Great Italian Villa Gardens by the Lakes of Lombardy

5 Good Reasons to Do this Trip:

1. THE GRAND GARDEN AND TIME HOP 

   From 17th-century terraces to chestnut trees older than your family tree, come learn how each Lombardy garden has a 20th century tale to tell too.

2. BOND WITH BALBIANELLO
   James Bond filmed here. So did Star Wars. Arriving by boat to Villa del Balbianello’s cinematic gardens, you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled onto a movie set (because you have).
3. CHEERS TO THE GOOD LIFE 

   Winery tastings, café lunches, and hotel bars with lake views – it’s impossible to stay thirsty here.

4. PEARL OF THE LAKE
   Lunch in Bellagio really is as dreamy as it sounds: lake glittering, pasta steaming, and you wondering why you don’t live here full-time.
5. A PRIVATE CONCERT, KIND OF
   Most museums stick their priceless instruments behind glass. At Villa Medici-Giulini, they get played while you eat dinner under frescoed ceilings. Not bad!

Pre-registrations for this trip are open now – just follow this link to secure your spot.

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AT-A-GLANCE ITINERARY

September 12, Saturday – Ciao Milano
September 13, Sunday– Villa Porto Bozzolo and Villa Cicogna Mozzoni
September 14, Monday – Isola Madre, Isola II Pescatore and Isola Bella
September 15, Tuesday – Villa Melzi and Villa Medici
September 16, Wednesday – Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello
September 17, Thursday – Villa Taranto and Giardino Lorella
September 18, Friday – Garden of Guilini, Return to Milan and Bosco Verticale
September 19, Saturday – Farewell Friends

CarexTours strives to operate according to our published itinerary. However, adjustments may be necessary if unforeseen circumstances beyond our control occur or opportunities arise that would enhance the itinerary.

FULL ITINERARY

 

Day 1, Saturday, September 12 – CIAO MILANO

The day you’ve been counting down to is finally here – it’s arrival day! Touch down in Italy. Lucky for you, your hotel is right next to the airport, so there’s no marathon transfer standing between you and a hot shower. Check in, rinse off the journey, and freshen up for the evening. That’s when the party really begins.

Tonight, you’ll meet your Carex crew over a three-course Italian dining extravaganza. What’ll it be? Plates of silky pasta, a roast swimming in herbs, or tiramisu so soft it barely holds its shape on the spoon? You’ll have to join to find out! Add a carafe of house red and plenty of “buon appetito!” floating around the table, and you’ll know you’re in for a treat with this trip.

Accommodation: Sheraton Malpensa (or similar)
Included: Dinner

Day 2, Sunday, September 13 – VILLA PORTO BOZZOLO AND VILLA CICOGNA MOZZONI

It’s the first morning of the trip, and you’re off to Villa Porto Bozzolo where the 17th century is alive and kicking. The geometric Baroque-style gardens here are tiered like a green wedding cake, with gravel paths, grand staircases, and terraces that look like they climb straight up into the sky. Lombardy doesn’t usually do this kind of formal razzmatazz (that’s more of a Roman thing), but that’s what makes this place feel like you’ve stumbled onto a misplaced secret.

After you’ve explored it from head to toe, it’s on to Villa Cicogna Mozzoni. This pre-1440s hunting lodge had a Renaissance makeover fit for a king in the mid-16th century, and its terraced, theatrical gardens have been gasp-worthily gorgeous ever since. The current owner will even show you around, sprinkling in a little family gossip to bring the grounds to life.

By evening, you’ll roll into the Palace Grand Hotel, your new home for the next few nights, just in time for your first four-course dinner together. Come hungry!

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3, Monday, September 14 – ISOLA MADRE AND ISOLA BELLA

Coach it to Stresa this morning, then trade wheels for water on a private boat ride across Lake Maggiore to Isola dei Pescatori. On this sleepy little island, the locals will treat you to lunch served straight from the lake, probably caught this very morning. Then, bellies full, it’s on to Isola Bella. 

It’s hard to accurately describe this place, so… imagine a Baroque palace and ten terraces of manicured gardens somehow crammed onto a rock in the lake. Count Borromeo built this for his wife Isabella in the 1600s, and, in our very impartial opinion, he nailed it. Peacocks strut, citrus trees glow, and the whole island looks like it’s floating. By contrast, the next stop, Isola Madre, is wilder, all ancient trees and wisteria in bloom.

To round it all off, you’ll stop for dinner at one of our favorite pizza spots before rolling back to the hotel. Big day. So the only question is… bar or bed? Your call.

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4, Tuesday, September 15 – VILLA MELZI

Villa Melzi, right on the shores of Lake Como (which, we’re sure, needs no introduction), was built in the early 1800s, with neoclassical gardens that are a masterclass in the ‘casual-but-curated’ look – a blend of naturalism  and formal design. On your entire morning dedicated to exploring it, you’ll wander past marble statues and gazebos that feel straight out of an Italian Bridgerton, but better, thanks to the shimmering Como backdrop.

You’ll have some free time for lunch in Bellagio, which lives up to its “pearl of the lake” nickname. Grab a waterfront table, order something that sets off fireworks on your tongue, and drink in that view before moving on to Villa Medici-Giulini. Built in the 1600s and still as grand as in its heyday, it’s home to one of the best collections of ancient keyboard instruments in the world (harpsichords, fortepianos, spinets), surprisingly all still playable. 

After a wander through the Italian and English thematic gardens, settle in for an intimate dinner inside the villa, complete with live music echoing through frescoed halls. Goosebumps guaranteed!

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5, Wednesday, September 16 – VILLA CARLOTTA AND VILLA DEL BALBIANELLO

Villa Carlotta, is the place to be at this time of year, and has been since 1745. Out at the front, the fountain-and-gate combo sets the scene, but it’s the gardens that really steal the show, full of terraced roses, climbing jasmine, tree ferns, and even the odd banana tree thanks to Como’s microclimate. Spend a while waltzing through English-style landscaped paths and imagining Duchess Carlotta herself checking on her plant collection a couple of centuries ago, before grabbing lunch in the garden café.

Now, it’s boat time! The only proper way to arrive at Villa del Balbianello is by water, gliding up to its cypress-framed entrance like a movie star. The whole place was designed to wow: carved out of a rocky headland with everything laid out to make sure the villa never has a bad angle. Hollywood clearly noticed, choosing to film parts of Casino Royale here. If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s certainly good enough for us!

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6, Thursday, September 17 – VILLA TARANTO

Your morning kicks off at Villa Taranto, a garden that proves one man’s plant obsession is another man’s… national treasure? Back in the 1930s, Scottish captain Neil McEarchern started collecting rare species from all over the world, and today his creation sprawls across 180,000 square metres. Expect winding paths, colour explosions, and the occasional gasped ‘wait, how does that even grow here?’ as you explore these grounds.

After free time and another epic lunch in Verbania (go on, order the pasta again. We won’t judge you…), you’ll head to Giardino Lorella-Orta, a newer private garden with serious ‘wow’ power. At its heart is a 600-year-old chestnut tree lording over maples, magnolias, and rhododendrons, with Lake Orta and Monte Rosa in the backdrop. Pure heaven.

Round the day off with a glass or two at a local winery before heading back to the hotel for dinner. A fabulous day, if we do say so ourselves.

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Wine Tasters and Dinner

Day 7, Friday, September 18 – RETURN TO MILAN

Bags packed? Good. But you’re not done yet. Your morning begins in a private garden at Villa Giulini, where, after noseying through the grounds to your heart’s content, you’ll enjoy lunch among the greenery. Take one last deep breath of Lake District air before it’s time to point the compass back towards Milan.

On the way, finish with a stop at Bosco Verticale, Milan’s famous ‘vertical forest’ that was completed in 2014. These two apartment towers are swallowed by more than 900 trees and thousands of shrubs and plants! It’s part overgrown garden, part eco-art installation, and one of the coolest buildings you’ll ever see.

By evening, you’re back at the Sheraton Malpensa, where the adventure first began. Unfortunately, it’s farewell dinner time – but this isn’t Carex if we’re not going to make it a blooming brilliant send off! Expect good food, plenty of belly-laughs with your newfound friends, and maybe even a few plans for the next trip together?

Accommodation: Palace Grand Hotel Varese (or similar)
Included: Breakfast,  Lunch and Dinner

 

Day 8, Saturday, September 18 – FAREWELL FRIENDS 

Say your goodbyes to your lovely new Carex crew, squeeze in one last Italian espresso, and then it’s time to roll. Safe travels, and until next time – arrivederci!

Included: Breakfast

Can you picture yourself on this garden trip? Click the link to reserve your spot.