Vistas of Italy and Switzerland

118 tiny islands. 150 captivating canals. Over 400 beautiful bridges. There really is nowhere quite like Venice! A city that's inspired countless paintings and works of literature over the centuries, it's a place of unparalleled elegance and grandeur – and the perfect spot to begin our escape.

Seek out your first hotel right at its heart to say ciao to your Tour Leader and the small group of travel companions you'll be enjoying this spectacular journey with. Then, get your first taste of the region during a delicious welcome meal at a local restaurant. Venetian cuisine is famed for its fresh seafood, silky spaghetti and creamy polenta, so you're sure to find something tempting on the menu.

After tucking into a typical Italian breakfast, we'll spend the morning delving into Venice's maze of backstreets and breathtaking canals with our Tour Leader. Once you've familiarised yourself with a few key sites and plenty of hidden treasures, it'll be time to uncover the history and traditions of one of the city's most quintessential crafts: the ornate art of mask-making. Following a fascinating demonstration with a local artisan, there'll be some free time for you to indulge in la dolce vita (the sweet life) along the city's canal-lined streets and lavish piazzas.

Then, the stunning shores of Lake Garda are calling... Specifically, the medieval resort town of Sirmione on its southern banks where we'll be slumbering peacefully for the next two nights.

A rural adventure awaits this morning as we make our way to a local dairy farm in the hills above Lake Garda. We'll learn all about the process of crafting wonderfully crumbly and deliciously aged Grana Padano cheese before sampling several varieties alongside a carefully selected array of cured meats, fresh breads, antipasti and local wines.

The charmingly quaint village of Borghetto will be our next port of call. With the Mincio River running like a shimmering blue ribbon through its heart, it truly does look like a scene plucked straight from a postcard. Spend some time strolling along its picturesque shoreline with your Tour Leader, discovering ancient watermills and restaurants dishing up traditional tortellini drenched in rich beef broth or decadent sage butter. Delizioso!

The rest of the day is yours to do as you please back in Sirmione. Choose to embrace a slower pace with a little relaxation time at your hotel. You could also visit a local hot spring for an indulgent dip or seek out one of the town's lakeside trattorias for some fresh regional cuisine.

Lake Garda is undeniably beautiful – but did you know that it has a smaller, lesser-known cousin that's equally as captivating? After savouring a leisurely breakfast in Sirmione, we'll venture to the Port of Sulzano to embark on a boat tour across the little yet lovely Lake Iseo.

Iseo nestles between the lush Franciacorta wine region and the 1200-metre-high Corna Trentapassi – with its turquoise waters home to Europe's largest lake island: Monte Isola. After cruising around the smaller islands of San Paolo and Loreto, we'll venture into Monte Isola's pretty port, Carzano, where an hour or two of free time awaits. Amble around the charming main village before pausing for a refreshing limonata or lunch at a lakeside cafe. Or, if you're feeling energetic, a stroll up the hill to the island's heart will reveal both the ruins of a 13th-century church and some truly outstanding vistas.

The lake adventure doesn't end when we return to Sulzano. We'll be snoozing right on Iseo's shores tonight in our next charming hotel. But first: enjoy a free evening admiring even more spectacular views shrouded in sunset hues or seeking out some gastronomic delicacies for dinner.

Sun-drenched scenery, full-bodied wines and the tantalising scent of home-cooked cuisine lie in store for us today. We'll spend the day roaming around the scenic Franciacorta region – including a stop at a local farmhouse where we'll delve into its traditional wine cellar during a guided tour.

With our minds filled with facts about crafting the perfect bottle of sparkling wine, we'll roll up our sleeves and get stuck into a rustic cooking class where a local will reveal all manner of culinary secrets (seasonal highlights might include stuffed tomatoes, tagliatelle and tiramisu). Afterwards, treat your tastebuds to your flavourful creations as you settle down for a relaxing group lunch. Expect your food to be accompanied by a glass or two of the farm's own wines!

Then, it'll be time to return to Lake Iseo where the remainder of the day is yours to relax at the hotel or indulge in another lakefront Italian meal. Bellissimo!

You'll want your camera at the ready this morning! It'll be a day bursting with wonderful alpine scenery – beginning with the idyllic town of Tirano on the Switzerland-Italy border. Spend a bit of time wandering its palazzo-lined streets before meeting your group at the station to embark on one the world's most iconic railway journeys: the Bernina Express.

Feast your eyes on soaring mountain peaks dusted with snow, blankets of thick emerald-green forests and seemingly endless glaciers as we climb steadily up into the Swiss Alps. Feeling a little starry-eyed, we'll disembark at St Moritz and enjoy a quick transfer to our next hotel in the Engadin Valley by luxury minicoach. Prepare to be greeted with even more pristine alpine scenery and ample heartwarming hospitality.

Another great alpine railway adventure is on the cards today! After filling up on a wholesome Swiss breakfast, we'll transfer to nearby St Moritz station to board the Glacier Express. Despite its name, there's nothing fast-paced about this rail route that's been running almost continuously since the early 1930s.

Sit back, relax and gaze out of the window as you're leisurely transported through spiral tunnels, past alpine villages and alongside the lush Rhine Gorge. You'll be spoilt by beautiful panoramic views all the way to Andermatt, where we'll step off the train and into an awaiting minicoach. A short, but just as picturesque, journey by road will see us arriving at Interlaken – tonight's breathtaking base in the Bernese Alps that's bursting with local eateries perfect for a cosy dinner.

You can expect more pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming scenery today – plus a third majestic mountain rail experience if you've chosen a tour during the summer months!

This time, you'll be chugging through fragrant wildflower meadows and beneath cragged peaks to the top of the Brienzer Rothorn in an old-fashioned steam train. Spend some time savouring soaring views as far as the eye can see before we begin our return journey to Interlaken on a scenic paddle steamer cruise. Later, we'll all reconvene for one final included group dinner at the hotel. You'll most likely be tucking into a deliciously cheesy fondue as a starter – a Swiss classic that's as tasty as it is messy!

For those enjoying this small-group tour in the spring, you'll swap the Rothorn railroads for the lofty heights of the Schilthorn cable car. Embark at the idyllic Swiss mountain village of Mürren and listen out for tinkling cowbells as we glide slowly up to Schilthorn. This panoramic viewpoint sits almost 3,000 meters above sea level, and you might just recognise it from the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Later, there'll be free time to uncover Mürren's bucolic charms before we return to Interlaken in the minicoach.

Velvety smooth and undoubtedly decadent... can you guess what this morning's main indulgence will be? After checking out of our final hotel, we'll board our luxury minicoach for the penultimate time and make our way to the lakeside city of Lucerne for a mouthwatering chocolate experience.

Uncover the tantalising secrets of traditional Swiss chocolate-making as you wander around several multi-sensory learning stations. Once the scent of melted cocoa becomes too tempting, you'll be invited to sample an array of different chocolates – and have a go at making your very own bar to take home as a sumptuous souvenir.

Sweet tooths thoroughly satisfied, we'll then enjoy an hour or two of free time in Lucerne. Meander along the city's iconic Kapellbrücke – a reconstruction of an original 14th-century wooden bridge that snakes across the Reuss River – or tuck into a sensational Swiss lunch at a restaurant in the charming Altstadt (Old Town).

Finally, this afternoon we'll venture onwards to Zurich where your wonderful 9-day escape will come to an end. Auf Wiedersehen!