Tuscany - Umbria - Marche
1 Day: Arrival meet in Airport or Hotel.
2 Day: Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio Guided tour of Orvieto, surrounded by a stunning hilly landscape. Lunch at a country house for a tasting of local products.
3 Day: Pienza cheese and Montepulciano wine Cross over into neighboring Tuscany to discover the Renaissance town of Pienza, set high above the Orcia Valley. Stop to visit a traditional pecorino cheese producer and sample the delicious finished product. Afternoon in Montepulciano and tasting the exquisite local wine.Truffle hunting experience, accompanied by experts with their trained dogs and followed by tasting of the precious product.
4 Day: Assisi and Perugia’s chocolate. Morning guided tour of Assisi, the city of St. Francis with the Basilica and its frescoes and the Santa Chiara church. In the afternoon guided tour of Perugia, the Medieval city center and its Palazzo dei Priori with stop for the famous local chocolate tasting, the unique “Perugino”.
5 Day: Civita di Bagnoregio Guided tour of Orvieto, surrounded by a stunning hilly landscape. Lunch at a country house for a tasting of local products. Afternoon dedicated to the unique and iconic dying village of Civita di Bagnoregio, the place where time stopped Gusto of the day: Typical local lunch with regional products. Visit to Foligno countryside experience at a local estate with olive oil and wine tasting.
6 Day: Marche Conero Osimo. A famous winery founded in the 19th century, out of a love for the land and for wine, the Moroder winery is located in the Conero Natural Park. The flagship is therefore the Rosso Conero, made from pure Montepulciano grapes. A visit to the winery is an extremely interesting experience, because you will find yourself in a fascinating underground world, in a cave and in the underground barrique cellar.
After tasting the wine you are served crostini with homemade olive oil, vegetables and cheese. The Rosso Conero grappa is also worth trying. And if you want to stay for dinner, make a reservation at the Aión adjoining restaurant with its panoramic view, where in autumn the specialities are truffle-based, directly from the estate's own truffle bed.
7 Day: Departure
Packages: • 6 x nights accommodation with international buffet breakfast • 6 x 3-course dinners • Guide FDPiedmont Food and Wine
Day 1: Arrival meet in Airport or Hotel
Day 2: Monferrato and Spumante (Italian Champagne)
Tour through the rolling hillsides of the Monferrato wine area, where a stop at a local cellar is due to taste some pure Barbera red-wine. Afternoon tour of the underground cathedrals of Canelli where the most ancient Spumante (Italian champagne) is produced, following a traditional and unique process.
Day 3: Turin Coffe
Guided tour of esoteric Turin, renowned for its elegant architecture, rich history, and delectable cuisine. The tour includes iconic landmarks such as the majestic Mole Antonelliana and the resplendent Turin Cathedral, which houses the Holy Shroud Tasting of the local Coffe, a delightful combination of espresso, hot chocolate, and a layer of frothy milk, at a historical bar in the city center.
Day 4: Vercelli, Rice and Beer
Visit to Vercelli, a city of Celtic origin known for its rice cultivation. Tasting of the refreshing rice beer, the locally grown grain also features the lunch.
Day 5: Barolo wine and truffle
Truffle hunt experience with real trifulau (the hunter) and dogs, including explanation of the most common techniques and some insider tips. At the end of the hunt, tasting of trufflebased products paired with local wines.
Day 6: Departure
Packages: • 5 x nights accommodation with international buffet breakfast • 5 x 3-course dinners • Guide FD
Piedmont & Tuscany the best Food and Wine
Day 1: ASTI
Arrival in hotel near Asti and accommodation in hotel. Leave the hotel for a half day in the Langhe area. Visit Alba, the most famous village of this area, and Barolo, well-known for its red wine. Stop in a cellar in the Langhe area for a wine tasting. Dinner in a typical restaurant, overnight stay in hotel.
Day 2: ASTI
After breakfast, visit Asti and Langa Astigiana, medieval centre. In the afternoon stop in Isola d’Asti, Nizza Monferrato, Canelli, Castiglione Tinella, Castagnole Lanze, Castiglione d’Asti. Wine tasting in the Moscato d’Asti area. Dinner in a typical restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 3: ASTI - SIENA
After breakfast, departure for Siena, calling in at Pisa to visit it’s beautiful centre and the famous leaning tower. Accommodation in hotel in Siena and visit the city: Piazza del Campo, one of the finest squares in Italy, and San Domenico church. Dinner in a typical Tuscan restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 4: SIENA – CHIANTI AREA - SIENA
After breakfast start a new itinerary from Rada in Chianti to Castellina in Chianti and then Greve in Impruneta. This area offers very different and spectacular landscapes. Wine tasting in a cellar in the Chianti area. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: DEPARTURE
Breakfast. End of services.
Packages: • 4 x nights accommodation with international buffet breakfast • 4 x 3-course dinners • Guide FD
Reggio Emilia - Cavazzone - Torrechiara - Roncole - Busseto - Fontanellato - Soragna - Parma - Acqualagna - Urbino - Pesaro - Jesi - Modena
Day 1: Bologna/Verona – Reggio Emilia
Arrival at the Airport in Bologna or Verona and transfer to the hotel in Reggio Emilia.
Check-in at the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Reggio Emilia, Cavazzone and Torrechiara
Specialties of the day: ham and pork
After breakfast we will visit Reggio Emilia with our English-speaking guide. This town has one of the highest standards of living in Italy. Late morning we will visit the chalet-style Villa that Baron Francetti had built for his beloved wife, Sara Luisa de Rothschild.
We will then continue to Cavazzone for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we will visit the Castle of Torrechiara, probably Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance-style castle. Powerful walls and high towers surround the courtyard; the building itself will remind you of a fairytale knights' castle. If time permits, a visit to the Benedictine Monastery of S. Maria della Neve will also be made.
Dinner at a local restaurant where you will enjoy local specialties such as ham and pork.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Villanova sull’Arda – Roncole – Busseto – Fontanellato – Soragna
Specialties of the day: tortelli, ham and salami
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
We will drive to Villanova sull’Arda and visit Villa S. Agata, the house where the composer Giuseppe Verdi and his wife, the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, lived. In Roncole, the birthplace of Verdi, we will visit the church where he was baptized and then his parents' house. Our next stop will be just a few miles away in Busseto where we will visit the famous Verdi Theater. Lunch will be at a farmhouse near Fontanellato where we will taste regional specialities such as tortelli, ham and salami.
In the afternoon we will visit the Castles of Soragna of Fontanellato. Meli Lupi (Castle of Soragna) was built in 1385 by the noble family of the same name. It is still inhabited but is open to visitors in the summer.
The beautiful moated castle of Fontanellato seems unapproachable from the outside but is full of surprises on the inside. The Wedding Room, the outstanding “Saletta di Diana e Atteone” and the Optical Room are amongst the highlights of the castle. The Optical Room has an impressive system of mirrors which allow you to follow what happens in the piazza in front of the castle.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Reggio Emilia – Parma
Specialties of the day: prosciutto and cheese
After breakfast you will visit Parma, the birthplace of the famous composer Toscanini. On a guided tour you will see the most important sights of this city, such as Palazzo della Pilotta, the Farnese Theater, Palatina Library, and the Cathedral with its Baptistery.
The afternoon will dedicated to two important delicacies of this region: Parma ham and Parma cheese. During our visit to a prosciutto and cheese factory, we will discover many secrets of the preparation of these specialities, and then sample them. Afterwards we will continue to the Marche Region.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5: Acqualagna and Urbino
Specialty of the day: the most important culinary treasure of this region: truffles
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
For those with a fine palate it would be a sin to visit the Marche region and not stop at Acqualagna. This town is particularly famous for its truffles. Since 1966 the National Truffle Trade-show takes place here each year towards the end of October/beginning of November. The area around the River Furlo boasts many gourmet restaurants and traditional taverns that guarantee year-long culinary delights.
We will have lunch at a local farmhouse where we will enjoy delicacies prepared with local truffles. In the afternoon we will discover Urbino. This city is completely surrounded by medieval walls and has remained much the same since Prince Fedrico di Montefeltro had it built in the 15th century. The lively University houses many important works of Italian architecture and art.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Pesaro – Jesi
Specialties of the day: wine from the Verdicchio region and seafood
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Today we will visit the seaside resort of Pesaro which is famous for being the birthplace of the composer Rossini. The history of the town dates back however to Roman times. After an extensive walking tour through the old-town we will continue inland to the town of Jesi where Emperor Frederich II was born. Jesi is set on a mountain-crest and is completely surrounded by medieval walls. We will then drive on to Cupramontana, in the region of the Verdicchio wine, an will stop there for lunch and wine-tasting at a local winery. Tonight you will enjoy a seafood dinner with Verdicchio wine - a perfect combination. You will easily understand why this wine is ideal to accompany seafood dishes.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Modena
Specialties of the day: balsamic vinegar
Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Today’s excursion will take us to Modena, the birthplace of the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti. On Piazza Grande you will be greeted by the 288-foot tall Ghirlandina Bell Tower and the impressive Cathedral. Our tour will end with a visit to a balsamic vinegar cellar where we will be able to sample this tasty condiment.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: Transfer to Bologna/Parma Airport and departure
After breakfast, transfer to the Airport and departure. End of services.
Packages: • 7 x nights accommodation with international buffet breakfast • 7 x 3-course dinners • Guide FD