Como’s Gardens by Boat, 3 Nights 10 October 09 by AIR from £615.00

Glide across glittering Lake Como from one beautiful garden to another.

Price : £615 per person based on two sharing twin room, with scheduled flights

  • 3 nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the 3 star Hotel Bazzoni. Upgrades to the 4 star Grand Hotel di Cadenabbia or the Grand Hotel Menaggio available at a supplement.
  • Return flights from London Stansted to Milan.
  • Comfortable private boat travel on Lake Como.
  • Visits to the towns of Como and Bellagio and the gardens at the Villas Balbianello, Melzi, Monastero, Cipressi, Balgetti Valsecchi and Carlotta.
  • Return coach transfers from/to Milan Airport.
  • Single room supplement from £45
  • Upgrade to Grand Hotel di Cadenabbia - £66.00
  • Upgrade to Grand Hotel Menaggio - £102.00 (single supplement upgrade prices on request)
  • Lake view rooms available at a supplement

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
We depart from London Stansted or Edinburgh to Milan (Other regional flight connections and overnight accommodation before or after the tour available on request). On arrival we continue by comfortable coach to our base for the holiday, the Hotel Bazzoni.
The hotel is situated in the centre of Tremezzo in front of the lake. All rooms are en-suite with TV, telephone and balcony. The hotel has an open air swimming-pool and gardens.
Alternatively, you will be transferred to the 4-star Cadenabbia or Grand Hotel in nearby Menaggio, where all rooms have satellite TV, direct-dial telephone, hairdryer, mini-bar and air-conditioning. The hotel sits on the lakeside overlooking Lake Como and offers heated pool, coffee bar, restaurant and boutiques.

Day 2
Today following breakfast we shall transfer by boat to Bellagio where we will visit the landscaped garden at Villa Melzi in Bellagio on the shore of Lake Como, which is planted with both native trees and shrubs and many exotics which were introduced during the 19th century. The writer Stendhal stayed here in the early 19th Century. Pollarded plane trees and some flower beds for annuals establish a formal rhythm, but the garden is primarily an English-style pleasure park with outstanding tree specimens. Red oaks, giant redwoods, white pines, tulip trees, swamp cypresses from North America and camellias from Asia all thrive in the mild winters and hot summers of the area.
Following our visit we shall have some free time for shopping and lunch (not included).
We then transfer to Varenna to visit the Villa Monastero situated on a promontory, which lies along the eastern side of Lake Como from Varenna. The garden is of great historic and plant interest yet very relaxing. The terraced ground is a sequence of different frames with some recurrent elements such as the lines of cypresses along the path to the villa, along with Lebanon cedars and evergreen bushes. The exotic arboreal species throughout the garden demonstrate the favourable climatic situation of Varenna, the specimens including African and American palms, agaves, yuccas, dragon-trees, citrus trees and oleanders. A variety of features such as balustrades, statues, little temples, vases and fountains, paths and staircases integrate perfectly with the landscape and the background of the lake.
Our final visit of the day is to Villa Cipressi, magnificently poised upon a steep rocky promontory, into which a series of shallow, winding terraces has been carved, sliding gracefully down to the lakeside. The first terrace commands stunning views over the lake, framed by the cypress trees which give the villa its name, and leads to two sets of stairs which descend to a pair of lower terraces, winding round the cliff. The margins are planted with magnolia, eucalyptus, pittosporum and groupings of lavender and agave. At the northern end there is a delightful little enclosed garden, planted with aspidistra, palm and magnolia. We return by boat to Cadenabbia.

Day 3
This morning following breakfast we visit the elegant 18th century Villa Carlotta, in Tremezzo where azaleas and rhododendrons burst into a simply dazzling display. Around the house the layout is formal with lemon arbours on the terraces and tall camellia hedges while further away from the villa you will discover a relaxed English style garden in the woodland. Imaginative planting includes twining climbers, jasmine and roses while in the more natural garden a dell of tree ferns, palms, eucalyptus, Japanese maples and cactus reveal the microclimatic conditions with banana and flowering orchids creating an exotic semi-tropical jungle effect.
We will continue with by boat to visit the Villa Balbianello on the Lavedo point which, combined with the romantic arrival at the water gates landing stage, turns the expedition into an arcadian delight. Remote from lakeside tourism, in a sylvan setting of pine, soaring cypress and oak, with pollarded plane trees, manicured lawns and flowerbeds, the garden is maintained to an exceptionally high standard. With unparalleled views down the three branches of the lake and fronting the promontory of Serbelloni, the first villa was built in 1540, but was later moved to a new site inland to protect it from flooding.
We return to the hotel in time for dinner.

Day 4
Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and travel by coach to Grandola where we visit Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, perched high above Lake Como. The garden has two distinctive parts and is spread over a series of broad hanging terraces, the largest of which, the ‘old garden’, is adjacent to the villa. From this terrace there is a staggering panorama of hanging woods and distant peaks. In the ‘new garden’, serpentine borders are planted with enameled drifts of annuals and perennials and the walls are clad with a profusion of trailing and prostrate flowering plants.
We later continue to the town of Como where we will have some free time to explore. One of the best vantage points for the breathtaking views over the lake is in Piazza Cavour, while at the heart of the old town, Piazza San Fedele has many fine, historic buildings. The cathedral is often cited as the best example of transitional architectural styles with its impressive 18th century dome.
We then transfer to the airport for our return flight.