Overseas Adventure Travel Announcing 2026 Adventures by Land & Small Ship | Northern Italy: The Alps, Dolomites & Lombardy

EUROPE

Val di Funes, South Tyrol
Val di Funes, South Tyrol
Bressanone
Bressanone

Italy: Lecco, Tirano, Lake Iseo, Trento, Bressanone (Dolomites), Venetian Countryside
Small groups of no more than 16 travelers, guaranteed

Witness the awe-inspiring landscapes and cultural treasures of Northern Italy on a journey from Milan and the Lombardy Lakes to the towering Dolomites. Along the way, meet fishermen and farm families, sip Franciacorta wines, journey by rail across the Alps into Switzerland, experience the unique culture of the Ladins, and much more.

16 days starting from $5,695
including international airfare from New York or Newark
Single Supplement: FREE
Departure Dates: Mar-Oct
Activity Level: 1 2 3 4 5 Moderate

IT'S INCLUDED

The Dolomites
The Dolomites
Castello del Buonconsiglio, Trento
Castello del Buonconsiglio, Trento
Lake Iseo
Lake Iseo

ITINERARY

DAY 1 • Depart U.S.

Fly overnight to Milan, Italy.

DAY 2 • Arrive in Milan, Italy • Transfer to Lecco

Arrive in Milan and transfer to Lecco, where we'll meet members of your group, including those who took the Italian Riviera, Genoa & the Cinque Terre or The Swiss Alps: Lucerne, Bern & Zermatt pre-trip extensions. 
Hotel NH Lecco Pontevecchio or similar

DAY 3 • Explore Lecco

Set off on a walking tour of riverside Lecco. Home to just under 50,000 inhabitants, Lecco sits about 30 miles north of Milan, on the peaceful, gently winding shoreline where Lake Como flows into the Adda River, Lecco features architectural landmarks such as the Torre Viscontea, a 14th-century medieval tower, as well as the Teatro della Società, a neoclassical work of art. After, you'll have some time to explore on your own. We'll gather tonight for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: B,D | Hotel NH Lecco Pontevecchio

DAY 4 • Explore Milan

Enjoy a guided tour of Milan this morning. Our discoveries include a stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which connects both the Teatro La Scala, and a visit to the Duomo di Milano, Milan's striking Gothic cathedral. One of the world's largest churches (it can seat 10,000), the white-marble Duomo covers an entire city block and has some 3,200 statues and 135 spires adorning its extravagant façade—more than any other building in the world. 
Meals: B,D | Hotel NH Lecco Pontevecchio

DAY 5 • Varenna • Tirano

Visit Varenna, a fishing village nestled along the shores of Lake Como. Here, we'll stroll along the Walk of Lovers, a pedestrian footpath renowned for its views of the lake, village, and surrounding mountains. After some free time to explore, we'll transfer to Tirano, where we'll have dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: B,L | Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar

DAY 6 • A Day in the Life in the Valtellina Valley

Experience A Day in the Life in the Valtellina Valley. You may visit a locally-owned goat cheese producer for a tasting, explore a San Rocco water mill that grinds buckwheat for pasta, or participate in daily chores of a family-run farm before sitting down for a homemade lunch.
Meals: B,L | Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar

DAY 7 • Bernina Express Train to Switzerland • Home-Hosted Dinner

We set off today for a full-day excursion across the Alps and into Switzerland. We'll board the local Bernina Express Train, one of the few rail journeys designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bernina Express Train is not just the world's highest Alpine crossing (reaching an altitude of 7,400 feet), but also the steepest, with gradients up to 7%. We'll then depart the train at Diavolezza station to ride a cable car up to a scenic viewpoint. Later, enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner in the home of a local family in Tirano.
Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Centrale Tirano or similar

 

ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT

On Day 7, cross the Alps into Switzerland aboard the Bernina Express Train to witness magnificent mountain scenery.

DAY 8 • Lake Iseo • Franciacorta vineyard tour

Head to Lago d'Iseo, a lake in the Franciacorta wine region, to visit a local winery run by two sisters. We'll hike the property's lush hills before learning about the ancient production process of sparkling wine. After, we'll enjoy lunch and a wine tasting.
Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Villa Kinzika or similar

DAY 9 • Lake Iseo • Montisola • Optional Brescia tour

Most of the day is yours to explore on your own. You may join our optional tour to the village of Brescia to visit an artisanal market and Roman ruins. Later this afternoon, you'll have the option to visit Montisola, a small town in the Franciacorta hills.
Meals: B | Hotel Villa Kinzika or similar

DAY 10 • Transfer to Trento • Visit Garda Lake • Olive oil tasting & lunch

Head to Trento, with a stop along the way in Garda. Covering more than 140 square miles, Lake Garda is the largest of the Italian lakes—so large it straddles the border of three distinct regions: Lombardy, Trentino Alto-Adige, and Veneto. The shores of the lake are dotted with quaint, postcard-perfect towns like the one we'll explore today, Desenzano. Following our discovery walk of the town, we'll then visit a local farm for an olive oil tasting and lunch. Afterwards, we continue our transfer to Trento.
Meals: B,L,D | Hotel America Trento or similar

DAY 11 • Trento • Optional Levico Terme cooking class

Set off on a walking tour of Trento. The city is noted in history as the locale of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter Reformation and brought half of Europe back to Roman Catholicism in the mid-16th century. Afterwards, you'll have the option to explore Trento on your own, or join an optional tour to the spa town of Levico Terme, where you'll enjoy a cooking class with a chef at a family-owned restaurant.
Meals: B | Hotel America Trento or similar

DAY 12 • Val di Funes • Bressanone (Brixen)

We'll start our day with a hike through the Val di Funes, a beloved valley known for its steep peaks and pastoral alpine scenes. After visiting an 18th-century chapel in a nearby hamlet, we'll continue on to Bressanone (also known as Brixen), the oldest city in the Alto Adige region.
Meals: B,L | Hotel Krone or similar

DAY 13 • Bolzano • Conversation about Tyrolean cultural identity • Optional Plose Mountain tour • Optional Novacella Monastery Winery tour

Depart by train for Bolzano, the capital of South Tyrol. After a walking tour, we'll stop at the civic museum to discuss Tyrolean cultural identity, then visit an archaeological museum featuring Otzi, a 5,300-year-old ice mummy. Later, you can join an optional tour to Plose, a scenic mountain near Bressanone noted for its panoramic views of the Dolomites; or another optional tour to the 900-year-old Novacella Monastery Winery for a tour and wine tasting.
Meals: B,D | Hotel Krone or similar

DAY 14 • Ladin Valleys • Nature hike • Bressanone

Visit Val Gardena, a valley nestled in the heart of the UNESCO-designated Dolomites where a trio of languages is spoken: German, Italian, and Ladin. The terrain here makes for a hiker's haven and skier's Shangri-La. To explore it, we'll meet a Ladin-speaking local who will hike with us through the Dolomites. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at a scenic mountain chalet.
Meals: B,L | Hotel Krone or similar

DAY 15 • Valsugana • Apple orchard • Venetian countryside

Leave the Alps for the hills of the Veneto region. Along the way, visit an apple orchard to meet with the farmer, learn about local apple cultivation, and enjoy a homemade lunch. Afterward, gather for a Farewell Drink and Dinner at our lodgings, an ancient Venetian villa.
Meals: B,L,D | Relais Villa Corner della Regina or similar

DAY 16 • Return to U.S.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or, begin your Classic Venice: Murano & Burano post-trip extension.
Meals: B

Graubunden, Switzerland
Graubunden, Switzerland
Vineyards, Italy
Vineyards, Italy

Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www.oattravel.com/itr

 

PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE on your Northern Italy adventure

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension—or both—to your adventure.

Italian Riviera, Genoa & the Cinque Terre

PRE-TRIP: 5 nights from $2,495

Monterosso, Cinque Terre, Italy
Monterosso, Cinque Terre, Italy

Witness the splendor of Liguria, the crescent-shaped home of the Italian Riviera. After two nights in Genoa, the ancient maritime capital, fall under the spell of the Cinque Terre, a quintet of UNESCO World Heritage Site villages perched high over the sea.

IT'S INCLUDED

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/itr-genoa-2026

The Swiss Alps: Lucerne, Bern & Zermatt

PRE-TRIP: 7 nights from $3,895

Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne, Switzerland

Discover ravishing Alpine scenery and the heart of Swiss heritage on this 7-night journey, beginning in 14th-century, lakeside Lucerne and culminating at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn in Zermatt.

IT'S INCLUDED

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/itr-lucerne-2026

Classic Venice: Murano & Burano

POST-TRIP: 4 nights from $2,095

Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy

Cap off your Italian adventures with four nights exploring the cobblestone streets and captivating canals of Venice, as well as the colorful islands of Burano and Murano.

IT'S INCLUDED

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/itr-venice-2026

ARRIVE EARLY

We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip. Price shown includes accommodations and private airport transfer.