12-day tour of northern Italy in your own car
Zurich - Lake Maggiore - Lake Como - Lake Garda - Innsbruck
Your journey at a glance
- The stops on your journey:
- Zurich (1 night)
- Lake Maggiore (3 nights)
- Lake Como (3 nights)
- Lake Garda (3 nights)
- Innsbruck (1 night)
- Further highlights:
- Valle Verzasca
- Milan
- Bergamo
- Verona
Geotoura – Hotel concept
When we include a hotel in our programme, it is not only a high standard of quality that is important to us. We prefer typical local accommodation, often boutique hotels with a special ambience. They emphasise the character of an individual trip: Panoramic views, particularly lovely furnishings, a location in historic centres, no mass tourism and, of course, exceptionally friendly hosts – these are important criteria for us.
We divide our hotels into four separate Geotoura categories. Of course, you have the choice and can also combine the categories on one trip.
Boutique Hotels – Four categories
Encantador (“Charming”): Our most affordable option. Lovingly furnished rooms that offer everything the discerning traveller expects.
Especial (“Special”): Hotels with a special ambience – historic palaces, monasteries, haciendas or beach hotels with exceptional charm. Perfect for the classic cultural tour.
Extraordinario (“Extraordinary”): Luxurious hotels in excellent locations and with the highest level of comfort, often in centuries-old aristocratic palaces, old oil mills or haciendas.
Luna de Miel (“honeymoon”): For the honeymoon – span. Luna de miel – or if you want to treat yourself to something out of the ordinary …
Character of this travel idea
Experience culture in northern Italy
Your 12-day round trip to the lakes of northern Italy starts in a wonderful city with an equally beautiful lake panorama: Zurich. Surrounded by the peaks of the Alps, stroll through Zurich’s old town, admire the famous Großmünster and the artistic Chagall window of the Frauenmünster. At the Kunsthaus Zürich, you can embark on a journey through the centuries of art and encounter big names such as Dürer, van Gogh, Monet and Warhol.
At Lago Maggiore at the latest, you should then get on a boat for the first time and head out onto the lake. This will take you to gems such as the Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella. The palazzo in the Lombard Baroque style is impressive even from a distance. When you visit it, be sure to stroll through its gardens. Here you will discover, among other things, the filigree and ornately decorated garden terrace, which is worth a visit to the island in itself.
Lake Como and its region were once a centre of silk production – and therefore very wealthy. Even today, luxurious villas such as Villa d’Este, the neoclassical Villa Melzi or Konrad Adenauer’s Villa la Collina bear witness to this. A piece of the Middle Ages is also hidden on the shores of the picturesque lake: the Abbazia di Piona. The roots of this time-honoured abbey date back as far as the 8th century.
Pure romance in the realm of the Italian lakes
If you embark on this 12-day round trip to the lakes of northern Italy, don’t forget your camera. Because here you are always surrounded by fantastic natural scenes of mountains, forests and the lakes with their islands. The Botanical Gardens of Palazzo Madre on Isola Madre in Lake Maggiore are a particular gem. Stroll through a dreamlike English landscape garden and discover rare exotic plants such as the delicate camellias under the watchful gaze of peacocks, pheasants and parrots.
Lake Como is spoilt by its particularly mild climate. This is why the landscape around the lake is characterised by a Mediterranean landscape with cypresses, palm trees, olive and citrus trees – an invitation to every passionate hiker.
Lake Garda also has a slightly Mediterranean flair with its countless cypress trees and extensive olive groves, which still provide the olives for first-class oil. If you suddenly feel like you’re in the middle of the Serengeti, then you’ve arrived in one of the lake’s exotic natural treasures, the Parco Natura Viva. Here you can get up close and personal with graceful giraffes and, with a bit of luck, even catch a glimpse of one of the rare snow leopards.
Northern Italy – Culinary journey
The cuisine of northern Italy is different from the rest of Italy, but just as delicious and varied. There are many influences from neighbouring countries in the dishes, so you may well find a Sacher torte on the menu. Meat dishes are braised, refined with wine and aromatic herbs or roasted. Freshwater fish from the inland lakes as well as fish and seafood are also frequently on the menu. If your tour of northern Italy takes you to Piedmont, you should try the famous Alba truffles that grow here or dip vegetables in a delicious hot dipping sauce – bagna cauda.
In Liguria and Lombardy, the culinary focus tends to be on fish and vegetables. Famous are not only the cheeses from Lombardy, such as Mascarpone, Gorgonzola, Taleggio or Grana padano, but also the pesto alla genovese.
A rich and varied cuisine, which is mainly characterised by fish and meat, will spoil you in Veneto. This is often accompanied by polenta prepared in different ways and, of course, a good drop of wine, which are plentiful in the north of Italy and will turn your trip into a culinary experience.
The authentic Northern Italy
Why can't I find any prices on geotoura.com?
We do not offer standardised packages. Your Geotoura trip is customised according to your wishes.
We make this possible thanks to our high level of expertise and in-depth knowledge of the country as well as our excellent network of partners. You can look forward to extraordinary experiences, charming boutique hotels and very special insider tips on site.
Geotoura stands for the perfect planning of your personalised dream trip. Your individual price will therefore only include what really enriches your holiday.
Compared to standard holidays, this price is competitive. You will usually receive the comprehensive holiday design within 24 hours on working days.
Highly personalised trips are our speciality and the pleasure you deserve.
