Day 1 Venice
- Arrive Venice airport and transfer to centrally located Venice hotel
- Welcome drink at hotel or nearby bar
- Overnight in Venice hotel
Day 2 Venice
- Breakfast at hotel
- Guided walking tour of Venice, see the Bridge of Sights, Piombi Prison (outside), Doge’s Palace (inside), St. Mark’s Cathedral (inside).
- Visit glass blowing demonstration
- Free time at leisure in the afternoon
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant
- Overnight in Venice hotel
Day 3 Venice – Verona – Franciacorta – Milan
- Breakfast at hotel
- Transfer to the mainland, board the coach and drive west to Milan
- Stop in Verona for a guided tour. Explore the streets of Verona’s historical center, taking in the churches and palaces that have helped make this town a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Continue to the Franciacorta wine region for a wine tasting session.
- Continue to a famous Franciacorta wine cellar where the Franciacorta method will be explained together with the tasting of the best wines combined with local cheeses and salami.
- Continue to Milan and check into hotel
- Dinner on your own
- Overnight in Milan Hotel
Day 4 Milan
- Breakfast at hotel
- In the morning, meet local guide and enjoy a guided tour of the city.
- Chic Milan is the regional capital, Italy’s financial center, a shopper’s paradise and the main gateway to Lombardy, renowned worldwide for its fashion shows.
- Guided activities, you’ll admire the Duomo, Sforzesco Castle, Vittorio Emanuele Gallery
- Afternoon at leisure
- Dinner
- Overnight in Milan hotel
Day 5 Milan – Lake Como – Milan
- Breakfast at the hotel
- One-hour coach journey from Milan to start the tour of Como
- Visit the Basilica of Sant’Abbondio
- Free time to visit Como’s historic center at your own pace with some sightseeing or shopping
- Meet back with your guide for an extended cruise around Lake Como
- Admire the hillside villas and hotels and pose for photos against the backdrop of the alps.
- Return to dry land in time for your trip to the colorful seaside town of Bellagio.
- Spend some time at your leisure to explore and perhaps savor lunch.
- Later, cruise to Cadenabbia, then return to the coach for a journey back to Milan.
- Evening at your leisure
- Overnight at Milan hotel
Day 6 Turin – Langhe Area
- Breakfast at hotel
- After breakfast board the coach and depart for Turin.
- Upon arrival meet your local guide for a guided tour and see the Basilica of Superga, an impressive church built on the Superga Hill.
- Visit the Royal Palace, a majestic building of XVII century, former residence of the kings of Italy that preserves the marks left by the many famous architects and artists who worked in Turin.
- Visit Turin’s Duomo which is the only example of Renaissance architecture in town.
- Continue to the Langhe region
- Dinner
- Overnight at hotel
Day 7 Langhe
- Breakfast at hotel
- In the morning your visit Cherasco, a quadrilateral planned town with a very interesting historic center. Take a stroll along the orthogonal streets opened with porticos and embellished by civic and religious buildings that go from the Medieval to the Baroque.
- After 2 hours the visit will continue on to Serralunga to visit the slender and majestic Castle of Serralunga d’Alba. The Castle overshadows one of the most beautiful and historically intact villages of the Langhe, surrounded by the hills of Barolo vineyards. Considered to be one of the best-conserved examples of 14th century noble castles in Piedmont. The castle represents a unique piece of history in Italy with an architectural structure of a French donjon.
- Lunch in a characteristic local restaurant
- In the afternoon learn about one of this region’s most famous specialties, the truffle.
- Venture into the woods with the trifolau (truffle hunter) and his dog, to put your newfound knowledge to the test and find your own little nugget of white gold!
- Next visit a local farm and taste some of their products, which include cheeses and succulent salamis, paired with good local wine.
- Late afternoon return to your hotel in the Langhe area
- Dinner
- Overnight at hotel
Day 8 Parma – Modena
- Breakfast at hotel
- Leave the Langhe region and depart for Emilia Romagna
- In Emilia Romagna enjoy an excursion to a cheese factory
- At the factory you will see all the working steps in the entire process, from the early morning delivery of the milk from local farmers to crafting of the curds by the master cheesemaker, to the final aging process.
- At the end of the visit, you will enjoy the breakfast of champions with a glass or two of good, dry Lambrusco, and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese tastings.
- From the Parmigiano factory the tour moves to the “Acetaia” to see the secrets of the famous Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena D.O.P (certified Balsamic Vinegar, minimum 12 years old). This is not a factory but a single family producing small amounts of the world’s finest vinegar for generations using the same ancient technique of aging grapes in oak barrels that Italian families in this region have been using for centuries.
- Full tasting of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena
- DOP allows you to compare 6 years old balsamic condiment with 12 and 25 years old Balsamic.
- See the manufacturing of Prosciutto where you will learn the careful craft of creating one of the most delicious pork products.
- Enjoy full tasting of fresh slices prosciutto di Modena D.O.P in a combination with some nice Lambrusco wine.
- Continue to Bologna
- Overnight in Bologna hotel
Day 9 Bologna – Motor Valley
- Breakfast at hotel
- In the morning meet your local guide for a half day guided tour of Bologna.
- The first major attraction you will see is the Neptune Fountain (Fontana del Nettuno in Italian) that has become one of the city symbols, and the Basilica di San Petronio which is right in Piazza Maggiore.
- Your guide will show you an enormous church which is unfinished outside point out the interesting features inside.
- Visit Piazza della Mercanzia, where food stalls line side streets so you can see the colorful produce that’s in season and local to this region.
- Make your way to the Archiginnasio, which was once the home of the University of Bologna, – the world’s oldest university, opened in the 11th century.
- After basking in the glow of Bologna’s historic university, you’ll walk to the Church of Santa Maria della Vita to see an impressive collection of 15th-century life-sized terracotta figures mourning the dead Christ.
- The final stop on the tour is at the base of the two leaning towers in the heart of historic Bologna, known as the “Due Torri” in Italian. The Asinelli is the taller tower, which you can climb (not part of the tour), while the Garisenda’s tilt is too severe to allow climbers.
- Depart to the world-famous Motorvalley!
- You will stop in Maranello, home base of the Ferrari Factory since early 1940s.
- In the Ferrari Gallery you can admire a small exhibition featuring memorabilia, classic engines and many vintage cars. Browse through the five themed rooms in the museum. See the incredible collection of automobile artifacts on display, including an exhibit of World Championship cars.
- Return to Bologna for a free evening
- Overnight in Bologna hotel
Day 10 Departure
- Breakfast at hotel
- Transfer to Bologna airport for your return flight
Daily departures tailor-made by your Italian Destination Specialist
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