Tour description
Bespoke Tour of Italy – Culture & Food
This 12-day bespoke tour includes the most iconic as well as undiscovered gems of Italy, in one unique and relaxing vacation! From the dramatic history of Colosseum, the cypress filled rolling hills of Tuscany, amazing castles & wines, to artsy Florence, foodie Bologna and the romance of Venice. Not only will you have the pleasure of exploring the hidden corners of La Serenissima Venice, visiting some of Italy’s most picturesque vineyards in Chianti, Montepulciano and Montalcino, you will also get to experience the authentic local produce, the best Parmigiano, Prosciutto and Balsamic Vinegar. Unique accommodations, charismatic guides and truly authentic experiences, this is an Italian vacation which will have you wishing you need never leave!
DAY 1 ARRIVAL ROME
Your private chauffeur will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your 5* boutique hotel with a privileged location in the heart of Rome. This elegant historic mansion, member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is the perfect place to begin your Wine, Food & Cultural Tour of Italy. You have arrived in the Eternal City, where in every direction you head, you will be confronted with a recorded history which dates back 28 centuries! The hotel´s prime location invites you to explore Rome’s city center on foot and admire the Trevi fountain, Piazza di Spagna, the Quirinale area, and the Roman Forum.
Rome is often referred to as the City of Seven Hills due to its geographic location and in every corner of the city, there is so much to uncover. Perhaps enjoy an aperitif in one of the iconic piazzas, taking in the ancient history which surrounds you, or find a spot for people-watching over a typical Italian coffee. We will include many suggestions in your Personal Travel Website.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured airport transfer. Accommodation at a 5* boutique hotel, located in the heart of Rome.
DAY 2 ROME
Our engaging and fun Roman tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and treat you to a voyage back in time. Your private tour begins with a chauffeured panoramic tour of Rome followed by a walking tour. After a stroll along the iconic Panteon, Trevi Fountain etc. with tons of fun related anecdotes, you will then discover 3 icons of Ancient Rome: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Let your guide bring history to life as you learn all about everyday Roman life, the Colosseum’s gory history, and the city’s rumored founding hill. Tour the amphitheater as your guide explains the details of what happened in situ and visit the normally off-limits arena floor and imagine the roaring crowds from the gladiators’ perspective. Next up, visit the Roman Forum, the epicenter of Roman political, religious, and social life. Home to the Temple of Julius Caesar and Roman Senate, it was full of grand, classical architecture and a marketplace. Then walk up to Palatine Hill, the reputed birthplace of Rome and the centremost of the Seven Hills, with amazing panoramic views of Rome. You have the afternoon free to keep discovering the wonders of Rome with our many suggestions.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private guided tour of Rome (panoramic plus walking tour). Overnight in Rome.
DAY 3 VATICAN
Today your excellent guide, a true expert in the art and history of the Vatican, will take you to see this unique place. Skip the line to enter the Vatican Museums and discover all its wonders and treasures. On your private tour you will learn the secrets and fascinating stories of the Popes, treasures and famous artists who have worked for the Vatican state. The Vatican is an enormous collection of art and the papacy is a fascinating institution – did you know it has survived for longer than the Roman Empire?! You will be captivated by stories of the commissioned artists and the intense rivalry that often existed between them. Your tour will include an in-depth exploration of the Sistine Chapel with its marvelous ceiling and the famous Last Judgment by Michelangelo. You will learn about Michelangelo’s technique and all the meaning behind this masterpiece. Let your private guide tell you everything! Free afternoon for shopping, additional sightseeing etc.
Tour in a Nutshell: Half day private guided Vatican tour including local transport and entrance tickets. Overnight in Rome.
DAY 4 VAL D ORCIA
Your private chauffeur will take you from Rome to Tuscany, stopping along the way to relish in picture perfect landscapes, and delectable food & wine. Your first stop on this Luxury Food & Wine Tour of Italy is a fantastic winery on the outskirts of Montepulciano where you will be treated to a private guided visit with the energetic and charismatic owner. His family estate makes some of the best Vino Nobile as well as two Super Tuscans, both from Sangiovese grapes. As you tour through the vineyards and winery you will learn about their intriguing story, revealing their philosophy and technical solutions. Then feast on an informal lunch of delicious local produce with their wines.
On the way to Pienza, you will admire some of Italy’s most scenic vineyards and verdant rolling hills, stopping en-route for a picture perfect moment to take in the Val d’Orcia views. Pienza is a pretty little hamlet, birthplace of 15th century Pope Pius II, who employed a brilliant architect to rebuild the town following precise philosophical, scientific and rational criteria to include squares, palaces and fortresses with harmonious proportions. Pienza is famed for its unique sheep’s milk cheese, Pecorino di Pienza, which you will be tasting at a wonderful artisan cheese shop. This perfect day ends at your luxurious castle hotel, in the heart of the Crete Senesi whose ramparts are over 1,000 years old! Relax in one of the noble lounge rooms or by the pool with stunning views of the rolling Tuscan hills.
Tour in a Nutshell: Transfer from Rome to Siena area with a full day chauffeured tour enroute of Montepulciano, Pienza and Val d’Orcia. Delicious lunch at a prestigious family run winery with tastings. Cheese tasting at a lovely artisan shop in Pienza. Overnight at a luxurious castle hotel in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.
DAY 5 TUSCAN VILLAGES
Today you will visit Tuscany’s most beautiful towns – San Gimignano and Siena with a gorgeous local lunch at a winery in between. If time permits you will also stop in Monteriggioni. No matter which direction you approach San Gimignano from, you can’t help but be impressed by its unique skyline of tall stone towers – like a medieval version of city skyscrapers. The defensive walls built in the 10th and 13th centuries encircle some of the finest examples of towers, noble palaces, late Roman churches and fresco artwork found in the region. Building a tower taller than their neighbors’ (there were originally 72, now only 13 remain standing) became a popular way for prominent families to flaunt their power and wealth. Lunch will be at a beautiful agroturismo, in a lovely rural setting and family run, where you will enjoy a yummy seasonal local mamma meal with their own produce, olive oil and wine.
Your Private Italy Cultural Tour continues to Siena, a romantic, medieval town set upon a hill. The historic center is a Unesco world heritage site and a maze of brick buildings and narrow alleys. Walk to Piazza del Campo, the setting for the renowned Palio di Siena horse race. See the Torre del Mangia, one of the tallest medieval towers in Italy. Sit at one of the plaza´s delightful cafes, aperitivo in hand, to do some people watching and get a real feel for local life. Don´t miss the Duomo of Siena, built in the 13th century with a stunning façade and home to works by famous artists, such as Donatello, Ghiberti, and Pinturicchio. Unwind this evening at your luxurious hotel and enjoy dinner at a local Tuscan restaurant.
Tour in a Nutshell: Full day chauffeured tour to San Gimignano and Siena. Typical Tuscan lunch with wines. Overnight in Tuscan countryside.
DAY 6 CHIANTI
Your private driver/guide will take you on a full day Chianti Wine Tour. Stop to visit a few of the quaint towns like Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, or Castellina in Chianti, full of geranium filled balconies and of course spectacular boutique wine shops. Then visit a family run organic wine estate and farm. You will start with a beautiful lunch including breathtaking views of the Chianti countryside! You will taste all their organic products, along with seasonal appetizers (such as cheese and honey from their bees and typical meats from their free-range pigs) and some exceptional dishes (like fresh homemade pasta or scrambled eggs with truffles locally hunted by the owner’s faithful dog Mia!). After lunch you will visit the Super Tuscan and Balsamic Vinegar Cellars where you can taste 4 or 5 of their best wines and their fine Balsamic Vinegar. You will gain an understanding of the rare and limited production process, which uses small casks that are open to allow for natural evaporation.
Your Luxury Tuscan Wine Tour continues to another exceptional Chianti Classico winery. This estate shows that the perfect combination of soil and micro-climate, together with exceptional vintners, create the ideal conditions for producing truly excellent wines. You will finalize your visit with a tasting of their quality bottles, which will soon have you acknowledging how tradition and innovation work best hand-in-hand. The rest of your afternoon is free for you to enjoy at your leisure, you may like to stroll the surrounding Tuscan countryside or relax at your hotel’s pool.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transportation. Two Chianti Classico winery visits with tastings. Authentic Tuscan lunch with wine. Overnight Tuscan countryside.
DAY 7 MONTALCINO
Today on your Private Food & Wine Tour of Italy you are heading further south for an introduction to the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino wine region, one of Italy’s most prized wine regions. You will taste some of the very best Brunello at a medieval castle that presides over a landscape of forests and vineyards near Montalcino, and enjoy a very special wine that takes around 5 years to age before it can become a Brunello. Following, you will then head to a family owned historical winery, beautifully orientated amongst the hills of Montalcino. The climate here creates robust and elegant wines due to the strong sun exposure during the day and strong thermal drop in the evening. Your winery tour includes seeing the property which has been in the family since the eighteenth century, and learning about the quality and care they put into their wine making. You are staying here for lunch, also in a lovely farmhouse setting, where you will enjoy a tasting of their top class wines such as Sassomagno, Rosso di Montalcino, and of course their Brunello di Montalcino, accompanied with a delightful, typical Tuscan meal.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transportation. Two Brunello di Montalcino winery visits with tastings. Authentic Tuscan lunch with wine. Overnight Tuscan countryside.
DAY 8 FLORENCE
Your private chauffeur will whisk you off to Florence, the epicenter of the Renaissance and the capital of Tuscany. Upon arrival your charming official guide will take you on a Private Art Tour of Florence. You will discover that Florence was once a center of immense power, and its art and architecture was a showcase for the prestige enjoyed by several competing local dynasties. Enjoy a a very educational but at the same time engaging and fun private visit to the world famous Uffizi Gallery, an exquisite way to enjoy the unique city brimming with the finest Italian art! Feast on the works of Giotto, Boticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio with the best selection of pieces to suit your interests. Your guide will share fascinating stories and insights on what makes this city and its art so unique!
You have the afternoon free to relax at your 4* boutique hotel set along the edge of the Arno river, with a stunning rooftop terrace, a short stroll from the vibrant heart of Florence. Or you might wish to take advantage of Florence’s fabulous shopping; the options are endless in this vibrant city, from high end designer boutiques to colorful street markets and artisan leather workers.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transfer to Florence. Private guided art tour of Florence. Overnight 4* elegant hotel in Florence.
DAY 9 FLORENCE
This morning on your Italian Food, Wine & Cultural Trip you will discover the beating heart of Florence through that which brings together all Italians: FOOD! Dive into the depths of flavor and master the art of preparing a mouth-watering Tuscan meal in the heart of downtown Florence with your experienced and charismatic chef. Your first stop is Florence’s “Mercato Centrale”, the city’s largest, most lively and colorful food market. Learn about local specialties and Tuscan food heritage, and liaise with the vegetable vendors, butchers and bakers as you pick out the best ingredients to prepare your meal. Then a short walk to your cooking class, where you will first enjoy a tasting of typical delicacies.
Aprons on, following your chef’s skilled instructions, learn how to prepare exquisite traditional dishes: crispy bruschetta, fresh hand-rolled pasta, tasty pasta sauces and dessert, too. Finally sit down with a good glass of Chianti wine and relish the best Tuscan meal ever: the one you made yourself! Your charming chef will tell you lots about Italian wine, food & culture.
Later this afternoon, you are free to discover the capital of Tuscany, exploring her gems at your own leisurely pace.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private Cooking Class in Florence. Overnight in Florence.
DAY 10 BOLOGNA
Your private chauffeur will take you from Italy’s Renaissance Capital to Italy´s Food Capital, Bologna. Your Luxury Food & Wine Tour of Italy would be incomplete without a stop in the food mecca of Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, a region known for its gastronomy. Upon arrival to your boutique 4* hotel (within a short walk from all major Bologna sights), your officially licensed Bologna guide will take you on a real foodie and cultural tour of this wonderful Italian city! Your guide will escort you through the ancient arcades, seeing the many purveyors of fine food and small-goods in the market area, taking in tastings of meats, cheeses, homemade stuffed pastas, breads and sweets enroute. Bologna is not only known for its food, but also for being Europe’s oldest university town. It has been a haven for luminaries since Dante and Petrarch passed through in the 14th century. Today you will see many cafés flooded with Bolognesi, from high-society ladies to stylishly scruffy undergraduates arguing politics and sipping Aperol spritzes.
Later this afternoon, if you feel you need to burn off some calories, you can always climb one of the Torri of Bologna, where from the top you can see the gorgeous red-bricked roofs of the city below. There are also many historical places to visit and art galleries to spend time in, should you wish; included in your Personal Travel Website.
Bespoke Culture & Food of Italy Day 10 included: Private transfer from Florence to Bologna. Private guided food & cultural tour of Bologna. Overnight 4* hotel in Bologna.
DAY 11 PARMA & MODENA
Today you are heading to the countryside of Parma: a truly gourmet day awaits on your Customized Italian Trip! You will delve into the world of cheese as you visit a wonderful Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese producer. Parmigiano-Reggiano can only be officially named if it is made in this particular region of Italy; if not then it must be called Grana Padano. On your guided Parmigiano tour you will hear and see the entire process of this specific cheese making, and the very interesting aging process. At the end of your tour you will have a fascinating tasting to discover the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses developing flavor, over time, from each of the monthly periods starting with the very first type – before it even gets aged – all the way to 36 months.
Enjoy some free time in Modena, maybe stop for lunch at Franceschetta 58, a casual restaurant owned by one of the best restaurateurs in the world, Massimo Bottura, chef at the famous Osteria Francescana. Your next visit of the day is to one of the oldest producers of Balsamic Vinegar in Modena. This prestigious manufacturer will take you back in time as you discover a fascinating attic full of ancient casks that centuries later are still used to achieve distinctive and incredible aromas – remember the older the cask the better the balsamic vinegar will be! A complete tasting will finalize your tour to discover the differences, nuances and singular versatilities. You will then return to Bologna for a free evening in the gourmet city.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private chauffeured transportation. Visit and tastings at a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese factory. Visit to one of the oldest producers of Balsamic Vinegar in Modena. Overnight in Bologna.
DAY 12 VENICE
This morning you will travel from Bologna to Venice (by car or high speed train, depending on your preference) and upon arrival a water taxi will await you to take you to your hotel. Enjoy the breathtaking views from the water while you ride to your lovely 4* boutique hotel, a Noble Venetian Palace, carefully restored and inaugurated as an exquisite hotel just a few years ago and just 2 min walk from the Galleria Accademia.
Your charming Venice tour guide will then take you on a private guided tour of this incredible place. You will visit Venice’s most-loved basilica, San Marco, and your guide will explain its fascinating history. On your Private Custom Tour of Italy you will discover the most beautiful hidden corners of Venice and picture perfect spots and also visit the Doge’s Palace – once home to the Duke of Venice and the city’s courts, this palace has been witness to the rise and fall of the republic. After the fall of the republic of Venice, the Doge’s Palace was transformed into a prison and today it is home to one of the best art museums in the city. In the company of your expert, English-speaking guide, you’ll visit the palace’s most iconic sights. Then you will enjoy some local cicchetti, delicious local tapas/finger food, and drinks. Your guide will leave you plenty of suggestions for some more visits on your own, as well as local restaurants. Afterwards you will enjoy a romantic gondola ride, taking in the views of beautiful Venice from its most prized vantage point: the water.
Tour in a Nutshell: Transfer from Bologna to Venice. Water taxi to Venice hotel. Private guided tour of Venice including entrances and tastings. Private romantic Gondola ride to view Venice from the water. Overnight 4* boutique hotel Venice.
DAY 13 MURANO & BURANO
Today you will tour the glass making islands of Murano and lace making island of Burano. Around the end of the 13th century, the Venetian government determined that it was too dangerous to have glass-blowing furnaces continue to operate in Venice, with its mostly wooden buildings. Since then all glass making was done in the nearby islands of Murano. By cloistering them on Murano, Venice was also able to protect the traditional processes and trade secrets of Murano glass. To distinguish the precious Murano glass from copies made elsewhere in the world, major local glass-makers have banded together and developed a trademark that certifies glass made in Murano using traditional techniques.
You will get to watch local artisans give live demonstrations of their traditional glassblowing and lacemaking crafts, and see their collections of world-famous pieces. Your English speaking guide will tell you about the history of the islands and show you the best places to visit. In the afternoon you will be back in Venice and free to explore the city with our personalized suggestions for the best Customized Italian Vacation.
Tour in a Nutshell: Murano & Burano Guided Tour. Overnight in Venice.
DAY 12 DEPARTURE VENICE
Today is the finale of your Bespoke Culture & Food of Italy Tour, and we are sure that you will be taking away some wonderful memories with you! After checking out of your hotel, our assistant will meet you in the lobby and accompany you via water taxi to the Venice Airport. We wish you a pleasant journey!
Maybe you would like to extend your stay in Venice? We can happily include extra nights in La Serenissima if you wish. Alternatively you may wish to extend your trip to other Italian destinations and we will be delighted to assist!
Tour in a Nutshell: Assistant & Water Taxi service to Venice Airport.
Tour quotation
Culture & Food of Italy Private Tour Details
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