Northern Italy

You’re invited to travel with alumni and friends from September 30-October 14, 2026, on a special fifteen-day small-group journey to experience the rustic Lake District, Tuscan countryside, and the vibrant cities of Florence and Venice.

Begin in Stresa with a three-night stay on lovely Lake Maggiore and cruise to the Borromean island of Isola Bella. Continue to Italy’s beautiful Liguria region and the Italian Riviera resort town of Santa Margherita, stopping at a premier vintner for a tasting of Barolo, the “king of wines.” Travel by boat to the renowned port of Portofino and enjoy a full-day Cinque Terre excursion. Then tour Tuscany, from Lucca through Florence and Siena. Moving on, stop in storied Verona en route to the South Tyrol and Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites. This adventure concludes in wondrous Venice, with its canals and unforgettable St. Mark’s Square. For those who want to enjoy a longer stay in Venice, an optional 3-day/2-night post-tour extension is available.

Limited to just 24 participants, and shared with a cosponsoring association, this  trip is sure to fill quickly. Please contact Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravel Society@Georgetown.edu for more details and to reserve your place today.

Dates & Rates

Dates:  September 30 – October 14, 2026

Destination(s): Italy

Price Range:

• Land/tour only  $5,395 per person based upon double occupancy
• air-inclusive packages from $6,374* per person (from Boston, New York -$5,695 air & land inclusive plus $679 airline taxes and fees)
• Single travelers please add $1,495

*Please see brochure or contact us for rates from other cities.

Trip Type: Land & Air

Trip Status:   Open for reservations –  Request a reservation today, or contact the Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details.

*All rates are per person based upon double occupancy. Airfare from other cities is available. Airline taxes, fuel surcharges, and departure fees are subject to change until final payment is made. Please see the brochure or contact us for more information.

Physical Activity Level – Moderate

 

Itinerary:

DAY 1: Depart U.S. for Milan, Italy

DAY 2: Arrive Milan/Stresa
After arriving in Milan, we drive to the international resort of Stresa on lovely Lake Maggiore, straddling the border between Italy and Switzerland. This afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s welcome dinner.
Meals: Dinner

DAY 3: Stresa
We embark this morning on a cruise to Isola Bella, the beautiful Borromean island in the middle of Lake Maggiore. Fully occupied by 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo and its extravagantly landscaped gardens, the island offers lovely views of the lake and surrounding mountains. We take a guided tour of the palazzo with its priceless works of fine art and stroll through the flower-decked gardens, and then enjoy lunch together on the nearby Isola dei Pescatori.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Stresa/Orta San Giulio
This morning, we visit the lovely lakeside town of Orta San Giulio – dubbed “God’s watercolor” by Italian writer Piero Chiara – with its cobblestoned streets, 16th-century town hall, and medieval houses flanking the inviting town square. After lunch on our own here, we return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5: Stresa/Barolo/Santa Margherita
We leave the Piedmont region today, bound for Santa Margherita and the Cinque Terre. En route, we stop in the village of Barolo for lunch and to sample Barolo, the “king of wines,” at Marchesi di Barolo, Italy’s premier vintner of its greatest wine. We continue on to the Italian Riviera resort town of Santa Margherita, with its palm-lined esplanade overlooking the harbor. Tonight, we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: Santa Margherita/Portofino
This morning, we travel by boat to the renowned – and beautiful – resort town of Portofino, a former fishing village where palatial yachts now crowd the port and where the good life is celebrated. We have free time to wander the colorful streets and visit the chic boutiques and galleries here before we return to our hotel at midday.
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7: Santa Margherita/Cinque Terre/Portovenere
We depart this morning by train for the hour-long trip to the Cinque Terre (literally, “Five Lands”), the five cliff-clinging villages seemingly carved from the mountains. Originally medieval fishing villages, the Cinque Terre were inaccessible by land for centuries; even today, no road connects all five. We stop in scenic Vernazza and then board a boat for a comfortable cruise along the rugged coastline to visit another village of the Cinque Terre. From here, we cruise to the port town of Portovenere, with its cluster of colorful column-shaped houses. After a brief walking tour of the Old Town, we have time to explore and
enjoy lunch on our own. We dine together tonight at our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8: Santa Margherita/Lucca/Radda-in-Chianti
Moving on today, we travel south to beloved Tuscany, stopping first in the atmospheric medieval town of Lucca. We take a walking tour of this incredibly well-preserved gem whose city walls and ramparts remain intact and are a popular attraction. After time for lunch on our own, we continue on to our lodgings.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 9: Radda-in-Chianti/Florence
We spend today touring and exploring wondrous Florence, a living monument to the Renaissance and the crown jewel of Tuscany. Our day includes a guided morning walking tour followed by free time. Together, we visit the Galleria dell’Accademia to view Michelangelo’s sublime David and his pieces for the papal tombs, and then we see the Duomo, with its stupendous dome by Brunelleschi. Afterwards we’re free to stroll the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio and its many jewelry shops; visit renowned museums and churches; shop for leather goods and artful Florentine paper; and enjoy lunch on our own. We return to our hotel in the mid-afternoon and tonight we dine together at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 10: Radda-in-Chianti/Siena
Today we visit the walled city of Siena, whose historic center is a UNESCO site and whose ochre-colored buildings and ancient ramparts vividly evoke its medieval past. Fan-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of Europe’s greatest public squares; its Duomo, with pillars of black and white marble, is one of Italy’s finest, housing masterpieces by Donatello and Michelangelo. Following a guided walking tour that includes an inside visit to the Duomo, we have free time to explore on our own. We return to our hotel late this afternoon and have the remainder of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 11: Radda-in-Chianti/Verona/Bolzano
As we travel north today, we stop in storied Verona, renowned as the setting of several Shakespeare plays, including, of course, Romeo and Juliet. A UNESCO site, Verona boasts well-preserved monuments from antiquity, including a 1st-century Roman amphitheater still in use today, as we see on our guided walking tour. After time for lunch and to explore on our own here, we continue our journey to the South Tyrol, Italy’s German-accented northern reaches bordering Austria and Switzerland. We’re bound for the regional capital of Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites in the Italian Alps. Late this afternoon we reach our hotel, where we dine together tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 12: Bolzano
Set in a basin surrounded by rounded forest-green hills, Bolzano boasts an enviable quality of life – and truly spectacular scenery. We take a cable car to a spot for views of the 18-peak Dolomites, their vertical walls and sheer cliffs presenting a magnificent backdrop to the surrounding woodlands, valleys, and pastures. Then we walk through Bolzano’s colorful historic center and visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, well known for housing the mummified corpse of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to 3300 BCE. This evening is at leisure to enjoy dinner on our own in this surprisingly cosmopolitan city

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 13: Bolzano/Venice
En route to Venice today, we travel through the Dolomites themselves, enjoying jaw-dropping scenery at every turn. When we reach Venice this afternoon, we are free to begin savoring this wondrous city as we wish and enjoy dinner on our own.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 14: Venice
This morning, we take a guided walk through the vast St. Mark’s Square. The afternoon is free for independent exploration; tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and to our fellow travelers at a farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 15: Depart for U.S.
We depart early this morning for our connecting flights to the U.S.
Meals: Breakfast

 

Included Features:   

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary
• 13 nights’ accommodations in Superior First Class and First Class hotels
• 23 meals: 13 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 7 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of a professional Tour Director
• Private motor-coach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers

What’s not included:
Taxes; passport, visas and associated fees; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; excess baggage charges on aircraft; transfers and baggage handling to/from hotel on day of arrival and/or departure if you have booked as a “land only” participant or if you are arriving earlier or later than and/or departing earlier or later than the scheduled group transfer(s); any overnight on land due to flight schedule(s); meals, alcoholic or other beverages and all other services not specifically mentioned in the “Included Features” section of the program brochure.