Upon arrival at Rome’s International Airport, you will be picked up and taken to your centrally located hotel. You will have some time to rest and relax.

Afternoon: Your local host will meet you and we will begin the program with a welcoming cocktail and a brief of the week’s exciting and fun-filled activities. This will be followed by a walking tour of the ancient city. We will see the Roman Forum, the Roman Coliseum, and much more and place them into the cultural context necessary to understand Italy as a whole.

Evening: Evening meal in the Trastevere Neighborhood – If you have ever wanted to have a delicious meal next to a stupendous 2,000 year old Roman “cathedral,” this is your chance! This is also a great opportunity to people watch and get into the rhythm of Italian life.

Overnight in Rome

Today we head to Tuscany to begin our wine and culinary extravaganza! Our ride North will last about 3 hours and will take us through the regions of Northern Lazio, Umbria: known as the green heart of Italy, as well as Tuscany! You will see castles and churches on hill tops, vineyards and olive groves, as well as, depending on the time of year, even the famous Italian sun flowers. Upon arrival in Siena, we will check-in our hotel that allows easy access to the city center where we can enjoy some free-time for our first Tuscan lunch!

Afternoon: We will enjoy a walking tour of Siena. Siena is one of the most important towns of Tuscany and is at the entrance to the Chianti region. We will discover the main “campo” where the Palio horserace around the main piazza occurs annually as well as delve into the Cathedral and Basilica of San Domenico. Donatello, Bernini, and Pinturicchio all left artistic masterpieces that we will enjoy. Beyond the impressive medieval feel of the town, we will end our tour with samplings of typical Sienese culinary products including the fabled Tuscan confectionary.

Overnight in Siena

After breakfast, we depart for the nearby Chianti region. Chianti is known for its ruby red color and the characteristic bouquet with scents of violet. The wine stems from a blend of San Giovese, Canaiolo, Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon. We will discover this remarkable region with breathtaking landscapes and will visit some of the most famous wineries and castles in the region. We will learn the different steps of Chianti production on location that will inevitably lead us to the cellars for wine tastings. Our wines will be accompanied by traditional “bruschette” and Tuscan cold cuts. We will even discover how Tuscan olive oil is produced!

Late Afternoon and Evening: Free in Siena (group leader will make some suggestions of where to enjoy some of the best restaurants of the city, places unknown by the average tourist…

Overnight in Siena

After another delicious breakfast, we head to the town of Montalcino, the leader of Brunello production. Brunello is considered one of the world’s best wines. After taking in the breathtaking hilltop town of Montalcino with its medieval fortress and walls, we learn the art of making the Brunello wine in the best wineries of the town. Brunello wines need a long maturation process in wooden casks. Our wine tastings will be accompanied by traditional “bruschette,” Tuscan cold cuts, and Tuscan cheeses! We will also make a stop at the impressive medieval Abbey of Sant’Antimo.

Late Afternoon and Evening: Free in Siena

Overnight in Siena

Today begins with a quick visit of the superb medieval fortress hamlet of Monteriggioni. The 14 towers of this fortress were described by Dante in his Divine Comedy as the “Giants of Inferno.” We will be impressed however with the scenic and idyllic Tuscan panorama. Next, moving on to Renaissance Florence, we will participate in a traditional Florentine cooking course. We will learn the arts of making local antipasti, pasta, and much more! Local expert chefs will help prepare the pasta, make the different shapes and teach us how to dress the pasta with the appropriate Tuscan sauce. The course ends with lunch and fine Tuscan wines.

Late Afternoon and Evening: Free in Florence

Overnight in Florence

After breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour of Florence that highlights the Duomo, the Baptismal, Dante’s Church, Piazza Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio, and much more! After some free time for lunch, we depart, crossing the Apennines into the Emilia Romagna Region. We will soon arrive at Bertinoro, a small charming hilltop medieval town found along the region’s “wine and flavors trail.”. From here we will visit one of the region’s most famous vineyards that produces a special wine thought to have been the wine of a medieval Holy Roman Emperor. We do know the modern version was cherished by a US President and even today is beloved by the Pope in Rome. Our wine tasting will include local cheeses and cold cuts from the region and some great stories in what was once and old Roman villa!

Evening: We will enjoy a supper in Bertinoro together that will include more local wines from various regional cantinas.

Overnight in Cesena

After breakfast, we will make a visit to the nearby hilltop town of Verucchio. We will discover the medieval world of the Malatesta family that was condemned by Dante to inferno in his Divine Comedy. The Malatesta castle will be a highlight! We will have free-time for lunch in this medieval town and we highly recommend a certain restaurant that overlooks the olive groves and vineyards of the valley below extending to the Adriatic Sea... beautiful(details given on location)

We will pass our afternoon in a different country, that of San Marino. The world¿s oldest still functioning republic, San Marino juts boldly forward from the mountain of Titan in the middle of Italy. San Marino has wonderful views and boasts a culinary tradition that includes truffles and of course the Porcini mushroom.

Afterwards, we head back to our hotel in charming Cesena.

Evening and Overnight in Cesena

After breakfast, we head to Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic. Upon arrival we will transfer by boat to the islands that make up Venice proper. We will have a two hour walking tour to see from outside the most important monuments including the Basilica of San Marco, the Bell Tower of San Marco, the Ducal Palace, the Rialto Bridge and more.

Afternoon: Free-time to explore Venice on own. You may be tempted to try, at a local wine bar, a regional Valpolicella or Pro Secco! Sit back and enjoy the wines along the canals!

Evening: Farewell Supper together where we go over the week’s culinary conquests with gusto!

Overnight in Venice

After an early breakfast, we transfer to the International Airport of Venice for our departure…