Viaggio Italia Travel Northern delights: food and wine adventure guided small group tour itinerary

2019 dates

6-16 October

Contact us on: m: e:

0423 283 927 gary@viaggioitaliatravel.com.au

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Highlights personally-escorted 11-day tour expert local guides in each location authentic cooking class in Lake Como stays in Milan, Alba and Torino day trips to the Barolo and Asti wine districts guided walking tours, including evening tours of Torino and Milan’s Navigli entertainment district, Milan’s famous sights, and Torino’s old centre enjoy aperitivo, Barolo wine, Torino’s chocolate, Asti Spumante and so much more!!!

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Your itinerary Italy’s ‘dolce vita’ or ‘sweet life’ is founded on the fantastic food and wonderful wine for which it is famous, and in Italy’s north you find some of the best food and wine in the country. On this tour you will discover savour some great food and wine as we explore the north-east: from Milan to Alba and Torino. Whether it’s great red wine, the finest chocolates, excellent aperitivo, sparkling Asti spumante, authentic Bicerin, or just great food: this tour has it all.

Day 1 – Milan: city of fashion and food Guests will be arriving at different times and we will be on hand to assist when you check into our hotel and to help orient you. You will then have free time until 5:00pm, when all our guests will join us for welcome drinks and a chance to talk about our time in Milan and beyond. Later we will take a walk to familiarise you with the local area which will finish at a lovely Italian restaurant for our first meal together, and the opportunity to get to know the other travellers who will be sharing this tour with you.

Inclusions: Welcome drinks, orientation walk Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – Milan: getting to know Milan’s Duomo – or Cathedral – is the most iconic image of this great city and that’s where you’ll start our walking tour. To get there it’s a short ride on Milan’s excellent Metro system. You’ll also have full use of this system for the next two days, as we provide you with a pass to use to explore the city once the formal tour is concluded. At the Duomo, you’ll take the elevator to the roof for a fantastic view of the city from the terraces, before skipping the lines with your local guide to take a tour inside this incredible and historic Gothic masterpiece. It’s a unique experience. Later we’ll walk across to see the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – the famous shopping mall with its arched glass ceiling, before visiting the Piazza della Scala from where we’ll take a guided tour of the famous Teatro alla Scala opera house.

Inclusions: Metro pass, guided tour of the historical centre, entry to the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala, elevator access to the Duomo terraces Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 – An authentic cooking and dining experience!

In the little village of Gittana, about a 10-minute drive by private van in the hills above Varenna, is a wonderful family-owned restaurant run by Moreno and his wife Rossella. We’ll take the regional train for the hour journey to Varenna where we’ll be picked up and taken to the restaurant where you’ll enjoy a welcome cappuccino and Italian biscotti at their restaurant, before enjoying a private group cooking class. Moreno will lead and give you the chance to join in and learn the tricks, like how to fold and shape tortelloni or roll gnocchi. We’ll break for spuntino (Italian snack time) and enjoy fresh bread, salame and cheese from the local valley, and a little of the local D.O.C. wine. Then it’s back to the cookery lesson, where fresh ingredients and passion for food will provide you with a great authentic

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lunch time at around 2.00 p.m. You’ll receive a certificate of attending signed by Moreno and Rossella and a glass of limoncello before wishing them ‘arrivederci e grazie mille’ around 4.00 pm when you will be transferred back to Varenna. You’ll get to spend a little time exploring this gem of Lake Como before we take the train back to Milan.

Inclusions: Return train to Varenna, transfers to and from the restaurant, cooking class plus food and drinks as indicated above Meals: Breakfast, lunch and snacks as indicated above

Day 4 – Alba: gourmet capital of Piedmont Today we leave Milan and head over to Alba: in the heart of the Langhe region. The Langhe is Italy's premier wine region and its most beautiful. Alba is known as the gourmet capital of Piedmont: famous for its white truffles and chocolates (it is where Ferrero Rocher and Nutella come from!). We’ll get to Milan Centrale station via the Metro, where the Frecciarossa fast train will take us as far as Torino, where we change for the regional train down to Alba; arriving early in the afternoon. When we arrive in Alba, your hotel is just a short walk from the station. After the chance to stretch your legs, we’ll take an orientation walk of the town, pausing for an apertivo in one of the great little bars you’ll find in the town’s little piazzas and cobbled streets. Later we’ll gather for dinner in one of Alba’s traditional restaurants.

Inclusions: Train transfer to Alba, orientation walk, aperitivo Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5 – Barolo wine and white truffles Barolo is arguably the most famous DOCG wine produced in Italy, and it all happens in the region to the south of Alba which takes its name from one of 11 villages in the area and which now has UNESCO World Heritage status. You’ll board a private bus for a panoramic tour, stopping for a visit to the little town of Barolo, some wine tasting, and lunch in a rustic rural restaurant. After lunch, you’ll continue our adventure because the area is not only renowned for its wine, but also for its truffles. In fact, the white truffles of Alba are regarded as the Rolls Royce of the food world: some of the rarest, most expensive and most delicious ingredients in all of Italy. You’ll visit a local farm where we’ll be taken into the countryside on a search for the little white wonders. Later you’ll enjoy the rolling vine-covered hills as we return to Alba after a fantastic day in Barolo.

Inclusions: Private bus tour of Barolo, including visits to wineries for tasting, truffle experience Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 6 – Asti spumante and the underground cathedrals of Canelli East of Alba lies Asti, and the region around this lovely town is the home of spumante DOCG which is renowned and exported all around the world. In the morning you’ll again take a private bus and head into the Asti

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area where gentle hills alternate with valleys to create landscapes of unique beauty, and vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see, to provide a kaleidoscope of shades and tones. You’ll visit some of the local wineries and sample the bubbly wine for which the area is famous. You’ll enjoy another nice lunch in a rustic setting, before exploring the underground cathedrals of Canelli. These genuine masterpieces of engineering - now a UNESCO site – wind their way for about 20 kilometres in the tufa hills, and are a picturesque, surreal setting where thousands of bottles are left to ferment.

Inclusions: Private bus tour of Asti’s wine are, including visits to wineries for tasting, and a visit to the underground cathedrals of Canelli Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 7 – Off to Torino: northern surprise After a couple of big days in Alba, this morning it’s back to the station for the train to Torino. It’s just a bit over an hour, and then we’ll take a short trip on the Metro over to our hotel, which is very centrally placed. After some time to settle in, you’ll take a short orientation walk before meeting your local guide who will take you through the centre, pausing to enjoy an aperitivo, before finishing our sunset walk at a great panoramic spot which will give you a great view over this northern powerhouse city and lots of photo opportunities. After we will wander to a typical northern restaurant for another great dinner together.

Inclusions: Train transfer to Torino, Metro pass, guided tour of centre, aperitivo Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 8 – A step back in time in old Torino After breakfast you’ll enjoy a 3-hour walking tour of Torino’s old centre and come to understand its importance for Italian history: especially it’s place in the establishment of the modern republic. You’ll see Torino’s classic sights, from the baroque palaces and porticoes of the old city centre to its medieval cathedral, home to the fabled Turin Shroud. You’ll visit Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo (one of the city’s most elegant squares and once dubbed Europe’s sitting room), the fine baroque architecture of Piazza Carignano including the palazzo where King Vittorio Emanuele II was born, and step inside the Palazzo Reale (Royal Court) where the Savoy kings once held court. Later, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the city independently.

Inclusions: Guided tour of Torino’s old centre, including entry to the Palazzo Reale Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 – Torino treats Today we’ll start a little earlier, heading out straight after breakfast to visit Torino’s famous Mercato di Porta Palazzo: the largest open air market in Europe. You’ll spend some time exploring the stalls that sell fresh food, clothes and almost anything else you can imagine, before heading back into the main part of town to

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discover two reasons why Torino is synonymous with Italy’s food history: chocolate and coffee. Torino has been the chocolate heart of Europe since the 17th century and its cafés rank amongst Europe’s finest. These days, Torino’s many historic cafés remain popular among all walks of society, who want to revel in the splendour and elegance of days of old. You’ll take a walk to visit several of the grand old cafes and get to sample some of the chocolate and coffee for which Torino is rightfully famous. And you might even get to try some Bicerin: a marvel of silky sweet cream, velvety chocolate and espresso that is a local specialty.

Inclusions: Walking tour of Torino’s cafes, including chocolate and coffee tasting Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 – Canals, Art, Food and Wine Today we return to Milan on the fabulous Frecciarossa fast train. A short ride on the Metro gets us to our hotel, where there’ll be time to refresh before we head out for a complete Milanese cultural experience with an unbeatable mix of Renaissance art, canal settings and local wine tour. Your tour will begin at one of Milan’s oldest and most illustrious basilicas, Saint Eustorgio: built on an ancient Pagan and early Christian burial site. The basilica is home to the Portinari Chapel which was built by the Medici bankers from Florence in the 15th century. Here you'll have the chance to admire beautiful frescoes by one of northern Italy's greatest Renaissance artists. As you gently wander through the Canals district your guide will provide insights into the history of one of Europe's most important river port cities. As we saunter along the Naviglio Grande in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci, you'll enjoy the atmosphere of the city's top entertainment district as it prepares for another night of revelry. We'll finish the tour in typical Milanese fashion with a couple of aperitivos and some local delicacies. After, you’ll have dinner by the canals and celebrate a fantastic time in Italy’s north.

Inclusions: Guided walking tour of Navigli, aperitivo Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11 – Farewell from Milan This is our last morning in Milan. We will be available to assist in your transfers to the airport or the rail.

Meals: Breakfast Document version: 18.10.04

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Useful information Tour pace and physical requirements The tour is easy-paced, and we stay at least 3 nights in each location, so we aren’t moving hotels every day. There will be walking tours of up to 3-4 hours in duration and some full day excursions (such as to the wine areas around Alba). Some travel legs will be on Italy’s fast train network (although we will also use regional trains at times). The trains are great, although some trains require a few steps to get on board or to alight, and - while of course we are there to help - clients are responsible for their luggage. Where available we travel business class on the trains. We usually transfer between our hotel and the train station by taxi. In Venice, we will travel by vaporetto – the local water taxi.

The tour provides a good balance between organised tours and time to explore independently.

Transport • • •

•

Train (Fast train and regional trains) Taxi transfers Local trams and buses Minivans or minibuses

Hotels All hotels have been selected following a rigorous personal inspection tour.

Inclusions • • • • • • •

Shared twin hotel accommodation including city taxes Maximum 12 guests per tour Transfers to and from hotel with luggage All breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners Fulltime tour director and licensed local guides Day tours and activities as listed in the itinerary All entry fees to tour locations and other listed activities

The tour does not include: • •

Drinks and extras in hotel unless indicated in the itinerary Anything not mentioned in the “Inclusions” section or itinerary

Please be sure to read our Terms and Conditions, which you can find on our website at: https://www.viaggioitaliatravel.com.au/bookings If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are a family-owned company, and we want to make sure you know all you need to about our tours so that you can be well-prepared and have a great time with us.

Grazie mille!!

Gary

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