Day 1 - WELCOME TO LIGURIA

 

• Arrival and check in at your 4* hotel in Santa Margherita. Relax and start to immerse in the Dolce Vita of the fabled Ligurian Coast

• Welcome aperitif in the garden.

• Overnight in Santa Margherita. 

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Day 2 - PORTOFINO, LOCAL EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PREPARING PESTO

 

• With your private guide discover the gardens, ancient villas and fishing harbor of the elegant coastal resort of Santa Margherita.

• Exclusive experience in the hills above Portofino, overlooking the Tigullio Gulf where you will visit the olive farm of an old Ligurian family, where the owner has resumed with great passion the traditional family activity of olive oil cultivation. Olive oil tasting on this special tour of olive groves will give you a better understanding of what it takes to recover these previously abandoned terraced plantings.

• In the patio of the beautiful villa overlooking the magnificent view of the gulf, you will learn to make traditional Ligurian pesto.

• You'll enjoy a light lunch of local specialties with this spectacular view.

• In the afternoon you will reach Portofino and take a stroll in the picturesque village, among colorful houses, yachts and design boutiques.

• You return to Santa Margherita with a panoramic trip by public boat.

• Overnight in Santa Margherita.

 

Day 3 - EXPLORE THE PICTURESQUE VILLAGES AND WINES OF CINQUE TERRE 

 

• Your private guide meets you at the hotel and you transfer by private driver to the Cinque Terre area.

• You’ll enjoy an authentic experience, learning through your guide what makes this a Unesco World Heritage Site and so immortalized by writers and poets. You’ll complete this day’s experience with a visit to the vineyard of a local producer tasting the ‘heroic’ Cinque Terre wines paired with local specialties. 

• Transfers between the Cinque Terre villages by public boat or train.

• Overnight in Santa Margherita.

• Meals included: breakfast, light lunch

 

Day 4 - VISIT GENOA AND LEARN TO PREPARE PANSOTI AND NUT SAUCE

 

• After breakfast, private transfer to Genoa.

• Accompanied by your insider, today you will discover Genoa’s noble palaces, medieval center, (the largest in Europe after Venice), waterfront, and traditional shops, stopping in the piazzas and renaissance streets to hear the stories of the Genoese shipping magnates and bankers of centuries past 

• Your guide will take you to traditional food shops such as the old ‘friggitorie’ serving friscieu (herb filled croquettes), farinata, and fried fresh seafood. Not to be missed is the old pastry cafe where Giuseppe Verdi spent his time, perhaps inspired by the pastries. Another unforgettable visit you will have is the Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano Candy shop where you step into the past and observe candies made in an ancient tradition that are too almost beautiful and unusual to be eaten! 

• Next, you arrive at a Renaissance palace where your cooking class will involve making Pansoti, a traditional herb filled pasta stuffed with herbs, also learning to make a nut sauce made with a mortar and pestle to accompany it. Enjoy the fruits of your labor like a prince or princess in his castle!

• Overnight in Santa Margherita.

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Day 5 - COOKING CLASS IN PARMA

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• Spend the morning in Santa Margherita reading a book, shopping in the elegant boutiques, or just enjoying a walk along the sea.

• In the early afternoon, you will leave the Italian Riviera and reach Parma, the land of Parmiggiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma in less than 2 hours by private transport.

• Today’s cooking class takes place in an old family villa. In this class you’ll prepare the flavors of Emilia Romagna, such as tortelli d’erbetta and the Rosa di Parma as well as a dessert called sbrisolona. Enjoy what you’ve prepared over a discourse on the rich culinary traditions of the Emilia Romagna region.

• After dinner you reach your lodgings in a medieval castle in the countryside outside of Parma.

• Overnight in Parma.

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Day 6 - PARMA -THE FLAVORS, ART, AND ARCHITECTURE

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• Visit a family-run ham factory where the real Parma Ham is born. You'll see the phases of the work in progress, with a tasting accompanied by a glass of local wine.

• Reach the Castle of Torrechiara, one of the most evocative examples of Italian castle architecture, the setting of the love story between Pier Maria Rossi and the beloved Bianca Pellegrini.

• Walk through the narrow streets of the ancient surrounding village, from which you can admire the enchanting landscape of the hills.

• In the afternoon you visit Parma starting from the imposing ducal palace. Inside, you will visit the splendid Farnese Theater, built entirely of wood and marble. You’ll see paintings, frescoes and the amazing Piazza Duomo where the Cathedral and the Baptistery await you. Your tour guide will tell you the fascinating stories of of this particular region of Italy, the story of the color violet, and its significance to Parma, stopping at a famous pastry shop to taste candied violets.

• Overnight in Parma.

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Day 7 - PARMESAN, BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND A MAGIC CASTLE

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• Today you visit a dairy to see how how one of the most famous gastronomic delicacies in the world is produced: Parmigiano Reggiano! An expert will show you how the milk is processed and transformed into this legendary cheese.

• After visiting the dairy, you will discover another gastronomic delight of the region: balsamic vinegar. You will visit a characteristic acetaia (vinegar factory) where the owner will personally tell how the precious black nectar is produced, where you can taste unusual pairings.

• On your way to Milan, you will reach the Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato, an enchanting manor still surrounded by a wide moat filled with water that rises in the center of the village

• Your day will finish in Milan city center.

• Overnight in Milan

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Day 8 - ARRIVEDERCI

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• Check-out and departure.

• We can arrange transfers to Milan airport or train station (not included).