Piedmont Discovery
Round trip air fare from Boston or JFK with air available from all major gateways, contact us for more information. 7-nights accommodation at moderate four star hotel. breakfasts daily, 5 dinners at the hotel, your welcome cocktail, 1 wine tasting, 1 cheese tasting , 1 chocolate tasting and excursions as outlined below. An English speaking Tour Manager will accompany you throughout your visit and transportation is by private car and motorcoach as applicable.
Itinerary
DAY
1: Departure from the USA - Meals and refreshments served on flight
DAY 2: Milan Malpensa/Alba - Upon arrival at
Milan Malpensa airport, meet your English speaking tour manager and transfer by
deluxe private motorcoach to Alba. Welcome to Piedmont! Check in at your 4*
hotel. Orientation tour and welcome drink before dinner at the hotel.
DAY 3: Alba/Barolo/Alba - After breakfast, take
a guided visit of Alba. Named “the city of 100 towers”, it is the capital of
the Langhe Region and its historical centre is rich in Roman and Gothic
monuments. At lunch enjoy some time on your own to discover the beautiful
squares and pedestrian streets, lined up with beautiful shops and cafés. In the
afternoon, you will be transferred by private motorcoach to Barolo, heart of
the production of the world-famous Barolo wine. Visit the innovative Wine
Museum, housed in the halls and rooms of Falletti Castle. The museum visit is
structured like an interactive descent into the deep history and culture of
wine. Transfer to the ultra modern wine cellars of the Terre da Vino
Cooperative which encompass over 5,000 hectares of vineyards cultivated by over
2,500 growers. Visit the winery, cellars and wine producing facilities and
taste some wines with a light dinner on-site. Return to the hotel.
DAY 4: Alba/Murazzano/La Morra/Serralunga/Alba -
Depart by private motorcoach to the Murazzano area, where you will visit an
enchanting farm and learn about the age-old tradition of cheese making while
tasting some of the savoury cheeses made here. Continue to La Morra, the
highest of the villages of the Langhe area. From here you will enjoy a breathtaking
view of the surrounding hills, dotted with castles and vineyards. Enjoy lunch
on your own at this historical villages, then continue to Serralunga d’Alba and
visit the 14th century fortress. Return to Alba. Dinner at the hotel.
DAY 5: Alba/Torino/Alba - Today’s excursion will
take you to discover the lively and elegant city of Torino. The first capital
of Italy, gently resting on the hillside and enclosed by the winding course of
the River Po, owes much of its charm to its enchanting location at the foot of
the western Alps. You will be guided to discover its ancient and modern
history, the palaces and tree-lined avenues, the parks and the streets covered
with porticoes. Torino offers a unique balance between the rational Roman
layout, the measured pomp of baroque and the originality of the modern and
contemporary architecture. During your walk you will see the beautiful Royal
Palace, the Cathedral where the Holy Shroud is hosted, the façade of Palazzo
Carignano, first Parliament of reunited Italy in 1861, and you will discover
some antique courtyards. You will then visit the Mole Antonelliana, symbol of
Turin and former Jewish synagogue, now hosting the amazing Cinema Museum. You
will also take the panoramic lift, which rises inside the cupola and up to a
terrace from which you can enjoy a birds-eye view of the city. Before returning
to Alba, you will be transferred to the workshop of one of the best chocolate
producers, who will explain the history of chocolate which has an ancient
tradition in Piedmont. A final tasting of some products are not to be missed!
Return to Alba. Dinner at the hotel.
DAY 6: Alba/Staffarda/Saluzzo/Alba - Today you
will visit a place of spiritual devotion: the Abbey of Santa Maria di
Staffarda. Founded in the first half of the 12th century by the Cistercian
order, the abbey’s compound includes a church with an elegant columned
cloister, monastic buildings and nine annexed farmhouses. Continue to nearby
Saluzzo which ranks amongst the most beautiful towns of Piedmont. Once the
capital of a powerful marquisate, it is now one of the most important centres
in Italy for antiques, fine furniture and restoration. While taking a guided
visit you will discover beautiful buildings dating back to the Middle Ages and
the Renaissance. Before returning to Alba, you will have some free time for
shopping or to relax in the city centre. Return to Alba. Dinner tonight will be
on your own.
DAY 7: Alba/Verbania - Check out from your Alba
hotel after breakfast and depart by private motorcoach to Lake Maggiore, in
Northern Piedmont. Arrival in Verbania: a nice town lined by rows of palm
trees, flowering gardens, and the façades of elegant Belle Epoque buildings,
and in front the picturesque Borromeo Islands, which seem to rise mysteriously
out of the lake waters. Check in at your 4* hotel. The rest of the day is at
your disposal for discovering the relaxing surroundings along the lake shores.
Dinner on your own in one of the many typical inns and restaurants around the
lake.
DAY 8: Verbania/Borromean Islands/Verbania -
This morning cruise on the deep blue, glacially formed Lake Maggiore, visiting
Isola Bella, built in the 17th century as the palatial residence of Carlo III
and his wife, Isabella. The formal Italian gardens, with their statuary and
terraces, are like a magnificent stage setting. You stop at the charming Isola
Pescatori where you can have lunch in one of the quaint inns of the island,
then continue on your cruise to Isola Madre, the third of the Borromean
islands. Return to Verbania. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a nearby traditional
osteria.
DAY 9: Verbania/Milano Malpensa airport -
Transfer to Milano Malpensa airport for your flight to the USA.