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Tour Features
The tour will cover the heartland of the former Venetian Republic, a region that has one of the country's richest historical, natural, artistic, cultural and culinary heritages.  Veneto offers a wealth of sights and flavors to be treasured for a lifetime: gondolas that glide alone canals, imposing Roman amphitheaters, majestic mountain ranges, ancient cathedrals but also lots of characteristic shops, delicious foods and excellent wines.

Slow Food Presidia and other Recommended Products:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Berici Hills
• St. Erasmo violet artichoke
• Wines of the Montecchia di Crosara vineyards
• Grappa and spirits of Bassano del Grappa

Points of Interest:

• Vicenza, with the Teatro Olimpico, the 14th century Basilica in Piazza dei Signori and the Corso Palladio, the famous architect that built the famous Villas and other buildings
• Padua, home of St. Anthony’s church, the medieval Regional Palace and Giotto’s wonderful Scrovegni chapel
• Venice, with its amazing canals full of traditional Gondolas, St. Mark square and the Basilica, the Doges Palace, the Rialto Bridge
• Verona, with the imposing Roman amphitheatre (the Arena), the Basilicas of San Zeno and San Fermo, the Scaligeri graves, and of course Juliet’s famous balcony
• Lake Garda, is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age.

 

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1) Arrival
Arrive at Venice airport, collect your car and transfer to the Park Hotel Villa Bolognese in Preganziol, near Treviso. Time to settle in, then enjoy a traditional dinner in Osteria della Pasina with some excellent regional produce, including Slow Food Presidia. Overnight

Day 2) Venice
Morning, guided visit of the city: St Mark’s Square and Basilica, the Doges Palace and Rialto Bridge. Stroll through the little streets and alleyways among the little local shops. Transfer to the island of St. Erasmo, Venice’s great vegetable garden, to visit the farm of Carlo and Claudio Finotello who grow vegetables and the purple artichoke of St. Erasmo (Slow Food Presidium) for a brief presentation about the artichokes. Free time. Dinner will be hosted at the typical Osteria La Mascareta. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 3) Padua, Vicenza
Departure for Padua: there will be a guided tour to include St Anthony’s church, the regional Palace, the oldest medieval building in Italy and the Scrovegni chapel. Stop at the market held in the Piazza delle Erbe e della Frutta where the season’s fresh produce are sold. Lunch will be held at the typical Osteria Il Cancelletto. Before the arrival in Verona, we suggest to stop in Vicenza to stroll around the city where Palladio lived and worked. After a visit to the Teatro Olimpico, the 14th century Basilica and a walk along the Corso Palladio, stop at Il Ceppo, a characteristic little shop bursting with cheeses, cold cuts and local specialities. Transfer to the Park Hotel Villa Quaranta in Ospedaletto, near Verona, and overnight.

Day 4) Verona
Departure for Verona. A guided visit to the old center: the Arena amphitheater, the Ponte di Pietra (“stone bridge”), the Arco di Gavie arch, and the Basilicas of San Zeno and San Fermo. Also see the Scaligeri graves, Castel Vecchio and Juliet’s famous balcony For lunch, taste the traditional Veronese dishes at the Trattoria Al Pompiere. In the afternoon we suggest: in Verona near San Zeno, visit the Pasticceria Zeno Gelati e Cioccolato for an ice cream (with some unique flavours like the Valpolicella Marasche or the cream of Recioto wine) and their chocolate pralines which are made using Slow Food Presidia produce. Visit Piazza delle Erbe and the fruit and vegetables stalls there. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 5) Peschiera del Garda, Lake Garda
Morning free. A visit to the Azienda Zenato, owned by the Zenato family, at Peschiera del Garda for a tasting of wine, olive oil and grappa produced on the Lugana terrains. Sergio Zenato founded it in 1960, motivated by his passion for wine and by the devotion to quality he had learned from his father Silvino. This family wine business is founded on the values of the human factor, of time, and of tradition, each and all of these linked indissolubly with Valpolicella and Lugana, areas pregnant with history. We suggest: after tasting visit Peschiera del Garda and walking along the lake. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 6) Bardolino, Lake Garda
In the morning, departure to Bardolino to visit the Winery Costadoro that produce quality red, white and sparkling wines, with grapes gathered from their Bardolino estate vineyards, and the DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) extra virgin olive oil Garda. Visit the winery and tasting the wine in the cellar. Traditional lunch in a comfortable and familiar ambiance at the Ristorante Costadoro, located on the beautiful hills that overlook the lake of Garda. Free time to visit Bardolino. We suggest: make a nice boat trip on Lake Garda, every day starting from Bardolino. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 7) Dolomiti Bellunesi, Marostica, Bassano Del Grappa
Departure for the hills of the Belluno Dolomites to arrive at Bassano del Grappa, at the base of Mount Grappa, where the River Brenta flows into the Po. Stroll across the Alpine bridge built by Palladio in the 16th century. Lunch will be served at the Trattoria del Borgo, which will consist of a simple menu made up of the local seasonal produce. This will be followed by a very interesting tour of the Grappa Museum in the historical Grapperia Poli where it will be possible to taste some grappa and other spirits. Free time. We suggest: visit the delightful city of Marostica, the city of Chess, walk around the old town center and stop at the “La Casa Del Parmigiano” grocery that sells over 200 different types of cheese, olive oils, wines and top quality cold cuts. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 8) Departure
Departure for the airport.

 

Hotels

Park Hotel Bolognese 4* - Preganziol (Treviso)
Villa Pace Park Hotel Bolognese, an ancient Villa dated '800,is located in a strategic area only 4 km from Treviso, a medieval town surrounded by sixteenth-century walls. Here the guests breathe a slow atmosphere, marked by the park with its secular trees, characterized by pleasant and relaxing environment. The hotel was recently restored with careful work lasted 3 years which led the structure to a total capacity of 95 rooms, a beautiful relax area with an outdoor swimming pool to exclusive use of hotel guests and a large parking lot. Not to forget its famous and historical restaurant up to 230 seats, of which 80 in the beautiful veranda with windows that directly lean on the the park and a new proposal of Lunge Bar with a wide range of drinks and snacks. The park surrounds the entire hotel with its 10,000 square meters of trees.

Villa Quaranta 4* - Ospedaletto (Verona)
Villa Quaranta, a 17th century estate, 
is one of the most enchanting villas in the “Valpolicella Classico” area, 
a territory rich in history, culture and tradition, 
renowned for its great red wines such as the Amarone. 

It has a strategic position, 
just few kilometers from Verona, 
city of art and love and not far away from the fascinating Lake Garda.

Villa Quaranta offers 87 rooms (standard, deluxe, suite, junior suite), a bar, car parking and garage free of charge, restaurant with traditional cuisine, wellness center ‘Terme della Valpolicella’ on 2500 sq.m. with fitness room, thermal pools, saunas area and beauty area with a wide range of treatments.

*if the hotel is unavailable, a similar one will be provided

Car Rental

Car included in the tour price:
Group C (Category Small & Compact) - FIAT Punto EVO 1.2cc or similar

The rental includes:

• Unlimited mileage
• Collision damage waiver
• Theft protection
• Airport fee
• Road tax
• Railway fee
• One way rental fee (drop-off in a destination different from that of the pick-up)
• Administration costs
• VAT

Additional Options:

• GPS Navigator
• Baby seat
• Booster cushion
• Additional driver fee

Maggiore Rent A Car Locations:

• Venice Marco Polo Airport
• Venice Railway Station Santa Lucia : Santa Croce,496/O - Piazzale Roma
• Venica Mestre Railway Station : C/O Stazione F.S. Mestre
• Treviso A. Canova Airport : Via Noalese 63
• Verona Valerio Catullo Villafranca Airport

 

CALL: 1-800-ITALY-25 to book your Veneto Fly & Drive Culinary Vacation today!