The Lakes & Mountains of Italy with the Panoramic Bernina Express led By Denis Lyle
A typical 3 or basic 4* hotel in Italy for July 2025 is around £1500pp sharing. Join us on this exclusive value for money tour to the lesser spotted Italian Lake District. You will spend 7 nights in the Lake Iseo area around 25kms from the town of Iseo in Darfo Boario Terme, in a moderate air-conditioned 4* hotel perfect for group touring. This hotel is in a small village facing the mountains. The hotel is a base for your touring as it is situated between lakes, but not at the cost of staying at the lakes. Our groups have used this hotel before and Marina the owner, is most attentive to our guests. The rooms are moderate, clean and have a fridge and are within 200 metres of the local supermarket where you can stock up on local produce, water and fresh fruit etc.
The hotel is offered on a half board basis with breakfast and 3-course set evening meal. The meals are locally sourced produce and typical off the beaten track, in Italy. Breakfast is normally continental with cereal, croissants, juice and tea/coffee. Evening meals are set. In Italy your main stables are pasta, polenta and risotto served with meats. Desserts range from Tiramisu, ice cream to apple strudel. Special medical dietary requests will be catered for. This holiday gives you one base for a week and some escorted day trips without costing normal summer Italian prices. HOTEL SAN MARTINO ****, in DARFO BOARIO TERME www.sanmartinohotel.com. Indoor pool access is limited due to external use of spa but available on free days. Pools close at 5.30pm.
DAY ONE – 02 JULY 2024
Depart Dublin for your flight at 07.00am arriving 10.40am. Transfer time 2 hours approx to Darfo Biario de Terme . Check in around 3pm. Evening free. Dinner at hotel.
DAY TWO – 03 JULY 2025
Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy your first trip in the Lakes to one of the best kept secrets of Italy, tranquil Lake Iseo. The journey takes around 45 minutes depending on traffic. The town sits on the lake and hosts multiple shops, gelaterias and views of the beautiful Isola Monte. Your will have a short, guided tour of the town and a boat trip to the island. Some free time before returning to the hotel around 4pm
DAY THREE – 04 JULY 2025
One of the most known lakes is Lake Garda. Many have travelled on package holidays there. Today you will visit Malcesine, one of the most picturesque towns on the Southeast side of the lake. A beautiful castle sits on the headland and cobbled streets lead you to the beautiful harbour. Return to hotel around 4pm
DAY FOUR – 05 JULY 2024
Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast travel through the Veltlin to Tirano. Here the Rhaetian Railway is waiting to take us on an impressive Alpine crossing on the legendary Bernina Express. This journey through beautiful narrow valleys is considered one of the most spectacular sections of the railway. Stunning vistas delight your eyes at every turn. The train journey will include the panoramic carriage. Your train journey ends at St Moritz. Your coach transfer will take you back from St Moritz to Darfo. This trip is your longest day, but it is worth every minute. Dinner and overnight at hotel
DAY FIVE – 06 JULY 2024
Breakfast at the hotel. Sunday service at the hotel. Remainder of day free. There is a little lake on the top of the mountain called Lago Moro. It has a coffee shop, restaurant and a little church. Bring a picnic if you wish. The local bus goes 100m from the hotel and is around €3 return. It is perfect for a Sunday Walk. The waters are so clear you can swim there or take a walk to the local olive groves. The local train station is a few metres past the supermarket, and you can head back to towns on Lake Iseo is you wish.
DAY SIX – 7 JULY 2024
Breakfast at hotel. The city of Brescia is one of the most historic cities in Italy. It actually houses as many, if not more, artefacts from Roman times than Rome itself. To discover Roman Brescia, start from Piazza del Foro, one of the oldest squares in Brescia, adjacent to Via Musei. Piazza del Foro is a sort of city navel: it’s the crossroads between the old Decumanus, the main east-west street in Roman times, and Cardus, the north-south street. This was the centre of the city’s civil, political, business, and trade life. By the square are the remains of the Capitolium Temple (73 A.D.) and the Roman Theatre (1st century A.D.), one of the main Italian theatres at the time with a capacity of 15 thousand spectators.
Opposite the Capitolium Theatre are the small Baroque church of San Zeno al Foro and the remains of the porches that ran around the square perimeter. The ground level at the time was much lower than today‘s and these remains give a great perspective of where the city was in those old days. By the square, surrounded by historic aristocratic residences, stands Palazzo Martinengo, built in the 17th century and used today to host temporary exhibitions. It also contains a wooden scale model of the whole area giving you a true window over the past of the city. Dinner and overnight at hotel
DAY SEVEN – 8 JULY 2024
Breakfast at hotel. Today you return to Iseo. Most Italian shops open in the morning and then close from 12 midday to 3pm. During your touring it is difficult to get some free time in the morning as it is cooler for walking, so we are giving you a chance to go back to Iseo and enjoy a day there to explore in your own free time and grab some last-minute souvenirs and gifts. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY EIGHT – 24 JULY 2024
Depart hotel at 7.20am after early breakfast for your return flight from Linate at 11.30am arriving in Dublin around 12.50.
Price: £1695 pp sharing Single supplement £165
Price includes: -
- Return flights.
- Transfers
- Escorted excursions as listed in the itinerary.
- 7 nights half board
- 20kgs of luggage per person
- Tour Escort throughout
Price excludes: -
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Lunches
- Tips - £40pp. This will be collected with balance payment.
- Local tourist tax of total 4euro per person is payable in resort.
This itinerary and hotels are subject to change. If changes are made beyond our control, we will endeavour to offer a reasonable alternative. This tour is offered on a first come first serve basis.
Insurance – you must have travel insurance for your trip and furnish a copy to our office with your final balance payment.
Bookings are only accepted with a completed booking form and a copy of your passport together with the requested deposit. If your passport is due for renewal, please advise on your booking form and send it as soon as you receive it. Deposits are non-refundable.
A payment plan is in place for this tour based on hotels, flights, excursions. Please ensure you make payments by the date stated or your holiday may be cancelled.
Payment Plan
Deposit £250pp at time of booking
2nd payment £250pp by 22 December 2024
3rd payment £250 by 28 February 2025
Balance payment by 30 April 2025
