Magnificent Maggiore & Lake Como

Travelsphere’s escorted holiday begins in Milan before heading to Baveno, a lakeside resort on Lake Maggiore where several days offer time to relax or join optional trips. Nearby lie the Borromean Islands, including Isola Madre with its English-style gardens and white peacocks, and Isola Bella, home to a Baroque palace with terraced gardens and cool grottoes.

A day on Lake Como includes a visit to Como town with medieval walls and churches, and a boat ride to Bellagio, where cobbled streets and cafés invite a slow afternoon. This contrasts with a visit to Macugnaga, a mountain village beneath the second-highest Alpine peak, Monte Rosa, framed by forested slopes.

The itinerary leaves space for easier days, whether beside the pool or sampling optional excursions into Switzerland’s Alps. The latter includes a train journey to Zermatt and views of the sharply pointed Matterhorn. The tour ends back in Milan for the return flight to the UK.

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