* Lake Como : Villas and gardens

Lunch in Como then on to Tremezzo to visit the stunning gardens of the Villa Carlotta, with their 165 varieties of rhododendrons and the orangery overlooking the lake. Dinner and overnight in the region of Cadenabbia.

Meet up with your botanical guide before leaving by boat for Bellagio. Stroll through the Villa Serbelloni grounds, enjoying superb panoramic views over Lake Como, as far as Villa Melzi where you can admire century old trees, flamboyant azaleas and rhododendrons in a neo-classical architectural setting. Continue by boat to Varenna for lunch in this picturesque little fishing port, with its colourful house fronts. Visit Villa Monastero, onetime convent, and the narrow terraced gardens housing cypresses and exotic essences. Afternoon tea in the Villa Cipressi gardens provides a welcome moment of relaxation prior to taking the botanical path to the lake for the return boat trip to Cadenabbia. Dinner and overnight.

Enjoy the view of the lake shores and fabulous villas and gardens from the deck of our private cruiser, hugging the lake shores from Cadenabbia to Como. We stop at the Villa Balbianello, a seventeenth century monastery, to visit the glorious gardens. Cascading down the steep slopes of an islet accessible only by boat, a team of 14 maintain the gardens on a daily basis. Lunch.