Emilia Romagna
Marche
Guided By David
San Marino, Day 9
13-Day Tour
Bologna—Ferrara—Pesaro—Parma
$6495 per person
(+$800 single room supplement)
March 31 — April 12, 2025
(Mon — Sat)
* Sold Out *
October 12—October 24, 2025
(Sun — Fri)
* Filling Fast *
“An in-depth tour dedicated to one of the culturally richest areas of Italy, the region of Emilia-Romagna and the northern areas of Marche. Culture, food, history, art, nature and much more.”
—David
Bologna
Three nights
Bologna Cathedral, Day 2
“Bologna is super cool. As the oldest university in the world, it’s full of students, culture, and energy. Also, this is where most Italians love to eat most, outside their own region.”
—David
Ferrara
Three nights
Estense Castle, Day 5
“Ferrara, to me, is the most authentic, and underrated, town in Emilia Romagna. It’s charming, wonderful to walk around and explore—and it was a crossroads of medieval and Renaissance history. An absolute jewel.”
—David
Pesaro
Three nights
Adriatic beach, Day 8
“Time for some sun, salt, and seafood in the region of Le Marche. Pesaro is a charming seaside getaway and off-the-beaten-path gem. The surrounding countryside is out-of-this-world beautiful and exploring hill towns from here is like visiting Italy once upon a time.”
—David
Parma
Three nights
Dinner in the culinary center of Italy, Day 10
“I can’t wait to take you to Parma. It’s not only the center of so many Italian food traditions but it’s also known as one of the most livable—and charming—cities in Italy.”
—David
Itinerary
Comacchio (‘Little Venice’), Day 4
Tour begins in the Bologna hotel (three nights).
Day 1. Let’s gather at our hotel in Bologna at 4pm for our welcome meeting. We will go over our tour and get acquainted with one another, before our orientation walk and group dinner.
Day 2. We will enjoy a walking tour of Bologna, including a visit to the oldest university in the world, and the city’s charming historic center. Lunch and dinner are on your own in Bologna.
Day 3. Today we will enjoy a bolognese cooking class and learn how to make some of the finest Italian fresh pastas, originally from Bologna: lasagna and tortellini! After that, we will enjoy the results of our cooking. The rest of the afternoon and evening are on your own to explore more of Bologna. Dinner is on your own.
Bus transfer to Ferrara (three nights)
Day 4. After checking out, we will leave Bologna and drive east towards the XI century Abbey of Pomposa. We’ll explore the abbey, then continue towards Comacchio to enjoy a stroll and some free time in the so-called “Little Venice.” After lunch on our own in Comacchio, we will arrive in Ferrara, our next home for three nights. Here we will take an orientation walk and have a group dinner in town.
Day 5. Today we will enjoy a walking tour of beautiful Ferrara, once an independent country, with its spectacular Castle Estense. After our tour, you will enjoy the rest of the day in Ferrara on your own, exploring more of its streets, squares and medieval city walls, and tasting its many delicacies.
Day 6. We will get on the bus and drive to Ravenna, with its several Unesco sites. Here we will visit the renowned Byzantine mosaics of San Vitale and Galla Placidia, and have some time on our own in the town pedestrian center. We will then enjoy a group lunch in Ravenna, tasting the local Piadina. We will regroup in the afternoon and drive back to Ferrara, dinner is on your own.
Bus transfer to Pesaro (three nights)
Day 7. Today we will leave Ferrara and head south. We will stop in Faenza, one of the capital cities of Italian ceramics, where we will visit a ceramic workshop and learn about the “Faenza style”. Afterwards, we will continue south towards the oldest Republic in the world: San Marino. Here, we will take a walk and enjoy some free time to explore the stunning hill top and lunch on our own. In the afternoon, we will drive to our next home for three nights: Pesaro, on the Adriatic Sea. After check in, we will have our orientation walk followed by a group dinner in Pesaro.
Day 8. Today we will enjoy a walking tour of Pesaro, and explore the nearby castle town of Gradara, an intact medieval fortified village, where we will enjoy lunch on our own. The evening is all yours to enjoy Pesaro, until we regroup to have our dinner together.
Day 9. Today it's your free day! You can enjoy the beach on the Adriatic Sea, the hotel spa, the center of Pesaro (and its many nice shops).
Bus transfer to Parma (three nights)
Day 10. After checking out, we will leave Pesaro, and visit charming Urbino, the home town of Renaissance master painter Rafael. After that, we will have lunch on our own in Urbino, and depart towards our new home for three nights: Parma. Once we arrive in Parma, we will check in, have our orientation walk and enjoy a group dinner.
Day 11. This morning we will meet our local guide and visit charming Parma for a walk around town. Then we’ll drive out to a typical Parmigiano Reggiano cheese farm where we will learn all about this fantastic product and enjoy a group lunch. In the afternoon, we will return to Parma to enjoy a free evening of relaxing or shopping, and dinner on your own.
Day 12. Today we will drive out of Parma and reach the nearby town of Modena, where we will explore the town center. After our walking tour, we will drive out of Modena and visit an authentic “acetaia” farm. Here we will learn how they produce the delicious world-renowned Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. After a lunch together at the acetaia, we will return to Parma for some down time, before enjoying our farewell dinner.
Day 13. Tour is over after breakfast. From Parma you can easily reach Bologna, Milan, Florence or Rome.
*Itinerary details subject to change
What’s Included
Ravenna and San Vitale, Day 6
Included:
A small group experience of 10-15 people
Four-star hotels
Twelve nights accommodation, breakfasts included
Five group dinners and five group lunches, drinks included
A cooking class + Balsamic Vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese experiences
All sightseeing activity entrances and local guides
Local group travel and bus transfers between tour hotels
All tips
A pre-tour travel consultation with David
Flexible reservations and cancellation policy
Not Included:
Airfare
Airport transportation to and from tour hotels
(We can help arrange if you like)
Conditions:
Tour hotels and itinerary details subject to change.
Tour departure contingent on travel restrictions.
FAQ
Urbino and Palazzo Ducale Museum, Day 10
Where will this tour stay?
This tour stays in 4-star accommodations with historic charm, within the center of the towns we visit. I feel it’s important that the hotels reflect the culture of each place, for this reason, they are often historical palaces and residences.
How much walking will there be on this tour?
There is some kind of walking tour each day. Nothing strenuous but we may venture over uneven ground, trails or paths in the countryside, around archaeological sites, or the beach. Plan on bringing good shoes for walking about 3 miles each day. It’s good for the appetite and for your next gelato to taste!
What’s the balance between group time and free time?
This tour is designed to strike a balance between group time and your own free time to explore or just chill out and relax. At each stop we have a day with lunch, the afternoon, and dinner free on your own. David will be on hand to help plan your activities during free time.
Will there be live music on this tour???
Hahaha! Well, I do love surprises…
When should I plan to arrive in Bologna for this tour?
Some travelers like to arrive the day before and book a hotel on their own, just to get settled. Bologna is the nexus of high-speed train lines from Milan and Venice in the north, and Florence and Rome to the south. You can also fly directly into Bologna from some European hubs. If you arrive the day the tour starts, plan to get there before lunch to comfortably make your way to the hotel before our start time. And while it’s not necessary to arrive a few days early to adjust to the time change, many travelers do to start the tour feeling fresh. It’s up to you!
What will we eat?
Emilia Romagna is famous for its amazing food, but also Le Marche provides outstanding food. I’m always surprised foreigners don’t visit here as much as Italians do for this reason. There will be many delicacies, including some spectacular charcuterie—this is the home of prosciutto di Parma—and pasta, so many fresh pasta varieties (does Lasagna ring any bell?). We will taste our way through this tour. It’s a promise!
Ask David
Balsamic vinegar ‘Acetaia’ tour, Day 12