basilica
- Il Tempietto Longobardo & medieval bridge, Cividale del Friuli
This morning we visit one of the oldest castles in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra has been the home of the Strassoldo family for 1000 years. Our special visit will include a visit to the castle interior furnished with antiques and historic family portraits, the gardens and also the village that developed around the castle.
We continue to Aquileia, which had its origins as a strategic Roman fortress but soon developed into a thriving riverine port and ultimately, in late antiquity, into a very important ecclesiastical centre with its own patriarch. The city’s great treasure is within the two Early Christian basilicas that stand side-by-side. Here we see some of the finest floor mosaics in Europe. They are predominantly of secular scenes, echoing mosaics made by an important local school of mosaicists for the houses of the elite.
In the afternoon we head to one of the most picturesque sites in the region – Cividale del Friule. Julius Caesar founded the town in 50 BC and ‘Forum Julii’ became the chief town of the district. In the Middle Ages it became the residence of the Patriarchs of Aquileia and later came under Venetian control in the fifteenth century. We will visit the so-called ‘Tempietto Longobardo’. This small but exquisite eighth-century temple, also known as the Oratory of Santa Maria in Valle, was rebuilt in the thirteenth-century after an earthquake. Its architecture and decoration exemplify the mingling of Byzantine and Romanesque features by Lombardi artists. (Overnight Udine) B
Trento - 2 nights
Day 4: Tuesday 29 September, Udine – Maser – Asolo – Possagno – Trento
- Villa di Maser (Villa Barbaro)
- Lunch at a local restaurant, Asolo
- Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova, Possagno
This morning we depart Udine and travel to Alto Adige, the South Tirolean region that borders Switzerland and Austria. Our route takes us through the Veneto where we stop to visit one of the finest works by Andrea Palladio, considered by many the most influential individual in the history of Western villa architecture. Rises in grain prices during the 16th century encouraged Venetian aristocrats to build villas on Venice’s terra firma. The Villa di Maser (Villa Barbaro) was a working farm, unlike many of their counterparts in other parts of Italy. This beautiful house was decorated by Paolo Veronese with frescoes of theatre and pastoral scenes. Its central, residential, section echoes the style and proportions of a classical temple. Two wings that housed farm machinery and agricultural produce flank this grand central element. Two pavilions that held dovecotes in turn abut these wings, framing and thus unifying the whole façade.
After touring the villa we drive to nearby Asolo, a charming town where there will be time at leisure for lunch and to explore, before continuing on to Possagno, birthplace of one of Italy’s finest Neoclassical sculptors, Antonio Canova (1757-1822). We visit the Museo Gysotheca Antonio Canova, a complex that includes the Birth House that hosts Canova’s paintings, drawings, engravings and personal belongings, and the Gypsotheca that holds the original plaster models of his sculptures.
We arrive in Trento, capital of Alto-Adige, late in the early evening, and dinner will be at the hotel. (Overnight Trento) BD
Day 5: Wednesday 30 September, Trento
- Cathedral of San Vigilio
- Tridentine Diocesan Museum
- Buonconsiglio Palace
The 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church is known as the Council of Trent and was a pivotal event int the Counter-Reformation. Over the course if 25 sessions held between 1545 and 1563 important reforms in the church’s doctrine and practices were debated in direct response to the Reformation that had swept across Europe.
We start our exploration of Trento day with a visit to the Piazza Duomo. Overlooking the piazza is the Civic Tower, one of the most recognisable symbols of the city. It was built in the 12th century and soars 45 meters over the historic centre. The nearby Lombard-Romanesque cathedral is dedicated to San Vigilio, the city’s patron saint. Originally founded in the 6th century, the church underwent a long period of reconstruction from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Of particular note is the rose window set into the north transept, where visitors to the piazza can look up and contemplate the Wheel of Fortune.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the Tridentine Diocesan Museum, housed in the Praetorian Palace and Castelletto, the former residence of the prince-bishops of Trent. In addition to the cathedral’s treasures of embroideries, vestments, sculpture and liturgical instruments, we will view the galleries dedicated to the Council of Trent which placed such an important part in the city’s history.
This afternoon we visit the Castello del Buonconsiglio which served as the bishops’ palace until 1803. This grand complex comprises three parts: the Castelvecchio founded in the 13th century and modified in later centuries, the grand 16th-century Renaissance Magno Palazzo, and the Giunta Albertina (1686). Since 1992, the palace has housed the Provincial Art Gallery. The complex has a number of very important painted decorations. The so-called Torre Aquila (‘Eagle Tower’) has one of the most important examples of International Gothic art in Europe, the 15th-century Cycle of the Months by a Bohemian artist. The cycle accurately portrays the landscape, economic activity, social life and fashions of medieval Trento. The walls of the late 16th-century Torre del Falco are decorated with frescoes of hunting scenes, and a rare example of German landscape painting in northern Italy. The decoration of the Palazzo Magno includes works by Dosso and Battista Dossi in the Sala Grande, Sala degli Specchi, the Camera del Camin Nero, the Stua della Farnea (refectory), the Library and other rooms. Girolamo Romanino adorned the loggia in the Lions’ Court (Cortile dei Leoni) with mythological, biblical and ancient Roman subjects as well as scenes from daily life. (Overnight Trento) B
Bolzano - 3 nights
Day 6: Thursday 1 October, Trento – Kastelaz – Hocheppan – Bolzano
- Church of St James, Kastelaz
- Hocheppan Castle
- Church of St John in Town, Bolzano
This morning we depart Trento and drive north along the scenic South Tyrolean Wine Road to the town of Kastelez. Here we visit St James Church to enjoy its magnificent medieval frescoes. Painted around 1220, the fresco cycle depicts imaginative hybrid creatures combining elements of humans and animals, including creatures with dog heads, parts of bird-men and fish-men in combat, and centaurs from Greek mythology. These represent sin, in contrast to the magnificent depiction of the 12 Apostles and Christ in Majesty on the wall above them.
We continue north to Hocheppan Castle, a medieval fortress perched on a precipitous crag, evidence that we are travelling through a contested frontier. The present castle, founded around 1125 and largely rebuilt in the 13th century, was approached through a complex system of outworks, guarded by towers. Dominating the castle is the high pentagonal tower typical of German castles, but rare in the Tyrol. The Romanesque frescoes (c. 1131) in the castle chapel are some of the best preserved in Tyrol. Christ in Majesty dominates the central apse. On the wall above the apses are Christ flanked by the Apostles. Images on the chapel walls depict scenes from the Life of Christ and the apostles and other Biblical scenes, such as The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.
In the afternoon we travel north to Bolzano, a beautiful city nestled in a conch-shaped valley surrounded by vineyards and orchards. It is a city in which German-Austrian and Italian cultures meet. Situated on the strategic meeting point of two important trade routes, the ancient Via Claudia Augusta and the Brenner route over Brenner Pass, it has since antiquity been an important frontier trading city. By special appointment we will visit the lovely small Romanesque church of San Giovanni in Villa, decorated with fine 14th-century frescoes. Its barrel vault is dominated by a huge Christ Enthroned and its walls covered with narratives showing the influence of Giotto and the Italian Trecento. (Overnight Bolzano) BL
Day 7: Friday 2 October, Bolzano – Merano – Bolzano
- Schloss Trauttmansdorff Gardens
- Walk along ‘Sissi’s Path’ to Merano
Today we make an excursion to the charming little South Tyrolean town of Merano. Perched on a hillside overlooking the town is Trautmansdorff Castle and its magnificent botanical gardens. Trauttmansdorff Castle, the architectural centre piece of the gardens, was first documented in 1300 as Neuberg Castle. Its medieval walls are still visible on the southwest side, and the crypt dates from that period. The castle’s botanical garden nestles in a 12-hectare amphitheatre 100 metres in height, offering spectacular views of these exotic gardens and breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains and of Merano. Colourful plants from around the world thrive and bloom in more than 80 garden landscapes.
After visiting the gardens we walk down to the town along ‘Sissi’s Path’, a gentle 3 km walk named aft the Habsburg Empress Elisabeth of Austria who loved Merano and stayed there several times in the late 19th century. The route allows us to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we make our way past landmarks such as the Pienzenau and Rubein Castles, the 17th century Roman bridge over the River Passer and Merano’s Summer Promenade. Following our walk and some time to explore Merano we return to Bolzano for the evening. (Overnight Bolzano) B
Day 8: Saturday 3 October, Bolzano
- South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
- Castello Roncolo / Schloss Runkelstein
- Afternoon at Leisure
This morning we shall visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. Its permanent exhibition, occupying 3 floors, is dedicated to one of the world’s most extraordinary Prehistoric discoveries. ‘Ötzi’ is a glacier mummy from the Copper Age preserved in the ice and discovered by hikers in 1998. Experts have been able to reconstruct his body and his clothing and artefacts found with him. These have proved extraordinarily important in reconstructing human life at this time. The mummy is stored in a specially devised cold cell and can be viewed through a small window. ‘Ötzi’s’ numerous pieces of equipment and clothing, including a rare copper axe, have been painstakingly restored and make up much of the museum’s fascinating display.
We then drive to Castel Roncolo (Schloss Runkelstein) perched on a rocky outcrop above the city. The castle was constructed in 1237, but its greatest treasure, its frescoes, were created in the 14th century. These are some of the world’s most important paintings with secular literary subjects. These include stories of King Arthur and his knights, Tristan and Isolde, Dietrich von Bern (Theodoric the Great) and the German Romance poet Pleiers’ Arthurian romance Garel.
The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the lovely streets, boutiques and cafes of Bolzano. (Overnight Bolzano) B
St Moritz - 2 nights
Day 9: Sunday 4 October, Bolzano – Naturno – Glorenza – St Moritz
- San Procolo Church and Museum, Naturno
- Scenic drive through the Val Venosta
- Time at leisure in Glorenza
- Segatini Museum, St Moritz
Today we depart Bolzano and journey through beautiful valleys and mountain passes as we cross into Switzerland. Our first stop is the village of Naturno to visit its beautiful little church, established between 630 and 650 and dedicated to Saint Proculus, a bishop of Verona who survived Diocletian’s persecution. In the following centuries, the church was restored and enlarged several times. St Proculus has what are arguably the most ancient frescoes of the Germanic lands and the most complete early fresco cycle in the Tyrol. The most famous image is a man on a swing, probably St Proculus himself. Very unusual for a sacred building, however, is the representation of a dog with a herd of cows. Close by, we shall visit the Proculus Museum that displays 14th century Gothic frescoes removed from the church.
We continue our scenic drive through the Val Venosta, a stunning alpine region between snow-capped mountains and dense forests through which runs the Adige River. We enjoy a break and some time at leisure in Glorenza, a small town of just 900 inhabitants on the edge of the Stelvio National Park. This was once an important and busy trade centre and well-preserved fortification walls and towers still protect its historic centre.
Once across the border our route takes us through the Swiss National Park, a magnificent alpine landscape with a wealth of flora and fauna that is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Our destination is St Moritz in the Engadin Valley of the Albula Alps, the glamorous ski-resort town on the shores of an exquisite crystal-clear lake.
We visit the Segatini Museum that houses the works of 19th century artist Giovanni Segatini, an exponent of Realistic Symbolism. Regarded as a trailblazer of modernism, Segatini is was instrumental in reviving Alpine painting, with his work emphasising humans in harmony with nature. (Overnight St Moritz) B
Day 10: Monday 5 October, St Moritz – Davos – St Moritz
- Funicular to Schatzalp
- Guided tour and lunch at the Hotel Davos Schatzalp
- The Alpinum Botanical Garden
- Thomas Mann Way
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was believed in medical circles that the clean mountain air of the Swiss Alps could help cure Tuberculosis. Many sanatoriums were established where patients could receive treatments that involved rest, sunlight and fresh air, particularly in Davos. Perhaps the most notable of these is the Hotel Davos Schatzalp, mentioned by name in Nobel Prize-winner Thomas Mann’s highly acclaimed and influential 1924 novel The Magic Mountain.
The novel tells the story of Hans Castorp, a young student visiting a relative who is seeking a cure for his TB in a Davos sanatorium. Instead of staying a few weeks, Hans ends up remaining for seven years, after being told he too has symptoms of TB. His stay in the mountains teaches him a great deal – about himself, about love, about European culture and civilisation, politics and death.
We take a funicular up the Schatzalp to see the scenery described in The Magic Mountain, then enjoy a lunch on the terrace with views over the valley below. We visit the Botanical Garden Alpinium, created in 1907 as a place to aid the recovery of TB patients. Here 1900 feet above sea level we find 5000 different species of plants, including medicinal ones.
We then stroll down the ‘Thomas Mann Way’, a 2.6 km trail running from the Schatzalp to the former woodland sanatorium of Waldhotel in Davos. Mann’s wife, Katia, was treated in Davos for a lung complaint and he knew the area well. Along the trail are markers explaining the connections between the landscape and Mann’s work, particularly places that are described in The Magic Mountain. (Overnight St Moritz) BL
Zermatt - 1 night
Day 11: Tuesday 6 October, St Moritz – Zermatt
- Train journey on the Glacier Express
Today we take one of the world’s great train rides, the Glacier Express that runs from St Moritz to Zermatt. During this day-long journey, we can sit back and relax as the train makes its way through valleys and mountain passes, over viaducts that span great gorges and rivers. Our destination is Zermatt, a ski and mountaineering resort in the Valais canton, that looks out to the alluring peak of the Matterhorn. (Overnight Zermatt) BLD
Stressa - 3 nights
Day 12: Wednesday 7 October, Zermatt – Riffelberg – Zermatt – Stresa
- Gornergrat Cog Railway to Riffelberg
- Morning tea at Riffelhaus Hotel
- Mark Twin Walking tour Riffelberg to Riffelalp
- Lunch at the Riffelalp Resort Restaurant
- Gornergrat Cog Railway to Zermatt
This morning we walk to the train from where we take the Gornergrat Cog Railway to Riffelberg, 2582m above sea level. In 1878 Mark Twain visited the area and wrote the satirical novel Climbing the Riffelberg, an exaggerated story, where a climbing party of 205 set out to conquer the mountain. Participants include mules, pastry chefs and even ironing ladies, carrying with them barrels of whisky, plenty of laudanum, and 154 umbrellas. Twain wrote of the area “The scenery is beyond comparison beautiful. Sunday in heaven is noisy compared to this quietness.” He was less keen on the local yodellers, and paid them to stop!
After enjoying morning tea at the historic Riffelhaus Hotel, we walk The Mark Twain Way from Riffelberg to Riffelalp, a downhill walk marked with Twain plaques and quotes, and then have lunch at another historic hotel, the Riffelalp Resort.
The Cog Railway takes us back to Zermatt, and we return to Italy by coach, travelling to Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore. (Overnight Stresa) BL
Day 13: Thursday 8 October, Stresa – Lake Maggiore – Stresa
- Isola Bella
- Isola Madre
Today we explore two of the Borromean islands of Lake Maggiore. We take a boat 400m to to Count Carlo Borromeo’s Isola Bella. Originally a rocky crag with a tiny fishing village, the Borromeo family started a transformation in 1632 which lasted 40 year and produced one of Italy’s most extraordinary formal Baroque gardens. Designed to appear like an elegant palatial barge floating on the lake. At the heart of the design is the Teatro Massimo formed by ten superimposed terraces and parterres.
The nearby Isola Madre is the largest Borromean island. It was originally an agricultural estate, plated with vines, fig trees and olive grove. Today it is a lush botanical garden with semi-tropical plantings amongst which white peacocks roam. In 1845, Flaubert wrote, “Isola Madre is the most sensual place that I have ever seen in the world”. Throughout the year there is colour and interest in the garden. Its pathways are lined with magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, their delicate flowers blooming in the spring, while the summer brings a display of hibiscus and bougainvillea that last into autumn. (Overnight Stresa) B
Day 14: Friday 9 October, Stresa – Lake Orta – Stresa
- Isola San Giulio
- Afternoon at leisure in Stresa
This morning we visit Lake Orta, to the west of Lake Maggiore, a tiny jewel surrounded by hills and mountains acting as a great natural theatre enveloping local towns and villages. The most beautiful of these is Orta San Giulio, whose town hall has a frescoed façade. Its narrow streets are lined with Rococo houses. We take a ferry to Isola San Giulio to visit the 12th-century Romanesque church whose pulpit is one of the outstanding masterpieces of medieval sculpture in northern Italy.
We return to Stresa at lunchtime and the rest of the afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the town and the beauty of Lake Maggiore. (Overnight Stresa) B
Moltrasio - 2 nights
Day 15: Saturday 10 October, Stresa – Casalzuigno – Bisuschio – Moltrasio
- Villa di Porta Bozzolo, Casalzuigno
- Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, Bisuschio
This morning we depart Lake Maggiore and visit two magnificent villas as we make our way to Lake Como. Our first stop is in Casalzuigno where we visit the Villa di Porta Bozzolo, a 16th century home with an impressive 18th century garden that run parallel to the side of the house rather than on the main axis as was usual at the time. Flowing water was an essential feature of Italian formal gardens, offering a cooling spectacle and a lively, burbling sound, and the terraced garden is adorned with elaborate water features, while the villa buildings still retain rich rococo frescoes.
Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, located on a steep hillside in the village of Bisuschio. Its garden looks out upon sweeping views, with a glimpse of Lake Lugano. Founded in the 15th century, the villa took its present form in the 16th century. The Cicogna family, who inherited it in 1580, still owns this lovely villa. The formal gardens rise on 7 narrow terraces and adjacent to them is a small sunken garden with formal box parterres and patches of lawn. We tour the villa residence, which houses a fine antique collection. Above the villa is a great terrace with Renaissance grottoes offering shade in summer, and a magnificent water stair. (Overnight Moltrasio) B
Day 16: Sunday 11 October, Moltrasio – Tremezzo – Bellagio – Balbianello – Moltrasio
- Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
- Lunchtime at leisure in Bellagio
- Villa Balbianello
- Farewell Dinner
This morning we cruise across Lake Como by private motorboat from Moltrasio to 18th-century Villa Carlotta, a garden with a huge botanical collection and a traditional Italian formal design, unlike most lake gardens that were heavily influenced by the more fluid layouts of English landscape gardening; it thus has a wide variety of architectural features – parterres, stairways, ponds, fountains and so on..
Our next stop is Bellagio, where there will be time for lunch at leisure, and the option to visit Villa Melzi.
We end our day with a visit to Villa del Balbianello, an exquisite villa set in woods of pine, soaring cypress and oak with pollarded plane trees and manicured lawns and flowerbeds. Facing the promontory of Serbelloni, from the Lavedo point it boasts unparalleled views down the three branches of the lake. The first villa was built in 1540, but was later moved to a new site inland to protect it from flooding. Cardinal Durini erected a casino with a loggia in 1790, open to the sun and breezes; today it is trellised with Ficus pumila (creeping fig) and flanked by a library and music room.
We return to Moltrasio by private motorboat and there is time to rest before we gather this evening for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (Overnight Moltrasio) BD
Day 17: Monday 12 October, Depart Moltrasio
- Airport transfer from Moltrasio to Milan’s Malpensa Airport
After breakfast we check-out of our hotel and transfer to Milan’s Malpensa Airport (arrival time TBA). Alternatively, you may wish to extend your stay in Italy. Please contact ASA if you require further assistance. B
Accommodation
All hotels are rated 3- or 4-star locally and are comfortable and conveniently situated. All hotels provide rooms with en suite bathroom.
- Udine (3 nights): 4-star Astoria Hotel Italia– a restored 16th century building that was transformed into a hotel in the 18th century, located in the historic centre of Udine.
- Trento (2 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Trento – a modern hotel, situated on the edge of the Old Town.
- Bolzano (3 nights): 4-star Hotel Grief – a boutique ‘art’ hotel in the heart of the old city hotel, within a restored 16th century building.
- St Moritz (2 nights): 3-star Hotel Hauser – a traditional family-run hotel located in the Upper Engadine of St Moritz.
- Zermatt (1 nights): Hotel TBA
- Stresa (3 nights): 4-star Hotel La Palma – located in the shores of Lake Maggiore, with each guest room equipped with a terrace or balcony.
- Moltrasio (2 nights): 3-star Hotel La Posta – a charming family-run hotel on Lake Como.
Note: hotels are subject to change, in which case a hotel of similar standard will be provided.
Single Supplement
Payment of this supplement will ensure accommodation in a single-occupancy room throughout the tour. The number of rooms available for single occupancy is extremely limited. People wishing to take this supplement are therefore advised to book well in advance.
How to Book
Making a Tentative Reservation before the tour price has been published
ASA INTENTION TO TRAVEL APPLICATION FORM
Some ASA tours fill almost immediately. Don’t miss out! You can register your ‘Intention to Travel’ by completing this application and returning this to ASA with a AUD $200.00 per person deposit. Once the tour price has been published, the itinerary and ASA Reservation Application Form will be sent to you. From the time you receive the itinerary you will have two weeks to either:
- Send us a completed ASA Reservation Application Form together with an additional deposit of AUD $800.00 per person. On receipt of this Reservation Application and deposit, ASA will process your booking and if approved, send you a tour confirmation. At this time your deposit of AUD $1000.00 is subject to the tour’s Booking Conditions.
Or
- CANCEL your Intention to Travel in writing. ASA will refund your AUD $200.00 per person deposit, less a $66.00 service fee (including GST).
Practical Information
Fitness Criteria
Level 2 INTERMEDIATE
For people with energetic lifestyles and very good mobilityYou must be able to:
- manage at least five to six hours of physical activity per day with ease.
- walk at a regular to moderate pace on flat or undulating terrain; some stretches include uneven cobbled streets, mountain walking paths, steeper slopes or several flights of stairs.
- negotiate challenging historic which may include several flights of stairs and/or rocky terrain.
- stand for one to two hours during visits to galleries and museums without the need to sit.
- cope with extensive coach travel that includes winding mountainous roads.
- contend with a shower over a bath; walk-in showers may not be available at all hotels.
- manage your own luggage at train stations and some hotels.
Fitness Levels
Please also view the fitness criteria required for our tours, graded from Level 1 to Level 3, at www.asatours.com.au/fitness-level/
All ASA tours are active programs suitable for people with a good level of mental and physical fitness and good mobility. They are not suitable for people who lack stamina, have difficulty walking at the group’s pace or who have mobility issues. An unavoidable aspect of every tour is the need to manage walking, stair-climbing and standing for long periods of time.
It is a condition of travel that all participants agree to accept ASA’s directions in relation to their suitability to participate in activities undertaken on the tour, and that ASA retains the sole discretion to direct a tour participant to refrain from a particular activity on part of the tour. Before enrolling on an ASA tour please read the fitness requirements carefully.
Tour Price & Inclusions
AUD $TBA Land Content Only – Early-Bird Special: Book before 30 September 2025
AUD $TBA Land Content Only
AUD $TBA Single Supplement
Tour Price (Land Content Only) includes:
- Accommodation in twin-share rooms with private facilities in 4- and 5- star hotels
- Breakfast daily, lunches and evening meals indicated in the tour itinerary, where: B=breakfast, L=lunch & D=dinner
- Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included
- Transportation as outlined in the tour itinerary by air-conditioned coach or scenic train
- Arrival Airport transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Udine according to the time as outlined in the tour itinerary
- Departure Airport transfer from Moltrasio to Milan Malpensa Airport as outlined in the tour itinerary
- Porterage of one piece of luggage per person at some hotels (not at airports, train stations or some hotels)
- Lecture and site-visit program
- Tour Notes
- Entrance fees
- Use of audio headsets during site excursions
- Tips for the coach driver, local guides and restaurants for included meals.
Tour Price (Land Content Only) does not include:
- Airfare: Australia-Venice, Milan-Australia
- Personal spending money
- Luggage in excess of 20kg (44lbs)
- Travel insurance
Tour Map
Gallery
Deposits
A non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 AUD per person is required to reserve a place on this ASA tour.
Cancellation Fees
If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:
- More than 75 days before departure: your initial deposit of $1000.00 is non-refundable.**
- 75-31 days prior 50% of total amount due
- 30-0 days prior 100% of total amount due
**$500.00 of this amount (ie 50% of your deposit) may be credited to another ASA tour departing within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, in this case early-bird discounts will not apply.
We take the day on which you cancel as being that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.
Unused Portions of the Tour
We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers.
Will the Tour Price or Itinerary Change?
If the number of participants on a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates ASA reserves the right to amend the advertised price. We shall, however, do all in our power to maintain the published price. If an ASA tour is forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all tour monies paid. Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of ASA make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes in due course.
Travel Insurance
ASA requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. A copy of your travel insurance certificate and the reverse charge emergency contact phone number must be received by ASA no later than 75 days prior to the commencement of the tour.
Final Payment
The balance of the tour price will be due 75 days prior to the tour commencement date.
Limitation of Liability
ASA is not a carrier, event or tourist attraction host, accommodation or dining service provider. All bookings made and tickets or coupons issued by ASA for transport, event, accommodation, dining and the like are issued as an agent for various service providers and are subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of liability imposed by each service provider. ASA is not responsible for their products or services. If a service provider does not deliver the product or service for which you have contracted, your remedy lies with the service provider, not ASA. ASA will not be liable for any claim (eg. sickness, injury, death, damage or loss) arising from any change, delay, detention, breakdown, cancellation, failure, accident, act, omission or negligence of any such service provider however caused (contingencies). You must take out adequate travel insurance against such contingencies. ASA’s liability in respect of any tour will be limited to the refund of amounts received from you less all non-refundable costs and charges and the costs of any substituted event or alternate services provided. The terms and conditions of the relevant service provider from time to time comprise the sole agreement between you and that service provider. ASA reserves the sole discretion to cancel any tour or to modify itineraries in any way it considers appropriate. Tour costs may be revised, subject to unexpected price increases or exchange rate fluctuations.
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