SOMMELIER-LED TRAVEL

Monserrate Palace in Sintra emerging from morning mist
← All journeys

Northern Italy & Tuscany 2027

11 days · 10 nights  September 17th-27 & September 28-October 8 · Cinque Terre, Lucca, Siena, Orvieto, Montefalco, Padua

Experience Italy through its coastal villages, medieval towns, celebrated wines, and extraordinary art on a boutique journey from Milan to Padua. Begin among the colorful villages of the Cinque Terre before exploring Lucca, the towers of San Gimignano, and the historic streets of Siena. Winery visits, an olive-mill experience, and opportunities for hands-on cooking introduce the flavors and traditions of the region. Continue into Umbria to discover Orvieto, Deruta's pottery-making heritage, Assisi, and Montefalco's Sagrantino wine. Finish with Ravenna's Byzantine mosaics and Padua's lively piazzas and Giotto frescoes, with possible extensions to Venice or Vittorio Veneto. Handpicked hotels and intimate trattorias make food, hospitality, and local character central to the experience.

Length
11 days · 10 nights  September 17th-27 & September 28-October 8
Route
Cinque Terre, Lucca, Siena, Orvieto, Montefalco, Padua
Country
Italy
Availability
16 Guest + 2 Guides
Group
Intimate group, one microbus
Guiding
Sommelier-led, English-speaking
Indicative price
$4,500 to $6,000 per person
Included
Hotels, tastings, most meals, transport
  • Scenic train through the five villages of the Cinque Terre
  • Walking Lucca, its walls and the Adamo winery
  • Tenuta Torciano tasting beneath the towers of San Gimignano
  • Siena on foot, with an optional cooking class
  • Etruscan Orvieto and Decugnano dei Barbi
  • Deruta pottery, Assisi, and Sagrantino in Montefalco
  • Basilica San Vitale's mosaics in Ravenna
  • Giotto's Scrovegni frescoes and Italy's first anatomy theatre in Padua

As it ran

The itinerary

  1. September 17

    Milan → Cinque Terre

    Pick-up in Milan and on to the Cinque Terre. Scenic train through the five villages, lunch in Monterosso al Mare, dinner at Trattoria dal Billy in Manarola. Overnight at La Torretta Lodge, Manarola.

  2. September 18

    Lucca

    Microbus to Lucca and a walking tour of the walled city. Lunch at a local trattoria, afternoon visit to the Adamo winery, dinner at Sottosotto. Overnight at Hotel Ilaria or similar.

  3. September 19

    Lucca

    Morning at a frantoio to see how extra-virgin olive oil is pressed. Afternoon free in Lucca with your choice of trattoria for dinner. Overnight at Hotel Ilaria.

  4. September 20

    San Gimignano → Siena

    Short drive to San Gimignano for the towers, with a tasting and lunch at Tenuta Torciano. On to Siena for dinner at Taverna di San Giuseppe. Overnight at Hotel Battistero in the city center.

  5. September 21

    Siena

    Walking tour of Siena and lunch at Enoteca Sotto Duomo. Optional late-afternoon cooking class, or a free evening. Overnight at Hotel Battistero.

  6. September 22

    Orvieto

    To Orvieto by way of the Etruscan museum, placing the Etruscans in the wider history of Italy. Tour and lunch at Decugnano dei Barbi, light dinner at Trattoria La Palomba. Overnight at Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini or Locanda Palazzone.

  7. September 23

    Orvieto

    Walking tour of Orvieto, lunch on your own, optional tour of Orvieto Underground. Dinner at the hotel.

  8. September 24

    Deruta, Assisi & Montefalco

    Deruta to watch its world-famous pottery being made, then Assisi and the St Francis compound. Lunch at Enoteca L'Alchimista in Montefalco with a tasting of Sagrantino. Dinner on your own; overnight at Palazzo Bontadosi Hotel & Spa.

  9. September 25

    Ravenna → Padua

    The Byzantine mosaics of the Basilica di San Vitale, lunch at Ca' de Vèn, then on to Padua. Dinner on your own; overnight at Hotel Majestic Toscanelli or similar.

  10. September 26

    Padua

    Walking tour of Padua's piazzas and markets, Giotto's frescoes in the Cappella degli Scrovegni and Italy's first anatomy theatre at Palazzo del Bo. Lunch at Enoteca dei Tadi, afternoon free, farewell dinner at Banda del Buso.

  11. September 27

    Departure

    The tour ends after breakfast. Some travelers continue to Venice, others to Vittorio Veneto, or both. We're glad to help with connections and reservations.

Ready to hold a place?

Reserve without payment, or secure your place immediately with the refundable deposit.

Journeys from $2,500 to $6,000 per person · exact quote on inquiry