Food & Wine Tour of Italy

(11 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Piedmont, Bologna & Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany & Florence

This tour focuses on the superb food and wine of northern Italy, uncovering how geography and history have influenced regional variation. Experience the best of the many local specialties through wine tastings, market visits, cooking and culinary touring.

Begin in Piedmont. The birthplace of the Slow Food movement, Piedmont is famous for fantastic cuisine and acclaimed red wines such as Dolcetto, Barbera and Barbaresco. During private touring with a local insider, enjoy in-depth access to the region’s top vineyards and restaurants. Go behind-the-scenes at renowned wineries and explore local towns and villages such as Alba, Barolo, La Morra and Castiglione Falletto. One day, also enjoy a private truffle hunting excursion in the forested hills. A highlight of your stay in Piedmont will be having the opportunity to try regional specialties such as vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), agnolotti (a delicate, filled pasta) and gianduja (chocolate with hazelnuts).

Continue to Bologna, one of Italy’s great gastronomic centers. Tour the city’s cultural and culinary highlights, such as grand churches, interesting museums, the Jewish quarter, frescoed porticoes, outdoor markets and specialty food shops. One day, take a private culinary excursion to nearby Parma and Modena in Emilia-Romagna, perhaps the best-known gastronomic region in Italy, to visit producers of the region’s celebrated Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar.

Next, you will be transferred into the heart of Tuscany. Travel through olive groves and vineyards to explore celebrated hill towns such as Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Walk medieval alleys and admire palazzi and ancient towers, and enjoy time to browse for olive oil, wine, baskets, cheeses, olive wood and ceramics. During free time at your beautiful hotel, additional activities can be arranged, such as a private tour and tasting at the winery, a Tuscan cooking class, guided nature walks, biking, hiking and more.

Next, transfer to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. En route, tour the cultural highlights of Siena and enjoy tastings of Tuscan wines at a top winery in the region. During private touring in Florence with your expert guide, explore Tuscan cuisine at the best local food markets and specialty food shops selling Italian terracotta cookware, serving dishes and other items. Also, enjoy skip-the-line access at world-renowned museums such as the Uffizi and Accademia, browse antiques and artisan workshops of the Oltrarno district or stroll through the beautiful Boboli Gardens. Perhaps also visit less-frequented but fascinating museums, such as the Convent of San Marco Museum, with its frescoes by Fra Angelico, local fashion museums (Gucci, Ferragamo and others) or the excellent Museo del Bargello, a prison in the 13th century and now home to sculpture by Michelangelo and Donatello. One day, enjoy a private, chef-led market tour and cooking class to learn to prepare regional specialties. Alternatively, opt for a half-day private excursion to top wine estates in the Bolgheri wine region, the home of Super Tuscans. During free time, enjoy leisurely meals, walks along the Arno River and shopping for Florentine gold jewelry, handmade paper, leather goods, antiques and housewares.