Cuisine is culture in various Italian and Spanish regions. It is both the foundations of life and the flourishes that make life so liveable. This two-week tour immerses you in those regions: informal trattoria dining, country chateaux, aromatic markets, historic wine cellars, the search for the finest raw ingredients, and gastronomic perfection. Through the cuisine, you’ll discover local cultures that stick true to their history and traditions.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Piacenza Bologna – VIP Wine Tasting and Italy’s Great Culinary Region
Land in Italy and you’re soon out in the countryside, exploring a region where food and wine have been integral to culture since Roman times. Sweet Malvasia and juicy Gutturino wines are on the table in Piacenza, a winemaking region that was revered by Roman emperors. They introduce the subtlety of Italian wines and are explained by a winemaker at a small Piacenza estate. Lunch is nearby, at a historic trattoria near the Rivalta Castle. Trattoria are informal places to dine. Usually, there’s no menu, and you eat what the chefs are cooking that day. Trattoria are for eating accessible everyday cuisine, and they remain at the heartbeat of Italian food culture. Continue a little further to Bologna, a bohemian city in the middle of Reggio-Emilia. Create your first impressions here, by walking the cobbled streets, trying the wine bars, and admiring the choice of restaurants.
What's Included:
Day 2
Bologna – Culatello Ham and the Other Foods of Parma
Day 3
Bologna – Parmigiano and Balsamic
Day 4
Venice – Pasta Making Class and a Sunset Bellini
Day 5
Verona – Traditional Trattoria, Hedonistic Wine and the Art of Verona
Day 6
Erbusco – Italian Sparkling Wines and a Michelin-Starred Restaurant in the Countryside
Day 7
Lake Como – Relaxing Along the Lake and More Michelin Dining
Day 8
Madrid – Pairing Spanish Wines With Food
Day 9
Madrid – Tapas Hopping and Flavors From Across the Country
Day 10
Burgos – Emblematic Wines and the Legend of El Cid
Day 11
Laguardia – Immersed in the Food and Wine of La Rioja
Day 12
San Sebastian – Basque Seafood Dining and Spain’s Culinary Capital
Day 13
San Sebastian – Iconic Cuisine in the North of Spain
Day 14
San Sebastian – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Discover the secrets of Italy’s greatest food region by spending the first three days in Bologna
- End the tour in Basque, the most loved and celebrated of all of Spain’s culinary regions
- Dine at a handcrafted list of restaurants, from traditional Italian trattoria to triple-starred Michelin establishments
- Visit the cellars and vineyards of legendary wine regions, including Ribero del Duero, La Rioja, Valpolicella and Franciacorta
- Go in search of the finest Parma hams, Modena balsamic vinegar, and Reggio-Emilia Parmigiano cheeses
- Explore the flavors of an entire country by pairing food and wine at Madrid tavernas
- Learn to make pasta in Bologna, stay amid the ancient wine cellars of Laguardia, and sip on a Bellini in Venice
- The cuisine is the focus, but it’s not the only highlight; discover destinations like Verona, Burgos, Getaria and Lake Como
Detailed Description
Food is everything in some corners of the world. It speaks of tradition and history. It narrates cultural stories and reflects proud local differences. In these places, food is to be savored. It is to be perfected and eaten slowly. It is to be enjoyed over many hours, not gobbled down when on the move. In some corners of the world, the cuisine has been at the cornerstone of local culture, something that’s been passed down over many centuries. It is these corners of the world that you explore on this handcrafted tour to Italy and Spain. These are the places where food is more than something that you eat. It is both the social glue that holds cultures together and the proud marker of difference.
Spend a week in Italy before a week in Spain. Reggio-Emilia has always been Italy’s ultimate culinary region. Small and traditional it’s a region that gave the world various pasta, balsamic, hard cheese (Parmigiano), and prosciutto (culatello from Parma). You are based in Bologna for three days, the old city all about the search for perfect raw ingredients. Take a train to Venice and sip a sunset Bellini on the water. Then discover the Valpolicella vineyards on route to a night in Verona. Sparkling wines inspire in Franciacorta before you end the Italian leg in Erbusco and Lake Como. Along the way, there is old-world trattoria dining (informal eating cafes) and two Michelin-starred restaurants.
Fly to Madrid and use the Spanish capital as an avenue to explore tastes from across the country, pairing them with the relevant wines. Two days here are a fabulous countrywide culinary introduction. Then explore the wines of Ribera del Duero on route to Burgos and the cuisine of Castille. Spend a day with the food and wine of La Rioja, then a night amid the ancient cellars of Laguardia. End your culinary adventure with two days in Basque, Spain’s capital of good food. Think seafood dining, iconic cuisine, pintxos, and some of the continent’s most expressive contemporary food. San Sebastian is your base, an opulent seaside town that’s been inviting visitors since the time of Napoleon.
Starting Price
$5,900 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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