Decadent Northern Italy 11 th October- 2 rd November 2019 23 day tour Taste, discover, explore Join us on our journey to Italy s evocative regions where we discover stunning scenery while we taste some of the world s best culinary delights and local wines along the way. We explore the idyllic villages in the North of Italy from Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Bologna, Modena, Asti and to Portovenere. We start in Rome with a private food walking tour having coffee at the Piazza Navona, visit the Campo dei Fiori market, learn and taste the history of Spaghetti Carbonara and finish with local cheese paired with local wines. We head out to Frascati for our private wine tour along with local specialties to eat. A private food tour in the Trastevere area alowws to experience the real flavour of Roman life. In Florence our private tour takes us o the famous sights of the Ponte Vecchio, The Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery. We have a private wine tour into Tuscany where we have the opportunity to try the famous Brunello di Montalcino and have lunch at one of the wineries. We also visit Siena and have lunch at the best trattoria in the city. We then head north to Bologna with its medieval and renaissance architecture. Our private food tour starts off with coffee at the best caffe in town, a visit to the markets, learn how tortellini is made from a traditional pasta artisan and tasting famous gelati. Our private wine tour in the hills allows us to try Sangiovese, Pignoletto and Chardonnay. In Modena our private tour takes us to some incredible places. We start at a PDO Parmesan dairy, visit small traditional balsamic producers and then onto learn about Parma Ham, Prosciutto San Daniele and finish at an agriturismo for lunch. We head North West to Asti in the famous Piedmont region. Our day of wine tasting takes us to some incredible producers where we will be tasting Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Moscato whilst enjoying lunch at one of the wineries. We also have a private food tour of Asti taking us through the historic center, visiting food vendors, (being it is truffle season we will be spoilt) tasting cheeses, salumi, wine the list goes on. For a relaxed end to the tour we head to Portovenere just south of the Cinque Terre where we can relax and soak up the sunshine in this beautiful town
Rome Day 1 : Friday 11 th October On arrival into historical Rome make your way to our hotel where you will be met and checked into your room to relax before this evenings drinks in the hotel lobby and then on to dinner. (Transfers can be arranged from airport on request) Meals: Drinks and Dinner (including wine and or beverages) Day 2 : Saturday 12 th October After breakfast this morning we have a private food walking tour of Rome. Our local Italian guide will take us to a delightful little café at the world famous Piazza Navona, to soak up the atmosphere and taste "brewed to perfection" Italian cappuccino or espresso. Next we will try the best and most fresh pizzas in town (three types).our personal guide will explain the history of the square and the surrounding areas including the Jewish Ghetto, Campo dei Fiori the oldest market in town, the medieval and intimate "off the beaten paths" neighbourhoods and the Jewish Ghetto, the birthplace of Roman cuisine. Our tour continues to a shop that specialises in Supplí, fried risotto balls and we will take a trip to the fantastic vegetable market at Campo Dei Fiori. We get to taste two traditional Roman pastas in a small restaurant near the old Jewish quarter, and learn the real history of Spaghetti alla Carbonara. To finish off we stop at one of the best delicacy shops in Rome where we will enjoy the finest Italian cheeses, paired with the best wines. Dinner tonight in one of the local s favourite restaurants. Meals: Breakfast, Food tour with Wine, Dinner (including wine and or beverages) Day 3 : Sunday 13 th October After breakfast this morning you have some free time before we head off on our wine tour. Our tour is held in an exquisite wine bar located in the core of old Frascati, a lovely hamlet laying in the idyllic Alban Hills, just a few miles from the Eternal City. The intimate and relaxing atmosphere invites us to indulge in a genuine wine tasting. We will learn how to drink and taste wine, analysis its colour and perfumes as well as its areas of production. All this with an assortment of Italian specialties to eat. Also time to take a stroll through Frascati and admire its picturesque narrow alleys and stunning villas. Meals: Breakfast and Winery Tour with cheese and salumi (including wine and or beverages) Day 4 : Monday 14 th October We have a walking food tour today in the Trastevere area. Trastevere is a delight for the true foodie looking to get a real flavour of Roman life. With its narrow cobblestone streets and laneways, Trastevere is the most picturesque Roman neighbourhood. During the day, it s like a small village with timeless and artisan shops serving the same local families for generations many of which we ll visit, tasting the amazing food and exploring these local spots along the way. We visit the colourful outdoor food market and meet some of the stallholders who have been selling their produce there for generations. We will also visit local food stores and talk to the wonderful families working hard to preserve Roman food traditions. This tour features some unique cultural and historical sites that few tourists get an opportunity to see. Tonight we will farewell Rome over a fabulous dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Food Tour, Dinner (including wine and or beverages) Florence Day 5 : Tuesday 15 th October After breakfast today we make our way to Florence. We will stop in Orvieto for lunch at the local s best restaurant and a little time for you to wander through this quaint town. After we have settled into our hotel you may wish to take a stroll before dinner tonight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (including wine and or beverages)
Day 6 : Wednesday 16 th October Today we discover the beauty of Florence on our private walking tour. We will visit Giotto's Bell Tower, Vasari Corridor, Baptistery, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria & the Palazzo Vecchio to name a few of the important landmarks we ll see during this sightseeing tour of Florence. After enjoying a walk through the historical center of Florence we arrive at the Accademia Gallery, home to Florence's most treasured work of art - "Michelangelo's David". After enjoying an in-depth discussion of David, we'll also have time to admire "Michelangelo's Slaves". A series of breath-taking sculptures. We also visit the Uffizi to admire the works of the great masters of the Renaissance. Our expert guide will give us a thorough introduction to the Renaissance period utilizing the great works of Art on display inside the Uffizi museum. The remainder of the evening is at your leisure. Meals: Breakfast Day 7 : Thursday 17 th October Today is all about wine tasting, as we visit the Tuscany region and get to taste the world famous Brunello di Montalcino. Our drive takes us through the region of Montalcino, its history and wine designations. We have 3 winery visits and the chance to walk through the vineyards. We have lunch at one of the wineries with more of its incredible wines and also get to taste their olive oils. We also stop in Montalcino to admire this wine town and walk the winding streets stocked with myriads of wine shops and artisan products. Meals: Breakfast, Wine Tour, Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Day 8 : Friday 18 th October You have a complete free day today. Take the time to go shopping or wander the streets before dinner tonight as we farewell Florence. Tuscany Day 9 : Saturday 19 th October After breakfast today we head off to our villa in the Tuscan Countryside. Our beautiful villa awaits us for the next few nights to relax and soak up this incredible part of Italy. Dinner tonight in a local restaurant. Overnight: Tuscany Day 10 : Sunday 20 th October Today we visit historic Siena. We have lunch in one Siena s best local restaurants, but the rest of the day is for you to take in Siena at your own pace. Overnight: Tuscany Meals: Breakfast and Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Bologna Day 11 : Monday 21 st October After breakfast we head further north today to Bologna with its medieval and renaissance buildings, plus its incredible food. We have dinner tonight at one of Bologna s newest restaurants. Day 12 : Tuesday 22 nd October We have a private food tour today taking in the abundance of produce Bologna has to offer. Starting the day with a gourmet coffee at the best Caffe in town. Touring the "Quadrilatero" and Mercato delle Erbe, the foodie heart of Bologna, we go shopping together like locals inside the most important markets of the town. We visit a traditional
fresh pasta artisan to learn how tortellini, tortelloni and tagliatelle are made. We stop for lunch in one of the oldest osteria in Italy where we can taste different kinds of Bologna's cold cuts, local cheeses, breads, bolognese ragu and Balsamic Vinegar Tradizionale of Modena and relax with some glasses of wine. The last stop of the tour is one of the most famous gelateria in town. Meals: Breakfast Food Tour with Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Day 13 : Wednesday 23 rd October After breakfast we head out to the hills for our private wine tour of this region. We visit two wineries first in the hills between Bologna and Imola where we get to taste Chardonnay, Pignoletto, Sangiovese and more. We have lunch at one of the wineries with matching wines. We then head to Dozza, a medieval village where art becomes an urban landscape. We also visit the Fortress of Dozza for our third tasting in the ancient cellars which holds Enoteca Regionale dell Emilia Romagna. Meals: Breakfast, Wine Tour with Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Day 14 : Thursday 24th October Today is a free day for you to enjoy Bologna at your own pace. We will have dinner tonight at one of the local s favorite restaurants. Modena Day 15 : Friday 25 th October After breakfast we have a short drive to Modena, the birthplace of Balsamic Vinegar and one of the best Chefs in the world, Massimo Bottura. Dinner tonight in one of Modena s many restaurants. Overnight: Modena Day 16 : Saturday 26th October Today we have an amazing private tour where we get to discover the famous produce and wine s of this region. Our tour starts at a PDO Parmesan cheese dairy in Modena. Our guide will explain step by step how this famous product is made, at this point we will see how the milk is coagulated and the cheese curds are lifted and inserted into the moulds. The detailed guided tour will also include the brine stage and the ageing cellars. Of course, we will taste different ageing of the cheese in order to understand how the product changes with time. We visit small traditional vinegar producers in Modena and at the end of our visit, we will sit around the family table and have our tasting. Few drops of the nectar are sufficient to enhance our dishes and during the tasting stage, we will learn how to match each vinegar with food. Next we will visit the Villani ham and Salami factory for a tour of Musa the first charcuterie museum in the world. Here we learn how Parma ham, Prosciutto di San Daniele, mortadella and many other Italian salamis are made. Our last stop will be at an agriturismo where we will explore the beauty of organic farming. After a walking visit of the farm, we will be sitting around the rustic table to enjoy the famous farmer brunch. The lunch consists of many specialities of the area such as hand carved ham, ciccioli (cooked and pressed bacon) fresh and aged cheese with the unforgettable Salsa Luisa, all served with the farm made sourdough focaccia bread. Lunch will be accompanied with the farm classic method organic wines such as Lambrusco and Trebbiano. Overnight: Modena Meals: Breakfast, Food Tour with cheese, salumi and Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Day 17 : Sunday 27 th October Time to relax and soak up the streets and treats of Modena in your free time. Dinner tonight to farewell the North East of Italy before we head to the North West. Overnight: Modena
Asti Day 18 : Monday 28 th October After breakfast today we head across to Asti, in the famous Piedmont wine region. We have dinner tonight in one of the region s best restaurants Overnight: Asti Day 19 : Tuesday 29 th October Today is all about wine tasting. Our tour day begins with a visit to a great producer, Braida in Rocchetta Tanero and a tasting of some of their Barbera wines. We will then head to the beautiful medieval village of Nieve, where the 'quatro vino', four DOC and DOCG wines are produced: Barbaresco DOCG, Barbera d'alba DOC, Dolcetto d'alba DOC and Moscato d'asti DOCG. Here we will have a chance to visit a small family producer, taste some of their wines including their delicious Barbaresco and view their small but very beautiful ancient cellar dating from the 1600's. The next stop will be at the nearby village of Barbaresco, where Gaja is situated We will have lunch at the winery and taste some more fantastic wines, before we continue our journey to the region of impressive castles and 'the King of Wines', Barolo. During the afternoon, we will travel to some of the regions famous wine villages such as; Barolo, La Morra and Serralunga d'alba, with their beautifully manicured vineyards and fantastic panoramic views. Here we will visit a great producer to taste a selection of wines including award winning Barolos. Overnight: Asti Meals: Breakfast, Wine Tasting with Lunch (including wine and or beverages) Day 20 : Wednesday 30th October We have a private food walking tour of Asti today. We head out on a leisurely stroll through the historic centre of Asti, visiting some of the city s top attractions in between food shops and markets. We visit at least three food vendors during our tour a traditional food shop, a produce market and a street vendor. We get to sample cheese, bread, hazelnut pralines, salami and even some of local wine. We ll also see along the way the Jewish Ghetto, the covered market, some of the city s medieval towers, Baroque churches, the square in which the town s famous horse race (the Palio) is held each year, and the Asti Cathedral, the largest Gothic structure in the Piedmont region. You have some free time this afternoon before we meet for dinner. Overnight: Asti Meals: Breakfast, Food Tour with tastings, Dinner (including wine and or beverages) Portovenere Day 21 : Thursday 31 st October After breakfast today we make our way down to the Cinque Terre region for some relaxation time. We dinner tonight at one of the restaurants along the boardwalk. Overnight: Portovenere Day 22 : Friday 1 st November Today is a completely free day for you to explore or just relax. You could take a boat ride along the coast or just sit back and soak up the Italian sun. We have our farewell dinner tonight in our beautiful hotel and say Ciao to our amazing Italian tour. Overnight: Portovenere Day 23 : Saturday 2nd November We make our way back to Rome today and say our farewells to our Busby s Tours family and wish everybody a safe journey home. Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions and Pricing Pricing is AUD and based on twin share $9750.00. Single supplement is available upon request You will visit: Rome; private food walking tour taking in some of the spectacular Roman sites of the city along the way; Private wine tour in the Alban Hills and visit village of Frascati; Private walking food tour in Trastevere visiting outdoor food markets and historical sites; Florence; visit Orvieto, private walking tour of Florence visiting piazzas and landmarks to admire, visit the Accademia Gallery and Uffizi, private wine tasting in 3 wineries in the Tuscany region as well as visiting village of Montalcino; Tuscany; stay in Tuscany in a private villa where our hosts will share their passion of this beautiful part of Italy with us; visit Siena; Bologna; private food tour through Quadrilatero and Mercato delle Erbe; learn how tortellini, tortelloni and tagliatelle are made; private wine tour of this region visiting 2 wineries; visit the medieval village of Dozza; visit Fortress of Dozza and their ancient cellars; Modena; private tour of the region and witness the process of cheese making, vinegar, hams and more while tasting these wonders; Asti; visit medieval village of Nieve and taste some of the delicious wines from cellars dating from 1600 s; visit Barbaresco and view castles and vineyards; private food walking tour of Asti and visit some of the best sites as well as the square where the Palio is held each year; Portovenere; time to relax and take in this picture perfect location where we can arrange tours if required to Cinque Terre or surrounding locations. 19 Breakfasts / 11 Lunches / 14 Dinners including Welcome drink, Welcome & Farewell dinners, Lunch & Dinner includes wine and/or beverage with each meal. 10 private tours including food tours, wine tours Our personal food & wine tour guide with us to also assist in selecting your lunch or dinner locations when not with the group Private driver in air conditioned mini-van or bus Tour begins in Rome and finishes in Rome (allows you to seek a better price for return airfare) 4 1/2 & 5 star accommodation (2 per room share basis or single supplement if required). Unique hotels, B&B s & villas in central locations with more night s accommodation allowing a more relaxed feel to your vacation No early morning rises you are on holidays and we want you to make the most of every destination (you will be given a day by day itinerary showing times we leave of a morning when on a day tour or if a flight or other transfer has to be met) Restaurants for lunch & dinner are pre booked months in advance by our Food & Wine guide therefore please inform us if you have any special food dietary requirements Taxes, surcharges (where part of Busby s Tours itinerary) Tips to guides / drivers (where part of Busby s Tours itinerary) Tips to waiters (where Busby s Tours include a meal) Busby s Tours Co-ordinator services throughout tour for any of your requests Min 6 - Max 10 on this tour (early booking is recommended) Surprise experiences Not Included International flights; items of a personal nature; any items used from hotel mini bars or phone calls from room (you may be required by hotel to leave a credit card for security on your room); passport; laundry; personal transport; excess baggage; travel insurance; meals not specified (all meals are shown on pre departure list that is included on tour); alcoholic beverages other than what is shown on itinerary with each meal; Optional excursions or activities that may be offered but not included in the tour price.