Journey · 9 days · 3 homes
Venice, Verona &
Lake Garda in nine days
Three nights in a palazzo in Venice, three in Verona and the Valpolicella hills, three in a villa on Lake Garda.
The idea
Venice, Romeo's city and Italy's largest lake
The northeast of Italy in nine days: the city on the water, the Roman and Renaissance city of Verona with the wine hills of Amarone behind it, and a last stretch of lake light, lemon houses and gardens.
- 1Venice 3 nights
- 2Verona 3 nights
- 3Lake Garda 3 nights
Day by day
9 days, 3 homes
For every stop: what to see and where to go, the dishes to try and where to eat them. Below, two or three of our homes in the area, with live rates for your nights.
Stop 1 · 3 nightsDays 1 – 3
Venice, on foot and by vaporetto
Venice belongs to whoever stays the night. Walk it early, get lost on purpose, and keep the evenings for the bacari, the small wine bars where Venetians stop for an ombra and cicchetti.
What to see & where to go
- St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, booked ahead
- The Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- The Frari and Tintoretto's Scuola Grande di San Rocco
- Burano and Torcello in the northern lagoon
- Dorsoduro and the Zattere at sunset
- The Rialto market in the morning
What to eat
- Cicchetti with an ombra, a small glass of wine, at the bacari
- Sarde in saor, sweet-and-sour sardines with onions and raisins
- Bigoli in salsa and risotto al nero di seppia
- Fegato alla veneziana, calf's liver with soft onions
Where to eat
- Cantina Do Mori, near Rialto, the oldest bacaro in town
- Osteria alle Testiere, for lagoon fish in a tiny room
- Trattoria Alla Madonna, a Venetian classic since 1954
Where you sleep
Ruzzini PalaceCampo Santa Maria Formosa
16th-century palazzo on a quiet campo, ten minutes from San Marco.Why stay hereA noble palazzo on Campo Santa Maria Formosa, with frescoed ceilings and Murano chandeliers, between Rialto and St Mark's.See the home
16th-century palazzo on a quiet campo, ten minutes from San Marco.Why stay hereA noble palazzo on Campo Santa Maria Formosa, with frescoed ceilings and Murano chandeliers, between Rialto and St Mark's.See the home
Cà Nigra Lagoon ResortSanta Croce, Grand Canal
Palazzo with a garden on the water, five minutes from the station.Why stay hereA historic palazzo directly on the Grand Canal, with its own garden on the water.See the home
Palazzo with a garden on the water, five minutes from the station.Why stay hereA historic palazzo directly on the Grand Canal, with its own garden on the water.See the home
VenissaMazzorbo island
Walled vineyard estate on the lagoon, 40 minutes from San Marco by boat.Why stay hereRooms in a walled vineyard on the island of Mazzorbo: the quiet Venice, next to Burano.See the home
Walled vineyard estate on the lagoon, 40 minutes from San Marco by boat.Why stay hereRooms in a walled vineyard on the island of Mazzorbo: the quiet Venice, next to Burano.See the home
Stop 2 · 3 nightsDays 4 – 6
Verona and Valpolicella
Verona is Roman, medieval and Renaissance at once, and the Valpolicella hills just outside the walls make Amarone, one of Italy's great red wines.
What to see & where to go
- The Arena and Piazza Bra
- Piazza delle Erbe, the Scaliger Tombs and Juliet's House
- Castelvecchio and the Ponte Scaligero
- An Amarone tasting in a historic Valpolicella estate
- Soave and its walled castle among the vineyards
- Opera at the Arena, in season
What to eat
- Risotto all'Amarone
- Bollito misto with pearà, Verona's peppery bread sauce
- Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella
- Pandoro, the Christmas cake born in Verona
Where to eat
- Bottega del Vino, Verona's historic wine tavern
- Trattoria Al Pompiere, for cured meats and risotto all'Amarone
- Pandoro and a spritz in Piazza delle Erbe
Where you sleep
Delo RelaisVerona, historic centre
Small relais in a period building, a few streets from Piazza delle Erbe.Why stay hereA country relais near Verona where each room is named after the view it opens onto.See the home
Small relais in a period building, a few streets from Piazza delle Erbe.Why stay hereA country relais near Verona where each room is named after the view it opens onto.See the home
La CaminellaSan Pietro in Cariano
Villa among the Valpolicella vines, pool, 15 minutes from Verona.Why stay hereA 19th-century stone farmhouse, once used to dry tobacco, now a small relais in the Valpolicella hills.See the home
Villa among the Valpolicella vines, pool, 15 minutes from Verona.Why stay hereA 19th-century stone farmhouse, once used to dry tobacco, now a small relais in the Valpolicella hills.See the home
Palazzo MontanariBure, Valpolicella
17th-century palazzo with garden, in the heart of the wine district.Why stay hereA family-run agriturismo with a garden and hot tub, a short way from Verona.See the home
17th-century palazzo with garden, in the heart of the wine district.Why stay hereA family-run agriturismo with a garden and hot tub, a short way from Verona.See the home
Stop 3 · 3 nightsDays 7 – 9
Lake Garda, from a villa on the shore
The western shore of Garda has a Mediterranean climate: lemon houses, olive groves, cypresses and villas facing the water. Three nights to slow down before the flight home.
What to see & where to go
- Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, D'Annunzio's house in Gardone Riviera
- Sirmione and the Grotte di Catullo, a Roman villa on the point
- The Limonaia del Castel in Limone sul Garda
- A boat across the lake to Malcesine and Monte Baldo
- Salò and its lakeside promenade
- The André Heller botanical garden in Gardone
What to eat
- Lake fish: coregone, trout and sardine di lago
- Tortellini di Valeggio, the 'love knots' of the Mincio
- Lugana, the white wine of the southern shore
- Garda DOP olive oil and lemons from Limone
Where to eat
- La Rucola in Sirmione
- Esplanade in Desenzano, on the water
- Lake fish and olive oil from the Riviera dei Limoni, in any trattoria in Gargnano
Where you sleep
Villa SostagaGargnano, western shore
19th-century villa in a park above the lake, pool and restaurant.Why stay hereA historic villa above the western shore of Lake Garda, with the lake in front of you.See the home
19th-century villa in a park above the lake, pool and restaurant.Why stay hereA historic villa above the western shore of Lake Garda, with the lake in front of you.See the home
Borgo Romantico RelaisCavaion Veronese
Hamlet in the hills between Bardolino and the lake.Why stay hereA country relais in Cavaion Veronese, in the hills between Lake Garda and the Valpolicella.
Hamlet in the hills between Bardolino and the lake.Why stay hereA country relais in Cavaion Veronese, in the hills between Lake Garda and the Valpolicella.
Relais Villa BelvederePozzolengo
Villa in the countryside south of the lake, ten minutes from Sirmione.Why stay hereViews over Lake Garda, two outdoor pools and a wellness centre, in the quiet hills south of the lake.See the home
Villa in the countryside south of the lake, ten minutes from Sirmione.Why stay hereViews over Lake Garda, two outdoor pools and a wellness centre, in the quiet hills south of the lake.See the home
Plan it yourself, with help
Ask our assistant
This itinerary is a starting point. Tell the assistant your dates and constraints and it re-plans the stops on our homes, then checks the rooms.
- We land in Milan, not Venice: how does the route change?
- Can we swap Lake Garda for Lake Como?
- Check the three homes for arrival on September 12
It answers in English, knows every home in our collection and can check live rates and book for you, in the chat. It does not know your budget or dates until you tell it.
