Glide over glacial lakes and past romantic Renaissance villas. Stroll through elegantly formal or wildly exotic gardens that delight your senses. Where Italy meets Switzerland, lakes sparkle in the sun as you stroll through colorful towns, impressive cathedrals, and gorgeous palaces. Soak up lush vistas and admire the art and architecture of the cities. Seeking the serene and spectacular? Embrace it all in Italy's Magnificent Lake District.

Day 1: Depart your gateway city for Milan, Italy.

Day 2: Upon your arrival, transfer by motorcoach to the Lido Palace Hotel in Baveno. This evening, gather for a welcome reception and dinner.

Day 3: See Baveno's colorful 19th-century villas lining the lakefront. Take a walking tour of two towns on the shores of Lake Maggiore. See Intra's St. Vittore Cathedral and Peretti and Scaramuccia Palaces; see Pallanza's Palazzo Dugnani, St. Stephano's Church, and beautiful villas and gardens. Enjoy a lakeside lunch.

Day 4: Cruise Lake Maggiore to Isola Bella, where you'll visit an impressive villa full of antiques and surrounded by gardens. Continue to Isola Madre, a paradise of baroque splendor, then walk along the narrow streets of Isola dei Pescatori, a peaceful fishing village. Savor lunch on the islands.

Day 5: One of Italy's major economic powerhouses, Milan has a rich heritage of superb art and architecture. Enter the 14th-century Duomo and see La Scala, Italy's premier opera house. Visit Santa Maria Delle Grazie and its rectory to see Da Vinci's magnificent Last Supper. Enjoy lunch in Milan, then spend time on your own getting to know the city.

Day 6: Join an optional boat trip to Stresa or enjoy free time.

Day 7: Visit the Villa Carlotta and its collection of sculpture, tapestries, and paintings. See its stunning Italian and English gardens. Explore Bellagio, jutting out into Lake Como, with its peaceful lanes and 18th- and 19th-century noble's villas. Enjoy a lakeside lunch, then travel by private boat past gorgeous villas to Como. Enjoy a guided tour of its ancient Roman steets, starting with the lovely Piazza Cavour. You'll have time to explore Como and Bellagio at your leisure.

Day 8: Take a boat trip on Lake Orta to the island of San Giulio and the spectacular frescoes in its 4th-century basilica. Enjoy the charming scenery over lunch—Lake Orta's villages are known for producing the finest chefs in all of Italy. Your afternoon is at leisure in Baveno. This evening, join your friends for a special arrivederci reception followed by your graduation ceremony and dinner.

Day 9: Transfer to Milan airport for the return flight to your gateway city.

A Bates College professor,  Rebecca W. Corrie, will accompany the trip. Corrie, the Phillips Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Bates College, teaches courses from ancient Egypt to the Renaissance. She has spoken and published widely on Italian and Byzantine art of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, participating recently in the catalogues for the exhibitions The Glory of Byzantium, Byzantium: Faith and Power at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Mother of God at the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece. She has served as an officer and board member for national organizations including the Byzantine Studies Conference, the International Center of Medieval Art, and the Italian Art Society.will accompany the trip.