BOLOGNA, CHIANTI, MONTEPULCIANO, ROME, NAPLES, CISTERNINO & ALBEROBELLO
Savor a sampling of Italy’s greatest culinary hits from a prosciutto tasting in Parma to a wine tasting at a Chianti Valley farmhouse to dinner at a local pizzeria in Naples to an Orecchiette pasta cooking class in Puglia. This 12-day limited edition tour with international airfare takes us all over Italy from Bologna down to Cisternino. Between our foodie adventures, we’ll discover some of Italy’s most incredible destinations and sights including San Gimignano’s fascinating medieval architecture, the beautiful Ghost Town of Civita di Bagnoregio, the famous Trulli houses of Alberobello, and more! Of course, no trip to Italy is complete without a tour of Rome including a stroll around the famous Colosseum and a taste of some of the best Tiramisu in all of Rome.
Itinerary at
a Glance
- Overnight, non-stop international flight
- 2 nights in Bologna
- 2 nights in Chianti
- 2 nights in Rome
- 1 night in Naples
- 2 nights in Cisternino
- 1 night in Rome
Tour
Highlights
- 3-course dinner in Bologna featuring local cuisine
- Parmigiano Cheese and Parma Ham Tasting in Parma with special Tortellini Lunch
- Visit a farmhouse in the Chianti Valley (Tuscany) for wine tasting accompanied by Pecorino & Bruschetta
- Tour a pasta-making factory in Chianti
- Montepulciano and the Ghost Town of Civita di Bagnoregio
- Tour of Ancient Rome
- Lacryma Christi Wine Tasting near Mt. Vesuvius
- World-renowned pizza in Naples with a demonstration
- Paestum Mozzarella Tasting, factory visit and tour in Matera
- Orecchiette Pasta Cooking Class with Folkloric Musical Show in Puglia
- Visit a cheese factory in Andria with Burrata tasting
- Visit and tasting at an Olive Oil Mill
- Farewell dinner in Rome with live music
- Walking tours in Bologna, Parma, San Gimignano, Rome, Naples, and Matera.
Your Tour
Includes
- Round-trip international airfare from New York (JFK)
- Airfare taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
- Accommodations at first-class hotels
- Porterage service at hotels (1 luggage per person)
- City taxes where necessary
- Ground transportation in an air-conditioned motor coach
- 19 meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 5 dinners plus 8 additional tastings
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours including admission fees as indicated in the itinerary
- Top-rated, professional English-speaking Tour Director throughout
- Local English-speaking guides where indicated
Tour Itinerary
Milan/Bologna
We arrive in Milan today where we’ll meet our guide and transfer to Bologna in the Food Valley! Food is a focus here as it is throughout the Emilia-Romagna region—home of Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan. Cured meats, aged cheeses, cream, butter, game and truffles abound in this most indulgent of cuisines. After we check into our hotel we’ll have some time to relax before our guided tour of this beautiful city where we’ll see Bologna’s two famous towers: Torre Degli Asinelli and Torre della Garisenda. This evening, we’ll enjoy a three course dinner…
Parma
BolognaOur food adventure continues today with a visit to Parma, the capital of the world-famous Prosciutto and Parmigiano cheese. Visit a local producer of Prosciutto di Parma where you’ll discover how this famous delicacy is made and enjoy a special tasting of ham with some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. We’ll continue on a walking tour of Parma with a local guide, seeing the city’s main plaza and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant with a Culatello and a Tortellini dish. This afternoon, we continue our food…
Bologna/Radda in Chianti
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll check out and depart for Radda di Chianti, in the heart of Tuscany. Along the way, we’ll stop at a farmhouse in the heart of the Chianti countryside where we’ll try Tuscan wines and taste the local delicacies like Pecorino Cheese, Bruschetta, and other cold cuts. Then continue on to Radda di Chianti, a beautiful medieval town surrounded by defensive walls. Located up on a hill between the valleys of Arbia and Pesa, Radda once served as the capital of Chianti as its prime location served as a point of coordination between its neighbors…
Chianti Valley
After breakfast today, we’ll embark on our Tuscan adventure by traveling to the famous town of San Gimignano where we’ll find the weekly market. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, San Gimignano is a small, walled village about halfway between Florence and Siena. It’s famous for its fascinating medieval architecture including its towers that rise above all of the town’s other buildings, offering impressive views of both the town and the surrounding valley. At the height of its glory, San Gimignano’s patrician families had built around 72…
Radda in Chianti/Montepulciano/Rome
After breakfast this morning, we’ll travel to another region of Italy, Lazio en route to Rome with stops at two spectacular small towns: Montepulciano and Civita di Bagnoreggio. Standing high atop a hill in southern Tuscany, not too far from Siena, Montepulciano is a medieval town of rare beauty. The city is full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares, and boasts vast panoramas of the wonderful Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys that surround it. Civita di Bagnoregio is a magical place located at the top of a tuff hill which can only be reached by…
Rome
After breakfast we’ll begin our tour of the Eternal City with a historical walking tour through the vast archaeological site where ancient Rome was born in 435 BCE. Our tour begins with a stroll around the most impressive monument of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater in the world. Next, we’ll enjoy the view from above the Roman Forum, a valley which rests between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill which signifies the political, religious and commercial center of the city. Our guide will next lead us to Campidoglio Square, sharing with us the…
Rome/Naples
Next on our journey through Italian cuisine we’ll travel south to the world-famous Amalfi Coast! After breakfast we’ll board our motor coach and drive to Naples, stopping at a local farmhouse located on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius where we’ll taste a unique wine made of a local grape grown only in this area, the Lacryma Christy, along with other local food specialties for our light lunch. Following our tasting, we’ll continue to Naples where we’ll enjoy a city tour with our local guide. We’ll see famous sights like the 13th-century Castel Nuovo, the…
Naples/Cisternino
After breakfast, our culinary journey continues to two more regions of Italy: Basilicata and Puglia—but first, we can’t leave this region without a taste of the world-famous Buffalo Mozzarella cheese near Paestum! At a local buffalo cheese farm, we’ll eat some of the best mozzarella we’ve ever had and learn about the production process and admire the beautiful buffalo cows. On our way to Puglia, we’ll make another stop: Matera, an amazing town that takes us back in time. Matera may be the world’s third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement and…
Cisternino
After breakfast this morning, we’ll visit Alberobello, the famous land of Trulli houses, white round buildings with archetypal conical roofs. These little houses help provide insight into how farming families and communities have survived off the land and lived in these tiny villages together. A stroll down the Alberobello’s cobllestone streets through the cluster of UNESCO recognized trulli is an unforgettable experience. Our foodie adventure continues with more specialties from the Puglia cuisine. We’ll travel by motor coach to an Olive Mill where we’ll learn more…
Cisternino/Rome
After breakfast we’ll begin our journey to Rome. Along the way we’ll stop in the town of Andria where we’ll have the opportunity to try another kind of mozzarella cheese, the Burrata which we can compare to the one we tried from Campania. Following our tasting, we’ll stop at a winery in Avellino where we’ll sample the locally produced wine accompanied by a mix of products. We’ll continue to Rome and after we check in at our hotel, we’ll enjoy a special farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant with live entertainment!
Hotel…
Guided Tour Pricing
There are currently no future departures for this tour.
Optional Tours Customize your trip with these optional tours.
Pricing is subject to change. Payment (non-refundable) should be made by cash (Euro). Subject to a minimum number of participants and availability.
Featured Accommodations
Before You Depart
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Your flights between the U.S. and Italy will are on the following airlines with the corresponding schedules. We recommend that you check-in at least three-and-a-half hours before the scheduled departure.
Please make sure to allow sufficient time for clearing customs and immigration if you are planning a connecting flight. We recommend at least three-and-a-half hours. Please note that flight schedules are subject to change without prior notice.
Departure Date | Airline | Depart JFK | Arrive JFK |
2020: Sep. 6, Sep. 20, Oct. 11 | American Airlines | 4:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
ADVANCE SEAT ASSIGNMENT
The airlines above do not assign seats in advance. Seat assignments can only be arranged at the airport upon check-in. If you have a preferred seating choice, please make sure you check-in for your flight as early as possible. These airlines do not offer any frequent flyer miles.
LAND-ONLY TRAVELERS
International flights to/from the U.S. are not included. Land-only travelers are responsible for arranging the entry and exit flights, as well as their arrival and departure transfers. smarTours cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by air schedule changes and delays. Unused land services are non-refundable.
Main Tour Only: Land-only services start upon independent check-in at your Bologna hotel on Day 2 of the itinerary and end after breakfast at your Rome hotel on Day 12.
PASSPORT AND VISA INFORMATION
You must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. No visa is required for U.S. passport holders. Non-U.S. citizens should check with the respective consulates as to the most current visa requirements to all their travel destinations. Please remember that it is your responsibility to obtain the necessary travel documents before the trip.
TICKETS AND FINAL DOCUMENTS
Your airline tickets, along with final instructions and additional travel tips, will be sent to you 7–10 days before the scheduled departure of your tour. Please make sure to advise us in case your address changes.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Immunizations are not currently required; however, you should consult your personal physician, local public health authorities or the Center of Disease Control (CDC) as to their suggestions.
CLIMATE
You may expect daytime high temperatures ranging in the 50s and 70s.
NON-INCLUDED MEALS AND SIGHTSEEING
The hotels used on this tour offer several dining choices, ranging from coffee shop to specialty restaurants. The average cost for dinner (excluding drinks) in the coffee shop is about $20-25 per meal, per person. Optional sightseeing tours and evening activities will be offered. Your hotel will accept credit cards for your non-included meals.
CREDIT CARDS AND LOCAL CURRENCY
Hotels and some stores accept major credit cards. However, for “street shopping,” you will need local currency. You can either exchange U.S. Dollars into local currency in advance of your trip, or you may use your debit card to withdraw local currency from an ATM. It is recommended that you bring along cash in small denominations.
BAGGAGE
Each passenger may bring one piece of checked-in luggage (suitcase) and one carry-on piece. We recommend that you do not overpack and that you take a variety of separates with climate and comfort in mind.