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La Dolce Vita - Gastronomy and Wine of Italy
Active pace with longer touring days. Expect intermittent walking at a moderate pace for 2–3 hours over a variety of terrain, including cobblestones, hills and uneven pavements. Must be able to negotiate stairs of varying heights, sometimes without handrails. Can tolerate periods of standing during guided tours and be able to climb in/out of various modes of transportation. Some days may include 5–7 km of walking over the course of the day.
We fly to Rome.
Transfer from Rome to Perugia, our base for 3 nights. After some free time to settle in, we will gather for a Welcome Dinner of traditional Umbrian recipes.
This morning we visit UNESCO designated Assisi, with a guided tour and free time for lunch. We spend the afternoon at the renowned Wine Museum in Torgiano, followed by an Umbrian wine tasting.
Guided by local experts, we head to the woodlands of a local estate to hunt for truffles, cook them together and enjoy them as part of a delicious lunch. We then head back to Perugia for a guided tour of the medieval city.
As we enter southern Tuscany, our first stop is Montepulciano, where we’ll visit a winery and enjoy lunch in a local farmhouse. Next is Pienza, the city of Pecorino cheese, for a stop at a local cheese factory, before traveling to Montecatini Terme, our base in Tuscany for the next 6 nights.
After a free morning, we take a cooking class at Antico Casale Toscano, making Tuscan-style soup, pasta (of course!), and tiramisù— and then enjoying our delicious dishes together.
We spend the day in Lucca, a city of deep-rooted culinary tradition. We see the Palazzo Mansi’s enormous tapestry collection, stop at shops to sample cheese, wine and schiacciata (bread), then enjoy a tasty brunch at a local restaurant.
Our day starts in historic Bolgheri, with time to explore its picturesque streets—including the Avenue of Cypresses and its astonishing views of the sea. We continue along the famous wine route, stop at a local estate, and enjoy homemade pasta with wild boar sauce in Castagneto Carducci. Next, we visit the town’s historic centre, then see how olive oil is made at a local mill.
On today’s walking tour, we explore the Renaissance city’s stunning cathedral, Signoria Square, Baptistery and Piazzale Michelangelo. We have free time to shop at San Lorenzo Market or stop at a trattoria, sidewalk café, wine shop, or museum.
Our first destination is San Gimignano, a medieval hilltop town famous for its many towers, and for frescoes, white wine, and saffron. A farmhouse lunch is included, accompanied by local Vernaccia wine. In the afternoon, we visit Volterra to see Roman and Etruscan archaeological sites, then continue on to the Parma area for a 2-night stay.
We explore Bologna’s narrow streets, walking through arched porticos, arcaded walkways and past medieval walls. Lunch is homemade tortellini at a local restaurant.
On our excursion to the Food Valley, we’ll visit 2 Italian food icon museums: the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Museum in Soragna, and the Parma Ham Museum in Langhirano. Our light lunch will include a selection of regional cold cuts and cheeses. This afternoon we visit Parma, acity bursting with art, culture, and food. Our city tour will take in the octagonal towered baptistry, built from the pink marble of Verona, and the cobbled Piazza del Duomo, on which stands Parma’s cathedral. There will be free time to explore Parma on our own. Dinner this evening will be in a local “Enoteca/ osteria” featuring only local dishes and produce, and red wine.
Cremona has been the violin making capital for five centuries. At the Violin Museum (a UNESCO site) we’ll discover the history of this high-quality craftsmanship, including works by Stradivari. After our tour of the city’s historic centre we enjoy lunch in a local trattoria, which will include the famous local “Mostarda”, a perfect match with the cold cuts and cheeses. We transfer to Turin, the former Italian capital and another one of Italy’s food capitals, for a 2-night stay.
We start with a walking tour of Turin’s historic centre, with the afternoon free to explore before we gather again for an aperitif in a famous café. Dinner tonight features local agnolotti, pasta del plin and local meat dishes best paired with a glass of Nebbiolo or Barbaresco.
Our first stop is Alba, capital of the Langhe region, where we explore its historical centre, which has many towers and Romantic-gothic monuments. We proceed to Canelli for lunch at a local winery, visit one of Canelli’s regional Cathedral wineries for a tasting, then finish the day in Milan.
We say arrivederci to Italy as Air Canada takes us home.
You may cancel your tour up to 60 days prior to departure (90 days prior for tours requiring a visa, cruises or rail journeys) for any reason, and receive a full refund of your deposit / payment (less the $75 administration fee).
Cancellation & trip interruption insurance included!
Included in the cost of your tour is our Cancellation Insurance Policy, which provides coverage in case of emergency injury or illness (including Covid), right up to your date of departure (terms and conditions apply).
Our Manulife Out-of-Country Health Insurance Plan covers expenses related to Trip Interruption in case of emergency injury or illness. For tours within Canada, Senior Discovery Tours will cover such expenses (terms and conditions apply to all policies).
