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DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day one : Arrive in Italy We book you onto the 14.00 British Airways flight from Gatwick to Venice , arriving at 17.10 . You are met by your small luxury coach and driver / escort who take you to Padua , a drive of less than an hour . As our hotel is in the historic centre , passengers and luggage will be transferred to the hotel by minibus . Time for a stroll in the city centre and to try one of our recommended restaurants for dinner ( not included ).
Day two : Visit Villa Barbarigo and Villa Emo at Rivella Today you are driven the short distance ( about 30 minutes ) south-west of Padua to the area of the Euganean hills for the two visits today . A local guide at the gardens will provide guided visits . Enjoy the sense of theatre from the setting of Villa Barbarigo , with its beautiful garden that has strong structural element but also is full of flowers as well as clipped hedges , box , magnolias and fishponds with waterplants . At Villa Emo , you will appreciate the very pretty borders and flowers , unusual in such a structured Italian garden . An English influence is evident in the double herbaceous borders and blocks of blue iris . The setting of the villa is a delight with the estate-owned apple orchards , corn fields and vineyards . Return to Padua for the evening and own dinner arrangements .
Day three : Explore Padua and visit the Botanic Gardens This morning you will enjoy a walking tour with a guide of the heart of Padua with its bridges , arcaded streets and piazzas and also the famous historic botanic gardens . Padua is a delightful , small city ( setting for Shakespeare ’ s Taming of the Shrew ) and home to an ancient university . The city has arcaded streets , piazzas and is intersected by branches of the Bacchiglione river . At the heart of Padua is the historic Botanic Garden , dating from 1545 and founded as an apothecary ’ s teaching garden for the University Medical School . Living plants from all over the world were brought here to be studied and for use in herbal medicine . The layout is still very geometric . The rest of the day is at leisure for you to explore on your own . Own arrangements for dinner .
Day four : Villa Pisani and Verona You leave Padua this morning for the second stay of the tour but en route you drive along the Brenta Canal and stop to visit Villa Pisani , one of the most famous of the villas on the canal and resplendent with symmetrical water features , statues and lawns . If possible we will visit Villa Trissino Marzotto before reaching Verona . Your hotel is in the city centre , a few minutes ’ walk from the Arena . This afternoon is at leisure for you to explore the city on your own . Own arrangements for dinner or visit one of our recommended restaurants .
Day five : Sightseeing of Verona and the Giardino Giusti You enjoy a morning ’ s sightseeing walking tour of Verona with a local guide , have free time for lunch , and then in the afternoon you visit the Giardino Giusti , one of the oldest Renaissance gardens in Italy and from which you will be able to admire panoramic views of the Alps and the Po valley . The highest level of the gardens is thick with 19th Century landscape-style planting and then lower down on the flat are formal box-edged parterres , lemons in pots and fountains . Cypress form a walk and there are beautiful views to the Alps and across the Po to Mantua . Own arrangements this evening for dinner .
Day six : Villa Rizzardi and Valpolicella wine tasting with lunch Your final full day on this tour takes you north of Verona towards the Valpolicella wine region and first a visit to Villa Rizzardi and its famous green theatre , the oldest in Italy . After the visit you will have a wine-tasting and a light lunch . Mid-afternoon return to Verona for your final night . Own arrangements .
Day seven : Return to London from Verona You will check-out after breakfast for a morning flight back to London , departing from Verona at 11.50 and arriving into Gatwick at 12.50 hrs . If you prefer we can arrange for you to have a full day in Verona and fly back on the evening flight at 22.10 arriving into Gatwick at 23.00 hrs ( transfers extra ). Or why not extend your stay in Italy and visit Lake Garda or Venice perhaps ? Ask us for details .
Dates and prices This tour departs on the following dates from London for these prices per person 11 September 2019 £ 2,770
Prices are based on two people sharing a double or twin room .
Deposit payable : £ 300 per person Supplements : Single occupancy £ 480
We include
• Flights with British Airways Gatwick to Venice , Verona to Gatwick in Euro traveller
• Transportation from Venice airport and back to Verona airport in a small coach for maximum 14 people with one
piece of luggage per person , English speaking driver-escort .
• Entrance tickets to the gardens mentioned with guided visits
• Sightseeing tour on foot of Padua and Verona
•
Three nights ’ bed and breakfast in double or twin rooms at the Hotel Majestic Toscanelli , Padua
• Three nights ’ bed and breakfast in a deluxe double or twin room at the Hotel Gabbia d ' Oro , Verona
• Luggage and passenger transfer in Padua
Hotel Majestic Toscanelli Padua This is a 4 star hotel in the heart of the old town of Padua , traditional in style , furnished with antiques and with each bedroom having its own soft furnishings . Rooms have either bath or shower and wc and overlook the square at the front of the hotel or the courtyard at the back . The hotel offers a buffet breakfast and there is an American bar serving drinks and food .
Hotel Gabbia d ' Oro Verona The Hotel Gabbia d ' Oro is a boutique 4 star hotel in the centre of Verona , richly furnished with antique furniture and paintings . The atmosphere is charming and unique . You are within easy walking distance of the Arena and the heart of the old city .
Different travel arrangements If you want us to arrange flights on other dates and from UK regional airports or to extend your holiday with a stay elsewhere in Italy , just let us know . If you are not arriving from the UK , then we can give you a price that excludes flights and perhaps with extra transfers included . We will adjust the details and the price accordingly .
Phone 01392 441275 to make a reservation or to discuss your holiday plans 35