Explore Lugano, the Italian-speaking heart of Ticino where Swiss precision meets Mediterranean ease. Stroll the lakeside promenade and Piazza della Riforma, flanked by pastel facades and lively café terraces set between mountains and water.

Follow lanes to arcaded boutiques and the greenery of Parco Ciani as you soak in the lakeside atmosphere. Your Tour Manager highlights the city’s cultural blend—from Romanesque churches to Modernist facades—revealing how Lugano marries Alpine order with Italian flair.

Ride the Monte San Salvatore funicular from Lugano’s shore, rising through chestnut woods to the summit in just 12 minutes. At the top, enjoy 360-degree panoramas over Lake Lugano’s inlets, the Pre-Alps and distant snow peaks.

Visit the small hilltop church, wander to belvederes or pause for a coffee with a view. This ascent is included on 2027 departures; on other years, additional time is enjoyed exploring Lugano’s town and waterfront.

Wander the terraced botanical gardens of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, where seasonal azaleas and camellias blaze among palms and citrus. Paths descend toward the lake with constant water-and-mountain vistas.

Step inside the 17th-century villa to view neoclassical sculpture and period salons, then emerge to views across the water to Bellagio. Admission is included on 2027 departures, adding a serene, horticultural counterpoint to your time on Lake Como.

Cruise Lake Como’s deep-blue waters to Bellagio, where pastel facades and stepped cobbled lanes meet the lake. Continue by private launch for a private visit to Villa del Balbianello, poised on a wooded spur above the water for show-stopping views.

Stroll terraced gardens scented with roses and wisteria beneath the three-arched loggia. Hear tales of explorers and film sets—Casino Royale and Star Wars—while the alpine backdrop and shifting lake light lend a quietly cinematic mood to this elegant corner of Como.

Explore Stresa’s palm-lined promenade and belle époque waterfront before a short boat ride to Isola Bella in the Borromean Gulf. Step ashore for a guided tour of Palazzo Borromeo, the family’s lavish Baroque residence poised above the lake.

Wander ornate salons, shell-lined grottoes and tiered Italianate gardens where white peacocks patrol clipped parterres. Learn how a 17th-century count transformed a barren rock into a theatrical island retreat, long admired by visiting royals and literary figures.

Ride the Bernina Express across the high Alps on the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway, climbing from Tirano through spiral viaducts and helical tunnels to Ospizio Bernina. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame glaciers, turquoise lakes and jagged peaks on one of Europe’s most spectacular rail journeys.

Descend into the Engadin to chic St Moritz for browsing or cake in a historic café. This is Europe’s highest through line; crisp mountain air and vast sky vistas invite you to pause for photos and reflection before returning to Italy.