Venice and Lombardy (Padua - Vicenza - Lake Garda - Milan) Self Drive

With sumptuous palaces and romantic waterways, Venice is straight out of an 18th-century Canaletto masterpiece. No matter how many times you have seen it in movies or on TV, the real thing is more surreal and dreamlike than you ever imagined. Its landmarks, the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale are exotic melanges of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. It is full of secrets, ineffably romantic, and - at times - given over entirely to pleasure. You must walk everywhere in Venice; and where you cannot walk, you go by water.

Explore Piazza San Marco, stroll across the Rialto Bridge, get lost in the endless canals, admire the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, visit the San Giorgio dei Greci, walk around the Jewish Ghetto, learn about Venice's musical history, tour Venice's unique architecture at Campo Santa Maria Formosa, celebrate one of Venice's many festivals, go window shopping, and so much more!

A former Roman settlement, Padua's importance grew during the 13th and 16th centuries when it became the second biggest university city in Europe. Dante and Copernicus studied here, Petrarch and Galileo taught here. The Basilica di Sant'Antonio with the grave of Sant'Antonio is the most important attraction and the Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Europe, is worth a visit. Padua appears twice in the UNESCO World Heritage List, first for its Botanical Garden, and second for the 14th-century frescoes located in different buildings around the city center.

Explore and discover the Basilica of Saint Anthony, Scrovegni Chapel, Prato della Valle, University of Padua Botanical Garden, MUSME Science Museum, Padua Cathedral and so much more.

Vicenza has a long and rich history combining its ancient past with its modern cosmopolitan outlook. This elegant and tasteful city was shaped by the famous architect Andrea Palladio's hand, and is nicknamed 'the City of Palladio'. Due to its great Palladian architectural treasures, that are considered of exceptional interest and value, Vicenza has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1994. Don't miss the Villa Capra, also known as La Rotonda, centrally located in Vicenza's Piazza dei Signori.

Visit and explore the Palladian Basilica, Piazza dei Signori, Basilica of Saint Mary of Mount Berico, Palazzo Chiericati, Olympic Theater, Parco Querini, and so much more.

Formed by glaciers, Lake Garda, the largest and easternmost of the lakes, is one of the most beautiful places in Italy. Its exotic landscape has attracted the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, whose villa near Gardone is one of the area's major attractions. Visitors come here to swim, windsurf, and enjoy the relaxing ambience of Garda's many pleasant lakeside resorts. The ancient fortified town of Sirmione, located on the south of the lake is one particularly popular destination.

Visit and explore the Sirmione, Desenzano del Garda, Salo, Isola del Garda, Gardone Riviera, Gargnano, Limone Sul Garda, Garda Trentino, Malcesine, Bardolino, Gardaland and so much more.

Milan is Italy's window on Europe, its most sophisticated and high-tech metropolis. La Scala, its landmark, is one of Europe's most prestigious opera houses. Milan is one of Europe's top shopping cities, with an incredible concentration of sophisticated, high style boutiques - and that's only fitting because Milan is the dynamo of the Italian fashion industry. Dolce & Gabbana, Ferré, Krizia, Moschino, Prada, Armani, and Versace have all catapulted to international stardom from design studios based here. Inevitably, shopping is of almost religious significance.

Discover The Last Supper by Michelangelo, The Duomo, Pinacoteca di Brera, Quadrilatero d'Oro, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Scala museum and theatre, Piazza Fontana, Arco della Pace, the churches of Santa Maria delle Grazie and San Lorenzo, Corso Venezia and Piazza San Babila, Sforzesco Castle and so much more.