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Italy Real Food Adventure

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Operated by Intrepid Travel
Tripcode: ZMZB
Overview
Destination:
Italy, 
Duration:8 days
Type:Group tour (max 12)
Style:
Food,
Travel Period
September 2025 - October 2027
Italians are the masters of creating simple dishes that burst with flavour. Inspired by nonnas’ kitchens all over the country, this food is regional, seasonal and fresh, and on this eight-day trip through everybody’s favourite culinary hub, you’ll discover that pizza and pasta are only the tip of the iceberg. Uncover the diverse array of unforgettable street eats, meals and cicchetti (small bites) from the postcard-perfect Venice to Rome, where medieval meets modern. Delight in local wine, fresh produce, homemade dinners and seasonal favourites in San Gimignano, Tuscany and Bologna – all with a local by your side – and take your tastebuds on an unforgettable adventure.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude Days 5 and 6 (Agriturismo) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. While we endeavor to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.
3. As of April 2024, Venice will implement a visitor’s fee for all travellers visiting the city between 25 April and 15 July 2024. This fee is not payable by Intrepid customers, however you will need to apply for an exemption before arrival at https://cda.comune.venezia.it/en/richiestaEsenzione. For further information, please see the “Passports, visas and entry requirements,” section of your Essential Trip Information.
4. If you have prebooked arrival transfer with us, please read Joining Point Instructions in Essential Trip Information document for exact details. Your transfer may include a water taxi, or a car taxi, and you may be required to walk for a short distance from the end point of the transfer route to your hotel.

Highlights:
  • 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude Days 5 and 6 (Agriturismo) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. While we endeavor to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip. 3. As of April 2024, Venice will implement a visitor’s fee for all travellers visiting the city between 25 April and 15 July 2024. This fee is not payable by Intrepid customers, however you will need to apply for an exemption before arrival at https://cda.comune.venezia.it/en/richiestaEsenzione. For further information, please see the “Passports, visas and entry requirements,” section of your Essential Trip Information. 4. If you have prebooked arrival transfer with us, please read Joining Point Instructions in Essential Trip Information document for exact details. Your transfer may include a water taxi, or a car taxi, and you may be required to walk for a short distance from the end point of the transfer route to your hotel.
Standard inclusions
  • Meals: Meals: 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners.
  • Transport: Train, Metro, Private Vehicle, Bus.
  • Accommodation: Hotel (5 nights), Farmstay (2 nights).
  • Venice - Welcome Aperitivo & Spritz.
  • Venice - Cicchetti tour & Spritz.
  • Venice - Venetian Breakfast and Market Tour.
  • Venice - Traghetto Ride.
  • Bologna - Pasta class.
  • Modena - Acetaia Visit.
  • Modena - Trattoria Lunch.
  • Modena - Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory visit.
  • Agriturismo - Tour with wine and olive oil tasting.
  • San Gimignano - Leader-led orientation walk.
  • San Gimignano - Gelateria visit.
  • San Gimignano - Walk a section of the Via Francigena.
  • Rome - Leader-led orientation walk.
  • Rome - Home-cooked dinner.
  • Rome - Pizza Romana tasting.
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Itinerary
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Day 1: Venice
Buongiorno! Welcome to Italy. Your adventure starts with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight in Venice. If you arrive early, maybe take some time to get lost in the narrow cobblestone streets and spacious piazzas, cross the tiny bridges to find shops or wander through some of the local markets, galleries and churches. After your meeting, head out for a welcome aperitivo, where you’ll enjoy a glass of bubbly Aperol spritz. Venice's distinctive culinary heritage goes back to ancient times and features rich risottos, saline baccala (salted cod) and creamy polenta. If you're hungry, follow your leader to an atmospheric restaurant for your first introduction to Venetian flavours.
Day 2: Venice
This morning, head out for a typical Venetian breakfast at a local cafe with your local leader. Indulge in an espresso or cappuccino with some local Venetian pastries like baci di dama, brutti ma buoni and bussola. After, continue walking down the canals to watch farmers unload their produce from their boats, ready to be sold at Venice's famous Rialto markets. This tradition is more than 1000 years old. Next, you’ll swing past the fish market, where the day’s catch might come directly from the Venetian lagoon – the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea. Maybe have an aperitivo spritz here, then the afternoon is free for you to explore Venice at your own pace. Tonight, discover the Venetian answer to tapas on a cicchetti (small bites) crawl through the city's fabulous bacari (wine bars). Snacking is an important pastime in Venice, with many people stopping for cicchetti both before and after meals.
Day 3: Bologna
Travel to Bologna by train this morning – this city's culinary claim to fame is significant, thanks to the ragu alla bolognese. Home of tagliatelle, mortadella and a range of other cured meats and salamis, Bologna, along with the surrounding Emilia Romagna region, is a foodie’s paradise. When you arrive, maybe wander past the beautiful old terracotta buildings and lively streets and acquaint yourself with the area. Later, you'll discover the real food of Bologna with a hands-on cooking class in the fine art of pasta-making. Feast on your handiwork over dinner with your host and your group, celebrating your new skill.
Day 4: Bologna
Today you’ll discover the flavours of the renowned Emilia Romagna region. Visit a factory dedicated to producing one of Italy's most coveted culinary exports – Parmigiano Reggiano. Learn how this cheese is made, then try it for yourself. After, continue to the town of Modena and visit an acetaia – a house where the family produce fine-aged Modena balsamic vinegar in the attic. You'll see how the vinegar is aged in barrels made from different woods, learn why it’s never less than 12 years old and then see the difference between the factory-made vinegar and the real stuff with a tasting. Head to a trattoria for lunch and taste some of the best local produce and farm-fresh seasonal dishes, then wash it down with a glass of Lambrusco – the town's famed sparkling red. Later, stroll around the town and admire the Palazzo Ducale before returning to Bologna in the late afternoon.
Day 5: San Gimignano
This morning, travel to the village of Pancole in the heart of Tuscany. When you arrive, settle into your accommodation at a traditional Tuscan farmhouse near San Gimignano Village. The farmhouse is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees that the family has been producing excellent wine and olive oil from by organic methods for over fifty years. After, join your local leader on a walk through the vineyards and cellars of the estate, before sitting down to a tasting of some signature Tuscan wines and olive oils. Dinner tonight will be seasonal favourites, made with ingredients freshly harvested from the farmhouse garden beds such as homemade pasta, salads, finocchiona salami, crostini toscani (chicken liver pate on lightly toasted bread) and seasonal vegetables.
Day 6: San Gimignano
This morning, walk along a section of the Via Francigena – the major pilgrimage route to Rome during the Middle Ages. Explore the medieval walled town of San Gimignano – a UNESCO World Heritage site often called the Town of Fine Towers due to the preservation of several impressive torre (tower houses) within its walls. Along the way, pass an award-winning gelateria, where interesting flavours like gorgonzola cheese and walnuts await your tastebuds. The rest of the day is free for you to explore San Gimignano at your own pace. Maybe wander along the walking paths around the farm or relax by the pool and take in the beautiful views of the Tuscan countryside.
Day 7: Rome
Today, jump on a train to Rome – Italy’s capital famed for its deliciously fresh food and scattered ancient ruins. When you arrive, take a leader-led orientation walk through the historical city centre, past the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum and Colosseum – one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  Along the way, stop for an on-the-go slice of pizza Romana (a rectangular, thick-crust pizza distinctive to Italy). After taking in all the big (and small) highlights of this incredible city, you’ll head to a local’s home for a homecooked, plant-based dinner. Swap stories with your host and sit down for a feast of seasonal dishes. Tonight, maybe head to a local bar and cheers to a trip well-travelled over a glass of local wine.
Day 8: Rome
With no activities planned after breakfast, your food adventure comes to an end today. If you’d like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Dates

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Travellers

Operator
Intrepid Travel

Intrepid is a small group tour travel company with humble beginnings that now sends over 100,000 travellers a year on grassroots and responsible travel tours.

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Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. For more information, please see Terms of Use
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per person twin share
7 nights
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