Glide along Lake Maggiore on a private boat ride to Cannobio, reaching one of the lake’s prettiest promenades framed by pastel facades and alpine backdrops. Step into the Santuario della Pietà, linked to a famed 1522 miracle, and feel the timeless ambience of arcaded streets and café-lined quays.

Continue to the Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens, created in the 1930s by Captain Neil McEacharn. Wander pathways past rare South American water lilies, vast dahlia borders and terraces ablaze with colour, a horticultural voyage curated from plant treasures gathered worldwide.

Explore Lake Como’s elegant shoreline and stroll the lakeside town of Como, where the marble-fronted cathedral (Duomo), gracious parks and belle-époque villas frame a luminous sweep of water ringed by wooded hillsides.

Cross the lake to visit Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, celebrated for exuberant azalea and camellia displays and a refined collection of neoclassical sculpture and 18th–19th-century art. Note: entrance to Villa Carlotta is included on 2027 departures; on other seasons, program features may vary while preserving Como’s signature scenery and culture.

Discover the hush-quiet beauty of Orta, and walk the medieval lanes of Orta San Giulio where ochre-washed houses, tiny piazzas and lake views create an intimate, old-world mood.

Take a boat to Isola San Giulio to visit the Basilica di San Giulio, famed for its carved black marble pulpit and shimmering frescoes. Conclude with a pause in Arona to admire the towering Colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, a 17th-century statue gazing over southern Lake Maggiore and the rolling Piedmont hills.

Journey into Switzerland and cross the Simplon Pass, Napoleon’s early-19th-century alpine road threading misty mountain passes, stone galleries and high meadows bright with wildflowers and tumbling streams.

Arrive in car-free Zermatt, where wooden chalets and chapel spires sit beneath commanding views of the Matterhorn. Wander the village, feel the ring of cowbells on the breeze, and let the surrounding amphitheatre of 4,000-metre summits define a classic day in the high Alps.

Board the Gornergrat Railway, a historic cogwheel line climbing to 3,089 metres for sweeping panoramas of the Matterhorn, the Gorner Glacier and a crown of glaciers and 4,000-metre peaks. The ascent reveals ever-wider horizons with each ridge and viaduct.

This optional excursion is at additional cost (from 110 CHF return) and is bookable on tour. Step onto the summit terrace where the air is crisp, the light crystalline, and the mountain’s chiselled pyramid fills the sky.

Cruise the Borromean Islands across Lake Maggiore’s mirror-calm waters, gliding past grand villas and cypress-dotted shores. Disembark on Isola Bella for a guided tour of Palazzo Borromeo, a 17th-century baroque showpiece of frescoed salons, shell-encrusted grotto rooms and terraced gardens where white peacocks wander among citrus and magnolia.

Hear stories of the Borromeo family’s influence since medieval times, then continue to Isola dei Pescatori, a compact fishing village of cobbled lanes and waterfront trattorias. The contrast of aristocratic opulence and working-lake tradition reveals Lake Maggiore’s layered character.

Toast your arrival on Lake Maggiore and meet your Tour Director and fellow solo travellers over a convivial welcome drink in Baveno. Settle into the rhythm of lakeside life as the water shimmers and terracotta rooftops glow in the afternoon light, a relaxed moment designed to soak in the lakeside atmosphere and begin new conversations.

Discover Italy’s beloved lakeside aperitivo ritual, rooted in nearby Piedmont’s historic café culture. Sip regional wines or a classic spritz while learning practical tips for the days ahead and gathering first impressions of the Borromean Gulf’s elegant shoreline and mountains.