Northern Italy's Highlights and Cinque Terra

Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 17

Parmesan and prosciutto. Ferraris and Fiats. Ruins and the Riviera. Some of Italy’s greatest indulgences can be found up north. Italy’s “Fabulous Five,” the pastel-hued cliffside fishing villages along the Mediterranean, start the count of the numerous joys you’ll experience on this Undiscovered Tour of Northern Italy. In addition to finding the freshest seafood along the coast, you’ll relish a balsamic vinegar tasting in the epicurean city of Modena, a parmesan cheese tasting near Verdi’s hometown of Busseto, a risotto lunch at a Vercelli rice factory, and a wine tasting in vineyard-dotted Gabiano. To spice things up, you’ll speed over to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, cruise to the yacht-filled harbor of Portofino, and strut your stuff down the streets of Milan. Leading you to the fabulous, the famous, and the fashionable, this tour is the way to see Northern Italy.

Please note this tour is being operated by Globus Tours and Vacations. Pauwels tour leaders Vince and Jan Sacilotto will be accompanying the group.


BOOKING INFORMATION

September 08 - 17, 2023

Land Only: $4,165.00 based on double occupancy

Single supplement: $700.00

BOOK TOUR

DOWNLOAD PDF OF ITINERARY

*If the tour is SOLD OUT, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.


ITINERARY

Day 1 - Friday, September 08: Independent arrival in Milan

Welcome to Milan. At 5 pm meet your tour director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at the hotel. (Dinner)


Day 2 - Saturday, September 09: MILAN–BUSSETO–PARMA

Breakfast followed by a guided walking tour of Milan.  Highlights include Sforzesco Castle, the Galleria, La Scala Opera House, and the Duomo. Following the tour we make our way to Busseto where we will see the birthplace of composer Giuseppe Verdi.  Time for lunch followed by  a Parmesan cheese tasting at a local caseificio (cheese-making factory). (Breakfast)
99 mi / 160 km

Day 3 - Sunday, September 10: PARMA. EXCURSION TO MODENA & MARANELLO

Today;s sightseeing begins with a guided tour of PARMA including the cathedral with its, bell tower, and octagonal baptistry. Continue to MODENA where you will enjoy a Balsamic vinegar tasting at the renowned Acetaia Leonardi.before finishing with a visit to MARANELLO to visit the Ferrari Museum. Free time this afternoon and evening. (Breakfast)
112 mi / 180 km

Day 4 - Monday, September 11: PARMA–LUCCA

Breakfast followed by departure for Lucca.  Orientation walk, followed by free time this afternoon and evening. (Breakfast)
99 mi / 160 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT: CULTURAL GEMS Within the walls surrounding the medieval city of Lucca, the modern world fades away. Whilst you walk. See the Piazza Anfiteatro, San Michele Square, the Roman Amphitheatre, the soaring clock tower, and the Guinigi Tower topped with a hanging garden roof – just to name a few of the impressive sights you’ll find in this historic city in Tuscany.

Day 5 - Tuesday, September 12: LUCCA–CINQUE TERRE–GENOA-CINQUE TERRE

Take a guided boat ride (weather permitting) to Monterosso. Free time before continuing the journey by train. (Breakfast, Dinner)
124 mi / 200 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT :EPIC RIDE Take a stunning cruise on the coast of Cinque Terre and take in fascinating views of the sea, sky, and centuries old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.

Day 6 - Wednesday, September 13: GENOA. EXCURSION TO PORTOFINO

Today we set our course for the glamourous Italian Riviera with a cruise to the fishing village of Portofino. Here the cobblestones and luxury boutiques share the views of the Ligurian Sea with pastel-painted houses, seafood eateries, and yachts moored in the picturesque seaport. Return to Genoa following the tour. (Breakfast)

Day 7 - Thursday, September 14: GENOA–GABIANO–TURIN

Carafes at the Castle GABIANO.  Gracing the hills above the Po Valley, the Castello di Gabiano has made history as early as the 8th century. Once the site of sieges and wars, the castle has passed through noble families through time to become one of the oldest and largest manors in Monferrato. Today, its tradition of winemaking is shared with tastings of vintages aged in its cellar barrels in the tradition passed down since the 12th century. Enjoy wine tasting and lunch at the castle before continuing to Turin.  Check in to the hotel followed by free time.  (Breakfast, Lunch)
143 mi / 230 km
 

Day 8 - Friday, September 15: Turin

Turin abounds of a wealth of Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau treasures. Stroll the elegant squares to see the monument of Mole Antonelliana – a former synagogue with its 87-meter-high panorama deck. Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which houses the most holy relic in the Catholic Church – the Shroud of Turin. (Breakfast)

Day 9 - Saturday, September 16: TURIN–VERCELLI–MILAN

Visit Vercelli, the heart of Europe's rice production, where the tradition of delicious risotto is born. It’s here that the round rice grain called japonica is grown. This round grain keeps its shape during the cooking process to release that beautifully creamy texture of risotto that we all know and love. The fine art of rice farming in Italy now combines tradition with technology to tend these fields with loving care.  Continue to Milan and check into the hotel.  Farewell dinner at a local restaurant this evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
130 mi / 210 km

Day 10 - Sunday, September 17: Milan

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

ITINERARY PDF

EXPLORE THE AREA

INCLUDED

- Accommodation based on double occupancy, in 4-star/first-class hotel and three 3-star/superior tourist-class hotels; - Breakfast daily (mostly if not all buffet-style), 1 lunch and 3 dinners; - Overland transportation by private coach; - All visits and sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary, including admission to museums and monuments mentioned; - Hotel taxes and gratuities.

NOT INCLUDED

- All items of a personal nature; - Beverages with dinners, and meals other than those outlined above; - Travel Insurance; available upon request.

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