Venice and the Italian Lakes walking tour in autumn

Day 1

The Venice and the Italian Lakes walking tour starts in Venice. We meet in the foyer of our 4-star hotel in Cannaregio (a quiet residential district) at 07.00 pm and, after a short walk, have dinner in a nearby restaurant. (Dinner).

Day 2

This morning a local guide will take us a four hour walk along some of the smaller canals, through hidden lanes and squares, exploring some of the less visited parts of the city. (9 kms, 4 hrs, 20 mts ascent)

After a traditional lunch on a quiet canal on Dorsduro, the afternoon is free to explore this wonderful city! (Lunch).

Day 3

This morning we leave Venice by water taxi, crossing the lagoon to be then taken by private bus to a gorgeous town on the shores of Lake Como opposite Bellagio our base for the next four days. On the way, we stop for lunch in a celebrated osteria that has been in the same family for three generations. Once we have checked in to the hotel, the evening is free. (Lunch).

Day 4

Today's walk is a loop walk up into the mountains behind Menaggio.   This spectacular walk follows old smugglers paths and takes you up into oak forests that open on to farmlands and orchards filled with grazing cows with bells, with breath-taking views across Lake Lugano.  (12 kms, 4 hrs, 550 ascent)

We have lunch in a lovely 'crotto' with breath-taking views over the lake, and then take an ancient cobbled path back down to Menaggio.  You will have the rest of the afternoon to explore this pretty town  The evening is free. (Lunch).

Day 5

This morning we visit one of the finest villa's on the shores of Lake Como (for better or worse, the set for a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including Star Wars and James Bond). The villa sits on the tip of a forested peninsula and is one of the highlights of the tour.  A private guided tour will take us through the gardens and the villa itself, with its wonderful historic collections. 

After the visit, you'll have the rest of the day free.  Today is market day in the town we are visiting so you can poke around the markets or get the ferry over to visit Bellagio.  In the evening we'll rejoin for a candle lit dinner overlooking the lake. (Dinner)

Day 6

Today's walk starts with a ferry to a lovely town on the other side of the lake.  It takes us up to the castle above, and then along the face of the mountains following stone trading paths that have been used since Roman times, with breath-taking views over Lake Como and the mountains to Switzerland.  (9 kms, 3 hrs, 220 mts ascent).

We have lunch in a small osteria that has been servicing walkers on the track for centuries.  After lunch we have a pleasant ferry back to our base where the rest of the afternoon and evening are free.  (Lunch)

Day 7

This morning we leave Lake Como, crossing the nearby Swiss border into the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino and driving through the mountains to the northern, Swiss end of Lake Maggiore. Along the way we stop for a coffee and a lovely stroll along Lake Lugano.  (3.5 kms, 1 hr, 30 mts ascent).

After lunch in Lugano itself, we carry to the Centovalli, where our base for the next four nights is a charming 400 year old mountain hotel tucked away in the valleys above Locarno above Lake Maggiore.

After settling into the hotel, you'll be taken on a guided walk around this very interesting small town and then have dinner at a lovely traditional restaurant on the edge of town.  (Dinner)

Day 8

Today's walk takes us into a neighbouring valley, known to the locals as the valley of the sun. Climbing up to a small chapel, we follow stone paths through a narrow gorge and into a valley, passing through chestnut and oak forests, past goat farms and a tiny hamlet before descending to the valley floor, finishing at a comfortable bar, overlooking a white stone river. We'll have a picnic lunch along the walk. (11 kms, 4 hrs, 300 mts climb).

We'll take a train back to our base where the evening is free. (Lunch)

Day 9

Today is a free day, with a variety of options - your guide will be available to help with advice and making the arrangements.  There are lots of good things to do.  For example, take the electric train into Locarno (15 minutes) to shop and/or take a ferry ride on Lake Maggiore, visiting the botanical gardens on the Brissago islands.  You could do an easy walk into Locarno, following the Melezza River (8 kms, 2 hrs, 35 mts ascent)

Another fabulous option is to take the Centovalli train (which goes from Locarno to Domodossola.  It is one of the most celebrated train rides in Italy.  Our base is on this train line.  On this free day, you could train all the way through the very beautiful Centovalli valley to Domodossola, where you would have time for lunch and then take the return train back to our base (it is 1.5 hours each way).  Otherwise, you could simply chill out at the hotel, read a good book and exploring the village.

We regroup in the hotel in the evening to have dinner in the town's best restaurant. (Dinner)

Day 10

This morning’s walk takes you length of the beautiful valley we are staying.  We start by taking the small narrow-gauge train into the spectacular valley (on the famous Centovalli lime) to a pretty village near the Italian border and then follow a well-marked ancient trail above the river all the way back to our base.  Along the way back we pass through a number of pretty villages, stopping along the way for lunch. It is possible to shorten the walk, taking a train back to base. (10 kms, 5 hrs, 600 mts).  

The rest of the afternoon and evening is free.  (Lunch)

Day 11

Today we leave Switzerland and drive down the shore of the lake, crossing the border into Italy and heading for Turin, a surprisingly gracious city of wide boulevards, elegant arcades and grand public buildings.

On the way we visit possibly the most enchanting of all the Italian lakes, tiny Lake Orta. It starts with a visit to the World Heritage listed Sacro Monte d'Orta.  We then have a short walk around the shores of the lake to the gorgeous village of San Giulio d'Orta, where we'll have lunch have lunch.

After settling into the hotel in Turin, you'll have the time to explore the city and do a little afternoon shopping. The evening is free. (Lunch)

Day 12

This morning you will be taken on a guided walk through Turin's centre visiting some of the city's Baroque splendour, the legacy of the Savoy kings who ruled from here for nearly six centuries (4 hrs). The afternoon is free. In the evening we take a short walk through the heart of the city to have dinner in one of the city’s fine restaurants. (Dinner)

Day 13

After breakfast, you will be able to continue your holiday - Turin has a local airport, a shuttle service to Malpensa international airport and is well connected by train to all major Italian cities and to the rest of Europe.