Veneto - Trails and Rails

Flight to Venice. On arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, Crown Plaza Padova for seven nights half board accommodation. Transfer time is approx. 40 minutes.

By train from Padua Today's excursion heads north into the foothills of the Dolomites to the elegant town of Bassano del Grappa, famous for its beautiful covered wooden bridge - the Ponte Vecchio - spanning the fast-flowing Brenta river. It is here that the Alta Via del Tabacco begins, one of the most characterful walking routes in the Veneto. The trail follows ancient mule tracks and terrace paths along the right bank of the Brenta, climbing through the distinctive dry-stone 'masière' terraces where tobacco was cultivated for centuries between the 17th and 20th centuries. This was also smuggling country - for generations, local families carried contraband tobacco along these same paths by night to evade the customs officers below, and the route carries that history in every step. The first section of the trail offers dramatic views down into the Brenta Valley, across to the sheer rock walls of Monte Grappa, and through a landscape that feels entirely untouched by the modern world. Today we walk the first stage of the Alta Via - well-waymarked, rewarding and accessible to all abilities - before returning to Bassano del Grappa for a well-earned lunch and a leisurely explore of the town. 5.5 Miles- 200M Ascent. 400M Descent

By train from Padua No visit to the Veneto would be complete without at least one day in Venice, and from Padua the journey takes just 25 minutes by train - one of the most convenient connections to the city in all of Italy. For those who wish to visit on one of the holiday's free days, Venice is yours to discover at your own pace. Whether you choose to lose yourself in the narrow calli of the Dorsoduro or Cannaregio districts away from the crowds, cross the Rialto Bridge and browse the morning market, visit the Byzantine splendour of St Mark's Basilica, or simply find a quiet canal-side café and watch the city go about its daily life - Venice rewards in every direction. For those who have visited before, the outer islands of Murano and Burano are easily reached by vaporetto and offer a quieter, equally memorable experience. Your guide will be happy to offer suggestions and a recommended itinerary to suit your interests. ACTV vaporetto day passes can be purchased on arrival and give unlimited travel across the city's water bus network. Travel: return train Padua–Venice, approximately 25 minutes each way. Vaporetto passes available locally.

By train from Padua Rising dramatically from the flat expanse of the Po Plain south of Padua, the Euganean Hills are a geological curiosity - ancient volcanic peaks that erupt unexpectedly from the surrounding flatlands, creating a landscape of extraordinary variety and beauty. Today's walk explores Monte Ceva, the most remarkable hill in the group. What makes Monte Ceva so special is its unique microclimate, created by its unusual geological composition of latite and rhyolite rock. The result is a botanical treasure — more than 1,200 plant species thrive here, including prickly pears, agave, strawberry trees and rockroses that give the hillside an almost Mediterranean character, quite unlike anything else in the Veneto. The trail climbs through this extraordinary natural world, passing the ruins of a 12th-century monastery and the remains of the Monte Croce quarry, before reaching the summit cross at 255 metres. From the top, on a clear day, the panorama is breathtaking - the thermal spa towns of Abano and Montegrotto spread below, the ridges of the Euganean Hills ripple into the distance, and on the finest days the shimmer of the Venetian Lagoon is visible on the horizon. 4.5 miles - 200 metre ascent/descent

Free day in resort to explore your destination at your own pace.

By bus from Padua Today's excursion is perhaps the most memorable of the week - a journey into the extraordinary world of the Venetian Lagoon, taking in a fishing town that most visitors to Venice never discover and a sliver of island that feels like the end of the earth. A direct bus from Padua brings you in around an hour to Chioggia, a proud maritime town at the southern tip of the lagoon. Often called "Little Venice" - though its residents would bristle at the comparison - Chioggia has the canals, the painted houses and the arched bridges of its famous neighbour, but none of the crowds. Its famous fish market has supplied the lagoon's kitchens for centuries, and the long main street of Corso del Popolo, lined with churches and palaces, gives way at Piazzetta Vigo to a sudden, breathtaking view across the open lagoon. There is time to explore the town and enjoy lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants before boarding the vaporetto. The short crossing to Pellestrina - a long, narrow barrier island barely wide enough in places to cross on foot - carries you into a world where time genuinely seems to have stood still. Colourful fishermen's houses line the lagoon side, the great 18th-century Murazzi sea walls of Istrian stone protect the island from the Adriatic, and the Ca' Roman nature reserve at the southern tip is a haven for birdlife. A walk along the island offers a perspective on the Venetian Lagoon that no gondola ride or tourist excursion can replicate - quiet, elemental and utterly unforgettable. 4.5 miles - 20 metre ascent/descent

Free day in resort to explore your destination at your own pace.

Free time until you depart for the airport for your flight home.