Top Italy Holidays - page 6

Go beyond just sampling pasta in Roman restaurants and learn how to cook it yourself with a local chef guide. Begin with a visit to a gourmet shop before heading to the workshop. Spend time learning how to make two different types of pasta from scratch, with the benefit of hands-on instruction. Then sit down with your group to enjoy your creations, accompanied by local wine.

Learn the foundations of homemade Italian cooking during this hands-on class in Lake Garda. Prepare fresh pasta and tiramisu from scratch while discovering traditional techniques, from rolling dough to pairing pasta with the right sauce. After cooking, enjoy the dishes you’ve prepared alongside local wines including Bardolino Classico and Chiaretto. This experience offers practical skills and recipes you can recreate at home long after your time in Italy.

Take a break from sightseeing and head to the hills surrounding Lucca to sample the area’s excellent wines. Connect with a winemaker at a boutique winery for a relaxed private tour through the vineyards and cellar, with plenty of time to ask questions about the history and production of the local vintages. Then relax on the terrace overlooking the rolling countryside to sample the estate’s wines and olive oil while enjoying the view.

Experience the best that Tuscany has to offer with this excursion that combines wine tasting and a self-drive Fiat 500 tour. Departing from Florence, hop behind the wheel of a gorgeous 1960s model and journey into the Tuscan hills with your convoy. Then, park your classic ride at a 15th-century wine estate and villa for a wine-tasting session (drivers are recommended to spit samples out), paired with a light lunch.

Dive into Rome's famous cuisines and explore the trendy Trastevere neighborhood on this small-group nighttime food tour. Visit bars to sample wines and cocktails; stop at restaurants to taste cured meats and pasta dishes; and venture through charming back streets with your guide. Enjoy several tastings plus wine pairings and an aperitif cocktail.

Delve into the world of Puglian wine without leaving Lecce’s old town with this wine tasting experience in the heart of the Baroque city. Take a break from sightseeing and relax at a local wine bar for a guided tasting featuring four different regional wines paired with local specialties. Learn about Puglia’s winemaking history and culture as you sip and enjoy views over the pretty lane lined with traditional “palazzi”.

Avoid the hassle of renting a car and lose yourself in the luscious scenery and flavors of Italy’s most famous wine region on this half-day small-group sunset tour of Chianti. Travel from Florence through the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside and visit two local wineries for tastings and a vineyard tour. The tour is timed so you'll enjoy incredible sunset views of the area.

Combine sightseeing and eating your way around Rome’s historical sights in one half-day food, wine, and landmarks tour. Visit the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and other inspiring monuments. Along the way, stop to explore Campo de' Fiori’s farmers market and sample specialties such as cheeses, wines, prosciutto, pizza, and gelato. Your food and wine tastings amount to a large lunch, and are all included.

Tick off more highlights of Tuscany in less time—and enjoy a more personalized way to travel—on an activity-packed day trip great for first-time visitors. With just your guide (or small group, if option selected) for company, zip between highlights from Siena and Monteriggioni to San Gimignano and the Chianti wine region. Benefit from the included transit and your guide's insider knowledge along the way, and even enjoy a wine tasting and lunch.

Get to know the wines produced by Pompeii's volcanic landscape on this excursion to the Bosco de Medici Winery with a private guide. Enjoy personalized attention while exploring the vineyards, cellars, and archaeological ruins, and cap off your tour with a wine tasting and lunch prepared using local agricultural products.

Experience the wines of northern Italy when you take a wine-tasting tour to the Franciacorta wine region from Milan. Join a small group and visit a local vineyard where you learn about the winemaking process on a guided tour before sampling a few wines paired with snacks. You also taking a walking tour of the town of Brescia to see its cultural and historical highlights.

This experience pairs wine tastings with a guided tour of San Gimignano, one of Tuscany’s prettiest medieval hill towns. See the town’s main sights with a guide and spend some time exploring at your own pace before heading to a wine cellar for wine and olive oil tastings. Then, enjoy a typical Tuscan light lunch and generous tastings of wines at a winery in the nearby countryside.

Rome’s crowds and fast pace can make it hard to enjoy Italy’s wine culture in a relaxed setting. This half-day, small-group tour offers an easy escape to the hill town of Frascati, where vineyards and historic streets replace busy city traffic. Begin with a walk through the old town, then continue to a 16th-century farmhouse for a guided visit with the winemaker and a sommelier-led tasting. Finish with an open-air pasta lunch in the vineyard, pairing local flavors with regional wines for an immersive experience.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Tuscan countryside and sample a range of local wines and delicacies on this group farm and winery visit. Enjoy a light lunch featuring homemade pasta, cantuccini, vinsanto, and grappa, with convenient hotel pickup from your accommodation. Upon arrival, meet your host, enjoy aperitivo snacks with a range of local wines, and then dig into plates of pasta and other Tuscan specialties.

Experience the food and wine of Frascati on this guided excursion. Travel independently from Rome's Termini Station with your provided tickets and meet your guide in Frascati. Then, embark on a tour of the ancient wine-making town: your first stop is the historic center, which you explore for about an hour. Afterward, visit a winery for three wine tastings, and return to a Frascati for little shipping and a lunch of local delicacies such as roasted pork, focaccia, and biscotti—fresh from an antique wood-fired oven.

Prosecco is Italy’s most beloved bubbly, produced on the scenic slopes just north of Venice. Make exploring beyond city limits simple—and head to wineries you might not find on your own—on this small-group tour. Enjoy a scenic drive through rolling vineyards and medieval villages from Venice to boutique wine estates for tours, wine tastings, and a light lunch overlooking the hills.

Savor the flavors of Tuscany on a food and wine tour through Florence. Stroll through the city with a local food-loving guide, learning about Florence’s culinary traditions, including the humble yet flavorful Cucina Povera (poor kitchen) cuisine. Stop at top eateries to sample classic dishes such as ribollita and panzanella paired with five glasses of wine. Join a small group or upgrade to a private tour for a personalized experience.

San Gimignano is surrounded by quiet countryside dotted with small wine estates. Visit one of these traditional farms and connect with local hosts on this tour and wine tasting experience. Take in the organic farm's garden, orchard, vineyard, olive grove, "vinsantaia" aging room, and cellar. Then enjoy a tasting of eight organic wines of your choice paired with the farm's own olive oil plus local cheeses and cold cuts and other culinary combinations.

Embark on a celebrated culinary and wine experience within Rome's charming Prati and Trionfale districts. Your journey takes you to four beloved local establishments where you'll savor Rome's top-rated pizza, Italy's finest artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, premium truffles, 25-year-old aged balsamic vinegar, fresh handcrafted pasta, and authentic Tiramisu paired with unlimited premium wines—including D.O.C.G Vermentino and Frascati Superiore D.O.C.G.

Venice is more than an open-air museum, it’s also a world-renowned gastronomy hub. Discover the full-flavored wines of Veneto during this insider’s wine crawl, which features six different labels in six different bars or restaurants. Enjoy tasty food pairings along the way from fresh regional ingredients, as you learn how to eat—and more importantly, drink—like a true Venetian local.

Step aboard a speedboat to cruise past the lakeside castles of Lake Garda, and stop for a wine tasting at Bardolino. This shared-group boat ride covers a route past sights such as Castello Scaligero of Sirmione and the Roman ruins at Grotte di Catullo, with photo opportunities aplenty. A stop for a swim is also possible, depending on the weather.

Italy is well-known for its delicious food and this short tasting experience allows you to sample the many flavors of Rome. Authentic Italy is served up on a plate with foods like buffalo mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, and truffle infused honey available to eat. Sip on Italian wine as you eat and make sure you save room for a delicious dessert of gelato.

Use your time in Como to learn more about wine with a sommelier-led tasting session in the heart of the city. Taking place in an elegant wine shop near Como old town, the wine tasting includes plenty of samples along with all the information you need about each varietal. Nice touch: The group is limited to just 12 people for a more sociable and intimate experience.

Discover the best of Tuscany in this immersive tour. Enjoy a serene horseback ride through vineyards and olive groves, visit the medieval gem of San Gimignano, and explore the fascinating 1300 Museum. Indulge in a guided wine tasting paired with a Tuscan lunch at a local winery. This small-group tour is a perfect blend of history, scenery, and flavors.