Aside from the iconic sites, you'll be taken down the quaint small streets that will allow you to discover some hidden gems and most authentic sides of the city and will truly make you fall in love with Italy's charming pace of life.
Stopping at local markets, artisan bakeries and boutique shops, you'll meet the makers that define the grand status of “Made in Italy” with delectable food and wines with recipes handed down through generations.
This trip combines food & drink, culture & arts, sightseeing, and cycling!
Day 1: Arrival & Trastevere Food Tour, Italy
Upon your arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. You'll enjoy a welcome walking tour to start exploring the 'Eternal City'. You'll visit the Trevi Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in the city and the most beautiful one in the world. In the late afternoon, you'll venture out on a guided tour of the lively Trastevere area, one of Rome’s most authentic and vibrant areas where you'll enjoy food and wine tastings and eat locally with locals!
Day 2: Farmers Market & Cooking Class
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll meet your small group at Campo de’ Fiori in the very heart of the city for a unique cooking class. Food is a very important part of Italian life and today you will learn to cook like an Italian, preparing a true Roman lunch from the pasta to the dessert. In the afternoon, you'll have some free time to explore Rome as you wish. You may want to venture out on another tour of Imperial Rome, Baroque Rome, Catacombs or the Vatican Museums which can be arranged.
Day 3: Frascati Wine Tour
www.oldfrascati.com
After breakfast, you'll travel by train to reach Frascati in the Roman hills for an interesting wine and food tour in one of the most authentic and genuine areas. You'll spend the day with a local winemaking family, learning the processes of winemaking and tasting the end products. You'll also enjoy a tasting of olive oil and a delicious lunch with the family before heading back to Rome in the afternoon.
Day 4: Pizza & Gelato Cooking Class
After breakfast, you'll check out and board your high-speed train to Florence. In the afternoon after checking in to your new hotel, you'll have some free time to explore the city on your own before joining a special 'Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class' followed by a social dinner. You'll have your own expert chef who will tell you all about the origins and combination of ingredients that are needed to make the delicious pizzas and gelato that you will be making!
Day 5: Chianti Wine Tour & Lunch with an Expert Sommelier
In the morning you will be comfortably escorted in a minivan through the outskirts of Florence to three different wineries located amidst the rolling hills of the Chianti wine region guided by an expert sommelier. You'll learn all about how Chianti wines are produced and how to pair them with your favourite foods. In the afternoon, you'll return to Florence and have some time at your disposal to explore the town on your own or take part in another tour which can be arranged.
Day 6: Train to Bologna & Slow Bike Tour
After breakfast, you'll check out of your hotel and catch a train transfer to Bologna. After checking in to your new hotel, you'll meet your local guide in the afternoon for an introductory tour around Bologna and later, you'll see the main highlights with a slow bike tour in the city centre. You will discover the very best of Bologna: the oldest University in the world, the magnificent Piazza Maggiore and you will ride under the Two Towers, one of the main symbols of the city.
Day 7: Bologna Food Tour & Train to Venice
After breakfast, you'll join an interesting food tour in Bologna city centre. From coffee to gelato, you will have the chance to taste the most genuine and traditional products of Emilia Romagna. A social lunch will complete this gorgeous experience. In the afternoon, you'll catch the train to Venice. After checking into your hotel, you'll have the rest of the evening to enjoy how you wish and explore the city on your own.
Day 8: Rialto Fish Market & Bacari Food in the Jewish Ghetto
Photo by Sergey Galyonkin | Flickr
After breakfast, you'll head to the starting point of your Venetian food experience and meet your guide. Today, you will discover the local market of Rialto and its colourful products, then start your food tour in local bars (bacari) experiencing Cicchetti, the Venetian version of Spanish tapas. You'll then cross the canal by a gondola and reach the Jewish Ghetto to continue your food tour. The rest of the afternoon will be free for you to enjoy however you wish.
Day 9: The End of Your Food Tour of Italy
After breakfast, if you have some free time before you leave you can explore Venice one last time on your own. You may want to visit the famous St. Mark's Basilica and the bell tower.
Included in Price
- 8 nights accommodation
- 10 activities
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners
- Ground transportation
- - Entrance fees
- - Licensed English speaking guides
Not Included in Price
- Airport transfer on departure
- Travel insurance
- - Alcohol beverages
- - Entry visas / airport departure tax
- - Gratuities
- - International flights
- - Laundry
- - Personal expenses
Low season cost: $4,400 CAD per person based on double occupancy. Actual cost can only be confirmed once itinerary is selected and a deposit is paid. This trip is completely customizable in that you can change the level of service, extend the days of travel, add additional activities - or eliminate some, add additional cities....