Emilia Romagna
Marche
Guided By David Tordi
Medieval treasures & pasta perfection—a life changing experience.
Three nights each in Ferrara, Pesaro, Bologna, and Parma.
“Emilia Romagna and Le Marche are super cool. Bologna has the oldest university in the world, it’s full of students, culture, and energy. It’s also where most Italians love to eat most, outside their own region. And from there it only gets better.” —David
Emilia Romagna Marche
13 Days / 12 Nights
10 — 15 Travelers
$1000 deposit reserves each spot
Full balance 90 days before
March 29 — April 10, 2026
* 2 Seats Available *
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Highlights
Ravenna’s San Vitale
Bologna Cathedral
Visiting Ravenna, the mosaics are so breathtaking, unbelievable almost.”
—Jane, Emilia Romagna Marche ‘23
Comacchio
Visit artisan workshops
Parma’s food scene
“David is absolutely the best! His love for his country is spread throughout the whole tour.”
—Christine, Emilia Romagna Marche ‘23
Ferrara’s Estense Castle
Cooking class
Itinerary
Pesaro
Tour begins in Ferrara, Italy. Itinerary updated for March 2026 departure and beyond.
Day 1. We will gather at our hotel in Ferrara at 4pm for a celebratory welcome toast to start our tour. We will go over our tour and get acquainted with one another, before an orientation walk around the neighborhood and a group dinner together. Stay 3 nights at Maxxim Hotel & Loft.
Day 2. Today we will enjoy a walking tour of beautiful Ferrara, once an independent country, with its spectacular city centre and palaces. 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 3. This morning we board our bus and drive to Ravenna, famous for its Unesco World Heritage sites. We will also visit the renowned Byzantine mosaics of San Vitale and Galla Placidia, and have time on our own in the walkable and bicycle-friendly town center. We will then enjoy a group lunch in Ravenna, tasting the local food. We will regroup in the afternoon and drive back to Ferrara where dinner tonight is on your own.
Day 4. After checking out, we will leave Ferrara 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 Pesaro, our next home for three nights. Here we will take an orientation walk and have a group dinner in town. Stay 3 nights at Grand Hotel Vittoria.
Day 5. Today we will enjoy a walk of Pesaro, and explore the nearby castle town of Gradara, an intact medieval fortified village, where you will enjoy lunch on your own. The afternoon is all yours to enjoy Pesaro, its beach and our hotel spa, until we regroup to have a group dinner together.
Day 6. Today we will visit charming Urbino, the hometown of Renaissance master painter, Rafael. We’ll tour the incredible Palazzo Ducale museum with a local guide and have free time to further explore the town. In the late afternoon, we will return to Pesaro for some down time and dinner on your own.
Day 7. Today we will leave Pesaro and head northwest. We will visit the oldest Republic in the world: San Marino. Here, we will take a walk and enjoy some free time to explore the stunning hilltop and an early lunch on your own. Afterwards, we will continue and visit Faenza, one of the capital cities of Italian ceramics, where we will visit a workshop and learn about the “Faenza style.” Later, we will continue towards our next home for three nights, Bologna, where we will have an orientation walk and group dinner in town. Stay 3 nights at Hotel Touring.
Day 8. 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 9. Today we will enjoy a bolognese cooking class and learn how to make some of the finest handmade Italian pastas, originally from Bologna. After that, we will taste the results of our cooking! The rest of the afternoon and evening are on your own to explore more of Bologna. Dinner tonight is on your own.Bus transfer to Parma (three nights)
Day 10. This morning we will depart towards our new home for three nights: Parma. Along the way, we will stop at 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 check into our Parma hotel, have our orientation walk and have dinner on our own. Stay 3 nights at Hotel Stendhal.
Day 11. This morning we will meet our local guide and visit charming Parma for a walk around town. The rest of the day is for you to relax and enjoy Parma, until regrouping for our group dinner.
Day 12. Today we will drive out of Parma and reach the nearby town of Modena where we will first explore an authentic “acetaia” farm. Here we will learn how they produce the delicious world-renowned balsamic vinegar of Modena. After tasting the balsamic at the acetaia,we will explore the town center of Modena. After some free time for self exploration, we will return to Parma for some down time, before enjoying our farewell dinner together.
Day 13. The tour is over after breakfast. From Parma you can easily reach Bologna, Milan, Venice, Florence, or Rome. We will help you organize post-tour travel. Buon viaggio!
Tour itinerary subject to change.
What’s Included
Urbino’s Palazzo Ducale
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
Bologna
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!
