Marvelous Piedmont, Cinque Terre, and Milan Tour

Acqui Terme is a stunning town overlooking sweeping vines and stone buildings around the hills of Piedmont. Your flight will land at Milan’s Malpensa Airport, where your private transfer will meet you upon arrival, taking you to the city renowned for its natural waters. You will have a guided tour of the elegant historic center where the central pavilion holds waters reaching up to 167 Fahrenheit. Quiet cafes overlook the flowering gardens blending with the aromas of fresh espresso. You can enjoy lunch at a local enoteca to sample traditional cuisine, including the sweet red dessert wine of Dolcetto d’Acqui.

In the morning, you will visit Villa Ottolenghi Wedekind to view the home once belonging to an established avant-gardes artist of the early 20th century. The structure combines art and nature in the intricate details of the manicured gardens with reflective pools and the dramatic temple of Herta. The temple is made of Candoglia marble and stands over 65 feet tall. In the afternoon, you can indulge in a local spa where the mineral water soothes your skin and relaxes your muscles and is accompanied by the mesmeric sound of bells to create a serene ambiance.

Your private transfer will meet you in the lobby and escort you to the Langhe region to find hills draped in vineyards and medieval towns resting beneath ancient castles before you arrive in Monticello d’Alba. The same family has owned the looming castle since the 14th century. You may be honored with a visit from the Earl during lunch before visiting Cherasco’s medieval streets, where the elegant 16th-century synagogue houses a Baroque Torah ark. You will meet an artisan chocolatier who fills the shop with the scent of bitter chocolate and earthy hazelnut crafting local Langhe specialties.

You can wander through the charming streets of Alba with a guide to view history dating back to the Roman Empire. You may find the aromas of dark chocolate and decadent white truffles swirling through the air. You may learn about the town’s gastronomical importance set beneath the cathedral’s 19th-century neo-Gothic facade before you visit a local cheese producer that crafts fresh and aged sheep’s milk cheese. You can find hints of tang and salt when tasting the cheese. After visiting the unique U-shaped complex of Castle Grinzane Cavour, you can indulge in the mouthwatering flavors of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

You can embrace the Slow Food Movement in Bra as you discover the stunning network of arcades and Baroque brick facades adorning the cobbled lanes. The town acts as a culinary pilgrimage site with family-owned shops and historic cafes celebrating local cuisine from organic sausages to handcrafted chocolates. At lunch, you can dine in one of the region’s most famous restaurants with a three-course meal, including a taste of veal-based Bra sausage. Once in Pollenza, you can visit the University of Gastronomic Sciences where students study food cultures, heritage, and ecology on a property spanning more than 62 acres.

At the village of La Morra, you will wander along the cobbled lanes of foundations more than 1,000 years old and set approximately 1,600 feet above sea level. The views over the surrounding vineyards are breathtaking and spread over castles, fortresses, and distant towns emphasized even more by the 101-foot tall Campanaria de La Morra Tower. You will travel to Barolo to find undulating vines surrounding the village. The 10th-century Falletti Castle crowns the town center and you can sample famous flavors with a wine tasting to find hints of dark fruit with notes of licorice and coffee.

Your private transfer will escort you into the Liguria region, where the aromas of citrus orchards, olive groves, and the Ligurian Sea blend. You may stop at an olive farm on the slopes of Portofino for a view of the turquoise waters and colorful seaside homes. Your guide will take you through the orchard where they use traditional and modern techniques for producing delectable olive oil bringing life back to the hilly landscape. As you sample the olive oil, you may find bitter, herbaceous notes blending with sweet citrus before you reach the comforts of opulent Camogli.

The villas of Camogli shine bright in the morning with interior galleries showcasing incredible trompe l’oeil paintings accentuated by the terraced streets and umbrella pines. After breakfast, you will take a boat ride to the secluded beach of San Fruttoso, where a 10th-century abbey hides nestled beneath the rugged cliff. The sea breeze will carry a salty scent as you bask on the pebbled shore overlooking the clear water and bordering mountains. Once in Portofino, you can bask in the ambiance of luxury deriving from the moored yachts in the harbor surrounded by the colorful facades lining the esplanade.

The romantic ambiance of Portovenere offers a relaxing pace enhanced by the Roman foundations and legendary visits of Lord Byron. You will board a boat in the marina that will give you a spectacular panoramic view of the coastline as you pass Byron Grotto and the sweeping view of the rocky terraces dividing the five towns of Cinque Terre. You may dock first at Riomaggiore, the most southerly of the five towns, to find vibrant tower homes lining the cobbled lanes above the natural harbor set beneath terraced orchards. You can wander quaint streets and narrow passages at your leisure.

After breakfast, you will make your way to Chiavari, a bustling city at the mouth of the Entella River. The historic center shines with elegant Genovese palaces and Renaissance architecture shimmering with pastel colors. Olive groves and blossoming flowers lead to the seaside promenade and soaring pine trees. For lunch, you will visit the local shops and markets with a chef before entering an authentic historic palace that will reveal the opulent decor. You may find the scent of garlic and basil as staples of traditional regional cuisine as you create delicious Italian dishes beneath the lavish frescoes.

Upon reaching Milan, you will have a guided tour off the historic center, taking you through the grand halls of the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II. The 19th-century shopping arcade features a glistening dome soaring 157 feet above the mosaic floors. The drama of the Duomo’s Gothic design contains 2,245 marble statues accentuated by the atmospheric stone pinnacles. After exploring the city, you may also visit the pale brick church of Santa Maria delle Grazia to view Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper inside the refractory. The work reveals Jesus and the Apostles with gentle realism.

In the morning, you may find the aroma of espresso drifting through the dining room of your hotel. The cafes surrounding the fascinating Duomo will fill with the scent of fresh brioche. The shops and restaurants in the Navigli district offer a glance at the chic and popular neighborhood lining the former bustling canal. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to Malpensa Airport for your flight home, bringing an end to your Italy tour.