Flying from Newcastle 2025 and 2026
Italy showcases a rich tapestry of culture, cuisine, and stunning landscapes, from deserts to the majestic Alps, while Switzerland is renowned for its dramatic alpine scenery, with chic St. Moritz at its heart.
Our tour features the breathtaking Lake Como, revered for its serene beauty and historical significance, attracting artists and poets for centuries. The lake’s deep blue waters reflect the surrounding hills and snow-capped peaks, while vibrant villas line the shores. We’ll also visit Lake Maggiore, known for its Mediterranean charm, lined with palm trees and picturesque 19th-century towns.
Just north lies Switzerland, home to dramatic alpine scenery and the chic resort of St. Moritz. We'll embark on the iconic Bernina Express, renowned for its scenic rail journey through the Poschiavo Valley.
This tour is designed for you to experience the most stunning Italian lakes and Swiss mountains, creating some unforgettable memories.
FLYING FROM NEWCASTLE
6 Jun 2025 Hotel Bazzoni 3* £1,969 pp
25 Sep 2025 Hotel Bazzoni 3* £2,114 pp
19 May 2026 Hotel Bazzoni 3* £1,909 pp
07 Jul 2026 Hotel Bazzoni 3* £1,929 pp
22 Sep 2026 Hotel Bazzoni 3* £1,929 pp
Highlights
Discover St Moritz, a charming town nestled between the Engadin mountains.
Embark on a scenic journey aboard the Bernina Express, one of the world’s most spectacular alpine railway journeys.
Spend a day in Stresa on Lake Maggiore, including a tour of the beautiful Isola Bella.
Set sail on a lake cruise to stunning Bellagio with a private visit to the enchanting Villa del Balbianello and its inspirational gardens.
Stroll through the Swiss lakeside town of Lugano.
DAY ONE Arrival at Lake Como
Arrive in Milan Linate, Malpensa or Bergamo, then transfer to the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
DAY TWO Lake Como & Bellagio
Experience the stunningly beautiful Lake Como on a guided tour.
Lake Como, one of the deepest in Europe, has been beloved of romantics since the famous Roman chronicler Pliny wrote of its luxuriant beauty and it has inspired some of the best works by greats such as Verdi and Rossini.
A favourite of Shelley and Wordsworth, the delights of Lake Como are many and varied and this morning you can enjoy one of its many highlights, a private boat and tour of the beautiful, 18th century Villa del Balbianello, one of the finest villas surrounding the lake. Originally built for a cardinal, it features a renowned collection of art and historic furniture, ironically much of it English, including an oak bureau from Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.
The gardens are equally stunning, being a series of manicured terraces full of fragrant roses and colourful borders, dominated by a classic three arched ‘loggia’, and all creatively planted using the rugged topography to great effect.
Bellagio
The boat then takes us to the elegant and exclusive resort of Bellagio which, with its idyllic location on a promontory on the lake, is often described as the most beautiful town in Italy, and when you see it, you will almost certainly agree!
Once the haunt of European monarchs, today the attractive, pastel-coloured buildings, faded by decades of sunshine, line the lake shore and narrow cobbled streets and lanes climb their way to the hilly centre. Awash with colourful flowers Bellagio cannot be bettered for a long lazy lunch in one of the many lakeside restaurants, followed by a stroll perhaps amongst the many typically formal Italian gardens so beloved of romantics over the centuries, sprinkled as they are with fine, 18th century sculpture.
Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace before returning to your resort by boat when you wish. (Subject to available boat timetable).
DAY THREE The Bernina Express
Enjoy a contrasting day of spectacular scenery on board the Bernina Express and visit extraordinary St Moritz
Today, we enjoy a contrasting day of spectacular scenery and extraordinary Swiss engineering. Firstly, we ascend up the Valtellina, a classic alpine valley with soaring peaks rising steeply on both sides to Tirano, where we board the famous Bernina Express.
One of the slowest ‘express’ trains in the world, this remarkable Swiss train twists upwards in an amazing sequence of spirals, loops and tunnels to the summit at Ospizio Bernina, the highest through station in Europe. Here, you are surrounded by stunning vistas over snow-clad peaks and ice-cold glacial lakes which strikingly mark the watershed between Mediterranean and Black Sea River systems.
We descend sinuously through pretty pastures and dense pine forests to the ostentatiously chic resort of St Moritz, home of the infamous Cresta Run toboggan track, where there’s time for a spot of window shopping or perhaps afternoon tea and cake. Listen carefully and you may notice a rather unusual tongue: here, in this tiny corner of Switzerland, the locals speak Romansch, an ancient and little-known Latin language.
We return through yet more spectacular scenery to Lake Como for dinner.
DAY FOUR Lake Maggiore & Stresa
Visit nearby Lake Maggiore and its picturesque lakeside town, Stresa. Then tour the beautiful island Isola Bella.
Today we visit nearby Lake Maggiore and its most attractive lakeside town, Stresa, which owes its origin to the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ when Europe’s 19th century aristocracy, having crossed the border from Switzerland, experienced their first taste of Italy!
Unmistakably Mediterranean in character, its shores, lined with oleanders and palms, backed by classic belle époque hotels create an ambience of classic gentility. Take a stroll along its impressive palm-lined promenade and enjoy the fine views across the shimmering lake to the Borromean Islands just offshore.
You can also take the short boat trip to Isola Bella, an island transformed by a 17th century count, from a barren rock into an amazing, terraced garden. This stunning display has long been visited by the famous, amongst them Queen Caroline of England, wife of George IV, plus Napoleon and Josephine.
For the literary enthusiasts, you can relax at the bar of the Grand Hotel, featured in Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and also frequented by the likes of George Bernard Shaw and Charlie Chaplin.
Enjoy a guided tour of the Baroque Palazzo on Isola Bella – its resplendent rooms feature refined furniture, sculptures and paintings while outside exquisite terraces are planted with citrus trees and magnolias.
DAY FIVE Free day
Spend a free day in Lake Como exploring as you wish.
Today you are free to explore as you wish. Enjoy a delicious Italian coffee in one of the pleasant cafés. Alternatively, you may decide to take the boat to the lakeside town of Como or visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo.
DAY SIX Lugano
Travel to the delightful town of Lugano.
This morning we travel to Lugano, capital of the Italian speaking canton of Ticino which was seized by the Swiss in 1512 and has steadfastly refused any opportunity to revert to Italy ever since! It is absolutely fascinating, an eclectic mix of traditional Swiss values and the more laid-back Latin influences from across the border.
The trains run on time and shops are just as chic, but there’s a distinctive Mediterranean feel unlike anything you’ll experience elsewhere in Switzerland. Tiny alleyways lead to unmistakably Italian piazzas, where you can relax over a typically Italian lunch, but like everywhere else in Switzerland, the traffic laws are obeyed without question - it really is a quirky blend!
The town is a delight to explore being centred round the café-lined main square, ideal to people-watch whilst enjoying a superb coffee. Alternatively, you can explore the myriad of twisting lanes of the old town or the dense network of shops with their displays probably unmatched anywhere in the world.
Lugano is a lovely place to idly wander, before we enjoy yet more outstanding scenery on our return journey to our hotel for dinner.
DAY SEVEN Free day
Take the day at your own pace with a free day in Lake Como.
Today you’re free to explore Lake Como at leisure. Perhaps enjoy a boat trip to one of the picturesque villages dotted around the lake, or simply relax at the hotel and enjoy the stunning scenery.
DAY EIGHT Return home
Return to the airport for our flight home.
All passengers must have a valid passport for this tour. Depending on the country issuing your passport, a visa may also be required. More information can be found at the
Identity and Passport service
Customers should ensure that they are fit enough to travel, please check with your General Practictioner and www.fco.gov.uk/travel and www.nathnac.org
The latest advice from the Foreign and commonwealth office about travelling abroad
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Tours operated by Riviera Travel. ATOL NO 3430
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Mobility We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to call us to discuss these concerns
We strongly advise that you check the latest advice from the Foreign and commonwealth office about travelling abroad both before booking and before travelling
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