Gardens of Italy: The Italian Lakes, the Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria & Rome

23 days
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Group Tour
Join John Patrick, horticulturalist, garden designer and presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, to explore the unique gardens of the Northern Lakes, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. This tour features exclusive visits to private gardens opened especially for ASA. Few travellers will ever enjoy the famous English landscape designer Russell Page’s garde...
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Join John Patrick, horticulturalist, garden designer and presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, to tour the gardens of five distinct regions of Italy.
    • Enjoy the magic of northern lakeside and island gardens including Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Bella and Isola Madre.
    • Meet Paolo Pejrone, currently Italy’s leading garden designer, and view his own garden ‘Bramafam’, the estate of the Peyrani family and, by special appointment, the private Agnelli Gardens at Villar Perosa – one of Italy’s most splendid examples of garden design.
    • Tour through the Piedmont exploring the great estates of the House of Savoy including the Castello di Masino.
    • View the work of Russell Page with visits to the private gardens of San Liberato and Villa Silvio Pellico.
    • Visit intimate urban gardens in Florence and Fiesole including Le Balze, designed by Cecil Pinsent, the secret gardens of Villa Capponi, and the Giardini Corsini al Prato.
    • Ramble through the historical centres of lovely old cities like Turin, Lucca, Siena, Florence and Perugia.
    • Encounter masterpieces of Italian art in major churches and museums.
    • Enjoy delicious meals in the verdant surrounds of a number of private Tuscan and Umbrian villas including Villa di Geggiano, Villa Vignamaggio (featured in Kenneth Branagh’s film Much Ado About Nothing) and Villa Aureli.
    • Explore the great Renaissance garden designs at Villa La Foce, home of Iris Origo, author of the famous Merchant of Prato, and Villa Gamberaia at Settignano, described by Edith Wharton in her book Italian Villas and Their Gardens (1904).

What's this trip about?

    Join John Patrick, horticulturalist, garden designer and presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, to explore the unique gardens of the Northern Lakes, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. This tour features exclusive visits to private gardens opened especially for ASA. Few travellers will ever enjoy the famous English landscape designer Russell Page’s gardens at Villa Silvio Pellico, or the designs by Dan Pearson and Stuart Barfoot at Torrecchia Vecchia. We accompany Paolo Pejrone, a pupil of Russell Page and currently Italy’s leading garden designer, on visits to his own garden ‘Bramafam’, on our visit to the gardens of Casa Agnelli, and to the estate of the Peyrani family. These special experiences augment a program exploring historic gardens that highlight continuity and change in Italian gardening tradition. Along with the magical northern lakeside and island gardens of Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Bella and Isola Madre we visit the Piedmontese Castello di Masino; Tuscan Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces like Villa La Foce, home of Iris Origo, author of the famous Merchant of Prato; the Borromini-inspired garden of renowned architect and scholar Paolo Portoghesi at Calcata; and the unforgettable Giardini di Ninfa south of Rome. Outside Florence we view the ingenious garden designs of Englishman, Cecil Pinsent, at Villa Le Balze and Villa Capponi – a perfect example of a ‘secret’ enclosed parterre garden where the late Queen Mother enjoyed holidays as a girl. Umbria’s Palazzo Patrizi at Castel Giuliano will delight rose lovers while San Liberato provides another example of Russell Page’s work. Throughout our journey we explore how Italians have for centuries exploited panoramic parterres, glistening lake settings, exquisite villa architecture and garden sculpture, fountains and water cascades to produce sublime gardens. We also enjoy Italy’s loveliest landscapes including the stunning Ligurian coast, beautiful old cities such as Turin, Florence, Lucca, Siena, Perugia and Rome and feast on local cuisine at Villas Geggiano, Vignamaggio and Aureli.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age range50 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityMilan
End CityRome

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • National Parks

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic Sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Relaxing Retreat
  • Wine Tasting

Trip includes

    • Accommodation in twin-share rooms with private facilities in 3 and 4-star hotels (5-star in Perugia)
    • Breakfast daily, lunches and evening meals indicated in the tour itinerary, where: B=breakfast, L=lunch & D=evening meal
    • Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included.
    • Transportation by air-conditioned coach; ferry/boat excursions in the Lakes District
    • Airport-hotel transfers if travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flights
    • Porterage of one piece of luggage per person at hotels (not at airports)
    • Lecture and site-visit program
    • Tour notes
    • Light refreshments as indicated in the itinerary
    • Entrance fees
    • Use of Audio headsets during site visits
    • Tips for the coach driver, local guides and restaurants for included meals.

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Arrive Milan – Transfer to Moltrasio

Meals: Dinner

Afternoon at Leisure

Introductory Meeting

Welcome Evening Meal

On arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport, those taking the ASA ‘designated’ flight transfer by private coach to Moltrasio. If you are travelling independently, you s...

Day 2: Moltrasio – Tremezzo – Bellagio – Moltrasio

Meals: Breakfast

Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo

Villa Melzi, Bellagio (optional)

Villa del Balbianello, Bellagio

Morning cruise across Lake Como to 18th century Villa Carlotta, a garden with a huge botanical collection and a traditional Italian f...

Day 3: Moltrasio – Bisuschio – Casalzuigno – Stresa

Meals: Breakfast

Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, Bisuschio

Villa della Porta Bozzolo, Casalzuigno

Depart Moltrasio to visit Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, located on a steep hillside in the village of Bisuschio. Its garden looks out upon sweeping views, with a gli...

Day 4: Stresa – Lake Maggiore – Lake Orta – Stresa

Meals: Breakfast

Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore

Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore

Orta San Giulio & Isola San Giulio, Lake Orta

We take the ferry across Lake Maggiore to Count Carlo Borromeo’s Isola Bella (1632), one of Italy’s most extraordinary ...

Turin - 4 nights

Day 5: Stresa – Caravino – Turin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Castello di Masino including lunch and ‘The Cloud Garden’ by Paolo Pejrone, Caravino

We drive south from Stresa to the Castello di Masino to tour the castle and its monumental park. This great Savoyard property ‘sets the scene’ fo...

Day 6: Turin

Meals: Breakfast

Orientation walk of Turin, including guided visits to the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) and Palazzo Madama

Afternoon and evening at leisure

This morning we will enjoy a guided orientation walk of the city’s centre with a local guid...

Day 7: Turin – Moncalieri – Turin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Villa Silvio Pellico – including lunch (exclusive private visit)

Private Garden Visit (to be confirmed)

Today we visit Villa Silvio Pellico, a fine Neo-Gothic mansion (1870) with a Russell Page garden, arguably one of his t...

Day 8: Turin – Villar Perosa – Revello – Moncalieri – Turin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Program hosted by Paolo Pejrone

Gardens of Casa Agnelli at Villar Perosa (exclusive private visit)

Bramafam, Paolo Pejrone’s Private Experimental Garden (exclusive private visit)

Private Garden of Silvana and Alberto...

Day 9: Turin – Santa Margherita Ligure – La Cervara – Lucca

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The Abbey of San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino (La Cervara)

Group Evening meal at Gli Orti di Via Elisa Restaurant

We drive southeast along the grand Ligurian coast to the magnificent Abbey of San Girolamo al Monte di Por...

Day 10: Lucca

Meals: Breakfast

Orientation tour of Lucca incl. Cathedral of San Martino, San Michele, San Frediano and the Piazza del Mercato

Palazzo Pfanner

Afternoon at leisure: Optional Walk along Lucca’s City Walls

Evening Puccini Concert, Church of ...

Day 11: Lucca – Camigliano S. Gemma – Capannori – San Piero a Sieve – Florence

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Villa Torrigiani, Camigliano S. Gemma

Lunch at Fattoria Villa Maionchi, Capannori

Medici Castello del Trebbio, San Piero a Sieve (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

During the Renaissance, the wealthy m...

Day 12: Florence – Fiesole – Florence

Meals: Breakfast

Villa Medici in Fiesole

Villa Le Balze, Fiesole

Villa Capponi (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

Unlike the grand villa gardens we have visited near Lucca, Florence and its vicinity have a number of small int...

Day 13: Florence – Greve in Chianti – Florence

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Giardino Corsini al Prato (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

Villa Vignamaggio, Greve in Chianti – including wine-tasting and lunch

We begin with a visit to the Giardini Corsini al Prato, a Florentine urban g...

Day 14: Florence

Meals: Breakfast

San Lorenzo: Medici Chapel

Palazzo Medici Riccardi: The Chapel of the Magi

Afternoon at leisure

On a visit to San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel we explore Michelangelo’s Medici tombs, masterpieces of 16th-century sculpture ...

Day 15: Florence – Settignano – Pianella – Siena

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Villa Gamberaia, Settignano – including interiors of the villa

Villa di Geggiano, Pianella – including buffet lunch (exclusive private visit)

Optional evening excursion to Siena’s town centre

We drive to Siena via tw...

Day 16: Siena

Meals: Breakfast

Orientation tour of Siena including: Palazzo Pubblico, Cathedral & Museum

Afternoon at leisure

Siena is the quintessential medieval city. We explore Lorenzetti’s fascinating paintings of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo ...

Perugia - 1 night

Day 17: Siena – Chianciano Terme – Castel del Piano Umbro – Perugia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Villa La Foce, Chianciano Terme (by special appointment to be confirmed in 2017)

Private gardens of Villa Aureli, Castel del Piano Umbro – including lunch (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

Perugia Orientatio...

Day 18: Perugia – Bagnaia – Viterbo

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria

Villa Lante, Bagnaia

We begin by viewing masterpieces, including works by Perugino, in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria before departing Perugia to visit two great villas and their g...

Day 19: Viterbo – Vignanello – Calcata – Rome

Meals: Breakfast

Castello Ruspoli, Vignanello – including lunch

Gardens of Paolo Portoghesi at Calcata (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

Castello Ruspoli occupies the site of a mid-9th century Benedictine convent later converted to...

Princess
Ruspoli today maintains the gardens. Our visit will be complemented by lunch in the wine-cellars near the palazzo which specialise in the cuisine of Vignanello.

This afternoon we visit the gardens of distinguished architect and scholar Paolo Portoghesi. The gardens re...

Day 20: Rome – Tivoli – Rome

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Villa d’Este, Tivoli

Lunch at Ristorante Sibilla, Tivoli

Time at leisure in Rome

Set among the hanging cliffs of the Valle Gaudente, the Villa d’Este and its surrounding gardens and waterworks has undergone a series ...

Day 21: Rome – Ninfa – Sermoneta – Sezze – Rome

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Giardini di Ninfa

Lunch at Ristorante Simposio al Corso, Sermoneta

Private Gardens of Torrecchia Vecchia (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

We depart early this morning (approx. 7.30am) for the Giardin...

Day 22: Rome – Castel Giuliano – Bracciano – Rome

Meals: Breakfast

Palazzo Patrizi, Castel Giuliano (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)

Visit to the village of Bracciano, overlooking Lake Bracciano

San Liberato Giardini Botanici, Bracciano (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in...

B

Day 23: Depart Rome

Meals: Breakfast

Airport transfer for participants departing on the ASA ‘designated’ flight

The tour ends in Rome. Participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight will transfer to the airport to take their flight home to Australia. Alternatively, you may wish to extend your stay in Italy. Please contact ASA if you require further assistance.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $9,354
Price per day$407
Single supplement (single occupancy)$1,822
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with ASA Cultural Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Airfare: Australia-Milan, Rome-Australia
    • Personal spending money
    • Airport-hotel transfers if not travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flights
    • Luggage in excess of 20 kg (44 lbs)
    • Travel insurance

Accommodation

23 days in Italy

All hotels are rated 3, 4 or 5-star locally and are comfortable and conveniently situated. All rooms have shower or bath and W.C. Several hotels have swimming pools. Single rooms may be requested – and are subject to availability and payment of the single supplement. Further information on hotels will be provided in the ‘Tour Hotel List’ given to tour members prior to their departure.

Moltrasio (2 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Imperiale – a charming hotel built in the late Art Nouveau style overlooking Lake Como and surrounded by private gardens. www.hotel-lago-como-imperiale.com

Stresa (2 nights): 4-star Regina Palace Hotel – a charming hotel with a grand history, in the Stresa town centre close to many shops, restaurants, cafés. Regina Palace is situated directly across the road from the lake and enjoys magnificent views over Lake Maggiore. www.reginapalace.it/en

Turin (4 nights): 4-star Townhouse 70 Hotel – a modern boutique hotel located in the heart of the historic centre. www.townhouse.it/th70/

Lucca (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Ilaria – located within the walls of the old city, close to the cathedral. It is flanked by the centuries-old garden of the Villa Bottini – it occupies the villa’s restored stables – and the medieval city gate, Porta San Gervasio. www.hotelilaria.com

Florence (4 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Adriatico – a modern hotel located between the Santa Maria Novella Square and the Arno River and within easy walking distance of all major monuments & museums. www.hoteladriatico.it

Siena (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Garden – housed in a villa perched on a hill with vineyards and olive groves overlooking Siena. It stands majestically at the end of a beautiful park of ilex trees, flower beds and shrubs. www.gardenhotel.it

Perugia (1 night): 5-star Hotel Brufani Palace – located on a hilltop within the historical centre of Perugia and walking distance from the main historical sites. www.brufanipalace.com

Viterbo (1 night): 4-star Alla Corte delle Terme Exclusive Resort – a charming resort hotel located in the countryside out of  Viterbo. www.allacortedelleterme.it

Rome (4 nights): 3-star Albergo Santa Chiara – a charming hotel chosen for its location close to the Pantheon in the historic centre of Rome. www.albergosantachiara.com

Note: hotels are subject to change, in which case a hotel of similar standard will be provided.

Cancellation policy

Cancellation Fees

If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:

More than 75 days before departure: $500.00**

75-46 days prior 25% of total amount due

45-31 days prior 50% of total amount due

30-15 days prior 75% of total amount due

14-0 days prior 100% of total amount due

**This amount may be credited to another ASA tour departing within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, in this case early-bird discounts will not apply.

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

22 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches and 3 Dinners

Age Requirements
50 years and up
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
asacul-21706

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