Venice Carnival with Milan

The experience

Discover Venice, enjoy the birthplace of Murano glass with a visit to a workshop where all its secrets are revealed, and visit Burano, famous for its lace. Experience the incomparable Venice Carnival and be enchanted by the colours and scents of La Serenissima as it transforms into one vast theatrical stage! Put on your mask and let us take you on a journey!

The most carefree 5 days to sweep all your senses away at the colourful festival of Venice, with LUXURY SERVICES! A truly rich short trip with an emphasis on the ideal VALUE FOR MONEY.

Departure

Departure and return point: Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”
Departure time: 13.00

01 / 04

Day by day

Itinerary

01Day

ATHENS – MILAN – BERGAMO – MESTRE (mainland Venice)

Meet at the airport and fly to Milan, with our final destination the city of the Doges and the canals, romantic Venice. Meet at the airport and fly to Italy's financial capital, Milan. Our first nearby and wonderful stop is the renowned Bergamo, a city with two faces. The Lower Town is modern, with impressive squares and interesting historic buildings, while the Upper Town is medieval and aristocratic, enclosed by well-preserved Venetian walls with cobbled lanes. We will reach the Upper Town by the picturesque funicular (at your own expense) and enjoy an enchanting view over the whole city from the San Vigilio Castle. After completing our tours of Upper and Lower Bergamo, we depart for Mestre and our hotel. Arrival in the evening, check-in and overnight stay.

02Day

MESTRE – VENICE – MINI CRUISE TO THE ISLANDS OF MURANO & BURANO (Carnival)

Breakfast and transfer to Venice, specifically to St Mark's Square, by private vaporetto. Today we will explore a different side of Venice in a wonderful way. Crossing the lagoon, we will discover two beautiful little islands. Murano is a cluster of small islands linked to one another by bridges. It is known for its glass masterpieces, being the birthplace of Murano blown glass. Our second stop today is the little island of Burano, whose houses are all painted in vivid colours and which has a tradition of handmade lace. It is the liveliest island of the lagoon, yet at the same time the calmest, because there are no hotels, no rooms to rent and, of course, no cars on the island. At midday the island's local carnival parade begins. Free time and return to our hotel in Mestre. Overnight stay.

03Day

MESTRE - VENICE (CARNIVAL – costume contest, Flight of the Eagle)

Breakfast, and today we will have the opportunity for a guided tour of beautiful Venice as well as to watch the Carnival. Transfer by vaporetto to the most beautiful district of Venice, Castello. We will watch the costume contest in a colourful setting filled with harlequins, Casanovas and marchionesses. Unforgettable images that will stay etched in your mind: gondolas decorated with flowers and lanterns, as well as spectacular handmade masks and costumes. On our tour of the city we will visit the Holy Metropolis of Greece in Italy, the Greek Orthodox church of San Giorgio dei Greci and the Hellenic Institute. Through picturesque alleys, dazzling canals and countless palaces we will arrive at “the most beautiful drawing room in the world”, as Napoleon called it, Piazza San Marco. We will see St Mark's Basilica, the famous Moors' Clock Tower, the Biblioteca Marciana (Libreria Sansoviniana), the city's library, the “Zecca”, the old mint, the Campanile, the tallest building in the city, the Piazzetta San Marco, the old and new prisons and, of course, the famous Bridge of Sighs. Finally, we will end up at one of the remaining workshops producing the famous Murano glass. Free time to take a gondola ride, enjoy a drink at the famous cafés of the square and lose yourselves among the masqueraders in another era. Return to our hotel. Overnight stay.

04Day

MESTRE - VERONA - SIRMIONE - MILAN

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Verona. Arrival in romantic Verona, the city of Shakespeare's eternal lovers, on the banks of the river Adige. In the central Piazza Bra we will see the famous Roman Arena, and we will continue to the beautiful squares Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, surrounded by superbly preserved medieval buildings, and of course to the “House of the Capulets” with Juliet's legendary balcony. Our next stop is the picturesque and historic peninsula of Sirmione with its narrow lanes, built within a medieval historic centre with majestic buildings. Free time for coffee and food. Transfer to our hotel in Milan. Check-in and overnight stay.

05Day

MILAN - ATHENS

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will take one last stroll around Piazza del Duomo, the city's main square, which takes its name from Milan's imposing cathedral. The impressive Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is the seat of the city's archbishop and is considered one of the most important cathedrals in the world. We will visit the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named after the first king of unified Italy. The building consists of two glass-vaulted arcades and connects Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala. La Scala opera house, or the Scala of Milan, is one of the best-known opera houses in the world and takes its name from the church that once stood on the same site, Santa Maria della Scala. After enjoying one last Italian coffee in the cosmopolitan square, we will transfer to the airport for our return flight to Athens.

At a glance

What’s included

Included in the price

Economy class air tickets Athens – Milan & Milan – Athens with Sky Express.
One suitcase up to 20 kg and one piece of hand luggage up to 8 kg.
Accommodation (3) at the Novotel Mestre 4*sup hotel in Mestre & (1) at the Una Milano Expo 4* hotel in Milan, with daily breakfast.
Transfers and transport by luxury air-conditioned coach.
Tours, excursions and guided tours as described in the detailed itinerary.
Civil/professional liability insurance
VAT

Not included

Airport & hotel taxes (€245).
Admission to museums, archaeological sites and generally wherever required.
Anything mentioned as optional or suggested.
Optional Covid-19 insurance (€20).
Checkpoints, Murano-Burano and vaporetto (€75/person, paid locally to the tour leader).

Good to know