Tour begins in Ferrara hotel (three nights)

Day 1. We will gather at our hotel in Ferrara at 4pm for a celebratory welcome toast to start our tour. We will go over our tour and get acquainted with one another, before an orientation walk around the neighborhood and a group dinner together.

Day 2. Today we will enjoy a walking tour of beautiful Ferrara, once an independent country, with its spectacular city centre and palaces. After our tour, you will enjoy the rest of the day in Ferrara on your own, exploring more of its streets, squares and medieval city walls, and tasting its many delicacies.

Day 3. This morning we board our bus and drive to Ravenna, famous for its Unesco World Heritage sites. We will also visit the renowned Byzantine mosaics of San Vitale and Galla Placidia, and have time on our own in the walkable and bicycle-friendly town center. We will then enjoy a group lunch in Ravenna, tasting the local food. We will regroup in the afternoon and drive back to Ferrara where dinner tonight is on your own.

Day 4. After checking out, we will leave Ferrara and drive east towards the XI century Abbey of Pomposa. We’ll explore the abbey, then continue towards Comacchio to enjoy a stroll and some free time in the so-called “Little Venice.” After lunch on our own in Comacchio, we will arrive in Pesaro, our next home for three nights. Here we will take an orientation walk and have a group dinner in town.

Day 5. Today we will enjoy a walk of Pesaro, and explore the nearby castle town of Gradara, an intact medieval fortified village, where you will enjoy lunch on your own. The afternoon is all yours to enjoy Pesaro, its beach and our hotel spa, until we regroup to have a group dinner together.

Day 6. Today we will visit charming Urbino, the hometown of Renaissance master painter, Rafael. We’ll tour the incredible Palazzo Ducale museum with a local guide and have free time to further explore the town. In the late afternoon, we will return to Pesaro for some down time and dinner on your own.

Day 7. Today we will leave Pesaro and head northwest. We will visit the oldest Republic in the world: San Marino. Here, we will take a walk and enjoy some free time to explore the stunning hilltop and an early lunch on your own. Afterwards, we will continue and visit Faenza, one of the capital cities of Italian ceramics, where we will visit a workshop and learn about the “Faenza style.” Later, we will continue towards our next home for three nights, Bologna, where we will have an orientation walk and group dinner in town.

Day 8. We will enjoy a walking tour of Bologna, including a visit to the oldest university in the world, and the city’s charming historic center. Lunch and dinner are on your own in Bologna.

Day 9. Today we will enjoy a bolognese cooking class and learn how to make some of the finest handmade Italian pastas, originally from Bologna. After that, we will taste the results of our cooking! The rest of the afternoon and evening are on your own to explore more of Bologna. Dinner tonight is on your own. Bus transfer to Parma.

Day 10. This morning we will depart towards our new home for three nights: Parma. Along the way, we will stop at a typical Parmigiano Reggiano cheese farm where we will learn all about this fantastic product and enjoy a group lunch. In the afternoon, we will check into our Parma hotel, have our orientation walk and have dinner on our own.

Day 11. This morning we will meet our local guide and visit charming Parma for a walk around town. The rest of the day is for you to relax and enjoy Parma, until regrouping for our group dinner.

Day 12. Today we will drive out of Parma and reach the nearby town of Modena where we will first explore an authentic “acetaia” farm. Here we will learn how they produce the delicious world-renowned balsamic vinegar of Modena. After tasting the balsamic at the acetaia,we will explore the town center of Modena. After some free time for self exploration, we will return to Parma for some down time, before enjoying our farewell dinner together.

Day 13. The tour is over after breakfast. From Parma you can easily reach Bologna, Milan, Venice, Florence, or Rome. We will help you organize post-tour travel.