Your Life Experience:
Day 1. Saturdy, May 1
Arrivals – Lambrusco tasting “Opera 02” – Castelvetro di Modena – Dinner at “Al Castello”
• Pick up in Bologna, then head to Opera 02 for Lambrusco tasting and lunch
• 11:30am Lambrusco tasting experience featuring the traditional sparkling red wine from Emilia Romagna will be held at “Opera 02,” followed by an outside lunch showcasing locally sourced products from the region
• Check in at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena and afternoon relaxation
• 4:30pm Mercato Toscano in Castelvetro di Modena, open air market in Castelvetro di Modena
• Evening in Castelvetro di Modena, one of the most beautiful old villages of Italy (I Borghi più belli d’Italia)
• 7:30pm Dinner at “Al Castello” restaurant in Castelvetro di Modena. A walking distance restaurant
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 2. Sunday, May 2
Saturday: Cantina Cleto Chiarli 1860 wine tasting – Prosciutteria MUSA Villani 1886 – Agriturismo Gubbio for Pizza dinner
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10:00am Experience at the historical Albinelli market – the oldest market in Modena.
• 1:00pm Private tour and wine tasting at Cantina Cleto Chiarli in Castelvetro di Modena, one of Northern Italy’s oldest wineries
• Go back to the hotel and rest
• 4:00pm Late afternoon departure to visit Prosciutteria MUSA, Villani 1886. Tour of the factory, and prosciutto crudo and salami tasting
• Vignola evening stroll
• 7:30pm Enjoy a pizza dinner at Agriturismo Gubbio, a wood-fired pizzeria offering artisanal Italian beers and fine wines
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 3. Monday, May 3
Day trip to Verona
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 8:30am Early departure for Verona, the historic city featured in Shakespeare’s works. Enjoy free time to explore sites like Arena di Verona, Castel Vecchio, Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, Piazza delle Erbe, Torre dei Lamberti, and shop along Via Mazzini
• 10:30am Verona’s tour with a private guide
• 1:00pm Lunch at “Osteria del Cavaliere”. A typical Verona style lunch
• Easy afternoon in Verona
• 5:00pm Go back to the hotel and rest
• 8:30pm Enjoy dinner at “Eglise,” a restaurant located within easy walking distance of our hotel
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 4. Tuesday, May 4
Modena – Balsamic vinegar tasting at Acetaia La Vedetta
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:15am Departure for Modena, where you will tour the town and have opportunities for shopping
• 10:00am Modena’s tour with a private guide
• 1:00pm Lunch at “Lo Stalliere”
• Go back to the hotel and rest
• 6:00pm Evening Balsamic vinegar tasting. Visit to an historical “Acetaia”. Acetaia is the place where people make balsamic vinegar in the old traditional way. Tour of the building, and aceto balsamico tradizionale tasting at different ages.
• 7:45pm Dinner at “Acetaia La Vedetta”, Modena. An area free from industrial pollution, surrounded by green vineyards and olive groves. Here the sequence of weather events repeats, unchanged, the ancient process which for centuries has served as an essential support in the natural production and maturing of an extraordinary balsamic vinegar.
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 5. Wednesday, May 5
Caseificio Moscattini, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP – Open air lunch at Osteria del Tuffetto – Sassuolo and Italian apericena
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10:00am Head out in the morning to tour Caseificio Moscattini and sample cheeses
• 12:45pm Open air traditional lunch at Osteria del Tuffetto
• Go back to the hotel and rest
• 5:00pm Exploring Sassuolo
• 7:30pm Typical Italian apericena in Sassuolo (Spritz, Negroni, prosecco, or wine). An apericena is a popular Italian social ritual combining aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) and cena (dinner), offering a substantial buffet or large plate of food with a drink for a set price
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 6. Thursday, May 6
Modena – Ferrari museum – Tortellini
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Morning departure to Modena, visit the town and shopping
• La Cà Bianca, Castelvetro di Modena. Visit a fresh pasta and tortellini laboratory where we will see only the old ladies making tortellini in the traditional way
• Lunch at La Cà Bianca with fresh filled pasta, tortellini and other food from the area
• Afternoon visit the Ferrari museum in Maranello.
• Typical Modenese dinner at “Cà Berti” restaurant
• Overnight at the hotel Guerro in Castelvetro di Modena
Day 7. May 7, Thursday
Hands-on pasta class at Agriturismo Le Casette – Castello Montecuccoli
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10:30am Pasta morning. Hands-on pasta. Cooking class at Agriturismo Le Casette, followed by lunch
• Go back to the hotel and rest
• 4:30pm Visit Castello di Montecuccoli – Pavullo
• 8:00pm Dinner at a local restaurant in Castelvetro
• Overnight at Hotel Guerro, Castelvetro di Modena
Day 8. Friday, May 8
Firenze – All’ Antico Vinaio (famous flatbread)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:45am Morning departure to Firenze
• Visit the central market and walking town. It is one of the results from the time of Risanamento, the period when Florence was the capital of Italy in the late nineteenth century. Inside the market, vendors sell various primary ingredients of Tuscan cuisine. In the northern corner of the market, there is a seafood area in which vendors sell fish and shellfish that have been wild caught in Italy or imported. Fruit and vegetable stand as well as nuts, and spices stands can be found outside the market. Outside the Central Market is the Mercato di San Lorenzo, which mostly sells leather goods
• 12:45pm Lunch at All’ Antico Vinaio. It is one of the most famous street food chains in the world, born as a small family-run rotisserie in Florence in 1989. It has become a global phenomenon thanks to its “schiacciate” (typical Tuscan focaccia) generously filled with high-quality local ingredients
• Check-in to Hotel Le due Fontane
• Free afternoon to explore Firenze. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi, and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell’ Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”
• Dinner open in Firenze
• Overnight at Hotel Le due Fontane, Firenze
Day 9. Saturday, May 9
Firenze free day – Fiorentina steak dinner
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Lunch open in Firenze
• Free afternoon in Firenze
• 7:30pm Dinner at local Trattoria. Fiorentina steak
• Overnight at Hotel Le due Fontane, Firenze
Day 10. Sunday, May 10
Departure – “Arrivederci e Grazie”. Have a safe trip!
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Departures from the hotel with transfers to the train station or the airport of Bologna (BLQ)
Single Occupancy
Double Occupancy
PAYMENT OPTIONS & INFORMATION:
To sign up for the trip, a 50% deposit is due at registration. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure date.**
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and bank transfers are accepted for deposit and final payment.
*Price does not include airfare or expenses during “free time.”
**Payments are refundable minus a € 300 administration fee until 60 days prior to start date.
PRICE INCLUDES:
9 night accommodations at 3 and 4 Star hotels in Castelvetro di Modena and Florence; Transfers from and to the airport; Breakfast everyday; Aperitivo all’Italiana; 8 Lunches (includes wine and beer pairings with meal); 8 Dinners (includes wine and beer pairings with meal); Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; Dinner alfresco set on a local vineyard; Dinner at Agriturismo; Dinner at local Trattoria;Pizza party; Dinner at an Organic Farm; Parmigiano tasting, Aceto Balsamico and Lambrusco wine tasting; Prosciutto Crudo di Parma tasting. All ground transfers listed in the itinerary, including airport transfers; All tours and dining listed in the itinerary; Transportation to Ravenna, Verona and Florence; English/Italian speaking guides throughout the trip; All cooking lessons; Tax and VAT included; All gratuities are included.
