Immerse yourself in the unparalleled Italian mastery of artisanal crafts, fashion, cars, food, and wine. Your personalized 11-day Italy tour celebrates the intricate details of artisan studios specializing in glassblowing, silk, wine-making as well as the handcrafted marvels of world-renowned luxury brands of extravagant cars and couture fashion. Whether sampling Parmesan cheese inside the factory, mixing aromas to create a personalized perfume, or hearing the first roars of a Ducati straight...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Milan – Arrive in Milan to Visit the Armani Silos and Famous Fashion District
The fashionable city of Milan embodies elegance and sophistication in the poised remains of the historical architecture, chic décor in trendy cafes and restaurants, and the blend of fashion styles local Milanese model on a daily basis. Your flight lands at Malpensa Airport, where your private transfer greets you upon your arrival. While Milan maintains a reputation as Italy’s business center, the city displays rich cultural heritage at its core emanating from the Piazza del Duomo. Construction on the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nascente began in the 14th century and finished after nearly six centuries, being the third largest church in the world.
The scent of fresh espresso fills the piazza, emanating from the surrounding cafes. Your private transfer introduces you to Milan and greater Italy beginning at the Armani Silos. The gallery opened in 2015 inside what were once storage facilities for cereals. The exhibit now showcases the historic designs of Giorgio Armani, one of the most important Italian fashion designers, and the 40 years of refreshing and insightful projects. The exhibition encompasses four floors spanning approximately 48,500 square feet and featuring 600 outfits and 200 accessories. The geometric shapes decorating the interior create an elaborate aesthetic that contrasts the beehive shape of the original structure. You find a delicate spiced aroma filling the gallery when you reach the second floor, which focuses on the motif of color schemes.
Immersing yourself in the world of fashion at the Armani Silos introduces the endless possibilities of Italian design, inspiring you when you arrive at Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan’s Fashion District, where you meet your personal shopper. The trams move along the main boulevard as you stroll down Via Monte Napoleone, an upscale shopping street housing boutique shops specializing in ready-to-wear. The aromas of chocolate and almond tarts emanate through the doors of local cafes. Your personal shopper helps match colors, styles, and design to fit your body shape and skin tone, while also keeping in mind your personal preferences or fashionable desires.
What's Included:
Day 2
Milan – Enjoy a Full Day Tour of the Silk Factories and Museum of Scenic Como
Day 3
Alba – Explore Alba on a White Truffle Excursion and Sample Wines around Barolo
Day 4
Bologna – Visit the Barilla Pasta Factory and a Treasured Farm Making Parma Ham
Day 5
Bologna – Indulge in a Parmesan Cheese and Balsamic Tour before Seeing the Ferrari Museum
Day 6
Bologna – Bask in a Half-Day at FICO (Eataly) before Visiting the Ducati Factory
Day 7
Florence – Tour Florentine Artisans Crowned by a Private Perfume-Making Class
Day 8
Florence – Traverse the Ferragamo Shoe Museum and Meet an Artisan Cobbler
Day 9
Venice – Visit Leather Tanneries en route to a Private Wine Tasting near Vicenza
Day 10
Venice – Experience Glass Blowing on Murano and the Art of Hand Embroidery
Day 11
Venice – A Handmade Conclusion to Made in Italy
Trip Highlights
- Witness the skilled techniques needed to master the fine art of glassblowing with a demonstration on the historical island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon
- Meet an artisan cobbler in Florence known for designing, crafting, and perfecting leather shoes, which can be shipped directly to the patron’s home
- Create a personalized aroma at the hands of a master perfumer during a perfume-making lesson in Florence
- Learn about the historic silk trade in the Lake Como region during visits to a silk factory and luxury shops that provide materials to famous fashion designers
- Delight in the bold flavors and production of Italian wines on a private tour of the majestic wine region of Barolo
- Take in the unparalleled beauty of Italian fashion with an exclusive tour of the Armani Silos in Milan, followed by a visit to the celebrated fashion district of Quadrilatero della Moda, accompanied by a personal shopper
- Indulge in the decadent pleasures of white truffles during a truffle hunt in the countryside of Alba, Piedmont
- Witness the illustrious history and the precision needed to craft the unique blend of engineering and design at the Ducati and Ferrari museums
- Discover the secrets of making decadent chocolates with one of the oldest artisan chocolate makers in Italy
- Taste the captivating flavors of Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese when discovering the renowned culinary region of Emilia Romagna
- Learn to make Venetian Carnival masks under the guidance of an artisan during an optional class
Detailed Description
Your exclusive Italy tour does more than just observe the historic machinations of the artisans who have shaped production across Europe. The development of machinery has only deepened the level of sophistication needed to complete handmade works of internationally renowned in the tradition of Italian artisan craftsmanship paying careful attention to intertwining beauty and function. Engage in the charm, passion, and splendor of the intricacies of Italian heritage involved in making different products by hand from start to finish to craft world-famous products. The exploration begins with your arrival at Malpensa Airport in Milan. A full day of fashionable discovery awaits you in the city known for its fashion-forward ideas. Follow your guide on a private tour of the Armani Silos, which represent more than 40 years of the iconic brand started by designer Giorgio Armani before venturing through the Fashion District with a personal shopper on Via Monte Napoleone, the most famous shopping street in Milan’s fashion district, to discover the newest chic, modern styles with classic designs.
Travel to the charming shores of Lake Como for a day as seamless as silk. The town of Como hosts one of the world’s most highly-sought silk trades, which host factories, stores, and a museum dedicated to the technique and material in Como and their evolution over time. Wander the factory grounds and spend time perusing the offerings in the factory shops before returning to Milan. Truffles are nearly synonymous with Italy, especially in the region of Piedmont. Delight in a half-day tour combing through the countryside of Alba on a guided hunt for white truffles. As the white truffle capital of the world, a lunch here highlights the delicacy and showcases the ways fresh truffles can accentuate flavors. The remainder of the day leads you through the Barolo wine region where you can sample the magnificent wines cultivated on family-owned vineyards.
Italy is known for its attention to the cuisine, paying special attention to simple yet captivating flavors with few regions better known for their culinary influence than Emilia Romagna. Visit a Parma ham farm to learn about the methods used to create the perfect prosciutto and follow the traditional process of crafting seductive balsamic vinegar. Indulge in the crumbly, grainy texture of Parmesan cheese after learning about the entire cheese-making process, from milking the cow to aging the wheel, and even cutting open the cheese properly for continual quality control.
While the Emilia Romagna region might best be known for its gastronomy, it is also home to Italy’s “Motor Valley,” the headquarters of prominent Italian racing brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. The exclusive luxury motorcycle brand Ducati allows you to witness the insight and artistry that engineers and designers use in shaping power, speed, and style. Explore the intricacies of Italian cuisine at Eataly, the theme park focused on the regional recipes and famous delicacies of the country, allowing visitors to view the process of crafting pasta, cheeses, and specialty dishes. Pasta lovers can even visit the Barilla Pasta Factory, the largest pasta factory in the world, and discover how the Italian staple is made as the scent of freshly made pasta surrounds them.
The region of Emilia Romagna also hosts the Ferrari Museum, in which you can roam through over 70 years of design while enjoying interactive exhibitions. When in Motor Valley, you have a variety of options to explore beyond just one luxury Italian racing brand. You could tear through a private race track in a Ferrari, visit the Pagani or Lamborghini museums, which also offer access to their respective factory floors, or you could choose to forgo spending time with Italy’s famous luxury cars to indulge in a private cooking class in which you will visit a local market and learn the traditional methods of crafting regional pasta, appetizers, and desserts.
Florence is a city of Renaissance beauty and medieval walls but still manages to a sense of its artisanal spirit, as demonstrated in the neighborhood of the Oltrarno, which means “beyond the Arno.” Follow your guide through the winding cobblestone streets on a city tour that reveals the leather stores and jewelers around the Ponte Vecchio and San Lorenzo districts. You could also explore the artisan shops of the Oltrarno before meeting with a master perfumer who will help you experiment and concoct your own personalized fragrance.
Continue your journey of interacting with artisanal masters by meeting jewelers who have shaped their own distinctive styles on the Ponte Vecchio. Traverse the galleries of the fashionable Ferragamo Museum, which displays the trends of the notable designer Salvatore Ferragamo, spanning from the 1920s to 1960. You will also spend time with an artisan shoemaker who works with patrons to design, shape, and construct a custom shoe to the guest’s specifications. On the way to Venice, you stop in the town of Arzignano, a well-known area for historical tanneries offering insight into the value of the traditional tannery process and how the methods have evolved over the centuries.
Venice hosts a multitude of islands within the eponymous lagoon, including the islands famous for the artisan crafts of glassblowing and hand embroidery, the islands of Murano and Burano. They contrast the greater island of Venice in their subtle, quiet charms emanating from the continued artworks that have become cultural staples over time. Take your time visiting the islands and participating in the demonstrations of the craft before returning to Venice with time to stroll over the iconic bridges arching over the canals.
Starting Price
$6,300 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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