Northern Lombardy

The tour starts in the beautiful city of Bergamo, the 2023 European Capital of Culture. We meet at the Best Western Hotel Cappello d’Oro, in the lower town, at 9:30 am. We take the funicular to the Città Alta where we enjoy a tour with a local guide to see many of the main sights, including the Piazza Vecchia, Colleoni Chapel, and the Civic Tower. After a light lunch of local specialties, we drive to the Franciacorta region where we stay in a modern hotel in a small village in the heart of the vineyards. Time to settle in before we enjoy a glass of the prestigious sparkling wine before dinner in a local restaurant.

We start the day walking through the hills of Franciacorta, with expansive views over the vineyards. We visit the cellars of a local producer and taste the different styles of this famous sparkling wine before our picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we visit a 12th-century monastery with a wonderful 16th-century fresco cycle and then take a private boat cruise to the magical island of Monte Isola, which sits in the center of Lake Iseo. There is an opportunity for a stroll on the island before returning to our hotel. Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant.

(10 km / 6.2 miles)

We drive up into the hills above Lake Iseo. Our hike takes us into the mountains, climbing steadily on well-graded paths, first through woods and then on open mountain trails to reach the highest peak in the area, at an altitude of almost 2000 meters. Although only a short distance from the Franciacorta vineyards, we experience quite different scenery and are rewarded with spectacular views. Lunch in a mountain refuge before completing our hike and returning to the hotel for our final dinner in this region.

(12.5 km / 7.7 miles)

We leave our hotel and a short drive takes us to the town of Trescore Balneario, where we have a tour of a private chapel with a stunning 16th-century fresco cycle. We continue by road to a small village above Lake Iseo from where we hike along quiet tarmac roads and small trails with stunning views down to the lake. We climb up to a remote church with a breathtaking panoramic view, where we have our picnic. After lunch, we descend through the woods to arrive at the hamlet of Castro, where we stay for two nights. Later in the day, we visit Lovere – one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Time to browse the shops and enjoy an aperitif before dinner in a cozy restaurant.

(12 km / 7.5 miles)

A short drive takes us up into the mountains to the west of Lake Iseo, known as the Bergamasque or Orobic Alps. We start our walk at 1300 meters, from where we enjoy a stunning circular hike, climbing above the tree line to enjoy open views across alpine meadows overshadowed by some impressive mountain peaks. There is no road access today, so we enjoy a picnic which is hiked in by both of your guides. Dinner in the hotel this evening.

(14 km / 8.6 miles)

We leave our hotel after breakfast and drive north along the Val Camonica, a UNESCO World Heritage site which has over 250,000 preserved rock engravings. A short walk through one of the pretty villages leads us to a beautiful Romanesque church and one of the most important prehistoric sites in the valley. After lunch in a tiny alpine parish, we continue our journey to the Valtellina. Before reaching our destination, we visit the astonishing Besta Palace, formerly a noble residence and a lavish example of Renaissance architecture. We arrive in Tirano late afternoon and check into our beautiful hotel in the center of the old town. Dinner in a local restaurant.

A short drive takes us to the attractive, historic village of Teglio at 860 meters. From here we follow quiet trails which pass through terraced vineyards and beautiful hamlets with stone houses suspended over the river valley. We enjoy our picnic in a small village en route. We are rewarded with increasingly beautiful views as we gradually descend, passing a remote church clinging to the rocks before we arrive in Tirano. Later in the afternoon, we visit a small wine producer to learn about the production of Nebbiolo wine in this mountainous region. Dinner in a local restaurant.

(15 km / 9.3 miles)

Our final hike starts with a short train journey up the Poschiavo valley, part of the same route taken by the Bernina Express which travels from Tirano to St. Moritz. We experience the amazing corkscrew turns of the train line before we disembark at an alpine lake. We climb up through woods and past remote settlements to reach the historic Path of the Smugglers – used for contraband up until the 1970s. We stop at a mountain restaurant for lunch before descending steeply through chestnut woods and tiny hamlets to arrive at the medieval gate of Tirano. Final dinner in a local restaurant.

(18 km / 11.2 miles)

We depart Tirano after breakfast and head back to Bergamo. En route, we learn about the fascinating local cheese known as Storico Ribelle. These cheeses, awarded a Slow Food presidia, are made from cow and goat milks following ancient traditions of summer alpine grazing. We enjoy a private visit and a tasting. We arrive back in Bergamo train station at 2 pm and Bergamo airport at 2:30 pm.

On the final day, guests who don’t wish to return to Bergamo will have other options:

1. Say farewell to the group in Tirano and take the spell-binding Bernina Express directly from Tirano into Switzerland. This is truly one of Europe’s most spectacular train journeys, as the track snakes its way past alpine gorges, glaciers, and crosses over monumental viaducts. The journey to St. Moritz takes approximately 2.5 hours, or it is possible to continue on to Chur, or connect to other Swiss cities. It is easy to do the return to St. Moritz as a day trip. It is also possible to exit the Bernina Express at one of its alpine stops along the route and book to stay for a spectacular night or two in this panoramic scenery. Our final hotel can help to book excursions.
2. Join the visit to Storico Ribelle and then take a train from Morbegno back to Tirano and make the journey on the Bernina Express the following day. Morbegno is on the Milan-Tirano train line.