Lake Garda & the Dolomites

LeShuttle to Calais and overnight stay in northern France on a bed and breakfast basis.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

We make our way towards our overnight stop in eastern France, with an en-route visit to Colmar. Take time to explore this picturesque Alsatian town at your own pace, wandering its colourful streets, admiring its traditional houses or finding a spot for lunch before we continue our journey.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

We continue our journey through Switzerland, taking in beautiful scenery as we travel from north to south. We stop in the lakeside resort of Lugano, where you can enjoy some free time to explore the waterfront, wander the streets or find a spot to take in the views before we continue towards Italy.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

Take a short stroll along Maderno’s lakefront to the ferry dock, then board a public ferry across the sparkling waters of Lake Garda to Sirmione. Set on a picturesque peninsula on the southern shore of Lake Garda, Sirmione is a beautifully preserved town with a turreted 13th-century castle and a maze of narrow, cobbled streets full of lovely shops and cafés. With time at leisure, explore this beautiful lakeside resort, wander its streets or find somewhere to enjoy lunch before returning by ferry later in the afternoon.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

Spend the day as you please, relaxing at the hotel or seeing the local sights.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

Soaring peaks, crystal-clear lakes and beautiful mountain towns set the scene today. A locally guided tour takes us through the spectacular Dolomites, with stops in Storo and Saone before reaching Molveno, beautifully set beside its lake. Enjoy time to explore, with the opportunity to take a cable car ride for even more spectacular views (locally payable). We continue to Mezzolombardo and Trento, home to the impressive Buonconsiglio Castle, which offers a glimpse into the city’s medieval past. We stroll through the bustling Piazza Duomo, surrounded by stunning Renaissance architecture, before making our way back to Toscolano.                                                                                                                                                               

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

Enjoy a day at leisure in Toscolano Maderno or join our optional excursion to Venice. Once there, explore this extraordinary city at your own pace, with the chance to see famous sights including St Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs and the Grand Canal. For even more insight, you can also join an optional two-hour guided walking tour.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

Today’s scenic tour with a local guide offers breathtaking views of the shimmering waters and the surrounding mountains. Starting from Toscolano, our journey takes us through picturesque towns and lush landscapes. Be captivated by the charming architecture and vibrant atmosphere of Garda Town, where you can explore local at leisure. Our drive takes us to Peschiera, where we enjoy a stroll along the lakefront before we make our way back to Toscolano. 

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

We begin our return journey and make our way via Switzerland to our overnight stop in eastern France.

Lake Garda & the Dolomites

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Explore at your own pace through La Petite Venise, where flower-trimmed canals reflect gabled, half-timbered houses in a palette of honey and moss green. Cobbled lanes lead past winstubs serving Alsatian classics and shopfronts piled with kougelhopf and artisan wares.

Seek out the oriel windows of Maison Pfister or, time permitting, visit the Unterlinden Museum to glimpse the Isenheim Altarpiece. This unhurried stop invites you to pause for photos and reflection amid centuries of Rhine-frontier charm.

Amble along the palm-lined promenade of Lugano, where café terraces meet the glitter of the lake. Slip beneath arcades to Piazza della Riforma, a graceful square ringed by pastel palazzi and boutiques.

Mountains frame the scene—Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore rise theatrically above the water—shaping a Mediterranean-meets-Alpine mood. Enjoy time to browse, sample gelato, and soak in the lakeside atmosphere before rejoining the coach.

Gather in Toscolano Maderno at the Garda Sol Spa Hotel for a convivial welcome drink and to meet your Tour Director. Share first impressions of the lake as evening light washes the waterfront and the days ahead are outlined with friendly clarity.

Clink glasses with fellow travellers, sample regional wines or a classic aperitivo, and settle into the hotel’s relaxed rhythm. This hosted moment sets a sociable tone and ensures everyone feels oriented from the start.

Journey to Venice, where marble facades meet tidal reflections and alleyways open onto luminous canals. Make your way to icons including St Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs and the Grand Canal, or linger in quiet campi browsing mask ateliers and pastry counters.

This optional excursion is at additional cost (from £39pp) and bookable on tour. Your Tour Manager shares practical tips—like using a vaporetto—for classic water-level views of palazzi and arched bridges.

Join a two-hour guided walking tour to decode the layers of the Venetian Republic. Trace merchant routes around the Rialto, learn how trade built palaces of stone and light, and emerge onto St Mark’s Square to admire the basilica’s Byzantine shimmer.

This optional guided tour is at additional cost (from £19pp) and bookable on tour. Expect well-chosen stories and hidden corners—sotoporteghi, quiet courtyards, and stone wells—that independent visitors often miss.

Travel with a local guide into a panorama of soaring limestone towers and jade lakes. Call at Storo and Saone en route to Molveno, where Lake Molveno mirrors the Brenta Dolomites; choose to take a cable car ride (locally payable) to the Pradel plateau for sweeping views of forests and crags.

Continue to Trento for a short orientation, admiring Buonconsiglio Castle and frescoed palazzi around Piazza Duomo with its Neptune Fountain. Hear how Tyrolean and Italian traditions meet here amid mountain air and medieval streets.

Set out on a scenic tour of Lake Garda with a local guide, tracing lemon terraces and olive groves between cliffs and bright blue water. In Garda Town, admire pastel facades and bobbing boats along the elegant promenade.

Continue to Peschiera del Garda to view the UNESCO-listed fortifications of Peschiera del Garda and its tranquil canals before a lakeside stroll. With time to browse cafés and craft shops, soak in the lakeside atmosphere and capture Riviera-style views.

Cruise the peninsula-fringed waters on a public ferry from Maderno to Sirmione, watching castle walls lift above turquoise shallows as swans drift past. On arrival, wander cobbled lanes lined with gelaterie and artisan boutiques beneath the crenellations of Scaliger Castle.

Absorb the town’s layered past, from the 13th-century fort to the Roman remains at the Grottoes of Catullus and Sirmione’s famed thermal springs. With unhurried time to explore, pause for photos and reflection along the promenade before your scheduled return crossing.