Northern Italy Itinerary Help

It would be such a shame to miss The Last Supper in Milan. You don't have to be an art lover to appreciate it, and because they are pretty strict on the amount of people allowed in at a time, it's a much more enjoyable experience than most big art museums.

I'll let others comment on the lakes; I've only done Como. But Venice is a very unique city and not to be missed. Unless you're going in the heat of the summer? (I've heard it can be smelly and crowded then; we loved it in April) What do you mean consolidate Verona/Venice? They aren't close together.

I think your trip is possible but the end is kind of hectic.

Bolzano is closer to Verona than to Desenzano, so if you want to see it, you should do it from Verona by train. I wouldn't, however; you're moving around so much I'm not sure you're going to fully any of the places you're going.

I don't think 1-1/2 days is enough time for Venice. People who make very short trips there end up spending all their time as part of the mob around Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. You need to have time to explore the back canals where you can be lost in the medieval atmosphere with no other visitors in sight.

The Bernina Express doesn't seem a reasonable day trip from Milan. It takes 6-3/4 hours to get to Chur from Milan. That's one way.

Thanks Amanda.

Good point about the last supper.
By consolidating Verona and Venice, I meant perhaps stay in one place or the other and just take a day trip.

Day 3 - Stay overnight in Bergamo.
Day 7 - Skip Verona and go to Venice. Verona is nice, but not comparable with Venice, so you get 2.5 days in Venice. And I wouldn’t day trip from Venice to Verona.

When is this?
You need to either add more days or drop a location. You will be seeing the inside of trains with this itinerary. As much as I like the Bernina Express route, that is just too much for one day, so drop it.
Also, what if your flight is delayed or canceled? You need to add an extra day at the beginning, just in case. It has happened to me several times, post-COVID.
Hopefully you don't have an early flight out of Venice, as it's difficult to get to the airport early. Perhaps flip your trip, start in Venice, and add more days. Don't rely on "I heard....." watch u-tube videos, RS videos, and do your research based on your interests. I have been to Venice three times and plan to return in 2025.
Have a great time planning. Get a map, research realistic travel times, let yourself feel that you're actually in a location. Safe travels!

If you want to ride the Bernina Express, look at flying into Zurich and going immediately to Chur for one night, then take the train south and on to Milan.