Culinary highlights of Italy

Today, you’ll have a privately guided tour of small-scale food producers in Piedmont. First, tour a local family-run hazelnut farm before baking a hazelnut cake and tasting some of their other products. Next, journey to the home of a local shepherd and cheese producer, Silvio. He’ll guide you through the process of cheese making before tasting it. You’ll then visit a Barolo winery, where you will experience a tour of the winery followed by a tasting.

This morning you’ll travel by private driver to Turin station for your train journey to Bologna (premium class). The journey takes just over two hours. On arrival, you're met by a private driver and driven to your hotel in the heart of the city. In the afternoon, your private guide will take you on a tour of the city, showing you sights such as the Basilica di San Petronio and the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio.

Today, you spend a full day on a gastronomic tour of the Emilia-Romagna region, home of balsamic vinegar, prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese. You'll learn about the techniques used to produce Parmigiano-Reggiano, visit a factory to see how prosciutto is cured, and see barrels where balsamic vinegar is kept. There will be ample opportunity to taste each of these food specialities along the way.

This morning, you're driven to Bologna Centrale station for your train to Florence. Arriving in Florence, you're taken to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure to explore the city. We suggest starting in the Piazza del Duomo, where you can visit the Duomo, Florence's cathedral.

This morning, you'll enjoy a private cooking class with a professional local chef. During the class, you'll cook a traditional Tuscan menu, including pasta made from scratch, which you'll then enjoy for lunch. The afternoon is yours to explore more of the city at leisure. We highly recommend going for a stroll along the banks of the Arno or whiling away the afternoon in the Bargello, an art museum that displays works by Michelangelo and Donatello.

Heading out of the city today by private car you'll journey into the hills of Tuscany to learn about the art of truffle hunting. Truffles are one of the region's culinary delights, and today you'll accompany a local expert and his truffle dog through the woods as they search for these hidden treasures. Afterwards, you'll be treated to a wonderful truffle-tasting lunch where you will be able to sample these delicacies in a huge variety of forms.

Leaving Florence this morning, your private driver takes you into the heart of Tuscany. Your hotel, Villa il Poggiale, was a noble country retreat in the 1400s and is now a place for a relaxing stay in the countryside. Its well-equipped spa is a particularly luxurious highlight.

Experience the vineyards of Tuscany today as you visit Badia a Passignano in the Chianti region. You'll be able to tour the winery followed by a wine tasting and lunch.

Heading back to Florence's train station today, you travel by rail to Rome (a 90-minute journey in premium class) and are driven to your hotel on arrival. You then have time to relax and settle in before embarking on a privately guided visit to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

This morning, you're escorted on a food-oriented tour of Rome's Campo de' Fiori and Jewish ghetto. You can sample pizza fresh from the oven, the typical Roman-Jewish fried artichokes alla Giudecca, and some excellent Italian espresso. Later, you tour Rome by Vespa, seeing the city from a local Roman's perspective as you whiz through the streets and take in the sights.

This morning, your private driver will take you to Rome's airport for your flight home.