GO WITH THE FLOW

Discover one of Italy’s most spectacular destinations on this full-day excursion to the Cinque Terre. This rugged, scenic portion of coastline on the Ligurian Riviera, stretching for eighteen kilometres to the west of the city of La Spezia, comprises five enchanting seaside villages. Along the sharply rising cliffs lie Riomaggiore, a jumble of narrow alleys flanked by pastel-hued tower-houses; Manarola, a splash of colour clinging to a rocky headland; Corniglia, perched precariously on the edge of a 100-metre-high promontory; Vernazza, with its tiny port dominated by the ruins of a medieval castle; Monterosso al Mare, the largest of the five fabulous jewels, graced by a sandy bay and famed for its lemon orchards and anchovies. Breathtaking views, crystal blue waters, gastronomic delicacies and a unique historic and artistic heritage have all contributed to the worldwide popularity of the Cinque Terre since the 1970s when they became a much sought-after vacation hub.

The earliest core of these towns dates back to the 11th century when the tribes that had settled on the hills further inland were prompted to move towards the shore as a consequence of their growing numbers and because Saracen incursions were no longer a threat. It is at this point in history that the heroic populations of the Cinque Terre began erecting dry stone walls, planting vineyards and transforming the rough, unpromising, steep slopes into bountiful cultivated terraces, thus forging the stunning scenery we can still admire today. Thanks to their gargantuan efforts this splendid corner of Liguria earned its World Heritage status in 1997 as an expression of “the harmonious interaction between people and nature to produce a landscape of exceptional scenic quality that illustrates a traditional way of life that has existed for a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community”.

While exploring these fishing and farming villages, visitors may gain a feel for the difficulties and challenges of living in this still unspoiled, once remote pocket of land. Can you imagine how life must have been here before the late 1800s when the railway was first built? Dramatically strung between sea and rock, the Cinque Terre are today linked by trains, ferries and panoramic coastal and hillside hiking trails and are mostly inaccessible to vehicles. These circumstances have helped to preserve their distinctive atmosphere and timeless, magical appeal.

Your chauffeur will pick you up at your accommodation and drive you to the train station in Levanto. Here your private guide will be waiting ready to lead you on an unforgettable tour of three of the Cinque Terre’s villages. Depending on weather, sea conditions and the number of visitors present, you may travel either by train or public ferry boat – or both. You will gain an overview of the region’s fascinating history, from its beginnings in the Middle Ages up to the present day, when the pressing need to protect this precious but geologically fragile heritage site from the onslaughts of extreme or inclement weather are felt with particular urgency. Your guide will be ready to show and tell you all you could wish to know about the fabulous five – from the unparalleled seascapes to culinary delicacies, from local legends to documented facts – ensuring a truly enlightening, enjoyable visit.

After the tour your chauffeur will drive you back to your hotel on the Ligurian Riviera.

Jump aboard your private boat and enjoy a memorable day at sea. Your skipper will meet you at the port and lead you on a boat excursion along the Gulf of Paradise. Sit back, relax and watch the glorious spectacle of the Riviera as it unfolds before your eyes. You will bathe in crystal-clear waters, explore a quaint coastal town and soak up fabulous views of the Ligurian landscape.

Weigh your anchor and reach your first port of call, Camogli, stopping en route for a refreshing dip in Punta Chiappa. In olden times a thriving harbour, boasting a fleet of almost seven hundred ships at the peak of its glory, today Camogli is a charming fishing village and a popular summer resort. The town’s history is inextricably linked to the sea. According to a local belief, its etymology derives from the shortened words Casa delle mogli, meaning house of the wives, which is thought to be a reference to the women who guarded the town while their husbands – fishermen, sailors or captains – were away at sea. Rows of houses painted in shades of red, pink, apricot and amber once helped sea workers find their way back to the port and today provide a delightful pastime for visitors who enjoy spotting the illusions that decorate their facades. Lifelike inhabitants peer out of the windows, a graceful cat perches perilously on the window sill… and are those real shutters casting shadows on the wall?

After a leisurely stroll through town, set sail for the secluded – though much sought-after – bay of San Fruttuoso. This inlet, tucked away between the sea and woodland slopes, can only be accessed by boat or by descending a steep trail from the mountain above. As far back as the 700s this isolated corner was chosen as the ideal location for a church. According to legend Saint Fructuosus himself, martyred in the 3rd century, indicated this spot as his final resting place. He is said to have appeared in a dream to 8th century Archbishop of Tarragon Prospero who had fled from Spain and the Moors in search of a site on which to preserve the ashes of the saint. The church was rebuilt by the Benedictine monks in the 11th century and from the 13th century to 1983 the noble Genoese Doria dynasty patronized the abbey, renovating its design and transferring the family’s burial ground here. Also located in this cove are a handful of restaurants, a 16th century watchtower and an underwater bronze statue of Christ of the Abyss, protector of all those who venture out to sea.

After some free time for lunch and a healthy dose of “vitamin sea”, rejoin your skipper and cruise back to the port.

After breakfast and check out meet your private driver at your accommodation and set off for your hotel in Piedmont. En route stop to enjoy a food tour in Genoa. You will find out about the culinary traditions and gastronomic heritage of this lively port city, once a powerful maritime republic and major trade centre in the Mediterranean area. Follow your guide on a tasty route through the city’s maze of narrow alleys and discover hidden corners and historic shops where authentic Italian delights are still created the way they were generations ago.

From the arcades of Sottoripa you will venture into the medieval Vicoli, the very heart of the city, peppered with grocery stores, coffee bars and sciamadde where typical Genoese street food has been served for centuries. Here sailors once came to refuel with fried seafood, friscieu (fried croquettes filled with herbs), farinate (chickpea flour pancakes) and panisse (fried chickpea flour cakes) and visitors today may still savour those same age-old delicacies. You will drop in at a bakery, visit a spice shop and discover the city’s most famous confectionery where sugary treats, including chocolates, candied fruits, jellies and marron glacés, have been lovingly made since 1780. You will then explore the Macelli district, the ancient butchers’ neighbourhood, and take in the sights, scents and sounds of the Mercato Orientale, the bustling food market housed in an 18th century convent cloister. Here you will see where locals buy their supplies and feast your eyes on the array of fresh and seasonal products on display such as meat, fish, charcuterie, cheese, fruit and vegetables. Along the way your guide will reveal the history and secrets behind the tempting treats you will taste. Scrumptious highlights of your tour might include local focaccia bread, canestrelli biscuits, panera (fresh cream and coffee powder), gelato, chocolate and, of course, celebrated pesto sauce, Genoa’s signature flavour.

We know Ancient Romans used to prepare moretum, a green paste obtained from cheese, oil and herbs, but the most ancient reference to Genoese pesto as we know it today dates back to 1863 when gastronomist Giovanni Battista Ratto published his compendium La Cucinera Genovese. This is his recipe, should you like to try it out: “Take a clove of garlic, basil or, when that is lacking, marjoram and parsley, grated Dutch and Parmigiano cheese and mix them with pine nuts and crush it all together in a mortar with a little butter until reduced to a paste. Then dissolve it with good and abundant oil. Lasagne and trofie are dressed with this mash, made more liquid by adding a little hot water without salt”.

Top off your tour with a refreshing glass of Ligurian wine, then rejoin your driver and reach your hotel in Piedmont where you will be staying for 3 nights. After check in spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Raise your glass to the delights of Piedmont on this full-day excursion to the Langhe region, realm of the King of Italian Wines, His Majesty Barolo. Wine lovers will learn all about this prized wine on a visit to a renowned cantina and a tour of a castle where artefacts relating to farm life are on display.

After breakfast meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation and relax on the ride, through gently rolling hills, to a Barolo wine estate. Along the way your guide will fill you in on the history of Langhe and explain why this UNESCO-listed landscape is known as one of the world’s most prestigious wine producing regions.

Upon arrival, a member of staff will greet you and show you around the property and cellar. You will hear about the different stages in the wine-making process and discover the characteristics of the terroir and climate that make wines produced here so exquisite. You will also get to know the strict regulations that define the production of Barolo which must contain 100% Nebbiolo grapes and be aged at least 38 months before being released. But every winery has its own precious formulas which you will have the chance to unravel and applaud! Enjoy a guided tasting of the estate’s wines, then rejoin your driver and set off for the charming little village of La Morra for a walk and some free time for lunch.

In the afternoon, together with your guide, you will explore the quaint town of Barolo, dominated by the 16th century Falletti Castle and replete with wine shops and cellars.

The last stop on your excursion will bring you to the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, where you will find out more about local history and traditional agricultural activities. The castle’s fame is closely linked to its most illustrious resident, Piedmontese statesman and architect of the Italian unification Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who lived here from 1830 to 1849. Today the castle houses the Regional Wine Cellar, showcasing top-notch Piedmontese producers, and an Ethnographic Museum which tells the story of the rural world. Here you will find original period furniture and items connected with Cavour and his stay, together with explanatory panels and artefacts pertaining to wine production. Among the highlights are also displays focusing on truffles, reproductions of a cask-maker’s workshop, 17th and 19th century kitchen settings and a distillery from the 1700s.

After the visit return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Unearth Piedmont’s tastiest secrets on this full-day excursion to the Langhe region. Gourmands will discover how Barbaresco wines are made and join in an exhilarating treasure hunt in the woods, courtesy of Mother Nature.

After breakfast meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation and relax on the ride to a well-established wine estate near Barbaresco. The property has belonged to a noble dynasty since 1797 though it wasn’t until rather later that the winery itself was established. For almost two hundred years the family produced and sold its grapes in the Alba market each autumn. One of its owners, who began supervising the agricultural operations of the family estates in the 1960s, grew weary of seeing others benefit from transforming the fruits of their labours into wine. He decided that rather than just supplying top quality grapes to the best wine producers in the area he would produce the finest wine himself. In 1973 he began creating his first distinctive wines, labelled with the family’s coat of arms. Today, thanks to his dedication to the terroir and adoption of the highest standards of cellar practices, this estate’s wines enjoy recognition from Barbaresco lovers worldwide. On a tour of the cellar, led by a qualified member of staff, you will find out about wine production and ageing methods, get to know which grape varieties blend in Langhe wines and discover the characteristics of the soil and climate that make wines produced here so special. A guided tasting of a selection of the estate’s wines, including a Barbaresco, will allow you to savour the outstanding results of almost fifty years of constant commitment.

After some free time for lunch at a nearby restaurant you will reach the home of a trifulau, a professional truffle hunter, located between Alba and Asti. After an introduction to the history and practice of truffle hunting and an explanation of the different types of truffles to be found in each season, you will take part in an unforgettable adventure as you nose your way through the woods. It is actually the trifulau’s dogs who will lead you on the trail, while they follow this unique and precious scent, digging out aromatic treasures.

Truffles are one of the world’s most expensive, sought-after delicacies. They are the fruiting bodies of subterranean fungi that rely on a symbiotic relationship with trees. Nature has chosen to bestow these rare gifts with particular generosity on the unspoiled hills of Piedmont. A favourable climate, fertile soil, dense vegetation of poplar, hazelnut and oak all contribute to the growth and flavour of the delicious black and much prized, rare white truffle.

With guidance from your truffle seeker, you will identify different plant species, understand the ideal habitat for truffle growth, find out why truffles are considered an icon of the slow food movement and discover how dogs are trained to detect these woodland treats. After the hunt sit down to a truffle tasting washed down with a glass of wine… cheers to Piedmont!

Return to your hotel in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast and check out meet your driver outside your accommodation and relax on the ride to your hotel on Lake Como. En route, stop to enjoy a private shopping tour of Italy’s fashion capital. You will discover how this northern industrial centre rose to become the country’s main design and sartorial hub, world-renowned for elegance, style and refinement.

Milan has been a famous production centre of luxury goods since the Middle Ages. You may not know that in the 16th century the city’s name gave origin to the English word “milliner”, meaning hat maker, owing to the purchase and importation of women’s finery from Milan. In the 19th and 20th centuries Milan flourished as a major centre of production of silk and textiles but it was only in the 1970s that the city took over the title of Queen of Fashion from its rivals Florence and Rome and became the capital of prêt-à-porter. Designer Elio Fiorucci, who promoted jeans for women in a period of social revolution and protest against the political system, is among the forerunners of Milan’s new trendsetting style. But the city’s fashion stars are numerous and your shopping expert will enrich your experience by recounting historical facts and curiosities about Milan’s major designers and powerhouses. Today the city continues to be the pulsing heart of Italian fashion, attracting hundreds of journalists, buyers and fans from around the world for the traditional Milan fashion week, as here they are sure to find the best of Made in Italy.

This personal shopping tour will be led by a professional fashionista and can be tailored to suit all needs and budgets. Send us your shopping wish list and we’ll create a customised itinerary just for you. Looking for a brand new pair of shoes? A hand-made leather bag? An outfit for an upcoming special event? Precious jewellery for your partner? A sweet scented perfume? Or just some prezzies to take back home? From haute couture boutiques to vintage shops, from artisan ateliers to popular clothing stores, your fashion expert will give you tips on where to find the perfect item. First-time visitors might not want to miss the city’s most important shopping streets and districts such as Piazza del Duomo, with the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Quadrilatero della Moda, including Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Corso Venezia and Via Manzoni, where prestigious Italian and international brands can be found.

Your personal shopper will provide you with useful styling tricks, show you which colours, fabrics and shapes enhance your features and teach you how to emphasize your strengths. You will also hear the latest on fashion industry secrets, newest looks and upcoming trends.

After the experience and some free time for lunch rejoin your driver and reach your hotel on Lake Como where you will be staying for 3 nights. Following check in spend the rest of the day at leisure.

From ancient Roman celebrities to contemporary Hollywood stars, no one has been able to resist the allure of Lake Como. A timeless tourist destination, after 2,000 years this heavenly spot keeps luring prominent visitors to its shores with a one-of-a-kind combination of architectural marvels, artistic treasures and fabulous landscapes. Set at the foot of the Rhaetian Alps, Lake Como is the third largest Italian lake, the deepest and unarguably the most spectacular. Its shoreline is studded with a succession of charming sights: dark green forested slopes rising against a backdrop of majestic snow-covered peaks, lush terraced gardens cascading right down to the waters, pretty towns sprinkled with pastel-hued buildings, lakeshore restaurants shaded by blooming pergolas. Soak up the beauties of Lake Como on this full-day excursion. In the morning you will enjoy a boat ride followed by visits to the two lakeside towns of Varenna and Bellagio. In the afternoon you will explore a historic villa surrounded by splendid botanical gardens.

After breakfast meet your private guide in your hotel lobby and together join your skipper down on the dock. Sit back and relax as he takes the helm and unveils some of Lake Como’s famous addresses. Poet Percy Shelley navigated these waters, enjoying the very same sights you admire today, while he cruised from Como to Tremezzina: “The union of culture and the untameable profusion and loveliness of nature is here so close that the line where they are divided can hardly be discovered”, he noted in a letter dated 1818. Here natural beauty, botanical rarities and elegant architecture merge perfectly, creating one of Italy’s finest scenes. You will glide past the tiny Comacina Island, sail by the privately owned exclusive Villa La Cassinella, glimpse views of Villa del Balbianello’s marvellous gardens and dock at Varenna.

A leisurely stroll through this beguiling town will follow. You will weave your way up steep stone stairways lined with shops, cosy cafes and flowering balconies, step inside the 14th century Church of San Giorgio to see its precious frescoes, and take in stunning views by the waterfront promenade, romantically named passeggiata degli innamorati – lover’s walk.

Later, cruise towards Bellagio, also known as the “pearl of the lake”. After some free time for lunch you will be led up to the heart of the old town and discover its history and major landmarks on a pleasant walk with your guide.

The final stop on your tour will bring you to Villa Carlotta. Built between 1690 and 1743 for the pleasure-seeking marquis Giorgio Clerici, the villa now houses an exquisite museum. Sculpted masterpieces by Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen are on display together with a fine collection of paintings, cameos, furniture and decorative pieces from the mid-19th century. The eight-hectare neighbouring garden is a triumph of colour and variety and provides a magnificent backdrop to the palazzo. Five hundred different botanical species, including azaleas, rhododendrons, palms, tropical plants and aromatic herbs flourish in this romantic oasis, rated among Italy’s most beautiful gardens by prestigious local and international magazines.

After visiting the villa and grounds return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Have you ever wondered which wine George Clooney likes to drink on Lake Como? Discover it along a special biking itinerary! You will have the opportunity to visit a one-of-a-kind agriturismo on Lake Como, one of the very few places that produces wine in the area, and it’s family owned and managed!

Great food, the local elixir, a friendly environment and a fabulous panorama… what could be better than savouring all of this after an energising bike ride?

After breakfast you will meet your guide at your hotel, hop on your bike and start cycling toward the northern tip of the lake for a 28 kilometre one-way ride on traffic-free roads and paths. The terrain is mixed between bike paths, old mule tracks and lakeside trails, with a continuous up and down elevation and constant lake views as you pass through old villages and hidden streets.

The bike ride will end at an agriturismo, set in an enchanting hillside location offering superb views of the lake below. Founded in 1997 by a dedicated husband-and-wife team, this farm aims at promoting the heritage and flavours of this idyllic corner of Lombardy by reviving native grape varieties of Verdesa and Rosseia. Ubiquitous and international Sangiovese and Merlot are also cultivated to please the palate of a satisfied and ever-growing clientele. Here IGT designated red, white and rosé wines are created along with extra virgin olive oil, grappa and blueberry liqueur.

Upon arrival take a seat on the outdoor patio and lap up the wonderful panorama while you enjoy a delicious meal accompanied with the estate’s wines.

In the early afternoon your chauffeur will pick you up and drive you back to your hotel where you may spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast and check out, which will take place before 10:00 or 11:00 AM, meet your private driver outside your hotel and head for the airport or your next travel destination.