Arrive at Marco Polo Airport and take a private water taxi to your hotel in the San Marco or Dorsoduro area—settle into your room and enjoy views of the canals as you unpack. Head out for a leisurely espresso and cornetto at Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco to soak in the atmosphere, then wander the nearby streets to admire the Campanile and the façade of St. Mark’s Basilica before the crowds fully arrive.
After a light lunch of cicchetti at Cantina Do Spade or a seafood risotto at Ristorante Alle Corone, glide along the Grand Canal by vaporetto to the Rialto Bridge and explore the Rialto markets for fresh produce and Venetian specialties. Pause at a small artisan glass shop on the way to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco to see its Tintoretto masterpieces, giving a tasteful intro to the art and craftsmanship you’ll encounter on the trip.
Return to your hotel to freshen up before an aperitivo at a canal-side bacaro—try a spritz and plates of baccalà mantecato—then take a twilight stroll across the quiet back canals toward the Accademia for postcard views of the city at dusk. Dine at a classic Venetian osteria such as Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti or Trattoria Al Gatto Nero on nearby Burano (if you’re up for a short boat hop), savoring local wines that foreshadow the wine-focused days ahead.
After breakfast and a final espresso in Venice, a private transfer will meet you for the scenic drive north toward the Dolomites, crossing the Brenta and Trento valleys; pause in Trento for a short stroll through Piazza Duomo and a quick pastry at Pasticceria Andreolli. Continue into the mountain roads with dramatic views—arrive at your luxury resort (consider Adler Dolomiti Spa & Sport Resort near Ortisei or a flagship hotel in Cortina d'Ampezzo) and check in, then take time to settle into a room with panoramic alpine vistas.
Enjoy a relaxed gourmet lunch at the resort’s terrace restaurant or sample local Tyrolean fare in a nearby village, then join a guided afternoon orientation walk—perhaps a gentle guided trail to a nearby alpine meadow or a short chairlift ride to Seceda or Lagazuoi for instant Dolomite panoramas and photography opportunities. If you prefer, book an introductory private e-bike ride to explore hamlets like Santa Cristina or Colfosco, getting a first taste of the region’s dramatic peaks and Ladin culture.
Return to the resort for a soothing spa session—soak in an outdoor heated pool or book a signature Alpine wellness treatment to recover from travel and hiking anticipation. For dinner, enjoy a refined mountain meal at the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant featuring local ingredients: speck, canederli and a curated Alto Adige wine list that begins your deep-dive into Italy’s northern wine terroirs.
Rise early for a hearty mountain breakfast, then meet your certified local guide for a half-day alpine hike to Seceda ridgeline (or the Tre Cime di Lavaredo approach, depending on your resort). The route offers sweeping panoramas and carefully timed photo stops—your guide points out Ladin history, alpine flora, and the best compositions for golden-hour landscape shots.
After descending to a rustic rifugio for a leisurely lunch of polenta, canederli and locally produced cheese, take an optional short photography workshop with a guide to refine techniques for capturing the jagged peaks and swirling cloudscapes. Spend the later afternoon exploring nearby meadows or riding a cable car up to a viewpoint such as Puez-Odle or Lagazuoi for more dramatic angles before returning to the resort.
Relax back at the hotel with a restorative dip in the outdoor spa or sauna to soothe tired muscles, then enjoy an intimate dinner featuring Alto Adige specialties—smoked speck, game, and a selection of Gewürztraminer or Lagrein from the region. End the night with a digestivo on the terrace, comparing your best photos from the day as the Dolomites glow in the soft evening light.
After an early alpine breakfast, meet your certified mountain guide for an adrenaline-tinged morning: choose a guided via ferrata route on Seceda or the easier Via Ferrata Tomaselli near Cortina for thrilling exposed ridgelines and iron-step climbs, or take the leisurely alternative — the Lagazuoi cable car from Passo Falzarego — for instant panoramic views and wartime tunnels to explore. Your guide will outfit you with harness and helmet, point out geological features and Ladin history, and time the climb for the best light on the jagged peaks.
Descend to a classic rifugio such as Rifugio Lagazuoi or Rifugio Firenze for a hearty mountain lunch of canederli, speck, and a steaming bowl of goulash, then continue with a gentle ridge walk or panoramic chairlift rides to vistas like Seceda’s meadows and the Odle peaks for more photography and quiet contemplation. If you prefer a softer option, enjoy a scenic e-bike loop through Val Gardena’s alpine pastures and visit the charming village of Ortisei for a coffee and to browse local woodcarving boutiques.
Return to your luxury resort for a long spa session—soak in an outdoor heated pool overlooking the peaks, indulge in an alpine herb massage or a thermal circuit designed to ease legs after climbing, and savor the scented relaxation rooms. For dinner, choose the resort’s terrace or a nearby gourmet Stube to sample refined Tyrolean cuisine paired with an Alto Adige Lagrein or Müller-Thurgau, then finish the night with a quiet digestivo under the star-lit Dolomite skyline.
Savor a slow alpine morning at the resort with a late breakfast on the terrace—sample fresh mountain yogurt, honey, and pastries while soaking in one last panorama of the Dolomites before checkout. Take a final short walk around the village or a quick visit to the hotel spa for a revitalizing steam or plunge pool to ease into travel, then board your private transfer north toward Verona, enjoying changing scenery from alpine pastures to the rolling foothills.
Arrive in Verona after the scenic drive and check into a centrally located hotel near Piazza Bra; stretch your legs with a relaxed lunch of risotto all'Amarone or horse radish-flavored carpaccio at a trattoria such as Osteria Le Vecete. Spend the afternoon wandering the historic center—cross the Ponte Pietra to the Roman theatre, stroll through the charming Piazza delle Erbe market, and visit Juliet’s House for a quick photo before retiring briefly to freshen up for the evening.
As dusk falls, enjoy an aperitivo on Piazza Bra watching the lights come on across the Arena, then savor an atmospheric dinner at a classic Veronese restaurant like Ristorante 12 Apostoli or Il Desco, pairing dishes with a Valpolicella Classico or Amarone to preview tomorrow’s tastings. If your travel dates align with the opera season, conclude the night with a performance in the ancient Arena di Verona for an unforgettable al fresco cultural finale under the stars.
Depart Verona after a leisurely breakfast for a short private drive into the rolling hills of Valpolicella and begin at a historic family-run estate such as Tommasi or Allegrini for a guided cellar tour that explains appassimento drying racks and Amarone production. Follow the tour with a seated tasting of Valpolicella Classico and Ripasso, paired with local salumi and aged cheeses while your host discusses vineyard sites and oak aging traditions.
After a scenic lunch at an agriturismo like La Groletta or Trattoria al Pompiere featuring risotto all'Amarone and polenta, continue to a boutique producer in the Valpolicella Classica zone for a behind-the-scenes walk among the pergola-trained vines and an instructional vertical tasting of Amarone or Recioto. Pause mid-afternoon for a short stroll through the hilltop village of Negrar or Sant'Ambrogio to visit a local enoteca and shop for a bottle or two to take home.
Return to Verona as golden hour softens the city, arriving in time for an aperitivo on Piazza delle Erbe where you can sample a Valpolicella-based cocktail or a glass of Amarone on the terrace. Dine at a refined Veronese restaurant such as Casa Perbellini or Osteria Le Vecete and round out the day with a digestivo while comparing tasting notes and planning tomorrow’s exploration of Soave or the Prosecco hills.
After breakfast in Verona, board your private driver for a short scenic transfer to Soave to explore its medieval castle and vine-covered slopes; begin with a guided cellar visit and tasting at a family-run producer such as Pra or Suavia to learn about Garganega and the region’s volcanic soils. Stroll the perfectly preserved streets inside the Scaligeri Castle walls and sample freshly baked local focaccia and a crisp Soave Classico with views over the rolling vineyards.
In the afternoon choose the Prosecco hills (Valdobbiadene) for a contrasting terroir: drive along the Strada del Prosecco, visiting a boutique cantina like Nino Franco or Bisol for a prosecco DOCG tasting and a light lunch of cicchetti, local cheeses and soppressa at an agriturismo perched on a panoramic ridge. Wander the postcard villages of Conegliano or Follina—visit the hilltop Cathedral of Conegliano or the historic Abbey of Follina—before pausing at an enoteca to pick up a bottle or two of Cartizze to take home.
Return to Verona as the sun softens the hills, stopping for an aperitivo in Piazza delle Erbe to compare notes on the day’s tastings and enjoy a Spritz made with your newly discovered prosecco or a glass of Soave. Dine at a trattoria such as Trattoria al Pompiere or Il Desco back in Verona, pairing Veronese specialties with one of the afternoon’s wines and finishing with a leisurely passeggiata across the illuminated Ponte Pietra.
Depart Verona after a leisurely breakfast and take a private water transfer from Tronchetto or Santa Lucia station into the heart of Venice, arriving by canal to your hotel near San Marco or Dorsoduro and enjoying the cinematic approach past palazzi and gondoliers. After settling in, stretch your legs with a gentle walk to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for modern art and a coffee at the museum’s garden café, reconnecting with the city’s quieter, cultured side.
Board a vaporetto for a slow Grand Canal ride toward the Rialto, pausing to browse the Rialto Market for seasonal produce and Venetian specialties; stop for a light lunch of cicchetti and an ombra at Cantina do Mori to savor simple local flavors. Continue with a relaxed wander through the quieter sestieri of Cannaregio — visit the Jewish Ghetto and the picturesque Fondamenta della Misericordia, popping into small artisan shops and a glass-blowing studio on the way back to your hotel for a midday rest.
As dusk falls, enjoy an aperitivo at a canal-side bacaro in Dorsoduro, then take a classic gondola glide from the Accademia bridges toward a dinner reservation at a refined trattoria such as La Zucca or Ristorante Riviera, sampling fresh lagoon fish paired with a crisp Veneto white. Finish the night with a moonlit passeggiata across Piazza San Marco to admire the basilica and Campanile illuminated, feeling the serene return to Venice before the final days of your escape.
Begin with an early visit to Piazza San Marco to beat the crowds—admire the mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica and climb the Campanile for a panoramic view of the lagoon, then step into the gilded interior of the basilica to linger over its Byzantine treasures. Follow with a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace, crossing the Bridge of Sighs and exploring the ornate chambers and secretive prisons to deepen your understanding of Venetian power and history.
After a leisurely lunch of fresh seafood risotto at Cantina Do Mori or a seasonal plate at Ristorante Quadri, wander through the adjoining sestieri toward the lesser-known corners of Venice—explore the elegant arcades of the Mercerie before slipping into the quieter streets of Castello to visit the Museo Querini Stampalia or the peaceful gardens of the Fondazione Cini. Pause for a mid-afternoon coffee and pastry at Caffè Rosso on Campo San Polo, then meander toward the Biennale area or the artisan ateliers of Dorsoduro to browse curated glass, masks, and bookbinders.
As the light softens, follow a local’s path through hidden calli to discover authentic bacari—sample cicchetti and an ombra at Cantina Do Spade or All’Arco while comparing the day’s highlights, then take a private gondola or vaporetto ride along a quieter canal toward a refined dinner at La Zucca or Osteria Enoteca San Marco. End the night with a moonlit passeggiata across the Accademia and along the Riva degli Schiavoni, savoring one last view of St. Mark’s Basilica illuminated and the gentle sway of the lagoon.
Enjoy a relaxed final Venetian morning with a leisurely breakfast at your hotel or a last cappuccino and pastry at Pasticceria Tonolo, then take a last wander through the Mercerie and around Piazza San Marco to pick up any final gifts—Venetian masks from Ca' Macana or artisanal Murano glass from Vetreria Artistica Colleoni are perfect keepsakes. If time allows, pop into Libreria Acqua Alta for one last quirky photo op among its stacked books and gondola staircase before returning to the hotel to finish packing and check out.
Board a private water taxi from your hotel to Marco Polo Airport, savoring one more cinematic canal view as you glide past palazzi; at the airport, use the business-class lounge to relax, freshen up and enjoy a light lunch with a local prosecco or an Italian espresso. Allow time for a calm pre-flight stroll through the duty-free boutiques—pick up a bottle of Amarone or a regional olive oil as a last reminder of the trip—before proceeding to the business-class check-in and priority boarding for your long-haul connection back to RDU.
Onboard in business class, settle into your lie-flat seat with the comforts and dining service that cap off your Italy escape; toast to the trip with a glass of fine Italian wine and review your favorite mountain vistas and winery visits from the past ten days. As you cross the Atlantic, plan a gentle arrival routine for RDU—remembering reservations or follow-up tastings you want to book back home—and rest so you arrive refreshed and ready to relive the highlights of your Venice, Dolomites and Valpolicella adventure.