Ciao Bella!

Starts in Milan or Venice – Ends in Rome (9 days–2 nights in Milan/2 nights in Turin/1 night in La Spezia/1night in Lucca/2 nights in Orvieto)

* ENJOY THE APERITIVO RITE, A ROYAL BREAK AND FRESHLY BAKED CHEESE FOCACCIA

* VISIT LAKE MAGGIORE, LE LANGHE, LE 5 TERRE, LUCCA, ORVIETO AND CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO

* MEET THE LOCAL PRODUCERS TO GET AN INSIGHT ON DAILY LIFE IN ITALY

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Day 1 – Milan
Milan is so widely recognised as being the capital of fashion and business that people tend to underestimate its abundance of cultural opportunities. You will be introduced to the priceless artworks by Leonardo, Mantegna and Raphael, and to the world-famous La Scala Opera House. You will also become familiar with the Milanese tradition of the aperitivo hour, a must if you wish to get acquainted with daily life in the city
Day 2 – Lake Maggiore
Stresa is a little picturesque town and the departing place to visit the magnificent Borromean Islands. Spend some time in this lovely town, stroll along the lake or walk through the small streets and stop at a delicatessen to taste the “margheritine di Stresa”, crumbly and buttery pastries covered with sugar. Dickens once wrote: “For however fanciful and fantastic the Isola Bella may be, and is, it still is beautiful”. You will be amazed by the Borromeo Palace ant the Grottoes, underground rooms decorated with multi-colored pebbles that make them resemble a huge, one-of-a-kind mosaic with designs reflecting aquatic themes. The Isola Madre will be an equally pleasant surprise: entirely covered in lush English-style botanical gardens playing host to a variety of species from all over the world and housing the historical palace, dating back to the 1500s.
Day 3 – Turin
Its extraordinary palaces, royal residences and museums testify to Turin’s rich cultural and artistic heritage, stroll through elegant streets and historical buildings and treat yourselves to a Royal Break in a Historical Café, an atmosphere reminiscent of the old days, sipping steaming hot chocolate and sampling “bagnati” cookies and delicious pralines of the finest Turinese patisserie. Turin is the capital of the aperitivo, the vermouth was born here where the aperitif hour is about socializing and having fun with people who gather at one of the many bars and elegant cafés and enjoy drinks served with an array of complimentary finger food which is so abundant that you can actually decide to dine this away.
Day 4 – The Langhe
Vineyards as far as the eye can see, rolling hills dotted with ancient villages and castles: welcome to the Langhe! A truffle hunter and his specially trained dog will show you how to hunt truffles in the woods and he will share with you all his secrets. Enjoy a tour of this spectacular landscape and stop at a winery to learn about a variety of red wines by sampling them, including what is known as the king of wines and the wine of kings: the Barolo
Day 5 – Le Cinque Terre
- Discover the marvelous Cinque Terre, a natural regional park acknowledged as a Unesco World Heritage Site, along its waterfront breathtaking view paths, through vineyards and olive groves. Either by boat or train, reach the picturesque small villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Do not miss the chance to buy the local wine Sciacchetrà and enter a bakery for some freshly baked cheese focaccia, a delicious local specialty
Day 6 – Carrara Marble Caves and Lucca
On a 4x4 vehicle tour to the marble quarries in Carrara, explore the place where for the last 2000 years nature and man's work daily embrace and reject each other in order to supply the raw material for architectural and artistic works that embellish the squares, the palaces, and the private buildings all over the world. This is the place from where Michelangelo took the marble for his masterpieces. The area offers the opportunity to taste the Lardo di Colonnata, a type of charcuterie, made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices which is included in the Ark of Taste catalogue of heritage foods. Lucca is a beautiful walled medieval town, a place to experience at your own pace on foot or by bike. Walking through its small streets and alleyways you will be constantly surprised by such beauty appearing round every corner: churches, palaces, towers, squares, streets and wonderful, unique green walls
Day 7 – Beyond the Renaissance
On the way to Orvieto, it is worthwhile a stop in Florence even if you already know it. Why not exploring the local markets and discover the town many curiosities with a local guide? You will have the chance to taste the "schiacciata" and the "lampredotto" sandwich, all seasoned with the most remarkable examples of the Italian Renaissance.
Day 8 - Orvieto – Civita di Bagnoregio
Orvieto, one of the most ancient towns in Italy and of Etruscan origins, stands on a tufa rock with caves open for visits where wine producers still keep their local wines. The best feature of Orvieto is its Cathedral, the Duomo, one of the greatest artistic achievements of the late Italian Middle Ages; it is a unique example that defies any simplistic style classification where different art styles harmoniously blend. Civita di Bagnoregio has been dubbed the “dying city” because of the crumbling tufa rock on which it stands and, in a few decades, it could disappear forever. The tufa rock promontory is flanked by two deep canyons carved by the waters, its setting is a scenic valley carved by wind and water, painted in the colors of a clay soil that has given origin to spectacular badlands
Day 9 – Orvieto - Rome
We are at the end of this tour: leave the touching beauty of Orvieto to reach Rome, the eternal city