From the Italian Lake District to the Cinque Terre and from Tuscany to the Dolomites, discover the diverse landscapes, culture, arts, and history of Italy's northern regions.

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Starting at: $6,474 * Price includes special offer * Includes airfare, taxes & all fees Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542

Vernazza, the Cinque Terre

The lovely Borromean island of Isola Bella, located on Lake Maggiore

The village of Stresa, located on Lake Maggiore

Milan's renowned cathedral

The village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera

Vernazza, along the Cinque Terre

The iconic Duomo of Florence

Michelangelo's <i>David</i> in the Accademia in Florence

Michelangelo's David in the Accademia in Florence

The Campo in Siena

The facade and distinctive belltower of Siena's cathedral

The Tuscan hill town of Volterra

The hill town of San Gimignano, featuring its many medieval towers

The quintessential Tuscan landscape with rolling hills, cypress trees, and farmhouses

Vista of Verona

View of the Doge's Palace and Campanile from the canal in Venice

The Grand Canal of Venice

Venice

Northern Italy: The Lake District, Tuscany, and the Dolomites

15 days from $6,474 | includes airfare, taxes and all fees

From the Italian Lake District to the Cinque Terre and from Tuscany to the Dolomites, discover the diverse landscapes, culture, arts, and history of Italy's northern regions.

departure passengers

or Call 855-330-1542

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

A wonderful program. Everything is planned meticulously. This journey gave a great idea of Northern Italy and its history. I feel like I saw so much of this beautiful country. Tour guide was AMAZING!

- Past Smithsonian Journeys Traveler

JOURNEYS DISPATCHES

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Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Situated on the shores of Lake Maggiore, the 120-room La Palma Hotel is surrounded by lovely Italian gardens. It features a garden-view restaurant; bar; lounges; internet access; laundry and dry cleaning services; fitness room with panoramic views; solarium; Jacuzzi; sauna; and heated lakeside swimming pool with a view of the Borromean islands. Air-conditioned guest rooms offer balcony, private bath with hair dryer, mini-bar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Hotel Metropole

Santa Margherita, Italy

An intimate, family-owned and operated 58-room hotel located just a short walk from the bay and a private beach, the Metropole features a restaurant and bar; complimentary Wi-Fi internet access; laundry and dry cleaning services; fitness center with massage services and Turkish bath; and outdoor pool. Each air-conditioned room has a private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Palazzo Leopoldo

Siena, Italy

The Palace takes its name from its most illustrious guest, Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Arranged over three adjacent buildings, it dates back to the late 13th century, when it gave refuge to pilgrims on the road between Florence and Siena. Wisely restored, it keeps intact the taste of the ancient lords of Tuscany with original pieces of the ancient residence, including frescoes, fireplaces, exposed beams and period furnishings. Modern comforts include a wellness center, heated indoor swimming pool, gym, restaurant, wine bar, meeting spaces, solarium with hydromassage and a terrace. The rooms are uniquely decorated and are fitted with a 32-inch LCD TV. La Perla Del Palazzo, the hotel’s restaurant, provides tasty samples of Tuscan food, also served in the garden. Drinks are served on the terrace overlooking the Chianti hills.

Hotel Scala Stiegl

Bolzano, Italy

This Liberty-style hotel in an updated 1898 coach station sits a short walk from the Bolzano train station and the South Tirol Museum of Archaeology. This hotel boasts a restaurant and bar, sun terrace, garden, fitness center, and sauna, and offers complimentary Wi-Fi internet access and laundry service. All 65 air-conditioned guestrooms feature a private bath with hair dryer, TV, in-room safe, and phone.

Palazzo Veneziano

Venice, Italy

Opening in Spring 2017, the Palazzo Veneziano sits in the trendy Venice neighborhood of Zattere. It overlooks the Giudecca Canal, the widest promenade in Venice with numerous bars and restaurants. Hotel amenities include a bar, library, internal courtyards, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. Each of the 84 guest rooms have Venetian furnishings, private bath with hair dryer, mini-bar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Activity Level

Expectations: This Classic Land Journey features visits to cities, remote villages, ancient ruins, and historic sites in five different regions in northern Italy. Although comprehensive, it's not rushed, but well paced and finely tuned. Expectations include longer touring days with many full-day motor coach excursions and five different hotels. Mostly full-day excursions last from four to six hours, and nine afternoons at leisure are included. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and outdoor activities; daily walks of up to three miles sometimes over difficult terrain such as cobblestones and city hills (especially in hilltowns), uneven pavement (especially at archaeological sites), stairs without handrails, and absence of elevators; longer walks to get to city centers where coaches are prohibited. There are three longer coach rides of approximately three hours duration. This tour also features three boat trips in the Lake Disrict and along the coast of the Cinque Terre.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).

Tour Extension

Venice Post-Program Option — 3 Days, 2 Nights

End your journey with a longer stay in this most beautiful of cities. Your tour price includes:

2 nights accommodations at Palazzo Veneziano (Superior First Class)
2 meals: 2 breakfasts
Transfer to airport

Palazzo Veneziano
Opened in 2017, the Palazzo Veneziano sits in the trendy Venice neighborhood of Zattere. It overlooks the Giudecca Canal, the widest promenade in Venice with numerous bars and restaurants. Hotel amenities include a bar, library, internal courtyards, and complimentary WiFi internet access. Each of the 84 guest rooms come with Venetian furnishings, private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Testimonials

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

A wonderful program. Everything is planned meticulously. This journey gave a great idea of Northern Italy and its history. I feel like I saw so much of this beautiful country. Tour guide was AMAZING!

- Past Smithsonian Journeys Traveler

Reading List

Highly Recommended

The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings

By: R.W.B. Lewis

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Italy in Mind: An Anthology

By: Powers, Alice Leccese (EDT)

Comprised of short stories, novel excerpts, essays, poetry journals and letters, this work will delight anyone who loves Italy or great travel writing. Pieces include Barbara Grizzuti Harrison marveling at baroque Sicilian confections, Mary McCarthy celebrating Venice's threadbare dignity, and Henry James's Isabel Archer succumbing to the treacherous antiquities of Florence.

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La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

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City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas

By: Roger Crowley

“The rise and fall of Venice’s empire is an irresistible story and [Roger] Crowley, with his rousing descriptive gifts and scholarly attention to detail, is its perfect chronicler.”—The Financial Times The New York Times bestselling author of Empires of the Sea charts Venice’s astounding five-hundred-year voyage to the pinnacle of power in an epic story that stands unrivaled for drama, intrigue, and sheer opulent majesty. City of Fortune traces the full arc of the Venetian imperial saga, from the ill-fated Fourth Crusade, which culminates in the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, to the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1499–1503, which sees the Ottoman Turks supplant the Venetians as the preeminent naval power in the Mediterranean. In between are three centuries of Venetian maritime dominance, during which a tiny city of “lagoon dwellers” grow into the richest place on earth. Drawing on firsthand accounts of pitched sea battles, skillful negotiations, and diplomatic maneuvers, Crowley paints a vivid picture of this avaricious, enterprising people and the bountiful lands that came under their dominion. From the opening of the spice routes to the clash between Christianity and Islam, Venice played a leading role in the defining conflicts of its time—the reverberations of which are still being felt today. “[Crowley] writes with a racy briskness that lifts sea battles and sieges off the page.”—The New York Times “Crowley chronicles the peak of Venice’s past glory with Wordsworthian sympathy, supplemented by impressive learning and infectious enthusiasm.”—The Wall Street Journal

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Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook & Dictionary 9

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Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.

Northern Italy: The Lake District, Tuscany, and the Dolomites