Tour meets at Grand Hotel Sitea in Torino (2024).

Day 1. Benvenuti a Torino! We’ll start our travels together with an aperitivo at our beautiful centrally located hotel at 4pm. Once we’ve had a chance to get acquainted we’ll head out to explore our neighborhood – the historic center of Torino – followed by dinner at a small and elegant restaurant nearby. Sleep in Torino.

Day 2. On our first morning in Torino we’ll meet an expert local guide who will take us on a walking tour of this grand and majestic city. You’ll learn about its important ties with France as well as its role as the first capital of Italy. While on our walk you’ll also have an opportunity to learn more about the food and cafe culture of Torino – which has more Michelin star restaurants than any other city in Italy and is the home of Lavazza coffee, the world’s first Eataly, and Martini & Rossi! You’ll also have a chance to sample bicerin, a coffee and hot chocolate drink created here in Torino. In the afternoon, you’ll be free to enjoy the city on your own. We’ll meet again this evening for a historic cafe crawl during which we’ll taste often-underappreciated-but-invented-here-vermouth!  Tonight you’ll be free to enjoy dinner on your own. Sleep in Torino.

Day 3. This morning we’ll meet our local guide at the Royal Palace of Torino. During our tour we’ll learn about the Savoy family who became the kings of Italy and who influenced the intellectual, architectural, and gastronomic culture in Piemonte and beyond. You’ll also hear about the world-famous Shroud of Turin which is kept in a chapel of the palace. The afternoon and evening are yours to explore Torino’s historic cafes, parks, the National Cinema Museum or pay a visit to the largest Egyptian museum outside Cairo.  Sleep in Torino.

Day 4. Today we head to the countryside, traveling through vineyard covered rolling hills ablaze with fall colors. But before we arrive in our lovely boutique hotel, we’ll stop for a guided visit of the Sacra di San Michele, an austere hilltop monastery over a thousand years old. During our visit you’ll learn about the important role of monasteries in the maintenance and development of knowledge during the middle ages. After our visit to this beautifully somber and austere monument, we’ll travel to the Langhe wine region of Piemonte - itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once we’re settled into our countryside boutique hotel where we’ll stay for the next 3 nights, we’ll enjoy dinner together.

Day 5. Today we begin our focus on this region’s world-famous white truffles. In the morning we’ll head out with a specially trained truffle dog and his human partner as they track down their targets. Our tour of this region is timed to coincide with the season for these highly sought after white truffles and we’ll have an opportunity to taste the fruits of our labor after the hunt. Then we’ll end our afternoon with our first visit to a winery in yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site: the vaulted “underground cathedrals” of Canelli, which have been used to store wine since the 1800’s. This evening you’ll have an opportunity to enjoy dinner on your own. Sleep at our boutique hotel in the Langhe countryside near Asti.

Day 6. This morning we continue our exploration of white truffles with a visit to the International White Truffle Fair in Alba where we’ll learn much more about what makes these fungi so special. Then, it’s on to a gourmet lunch featuring white truffles in this gastronomic capital. After lunch we’ll wind our way through the stunning Langhe hills with views of the manicured vineyards’ brilliant fall foliage before arriving for another gourmet experience – a guided tasting at a Barolo wine producer. This evening you’ll be free to enjoy dinner on your own. Sleep at our boutique hotel in the Langhe countryside near Asti.

Day 7. Today we’ll head north toward the Alps where we’ll spend the next three nights at an elegant lakeside hotel in the town of Stresa on Lago Maggiore. En route, we’ll stop at a small cooking school where we’ll learn to make some of the wonderful dishes we’ve been enjoying during our travels. Then it’s on to the lake where, after a chance to settle in, we’ll meet for a walk through the town featured in Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. We’ll enjoy dinner together tonight. Sleep in Stresa.

Day 8. Lago Maggiore and the beautiful Borromean Islands (if available) are our destination this morning as we take a private boat tour of this stunning area. Stresa became a destination for European nobility, as well as those on the “Grand Tour” in the late 1800’s, and the islands reflect that grand history in their beautiful gardens and belle epoque architecture. This afternoon and evening will be yours to explore Stresa and the lake. Dinner on your own. Sleep in Stresa.

Day 9. Our final day we’ll head into the Alps on a small gauge panoramic train as it winds its way through mountain villages, valleys, over bridges and through breathtaking fall scenery. You’ll join the locals for this annual “fall foliage” train ride and will have the opportunity to taste seasonal specialties as we make stops enroute to Locarno Switzerland. This evening we’ll gather for our last dinner together, sharing our experiences and enjoying the dolce vita in this region of Italy at the foot of the mountains! Sleep in Stresa.

Day 10. Tour concludes after breakfast. I’ll be available to assist with transportation arrangements to the airport or central Milan.