Lake Como, St Moritz and the Bernina Express
from £1,495.00
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Highlights
- Ride the Bernina Express to St Moritz
- Discover Bellagio, "Italy's most beautiful town"
- Enjoy a week on the shores of Italy’s most romantic lake
- Entry to the gardens of a lakeside villa
Inclusions
- Seven nights' bed and breakfast or half-board accommodation in your chosen Lake Como Hotel
- Two boat trips on Lake Como
- A ride on the Bernina Express
- Entrance to the gardens of Villa del Balbianello
- Return flights to Milan
- Comfortable coach travel and transfers throughout
- Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager, with specialist local guides where applicable
Day 1
Fly from the UK to Italy - Fly to Milan and transfer to Lake Como and your chosen hotel. Settle into your surroundings and enjoy your first dinner.
Day 2
Included visit to Bellagio - Today introduces you to Como’s most sparkling jewel, stunning Bellagio. Idyllically set on the peninsula that divides the lake’s two southern limbs, Bellagio is often described as the most beautiful town in Italy. Join your tour manager for the ferry crossing, then step ashore to discover this exquisite place, with its elegant villas and glorious gardens looking out over the lake and backed by wooded hills. After a short walking tour, you'll be free to enjoy Bellagio and its wondrous surroundings. Stroll along the lakefront promenade, take a seat in a café, or enjoy a delicious gelato before returning by ferry back across the lake.
Day 3
Included Lake Como cruise and visit to Villa del Balbianello - Another relaxed day sees you take to the lake again to enjoy more of Como’s idyllic shoreline. Board a lake cruiser to sail past yet more elegant villas and their stunning gardens, and past some of the lake's highly favoured settlements. The day will include a visit to the gardens of Villa del Balbianello, after which you'll be free to sit back and relax, enjoying the joys of cruising back to port under hopefully sunny skies on what is sure to be a memorable day.
Day 4
Optional Bergamo tour - Join today’s optional excursion, which journeys to the twin city of Bergamo, built between the Lombardy Plain and the Alps. Here, modern Bassa, the Lower City with its neoclassical features, is watched over by idyllic, walled Alta, the Upper City. The city's stunning 14th-century citadel, ancient Piazza Vecchia (Old Square) with its beautiful Pallazo della Ragione, 15th-century bell tower, cathedral and elaborate Santa Maria Maggiore church are all breath-takingly glorious examples of Italian architecture. The city also boasts some carefully preserved Venetian walls, and a stroll along a section of these is a must for the energetic. Bergamo is also famed for its food, and boasts a host of reasonably priced cafes and osterie in which you can enjoy a delicious snack.
Day 5
Optional Milan city tour - Today you're free to relax in the hotel and its surroundings, or to join our optional excursion to the great city of Milan. One of Europe’s most exciting cities, Milan is not merely a centre of worldwide fashion; it is also home to some of the best collections of art and architecture in the world. The Sforzesco Castle, the famous shopping Galleria, La Scala – one of the world’s greatest opera houses – and the great cathedral, Il Duomo, one of its largest Gothic churches, are among the breath-taking sights brought to life on your guided tour. Afterwards you can head to the shops, visit a gallery or museum, or simply take a seat in a pavement café to watch the Milanese world go by.
Day 6
Included Bernina Express train journey to St Moritz - Our last included excursion take you to St Moritz, the world-famous resort set high in Switzerland’s Upper Engadine Valley. Board the Bernina Express to travel from the Lombardy town of Tirano through Switzerland’s Italian-speaking southeast corner – across viaducts (including the famous spiral at Brusio) and over the 2,253-metre-high Bernina Pass – to St Moritz. The journey to this exclusive mountain town features some of the most stunning scenery found anywhere in this Alpine region. Enjoy window-shopping in this playground paradise, or perhaps take a stroll into the beautiful countryside beyond the town, before returning to Como and your hotel by coach.
Day 7
Optional day trip to Lugano - Mark your final day on Lake Como with an optional visit to Lugano, one of Switzerland’s most stylish lake-side resorts. Around the lake, pretty villages nestle amidst luxuriant vegetation, and the shoreline is dotted with villas and summer homes. After a short sightseeing tour, explore under your own steam, or to take the funicular ride up Monte Bre for a panoramic view.
Day 8
Fly back to the UK - Bid "arrivederci" to your hosts, and transfer back to the airport to catch your flight home at the end of a wonderful stay in a beautiful corner of the world.
Hotel Bazzoni, Tremezzo
This welcoming hotel sits on the lakeside promenade, offering wonderful views from the newly refurbished public areas.
Hotel Lario, Mezzegra-tremezzina
Offering an enchanting view of Como's waters, this welcoming and comfortable three-star hotel is a short distance from the lake itself.
Hotel Griso Collection, Malgrate
Set on the edge of Lake Como and backed by the Bergamo Alps, this contemporary hotel provides a peaceful escape.
Hotel Nh Lecco Pontevecchio, Lecco
Overlooking Adda River, this contemporary hotel is close to the city centre and Lecco train station. Facilities & Amenities There's a restaurant with a terrace that serves Italian dishes, a cocktail bar, and a well-equipped gym. Rooms Airy, neutral-tone guestrooms feature safes, hairdryers, TVs, mini-bars, and free Wi-Fi.
Hotel Promessi Sposi, Malgrate
Facilities and amenities The hotel's wellness centre, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a garden terrace, features a spa and a gym. There is also a fine dining restaurant, an Italian eatery, a cocktail bar and lounge, and a wine cellar. Rooms Minimalist guestrooms with neutral details offer mini-bars, safes, TVs, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.
Further Information
Hotel transfer times
The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour 30 minutes from Milan Malpensa and two hours from Bergamo.
Combining hotel transfer
We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.
Meals and dining in Italy
Guests on half-board arrangements will be served a three-course evening meal, and can expect a first course of traditional pasta or soup, a main meat or fish course accompanied by one or two types of vegetable, and a simple dessert of fruit, cake or Italian ice cream. Breakfasts will usually consist of bread rolls, jam, cereal, ham, cheese, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Menus will vary from hotel to hotel, but choice will be more limited than in a normal restaurant. In some instances, individual guests who have booked with the hotel independently may be offered a different menu from those who are staying at the hotel as part of a package tour. Guests on half-board arrangements will be served a three-course evening meal, and can expect a first course of traditional pasta or soup, a main meat or fish course accompanied by one or two types of vegetable, and a simple dessert of fruit, cake or Italian ice cream. Breakfasts will usually consist of bread rolls, jam, cereal, ham, cheese, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Menus will vary from hotel to hotel, but choice will be more limited than in a normal restaurant. In some instances, individual guests who have booked with the hotel independently may be offered a different menu from those who are staying at the hotel as part of a package tour. An authentic dining experience in Italy can often be a bit different to the Italian food that international tourists might be used to, but it’s one of the best ways to truly appreciate the finer cultural differences of this tourist hotspot. From simpler, but more frequent, courses to regional dishes, here are some points to note when dining in Italy. The first major difference you’re likely to notice is that the dining experience as a whole is much longer; you’ll enjoy a much more social experience than the average dinner back home with multiple smaller courses spread across a longer period of time. While each meal will be prepared to order, you may notice that dishes are served cooler than you might be used to – Italian dishes are rarely served piping hot to preserve the more delicate flavours of each ingredient and to provide a more enjoyable dining experience. The final thing to bear in mind is that it may be tricky to find Italian classics in the same form as they are at home. For instance, while Spaghetti Carbonara is a staple in historic Rome – and made traditionally using egg yolks rather than cream – you’ll often find it replaced with a wild boar ragù in Tuscany.
Special requirements
If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Disabled access
The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Changes to your hotels
Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.
Italian hotel room tax
Some regions of Italy have introduced a room tax of between 1€ and 4€ per person per night, payable directly by the guest to the hotel on check-out. You will be advised by your tour manager in resort if a particular hotel is implementing this charge.
Itinerary changes
Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.
Foreign Office Travel Advice
Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.
Airport development fees
An Airport Development Fee has been introduced at a few UK Airports. You'll be required to pay this charge at the Norwich airport prior to checking in for your flight. Please visit the airport's website for further information.
Visas & Passports
Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. You do require government issued passport to travel. Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names. Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date"). Visa - You do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
European Entry/Exit Scheme (EES)
EES is a new digital border management system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of most European countries. Once introduced, when you go through passport control on arrival, as well as producing your passport for checking, you will also have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned. The system will register your entry on arrival and your exit when departing. You will only need to do this on your first entry into Europe after the scheme starts. The EES scheme is not live yet - the latest information can be found at https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live, ensure you are familiar with the process. For those travelling via Eurostar, there is a dual British and French/Belgian border in operational at St Pancras International. Therefore the EES system will be in place at the station, you will not need to be checked again on arrival at the other side. For further information please visit the ABTA website here. Please note: Irish passport holders or British Passport holders with an EU residency are currently excluded.
European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS)
Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, changes have been planned which affect the eligibility of citizens of the United Kingdom to have visa free travel to the EU. ETIAS travel authorisation is a new entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the European Union and Schengen counties. The ETIAS system is not live yet - the latest information can be found at www.etias.com. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live (and if applicable to you), apply for your ETIAS in good time prior to travel. Newmarket Holidays will not be able to undertake ETIAS applications on your behalf, so have instead instructed the services of the Travel Visa Company to provide help, should you need it. You can find more information about this service here. Please note: ETIAS will not be required for UK citizens travelling on our UK and Ireland tours.
Terms and conditions
Terms & Conditions: Save 15% on short haul tours offer applies to new bookings only booked between 15 September 2025 to 22 September 2025 and cannot be applied retrospectively to bookings already confirmed. This offer does not apply to child pricing. The offer does not apply to departure dates with late availability pricing or tours that depart in any other year. See full terms & conditions.