Northern Italy 11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS – GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY - CAN BE CUSTOMIZED INCLUSIONS This trip offers a lesser-known side of Italy where the focus is on fashion, food and countryside. Investigate cutting-edge fashion in Milan, relax and marvel at the ethereal 3 nights in Milan beauty of northern Italy's lake region, try your hand at cooking Northern Italian regional 3 nights in dishes, stroll through the renowned coastline and villages of Cinque Terre and finally Northern Lakes Region concentrate on Parma's excellent prosciutto ham during a guided factory tour and food 2 nights in Cinque tasting. Terre 2 nights in Parma DAY 1 ~ ARRIVE This afternoon is yours to soak up Milanese Breakfast daily MILAN culture. If you’re an art fan - consider Lunch and dinner per itinerary Benvenuti a Milano, the paying a visit to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. This UNESCO World Heritage Ground transport financial and fashion capital via air conditioned Site houses Leonardo di Vinci’s 15th- of Italy. Upon arrival your group will be luxury coach century mural The Last Supper. met by a local guide in the terminal’s arrival English speaking Alternatively, you could visit the Pinacoteca hall. You will then travel to the center of assistant and guides di Brera, one of the finest art museums in Milan to have a relaxing, panoramic Admission tickets sightseeing tour en route to your hotel This all of Italy. Inside you can see medieval & as outlined in is a great way to get you’re an orientation renaissance masterpieces by Raphael, itinerary Caravaggio Piero della Francesca. of such a large city. After checking in, you HIGHLIGHTS and your traveling companions are free History buffs should check out the Castello Wine and olive oil until this evening’s welcome dinner in the Sforzesco, and opera lovers can visit the tasting hotel. museum of Milan’s La Scala Opera House. Prosciutto ham Last but not least – shoppers can bargain DAY 2 ~ MILAN factory tour hunt for great designer deals in one of After breakfast in the hotel, Hiking trip in Italy's Milan’s several discount outlets! lake region meet a local guide in the Regional cooking lobby who will lead your Dinner is on your own this evening. class group on a morning city tour of Europe's DAY 3 ~ COMO Farm stay in hills of fashion capital by private bus. Milan is After breakfast in the hotel, Parma home to top designer flagship stores such your group will check out Exploring Cinque as Armani, Versace, Prada and Gucci. This and travel north by private terre city is also extremely rich in history bus. Enjoy this very scenic drive through (particularly Medieval and Renaissance). Italy's Lombardy region to the Italian Lakes During your tour, you'll visit inside the District. Writers from Hemingway to largest Cathedral in Italy, the “Duomo di Goethe have immortalized the ethereal Milano,” which took almost 600 years to beauty of this area - even their words build. cannot seem to do it justice! lasagna all over the country, you will discover there is a wide array of local Today you’ll visit a 17th-century villa for a dishes worth sampling! Follow along as tasting of locally-produced wine and olive your chef-instructor shares the subtleties of oil before arriving to lovely Lake Como. how to prepare Northern Italian cuisine This is one of the many lakes that fan out and try to wait until the end of your across Northern Italy - and a favorite haunt demonstration before devouring this tasty of the rich and famous. For some amazing feast. views, ride the funicular high above the town of Como or, if time permits, take a Note: Regarding cooking classes, small ferry ride on the lake to one of several groups can generally include these quite other charming villages. easily on itineraries. Simply because of classroom space, larger groups should Group dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. either divide into two smaller groups – or DAY 4 ~ COMO elect to have a cooking demonstration This is a day to get outside instead (which is still very interesting). and experience the Depending on what time the cooking class beautiful surroundings of finishes, if your group has time this Italy's northern landscape. Following afternoon – we recommend visiting either breakfast, strap on your walking shoes and the town of Varenna or Menaggio with jump on your private bus with fellow your private bus. Evening is at leisure. travelers for a transfer to a local hiking trail DAY 6 ~ SANTA for gorgeous views of mountains unfolding MARGHERITA LIGURE into low woodlands and sparkling lakeshore. After breakfast and check- out, transfer south by After soaking up the natural beauty and private bus to the famed Cinque Terre fresh air, transfer to the town of Bellagio region on Italy's Mediterranean coast. Your where you have time on your own to enjoy first stop along this renowned stretch of a well-deserved lunch at a local cafe. Many coastline is Genoa, the birthplace of consider this the most beautiful part of the Christopher Columbus. Here a local guide lake. After lunch spend the afternoon will meet your group for a 2-hour tour of exploring Bellagio before returning to Genoa’s historic Old Town, which a Como by private bus with your group UNESCO World Heritage Site. members. (Alternatively, should someone want to leave earlier or stay longer, there Afterwards there is free time for lunch and are ferry boats that run across the lake as shopping before your group re-boards the well as public buses) bus and continues to tonight’s hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure, an old fashioned Dinner is on your own tonight. seaside resort offering easy access to other DAY 5 ~ COMO Italian Riviera coastal villages. After breakfast in the hotel, DAY 7 ~ SANTA today your group will learn MARGHERITA LIGURE all about Northern Italian After breakfast, today is all cuisine during a private cooking class in a yours to discover the five local restaurant. Although you can find fishing villages that cling to the cliffs of the delicious Italian specialties like pizza and Cinque Terre coast and over the After a break for lunch, your group will take Mediterranean Sea: Vernazza, Corniglia, a guided tour of a Prosciutto ham factory. Manarola, Monterosso al Mare & See how this delicacy is processed and Riomaggiore. Walking along the footpaths packaged, and (obviously) taste testing will is the most rewarding way to get from also take place! Later this afternoon, enjoy village to village. Alternatively, the train a few free hours in Parma. Appreciate its makes constant runs along that route and art, architecture, and history by visiting one there's a seasonal boat that strings the of several museums or historical landmarks villages together. The area of the five around town. villages and surrounding parks form a Group dinner is included at the farm UNESCO World Heritage Site. accommodation. Group dinner tonight in a local seafood DAY 10 ~ MILAN restaurant to try regional specialties. Why Should You After a week of truly DAY 8 ~ PARMA unique experiences (you’ve Encourage Your After breakfast the first half come and seen a side of Travel Agent to of today is yours to relax by Italy that many tourists never see!), it is Book Your Group the sea or take advantage time to travel back to Milan by private bus Through Us? of some last-minute sightseeing. Take a for one last day and night of celebration. morning water taxi to Portofino. The Duke Your afternoon is free. Tonight your group and Duchess of Windsor honeymooned at will meet for a farewell dinner in a local Ease of Use the Hotel Splendido, and years later restaurant. Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth DAY 11 ~ MILAN Taylor there. Experience After breakfast in the hotel, Following your restorative stay on the your group will check out coast, it's time to transfer by private bus to and transfer by private bus Flexibility the Emilia Romagna region where your to Malpensa Airport for its return flight to group will get to experience the agricultural the USA. side of Italian life by staying on a farm in Peace of Mind the hills just outside of Parma. After check in and time to freshen up, tonight your group will experience authentic, local cuisine enhanced by the intimate surroundings of your farm accommodations. For information and reservations, please see your professional travel agent DAY 9 ~ PARMA After breakfast, your group will head to the center of Parma for a walking tour of its beautiful architecture. In addition to its architecture and historic university, Parma is known as a culinary capital. Its parmesan cheeses and hams (prosciutto di Parma) are now appreciated all over the world. .