Prosciutto di Parma served at a restaurant in Italy

Gastronomy Tour of Northern Italy

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Milan, Alba, Parma, Bologna...

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Suggested Duration

10 Days

During this extraordinary 10-day adventure, you will discover the magnetism of Northern Italy, the region’s phenomenal culture, and its luscious gastronomic scene. Italian culture is masterfully intertwined with its delicious cuisine. From the streets of Milan to the canals of Venice, you will be introduced to unique architecture and high-end cuisine. Venture on a truffle-hunting adventure in the rolling hills of Piedmont, handcraft your own pasta in Bologna, and learn the art of making authentic...

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Milan’s Duomo, where you will discover 500 years of faith, history, and architecture
  • Handcraft your Italian gelato with instruction from world-class chefs, which will be followed by a gelato tasting that introduces you to a variety of unique flavors
  • Unearth prized truffles as you take part in a classic truffle hunt before rewarding your efforts by indulging in traditional Piedmontese dishes that are perfectly paired with full-bodied wines
  • Partake in the meticulous process of crafting authentic Parmesan Reggiano cheese at a traditional dairy farm
  • Amble through Parma’s medieval streets, sampling locally cured prosciutto and finely aged balsamic vinegar while also exploring 800-year-old cathedrals
  • Laugh along with your private chef as you knead dough into freshly made pasta, learning time-honored family recipes and uncovering old-world techniques
  • Become enthralled with the ethereal grandeur of St. Mark’s Basilica, viewing its Byzantine mosaics and venturing behind the altar to the crypt of St. Mark
  • Embark on an exclusive gondola ride down Venice’s Grand Canal, floating past a regal display of palaces and Gothic Architecture
  • Discover Venetian cuisine during a personalized walking tour through Venice’s locally acclaimed trattorias and restaurants

Detailed Description

You will discover the unforgettable allure of Northern Italy on this elaborate, 14-day culture and gastronomy tour through backcountry eateries and celebrated landmarks. You will begin your adventure in the exciting city of Milan, where you will witness the remarkable Gothic architecture of the infamous Duomo before strolling through haute-couture shops on Italy’s most exclusive boulevards. As your tour leads you into the rolling hills of Piedmont, you will attend a world-famous gelato-making class in Asti, where chefs will teach you vital secrets of how to craft this creamy delicacy. Upon settling in to the emerald hills of Alba, you will embark on a memorable truffle-hunting expedition that will have you traipsing through the woods and hunting for the cherished truffles that make Piedmontese dishes so exquisite.

Afterward, you will venture to the Emilia-Romagna region, where traditional Italian gastronomy has remained perfectly unchanged for generations. During your time in the region, you will visit a dairy farm that produces authentic Parmesan Cheese, which is where you will learn about and taste the results of the rigorous process. Once you arrive in the medieval streets of Parma, you will commence on an in-depth, walking food tour that will introduce your taste buds to the region’s famed cuisine. The following day, you will sample delicious balsamic vinegar that has been aged for over two decades in addition to attending a prestigious culinary class, where you will learn how to craft your own pasta. Culinary surprises and over two millennia worth of history will spill over into the cobblestoned streets of Bologna as you conclude your final evening in this region.

Next, you will transfer to the blue lagoon waters of Venice, where you will skip to the front of the line to enjoy an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of St. Mark’s Basilica. While some of the most sacred sections of the cathedral are cornered off to visitors, you get to duck beneath the ropes and witness St. Mark’s crypt and the hallowed altar. The following day, you can indulge in a private gondola ride before cruising down the main street of Venice, the Grand Canal. Gothic palaces will delight you as you inhale the timeless romance that Venice emanates, and you can culminate your memorable trip with a food tour through the local trattorias and restaurants that line the quiet backstreet canals of the city. Throughout your time in Northern Italy, you will experience much of that this corner of the world has to offer its guests, specifically immersing you into its culture and prestigious gastronomic scene.

Starting Price

$4,500 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

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I was very pleased with the entire planning of the trip. The communication with Zicasso's tour company was excellent. The meals that were pre-arranged by them were fantastic and we probably would not have found them on our own.

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It was a great pleasure working with Zicasso's tour agency. Our travel designer and her staff were attentive to the kind of trip we wanted and planned a great itinerary. The hotels, restaurants, and drivers were all top-notch. For us, the acid test was the quality of the guides, and they excelled there as well. We would happily have them plan another trip for us.

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My husband and I had a great time on our trip to the northeast Adriatic Coast of Italy. We have very specific tastes as far as where we like to stay and the private tours we like to have during the trip. Zicasso's travel company did a great job, giving us fantastic hotels, and all of our tour guides were top-notch.

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