Family activity holiday in Italy
| country: | Italy |
| departures: | 2009: 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug |
| price: | From £920 - £1255 (8 days) per adult and £745 - £1080 per child including flights from the UK. Price depends number of activities chosen. This trip can also be booked without flights. Recommended minimum age 8 years |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Italy family activity holiday - Veneto and Asiago Plateau
Asiago and the small town of Gallio are situated on a high plateau in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The plateau is nothing short of beautiful with expansive alpine meadows, forests and lower down in the valleys, fast flowing rivers. This diversity of landscapes provides an excellent combination of mountain and river based activities.
Another very popular aspect of this holiday is our accommodation, a lovely 4-star spa hotel. It is a fabulous retreat after an active day. All the ingredients are here for a perfect family holiday.
Accommodation: This holiday is based at the excellent 4-star Spa Hotel Gaarten in the town of Gallio. In addition to 45 extremely comfortable bedrooms you will find an excellent restaurant and wine cellar, an indoor swimming pool and a health and beauty spa offering a comprehensive range of treatments.
The large grassy area in front of the hotel has, in the past, hosted some enthusiastic and friendly football matches between our clients and local residents. We hope the tradition continues as none of the British nations will be playing at Euro 2008 so somebody has to fly the flags!
Our accommodation is in spacious en-suite double or twin rooms all of which are furnished with the most modern comforts: entry is by personalised magnetic card, direct dial telephone with modem, fax and internet connection, mini-bar, safe deposit box and colour TV with satellite dish. Each room has a large double bed with two pull-out singles for the children. For additional comfort, you may wish to upgrade to one of the suites which have two en-suite bedrooms as well as a separate lounge area.
Asiago and the small town of Gallio are situated on a high plateau in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The plateau is nothing short of beautiful with expansive alpine meadows, forests and lower down in the valleys, fast flowing rivers. This diversity of landscapes provides an excellent combination of mountain and river based activities.
Another very popular aspect of this holiday is our accommodation, a lovely 4-star spa hotel. It is a fabulous retreat after an active day. All the ingredients are here for a perfect family holiday.
Accommodation: This holiday is based at the excellent 4-star Spa Hotel Gaarten in the town of Gallio. In addition to 45 extremely comfortable bedrooms you will find an excellent restaurant and wine cellar, an indoor swimming pool and a health and beauty spa offering a comprehensive range of treatments.
The large grassy area in front of the hotel has, in the past, hosted some enthusiastic and friendly football matches between our clients and local residents. We hope the tradition continues as none of the British nations will be playing at Euro 2008 so somebody has to fly the flags!
Our accommodation is in spacious en-suite double or twin rooms all of which are furnished with the most modern comforts: entry is by personalised magnetic card, direct dial telephone with modem, fax and internet connection, mini-bar, safe deposit box and colour TV with satellite dish. Each room has a large double bed with two pull-out singles for the children. For additional comfort, you may wish to upgrade to one of the suites which have two en-suite bedrooms as well as a separate lounge area.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, transfers and welcome. We will be met at Venice Marco Polo Airport for the transfer to the Hotel Gaarten in Gallio. In the evening we will have a welcome drink before our introductory meeting and dinner. |
| Day 2: | Cycling exploration day. After allocating your bikes we transfer to the Granezza Woods where our instructors will provide an introduction to mountain biking to ensure children and less confident riders make the most of the day. Experienced cyclists will set off to cover extra distance with both groups meeting up for lunch in a mountain refuge cabin. We will cover a minimum of 20kms during our four hour ride. |
| Day 3: | Rafting & river trekking. We leave the plateau and descend into the Valstagna Valley for a day on the River Brenta. Today's activities include white water rafting and river trekking with a barbecue lunch included to maintain our energy levels. |
| Day 4: | Labyrinth adventure. This morning we head for the mountains where, at a height of 1,800 metres, geological forces have created a remarkable natural rock labyrinth. We spend the day trekking, Nordic walking and rock scrambling, admiring the expansive views across the region and the Dolomites. A picnic lunch is included and this evening, our guide Nikki, will host a "flavours of Asiago" dinner. |
| Day 5: | Free day or optional activities. Relax, take advantage of the hotel's spa facilities or why not try some of the activities available locally? Our clients get a 20% discount at the Agility Forest in Asiago. |
| Day 6: | Horse riding. The day will be split according to the number of people in our group and their respective abilities. Beginners will receive an hour of expert tuition and assessment before venturing away from the stables. For the more experienced riders, this is simply wonderful horse riding terrain. Lunch is included at the riding centre. |
| Day 7: | Mini-rafting. We return to the valley for another session on the Brenta River. Mini-rafting is similar to white water rafting but in smaller inflatables giving you far more control over your own destiny as you negotiate the rapids. After a light lunch it's back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon before our farewell meal this evening. |
| Day 8: | Depart. We transfer back to Venice for your return flights. |
travellers' tales
The experience is unforgettable. The location was idyllic and the people with whom we holidayed were as unforgettable as the holiday itself. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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The Highlands of Asiago have always been considered 'the backyard' to Italians living on the Venetian plain - and a jealously guarded secret - why bother encouraging a steady tourist flow when they have all they want? The fact is the young people here cannot exist on such limited working periods so, despite loving their home area, they are forced to move out, very much as their own grandfathers did 90 years ago during the 1st World War, when the British were called to Asiago to support the Italians against the Austrian invasion.
Family hotels and little restaurants only work to full capacity for no more than three weeks in August and Christmas period - certainly too precarious in today's expensive economy. Day trippers may buy some Asiago cheese or salame, but they seldom stay long enough to boost other activities - and it hurts the locals that everything they have to offer historically and geographically are exploited for such short periods of time. By bringing in new people who are interested in practicing nature-friendly sports, who can appreciate some good food and wine along with the beauty and history of the environment - and who won't be too critical of the local's imperfect English - we hope to provide a steady work flow which will enable the young generation to look to a future in Asiago with more confidence. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |