Fly to Milan and transfer to Lake Como and your chosen hotel. Settle into your surroundings and enjoy your first dinner.

Today introduces you to Como’s most sparkling jewel, stunning Bellagio, often described as Italy’s most beautiful town, as you discover its elegant villas and glorious gardens. Following a short walking tour, you are free to enjoy Bellagio’s wondrous surroundings, perhaps taking a seat in a cafe, enjoying a delicious gelato, or simply strolling the lakefront promenade before returning by ferry back across the lake.

Take a second boat trip on Lake Como's still waters. Relax as the wooden shoreline slips by, revealing the elegant villas and grand hotels that shelter along the water's edge, on a day that also includes a visit to the pretty gardens of Villa del Balbianello.

In the twin city of Bergamo, the 16th-century walls of Alta (the upper city) shelter the grand Palazzo della Ragione, churches and colonnaded library that surround Piazza Vecchia, and overlook the Neoclassical buildings of Bassa (the lower city). Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a meal - or at least a snack - here, in a city famed for its food and fondly championed by the late, great Antonio Carluccio.

Milan is not merely a centre of worldwide fashion; it is also home to some excellent collections of art and architecture. The Sforzesco Castle, the famous shopping Galleria, La Scala - one of the world’s greatest opera houses - and the great cathedral, Il Duomo (the world’s second largest Gothic church) are among the breathtaking sights on your guided tour.

Board the Bernina Express to travel from Tirano across viaducts, via Brusio, and across the Bernina Pass to St Moritz. Window-shop or enjoy a coffee in a choice of cafes, before returning to Como by coach, arriving in time for dinner at the hotel.

Mark your final day on Lake Como with an optional visit to Lugano, one of Switzerland’s most stylish lake-side resorts. Around the lake, pretty villages nestle amidst luxuriant vegetation, and the shoreline is dotted with villas and summer homes. After a short sightseeing tour, explore under your own steam, or to take the funicular ride up Monte Bre for a panoramic view.

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