Two women enjoy a fondue on the Moleson in Gruyères, Switzerland

A Taste of Italy and Switzerland Itinerary

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Italy, Switzerland

Places Visited

Gruyeres, Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, La Morra...

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Suggested Duration

12 Days

The Swiss Alps and Northern Italy become your culinary playground that features shimmering glacial peaks, piercing mountains, landscapes flushed with vineyards, and forests ripe with white truffles. Your personalized gastronomic tour of Switzerland and Italy embraces the similarities and celebrates the differences of historic ingredients and traditional recipes. Whether indulging in fondue or sampling Barolo wine, crafting decadent chocolate truffles or making exceptional raclette cheese, you...

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Indulge in the robust aromas and earthy flavors of white truffles during a private truffle hunting excursion in Alba
  • Learn the secrets of crafting the perfect Gruyere cheese when visiting a dairy farmer in the hills of Switzerland
  • Delight in fabulous flavors of homemade bread and a traditional Swiss fondue recipe during a private cooking lesson in the Swiss Alps
  • Sample the luscious layered flavors of the King of Wines when visiting a vineyard in Piedmont producing sensational Barolo
  • Embrace the decadent tastes and rich textures of chocolate truffles made in Switzerland while partaking in a private chocolate-tasting tour
  • Savor the fantastic flavors of traditional Piedmontese cuisine with a private cooking class on an organic farm teaching you the art of pasta
  • Enjoy the history of chocolate in Turin, which resulted in the birth of Giandujotto, the celebrated combination of chocolate and hazelnut

Detailed Description

The culinary mastery of Swiss and Italian cuisine is yours to explore and experience when sampling fondue, tempering chocolate, and tasting truffles during your 12-day culinary tour of Switzerland and Italy. The gastronomy of the Swiss Alps combines rich and hearty ingredients with a legacy of Roman foundations stretching across surprisingly sundrenched slopes. The culinary heritage of northern Italy embraces the ingredients of mountainous terrain and lush valleys shaped by centuries of changing kingdoms. You will quickly learn that the best way to experience the delicacies of Switzerland and Italy is to learn, taste, and construct diverse and familiar flavors for an unparalleled gastronomic adventure. 

Your culinary tour of Europe begins in Switzerland, a country brimming with scenic majesty and often-overlooked culinary splendor. The Swiss Alps have acted as Europe’s playground for centuries with Victorian-era aristocrats enjoying the glassy lakes in summer and snowcapped peaks in winter. Gushing waterfalls and tumbling glaciers have inspired poets, inventors, scientists, and musicians as well as masterful chefs. The Alps have hosted the inventors of meringues, fondue, and Raclette, in addition to crafting local cheeses for over 900 years and becoming world-famous chocolatiers. Take your time discovering the marvels of Switzerland with five nights in Montreux. Stroll through vineyards and medieval villages, enjoy breathtaking panoramas and storied castles, and indulge in demonstrations, recipes, and tastings celebrating an unforgettable sensory feast.

The culinary discovery continues in the Italian region of Piedmont for six nights. The gorgeous mountainous, hilly, and valley landscape shares borders with France and Switzerland. Picturesque villages overlook vast vineyards and thriving orchards, as well as medieval fortresses. The region hosts the vineyards creating the popular wines of Barolo and Barbaresco in addition to supporting the birth of the Slow Food Movement. The fabled white truffle grows in the damp woodlands, hazelnuts are a local specialty, and olive groves produce exceptionally rich olive oil. Use a stunning villa on the outskirts of Turin as a base while you discover the true allure of the Piedmontese cuisine. Visit small villages and castles, hunt for white truffles, embrace a cooking lesson on an organic farm, and indulge in the fascinating flavors of locally crafted cheeses, chocolates, and specialty dishes.

Starting Price

$6,600 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.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.9 stars based on 6310 reviews.

Italy Vacation Review: 9 Nights

Zicasso's travel agent helped to make our trip to Italy truly memorable. He listened to our interests and formulated a vacation that was unforgettable.

Reviewed By Barbara M.

Italy Tour Review: Amalfi Coast, Ischia, Capri, Positano,...

We booked an amazing trip with Zicasso's travel partner and his travel team, which, pleasantly, far exceeded our expectations. Every detail was perfectly planned out, from the moment we were greeted at the airport in Naples by our driver to the private tours, boat excursions, and Amalfi drive. Our accommodations were top-notch.

He made planning this trip stress-free, and we enjoyed every moment. It was first-class treatment all the way, without the hassle of trying to coordinate all of the logistics ourselves. Thanks to our agent for providing us with an amazing, personalized, trip of a lifetime!

Reviewed By Jeanine P.

Italy Tour Review: 10-Day Trip

Zicasso's tour partner helped put together the trip of a lifetime. She provided many great suggestions of things to do and places to visit in Italy. I was very pleased with her ability to coordinate the details of the trip, from hotel reservations to private transportation and excursions/tours. We were so busy that by the end of the day, we were worn out. When we plan our next trip, I am going to personally ask to work with her again, she became part of our family with her personalized service.

Reviewed By Robert C.

Italy Trip Review: Rome, Amalfi, Positano, 12 Days

The trip Zicasso's travel specialist arranged for us exceeded all our expectations. It was absolutely wonderful; not a single detail was overlooked. The hotels were excellent, the tours were great, and the drivers were always on time. I totally recommend Zicasso and the agency, and will undoubtedly use them for future travel plans.

Reviewed By Philip S.

Italy Travel Review: Lake Como, Ostuni, Private Boat Tour,...

Zicasso's travel designer did a terrific job. We had the initial phone consult, after which she delivered a first draft of the itinerary. From there, she helped guide us through a few revisions until we got the details smoothed out. We are experienced travelers and can appreciate a well-constructed trip, and that's what our experience with our agent reflected.

One crucial thing is that all the drivers who are engaged to move you around are prompt. Every one of them was right on time and friendly and helpful to boot. It was much appreciated.

To sum up our experience, I would do it all again with Zicasso and the agency and our agent. Our trip to Italy in the late summer of 2025 was something we will not soon forget!

Reviewed By tony B.

Italy Tour Review: Calabria, 11 Nights

Zicasso's travel partner is very thorough and makes sure the trip is tailored to your vision. They are flexible and very responsive. We would recommend them to anyone traveling.

Reviewed By Evan C.

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