Our trip to Northern Italy includes two of the most picturesque places in the country. With its intricate architecture, canals, and bridges, Venice is always a highlight of every trip.

Scattered over northern Italy and across the Italian-Swiss border, the Lake District is renowned for dramatic mountain backdrops, shimmering lakes, idyllic towns, and fascinating Roman history.

Milan is another bucket list city with the famous Duomo, Leonardo da Vinci’s mural The Last Supper, and La Scala Opera house.

October 1 – 10, 2025

 

Package Includes:

• Round-trip airfare — Raleigh-Durham International Airport or Charlotte Douglas International Airport
• Nine nights’ accommodations at first class hotels
• Thirteen meals: nine breakfasts, one lunch, and four dinners
• All sightseeing per itinerary
• All admissions per itinerary
• Hotel transfers
• Professional tour director
• Our State host
• Wine and beer reception
• Motor coach transportation
• Baggage handling
• Air departure taxes, fuel, and fees

 

Itinerary Highlights:

• Milan walking tour
• DaVinci’s The Last Supper**
• La Scala Museum
• Lake Maggiore
• Four night stay in Lake Maggiore
• Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori
• Lugano, Switzerland
• Monte Brè Cable Car
• Sirmione and Lake Garda
• Three night stay in Treviso
• Venice walking tour & St. Mark’s Square
• Entrance into the Doges Palace
• Gondola ride along the Venice Canals
• Lake Como and Murano Island optional tours

 

Accommodations:

• One night – NH Hotel Milano or similar, Milan
• Four nights – Grand Hotel Dino, Hotel Spledid, or similar, Baveno/Lake Maggiore
• Three nights – Villa Park Hotel Bolognese or similar, Treviso

Hotels are subject to change.

 

Detailed Itinerary:

DAY 1: DEPART USA

Depart on your overnight flight to Italy.

 

DAY 2: ARRIVE IN MILAN

Arrive in Milan and meet your tour director. Milan is a metropolis in Italy’s northern Lombardy region and is a global capital of fashion and design. It is known for its Duomo and incredible shopping. Later transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers this evening.

Meals: D
Overnight: Milan

 

DAY 3: MILAN – LAST SUPPER – LAKE MAGGIORE

Milan’s wealth of art and architecture awaits on your first day of sightseeing in this remarkable city. Enjoy a Milan walking tour with a local guide to see the famous Duomo, the third largest Catholic Cathedral in the world, found in the center of the city. Entrance is included into this impressive and breathtaking cathedral that is often considered one of the most beautiful churches in the world. Next, visit the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to take in Leonardo da Vinci’s mural, The Last Supper**, which he painted on the refectory wall. The tour will continue at Piazza Della Scala, the square that houses the Scala Theatre, which was built in 1776 and is one of the world’s best-known opera houses. You will have a guided visit to the La Scala Museum. Enjoy some time at leisure to enjoy a cappuccino or stroll and shop at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world’s oldest shopping malls. Later we travel to the Italian Lakes region and check in to our hotel for a four-night stay.

Meals: B
Overnight: Lake Maggiore

 

DAY 4: LAKE MAGGIORE – BORROMEAN ISLANDS – ISOLA BELLA

Following breakfast, enjoy a private boat ride from Stresa to visit the Borromean Islands of Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori, and Isola Madre. Today you will admire stunning palaces, ornamental gardens, magnificent buildings, and elegant villas. Arrive at Isola Bella, the jewel of Lake Maggiore, and enjoy a tour of the 17th century Isola Bella Gardens and Palace. See its richly decorated rooms and beautiful garden. See the Teatro Massimo, the most important monument in the garden. Statues, obelisks, and fountains are perfectly integrated together with the vegetation of the ten scenic terraces, at the top of which rises the statue of the Unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the Borromeo family. Next, visit Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island), a fishing village with original dwellings that is considered the most picturesque of the Borromean Islands. It is also the only of the Borromean Islands that is permanently inhabited. There is free time at leisure to explore on your own. See the Church of San Vittore dating to the 11th century or browse the quaint shops. Next, enjoy some free time in Stresa with its elegant promenades and picturesque historic district before arriving back at your hotel. Dinner is included this evening.

Meals: B, D
Overnight: Lake Maggiore

 

DAY 5: DAY AS YOU WISH – OPTIONAL TOUR TO LAKE COMO

The day is at leisure to enjoy as you wish. Perhaps you will join today’s optional tour to Lake Como. The shimmering blue waters of Lake Como are surrounded by lush mountains, charming towns, and picturesque villages. With its mild climate and captivating landscapes, Lake Como has inspired poets, artists, and writers for generations. Lunch is included as well as a boat trip to Bellagio. The evening is free to have dinner and explore on your own.

Meals: B
Overnight: Lake Maggiore

 

DAY 6: LAKE MAGGIORE – LUGANO, SWITZERLAND

This morning, travel to Lugano, Switzerland, an Italian-style city set on the edge of a bejeweled lake with views of the Alps in the distance. Flanked by two mountain peaks on the shore of a palm-lined glacial lake, the city of Lugano lets you enjoy a taste of Mediterranean culture in view of the Swiss Alps. Enjoy a guided walking tour of Lugano and some free time to shop and explore on your own. Next, ride on the Monte Brè Cable Car (funicular) to the summit of Monte Brè. Experience the splendor and incredible panoramic views of the Bernese and Vallese Alps as seen from the top of Switzerland’s “sunniest mountain”. Enjoy the stunning views of Lake Lugano and surrounding mountains from the panoramic terraces. Enjoy free time in the small village of Brè. Later, arrive back at your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Meals: B
Overnight: Lake Maggiore

 

DAY 7: LAKE MAGGIORE – SIRMIONE – TREVISO

This morning, we depart Lake Maggiore enroute to Treviso. Stop in Sirmione, an ancient village situated on the shores of Lake Garda. Enjoy a guided tour of the city with some time at leisure to discover the narrow streets, take in views of its famous sinking castle, or simply relax alongside the lake. Lunch is included before traveling to Treviso, located in the Venetian mainland. This elegant town of painted houses and quaint canals is crossed by the Sile and Botteniga rivers and encircled by a set of Renaissance city walls. Check into your hotel for a three-night stay. This evening, enjoy dinner.

Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Treviso

 

DAY 8: TREVISO – VENICE

Following breakfast, transfer by boat to Venice and meet your local guide in St. Mark’s Square. Enjoy an ‘insiders walking tour’ of St Mark’s Square to learn the history of this world-famous landmark. Admire the Campanile, a brick bell tower that rises above the piazza, and see the Bridge of Sighs. Entrance is included into the incredible Doges Palace, built in 1340, that was once the residence of the Doge of Venice. Next, enjoy an iconic gondola ride as you sit back, relax, and glide gracefully through the picturesque canals of Venice with a master gondolier. The afternoon is at leisure to have lunch on your own, shop, and explore Venice. Later, return to Treviso with the evening at leisure.

Meals: B
Overnight: Treviso

 

DAY 9: DAY AS YOU WISH – OPTIONAL TOUR TO MURANO

The day is yours to discover Treviso however you wish. Relax at a quaint café, shop at the many boutiques, or visit one of the excellent museums and galleries. Perhaps join the optional tour to visit Murano and spend some more time in Venice. Catch your boat and cruise across the Venetian Lagoon to the island of Murano. Here visit a glass factory where you’ll watch a glass blower creating beautiful pieces of glassware, a Murano tradition that dates back to 1291. Next, travel by boat to Venice for a free afternoon to explore and shop on your own before returning to Treviso. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner.

Meals: B, D
Overnight: Treviso

 

DAY 10: TREVISO – FLIGHT HOME

Transfer to the Venice airport for your flight home filled with memories of Milan, Venice, and the Italian Lakes.

**Every effort will be made to secure tickets for The Last Supper. Tickets go on sale 90 days before visits and cannot be guaranteed. Groups larger than 25 will be divided in two.

 

Tour Rates:

Regular Rate: $5,099 pp based on double occupancy
Booking Discount: $4,999* pp based on double occupancy
Single supplement: $1,000

Please ask about the “No Risk Deposit” plan.

*Booking discount applied when final payment is made by check.

 

For reservations and more information:

Premier World Discovery
Melissa Grant
(877) 953-8687, ext. 238 (Pacific Time)
mgrant@premierworlddiscovery.com

Online Booking Option: Save time and postage and secure your seat for this group departure. Click here & use the Booking Number (#189865 – Web Code) to make your deposit online in just a few minutes.

No need to submit a Reservation Form if booking online.

 

Additional Information:

What to expect on an Our State trip:

Traveling with a group of Our State readers is an enriching, enjoyable, and safe way to experience new cultures, people, and places. In addition to the informative narration from the tour director and local guides, an Our State host will be available to assist in making your trip successful.

We usually fly to our destination, then travel by a comfortable motor coach with anywhere from 35 to 50 people who appreciate learning about new regions. Your entire trip will be guided, planned, and arranged for your upmost enjoyment. Many activities are things you can only do because you are traveling with Our State. There is some free time built in for you to explore on your own.

You can also choose not to attend an activity if you prefer something different. Please let your tour director know if you are not coming on a scheduled day.

Many meals are included. Where you have meals on your own, suggestions will be provided.

Most of the motor coaches have restrooms but every effort will be made to make regular rest stops.

One of the best parts of traveling with Our State is that you will meet new people, many of whom you will already have much in common with since most travelers read the magazine. Many guests often develop friendships that go on long after the tour is finished. Our State trips are generally filled with dynamic and friendly people.
 

Physical requirements:

Our tours are physically active but not meant to be strenuous.

Please be aware you will be on your feet, walking and standing for much of the day, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions and terrains. There will also be extended time on the motor coach when we travel from place to place. If there are any mobility issues you will need to have an able-bodied traveling companion to accompany and assist you.

Most days are moderately paced with approximately two to three total miles of walking, possibly including some hills and stairs.

We regret that we’re unable to provide individual assistance to guests with walking difficulties or other personal needs. The responsibility of the Trip Director who accompanies your trip is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it.

If you have additional questions, please call Our State’s Travel Director Amy Wood Pasquini at 336-286-0600, or email apasquini@ourstate.com.