NEW EXCLUSIVE TOUR 2025!

Tour start date(s):	08-10-2025
Duration:	10 days (9 nights)
Location:	Milan (arrival) - Parma (4 nights) - Modena - Bologna - Ravenna - Mantova - Desenzano - Sirmione Terme (3 nights) - Bergamo - Lake Como - Milan (2 nights, departure)
Price (including tax):	2090 euros for double occupancy; 2920 euros for single occupancy (without flights)

Mini-group and comfortable bus throughout the entire route
Accommodation in 4-star hotels in the city centers
Ten pearls of Italy with fascinating excursions
Four nights in Parma - a city declared by UNESCO as a "City of Creative Gastronomy"
Three nights at Lake Garda (we can hear the waves of the lake directly from the hotel!)
In Sirmione, we will enjoy the thermal springs that were loved by the ancient Romans
At Lake Garda, we will visit the capital of Italian gelato – Desenzano
In Bologna – the capital of Italian gastronomy, we will stroll through the famous gastronomic square
Tasting of "black gold" – the world-renowned balsamic vinegar
Tasting of Parmesan cheese at the factory
Visit to Mantua – the capital of Renaissance art with its magnificent Duke’s Palace and the heavenly frescoes of Mantegna
See the magical mosaics of Ravenna – UNESCO World Heritage sites and Dante’s tomb
In Milan – the capital of Italian fashion, we will have a sightseeing tour and shopping at an outlet
We will take a cruise on Lake Como and admire the villas of celebrities
Additionally, we will enjoy lunches in beautiful, authentic restaurants and much more!

WE INVITE YOU TO MEET UNFAMILIAR ITALY!

Day 1, October 8. Arrival in Milan. Evening in Parma.

Our unique gourmet tour starts with arriving at Milan airport between 10 AM and 12 PM. Our guide will meet you, and we will have a comfortable transfer to Parma, which will take about two hours. On the way, you will admire the picturesque Italian landscapes – from vineyards to hills that seem to have come out of the paintings of famous artists.

After check-in at the hotel, you will have time to rest and recharge before the evening walk. Parma is a small, cozy city, and its atmosphere is perfect for a leisurely rest.

At 5 PM, we will go for a walk in evening Parma. The city’s central square, Piazza Duomo, is the heart of Parma, where history comes to life. The evening lighting gives the square a special charm: the soft light highlights the majestic Cathedral (Duomo) and the mesmerizing Baptistery, built from pink Verona marble. The Baptistery in Parma is the only one in Italy fully constructed from pink marble. Its construction took almost 100 years!

After the walk, the guide will tell you about the culinary traditions of Parma. Parma is the gastronomic capital of Italy. It is famous for its Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma. The guide will recommend a cozy restaurant where you can try local dishes. Be sure to order Tortelli di Parma (ravioli with sweet pumpkin, almond cookies, and Parmesan) and the Duchess Cake with hazelnuts and zabaglione cream. After dinner, you will have the opportunity to take a stroll through Parma’s quiet streets and enjoy the evening atmosphere of the city. Our hotel is located in the historic center.

Night at the hotel in Parma.

Day 2, October 9. Parmesan Cheese Factory. Modena: UNESCO Heritage.

After breakfast at the hotel, we head to the Parmesan cheese factory! Surrounded by thousands of cheese wheels, we will learn about its history and the process of making it. Mentions of Parmesan cheese date back to the 13th century! In 1612, by the order of the Duke of Parma, the cheese gained the prestigious right to be called by the city’s name. We will learn how cheeses are labeled and tested with silver hammers. An expert will teach us how to distinguish real Parmesan from fake by smell and color, and the visit will end with a tasting of the king of Italian cheeses.

Transfer to Modena (1 hour by bus). We will visit the 11th-century Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will learn how to “read” the façade of the cathedral, which is decorated with narrative bas-reliefs, talk about the legends of the Fish Gate, and, of course, admire the Cathedral’s treasure – the 13th-century Gothic cross. We will admire the 86-meter high "Ghirlandina" Tower, the symbol of the city, and learn why it was named so. Few people know that the Ghirlandina is slightly tilted, much like the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. For centuries, Modena was the center of Jewish life and culture. The Jewish ghetto was established in 1638, and the Jews were actively involved in the trade of silk, silver, and diamonds. We then go to the “black gold” factory – the world’s most prestigious balsamic vinegar, produced since 1605! We will walk through the Giusti family museum, see the famous A3 barrel that traveled across Europe with 90-year-old vinegar, and the royal seal of Italy, which honored the factory as the official supplier to the royal court. We will taste vinegars of different aging years and then, in the factory’s luxurious shop, we will be amazed by the wide range of rare vinegars, dressings, chocolate with vinegar, "caviar" made from vinegar, and vermouth... And all of this can be purchased at factory prices!

Night at a 4-star hotel in Parma’s city center.

Day 3, October 10. Bologna – scholarly, fatty, and red! Ravenna – the city of mosaics.

After breakfast at the hotel, we head to BOLOGNA (1 hour 20 minutes). We will take a walking tour of the city center, whose historical center is the second largest in Europe, after Venice. We will see the leaning Garisenda Tower, learn why Bologna is called "scholarly, fatty, and red," stroll under the dozens of charming porticoes for which Bologna is famous, and visit Europe’s oldest university. We will visit Bologna’s gastronomic square (Quadrilatero) and learn why Bologna is known as the "red communist belt" of Italy. After lunch, we will head to Ravenna (1 hour by bus) – a UNESCO World Heritage site, the former capital of the Western Roman Empire and a city of magical mosaics. Dante, Byron, and Blok wrote about Ravenna. Ravenna had its own mosaic school. We will visit the best example of mosaic art – the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, daughter of the last emperor of the united Roman Empire. The interior will amaze you with sapphire glimmering and the shine of gold. We will also visit the Basilica of San Vitale – the most important monument of Byzantine art in Western Europe. We will learn that Ravenna became the final resting place of Dante Alighieri, who finished writing his "Divine Comedy" here. We will visit the tomb of the great poet and admire a remarkable epitaph in Latin: "...here I rest, Dante, exiled from my homeland, the unloving Florence, my motherland."

Night at a 4-star hotel in the center of Parma.

Day 4, October 11. Cremona – the birthplace of Stradivari. Shopping in an Italian outlet.

After breakfast at the hotel, we head to Cremona (1 hour 15 minutes). Cremona is the city of music! For centuries, it has been home to the best workshops for stringed instrument production. We will visit the violin museum, where we will see violins by Stradivari and listen to music performed by great string orchestras. We will stroll through the city center and visit ancient confectioneries like Sperlari and Vergari, where besides chocolate, famous Cremonese nougat and mustard are created, typical of the area. You will have the opportunity to buy these delicacies.

Transfer to Fidenza Village. It’s one of Italy's most popular outlets and a true paradise for shopping enthusiasts. The outlet is built in the style of an Italian spa town with beautiful streets, fountains, and cozy squares. The architecture is inspired by Mario Proust's works and resembles scenes from classic Italian films. You can buy Armani, Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana at factory prices, with discounts of up to 50%.

Night at a 4-star hotel in the center of Parma.

Day 5, October 12. Mantua – the cradle of the Renaissance. Lake Garda. The resort of the ancient Romans and the capital of gelato – Desenzano.

After breakfast at the hotel, we head to Mantua (1 hour 15 minutes), the cradle of the Renaissance and the hometown of the great Roman poet Virgil. Here, Rubens also lived. We will visit the Duke’s Palace with its magnificent Newlyweds Room, painted by Raphael’s favorite student, Giulio Romano. We will learn about the rule of the Gonzaga family, the fate of Isabella d’Este, the prima donna of the Renaissance, and the writers and artists who immortalized Mantua forever.

Time for lunch in the city. We will show you where to try traditional Mantuan dishes: donkey stew with delicate polenta, ravioli with Mantuan pumpkin and Parmesan, hand-made pasta with pike, wide noodles with duck, tortelli stuffed with guinea fowl and sage, and for dessert, the famous almond cake with crumbles of "sbrizolona," which has been made since the Renaissance.

Our journey continues to Lake Garda – the jewel of Northern Italy. We will visit Desenzano – one of the resorts on the shores of the lake, popular even in ancient Rome. We will stroll through Porto Vecchio (Old Port), which made Desenzano thrive during the Middle Ages, trading wine and olive oil. Above the town rises a powerful castle, built in the 10th century to protect against Hungarian raids. From there, you can enjoy stunning views of Lake Garda. At the 6th-century Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, we will admire the greatest frescoes by Bertai and Tiepolo, two of the greatest masters of the Venetian school.

We will end the city tour on a sweet note. Desenzano is known in Italy as the capital of gelato. You will have the opportunity to taste gelato with basil and lemon, whipped ricotta with saffron and nuts, pink grapefruit with white wine, and orange cream with rosemary.

We will head to Sirmione, where we will check in to a hotel located in the historic center, near the waterfront. Everything here is perfect for a leisurely rest and Dolce Vita! In the evening, we will take a walk through the city center. The guide will introduce the main sights and tell you where to have dinner, drink coffee, and go shopping.

Night at a 4-star hotel in Sirmione.

Days 6-8, October 12-14.

We will enjoy a relaxing stay at the Sirmione thermal resort. Even the ancient Romans knew about the healing properties of the thermal waters of Sirmione. Archaeological finds, such as the ruins of the Roman villa Grotte di Catullo, testify that this place was very popular among Roman nobility. Local residents say that the thermal waters of Sirmione are a gift from the gods. According to legend, the goddess of health and purity washed her wounds here, and since then, these waters have had healing powers. You will have the opportunity to swim in the warm, healing waters of Sirmione every day and enjoy the excellent cuisine of Lake Garda (fresh river fish and exquisite wines from the Valpolicella valley).