12 Day Tour Start in Venice – End in Rome – NORMALLY GROUPS OF 8 PASSENGERS
Main cities: Venice, Lake Garda, Verona, Asti, Chianti area, Montepulciano, Pienza, Roman Castles
22 Meals to include – 11 buffet breakfast, 11 dinners/lunches
Check DEPARTURES and PRICES:
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Great Wines of Italy is a fun and comfortable luxury tour designed for wine lovers. There’s nothing better than a spirited Italian dinner with great food and friends where everyone is pleasantly animated by a few glasses of fine wine. It’s enough to name some internationally known wines such as Chianti, Brunello, Nobile di Montepulciano, Pinot Grigio, Franciacorta, Barolo, and Asti Spumante to pique the interest of your taste buds, but we will also surprise you with some lesser-known local wines. Starting in Venice and finishing in Rome, you will visit the most significant “cantinas” of the northern and central regions. Specifically, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Lazio regions will be featured.
ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrive in Venice
Welcome to Venice’s Marco Polo Int. Airport (VCE). Your airport transfer will be waiting for you at 11:00 pm to take you to your hotel. Meet your travel companions and visit a local winery in the afternoon. Wrap the day up with a local dinner.
Hotel: Voco, Cannaregio or similar (1 night)
Day 2 – Northeast area “Veneto”
Leave the province of Venice to go to the province of Treviso and visit a winery in Valdobbiadene, the land of Prosecco, where this typical sparkling wine is made. Later go to the Bassiano del Grappa area to visit a distillery. Enjoy a short drive to the beautiful area of Lake Maggiore where we will spend the next three nights. Dinner will be served in the hotel.
Hotel: Poiano Resort, Baia Verde, or similar (3 nights)
Day 3 – Verona
Enjoy a walking tour with our Local Guide in Verona, the city famous for the love story of Romeo and Juliet. See the famous balcony from Shakespeare’s tragedy as well as the Roman Arena. In the afternoon, visit a local winery. The hills between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea near Lake Garda’s East Coast are a prolific region of fine wines. Experience the famous labels of Bardolino and Valpolicella (a combination of grape varieties) or Recioto and Soave (delicate white wines). Tonight enjoy dinner in a traditional restaurant.
Day 4 – Sirmione – Lake Garda area
Today experience the beautiful village of Sirmione at your own pace. In the afternoon there will be wine tastings and then a scenic drive through the area between Lake Garda and Lake Iseo where the Chiavennasca grape is grown and used to create the full-bodied and rich bouquet wines of Sfurzat & Valtellina. Dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
Day 5 – Franciacorta – Piedmont
Go west to reach Franciacorta in the province of Brescia where we will visit a local winery. Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, and Chardonnay grapes are traditionally used to create the wine “Franciacorta”. In the afternoon, reach our hotel in the Piedmont region where we will spend the next three nights. Dinner will be served in the hotel’s restaurant.
Hotel: Spinerola, Tenuta la Romana, or similar (3 nights)
Day 6 – Asti
Enjoy some free time in Asti city center for shopping. In the afternoon, drive through the area of Asti to reach a local winery where sweet Moscato grapes grow and are transformed into Asti Spumante. Right around the corner is where Brachetto and Barbera grapes come from. Tonight, dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
Day 7 – Northwest Area “Piedmont”
Experience some pearls of the beautiful region of Piedmont. The most common grape variety from Piedmont is Nebbiolo, known in this region since the 13th century. Barolo, Barbaresco, and many other wines are created from this variety. After a visit to the local winery lunch will be served at the local restaurant. Tonight is a free evening to enjoy at leisure.
Day 8 – Tuscany and the Chianti Hills
Leave the region of Piemonte for the beautiful Chianti area in the heart of Tuscany. Visit some small villages with free time to frequent some wine shops and taste local wine and food. In the late afternoon, take a short ride to our hotel where you are sure to be amazed by an authentic Tuscan dinner
Hotel: CDH Radda, Tenuta di Ricavo, or similar (3 nights)
Day 9 – Wines of Tuscany
Today, visit one of the most beautiful wineries of Tuscany to discover the secret of “Chianti Classico” followed by lunch. Enjoy the evening at your leisure.
Day 10 – Montepulciano, Pienza – Montalcino
Take a walking tour through the medieval streets of Montepulciano and its several “cantinas”. Not far from here, go to the small village of Pienza to discover its delicious homemade cheeses which pair perfectly with wine. Two important Tuscan red wines grow in this area. Brunello Di Montalcino is a strong red wine made exclusively of Brunello grapes which has a long life (the first official great vintage was in 1888 and 5 perfectly intact bottles have been kept). Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano is made from Prugnolo Gentile (a clone of Sangiovese) grapes, this wine is strong and sour when young and becomes increasingly smooth and spicy with age.
Day 11 – From Tuscany to Roman Castles area
Leave Tuscany for the Roman Castles (a group of villages southeast of Rome where the Pope spends his summers) to visit a local winery. Here the varieties of white grapes are cultivated as Bellone, Arciprete white (a Bellone biotype), and two varieties of Greek grapes, called Moro and Yellow (which had almost disappeared in the territory until they were recently revalued). In the afternoon, check into the hotel. Tonight, dinner will be served at a local restaurant to celebrate the success of our Great Wines of Italy tour.
Hotel: Benito al Bosco, Castel Vecchio or similar (1 night)
Day 12 – Leaving for home
Arrivederci Italia! Your transfer will arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport (FCO) at 7:00 am
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Transportation:
- Private airport transfer in Venice and Rome as detailed in the itinerary. Should your flights not coincide with these arrival & departure transfer times, please let us know; we can arrange your transfer inexpensively to/from the airport by limousine
- Luxury air-conditioned private min-coach
Hotels:
- First Class Hotels
- All service charges, taxes, overnight tourist tax, & all breakfast buffets
- Baggage handling included when not in airport
- Standard gratuity for hotel personnel
22 Meals:
- 11 American inspired breakfast buffets
- 8 Wine tastings
- 11 dinners/lunches to include: pasta or soup, meat or fish, vegetable or salad, dessert, local wine (1/4), and mineral water
- Standard gratuity for restaurant personnel.
Tour Guide & Tour Driver:
- Your tour will be conducted by our Tour Guide & Tour Driver. They will take the worry out of foreign travel as they manage the intricate details of your tour, keeping you entertained with anecdotes and stories to make sure your vacation is educational, entertaining, fun and safe
- Gratuities for Tour Guide & Driver are at your discretion.
Equipment:
- Wireless headsets to hear your Guide clearly & distinctly in public places by utilizing our personal audio system for groups of 9+ allowing you to roam and explore sites (within 60 feet) without missing any insight from your Tour Guide or Local Guide.
- One umbrella for each person in case of rain.
View, Visit, Walking tour:
Verona:
- Walking tour through the city center *WLG
Sirmione
- Walking tour through the city center with some free time
Asti
- Walking tour through the city center with some free time
Chianti villages
- Walking tour through the city center with some free time
Castel Gandolfo
- Walking tour through the city center with some free time
Suggested attire:
- Comfortable shoes are important since you’re walking on uneven surfaces.
- Attire for Italian Churches: Shorts are not allowed for men or women, tank tops, bare shoulders or short skirts are not permitted. Bermuda shorts are permitted
*(WLG) = With local guide and wireless headsets
Wines of Italy 2025 - Land Price per person (USD)
| Departure - End Dates | Double | Single | Triple | Young (5-12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12 - Mar 23 | 4300 | 5375 | 3870 | 3655 |
| April 9 - April 20 | 4500 | 5625 | 4275 | 4185 |
| May 14 - May 25 | 4500 | 5625 | 4275 | 4185 |
| June 11 - June 22 | 4500 | 5625 | 4275 | 4185 |
| July 02 - July 13 | 4600 | 5750 | 4370 | 4278 |
| Oct 15 - Oct 26 | 4500 | 5625 | 4275 | 4185 |
Wines of Italy 2025 - Land Price per person (CAD)
| Departure - End Dates | Double | Single | Triple | Young (5-12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12 - Mar 23 | 6020 | 7525 | 5719 | 5599 |
| April 9 - April 20 | 6300 | 7875 | 5985 | 5859 |
| May 14 - May 25 | 6300 | 7875 | 5985 | 5859 |
| June 11 - June 22 | 6300 | 7875 | 5985 | 5859 |
| July 02 - July 13 | 6440 | 8050 | 6118 | 5990 |
| Oct 15 - Oct 26 | 6300 | 7875 | 5985 | 5859 |
Wines of Italy 2025 - Land Price per person (AUD)
| Departure - End Dates | Double | Single | Triple | Young (5-12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12 - Mar 23 | 6665 | 8332 | 6332 | 6199 |
| April 9 - April 20 | 6975 | 8719 | 6627 | 6487 |
| May 14 - May 25 | 6975 | 8719 | 6627 | 6487 |
| June 11 - June 22 | 6975 | 8719 | 6627 | 6487 |
| July 02 - July 13 | 7130 | 8913 | 6774 | 6631 |
| Oct 15 - Oct 26 | 6975 | 8719 | 6627 | 6487 |
Wines of Italy 2025 - Land Price per person (NZD)
| Departure - End Dates | Double | Single | Triple | Young (5-12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12 - Mar 23 | 7310 | 9138 | 6945 | 6799 |
| April 9 - April 20 | 7650 | 9563 | 7268 | 7115 |
| May 14 - May 25 | 7650 | 9563 | 7268 | 7115 |
| June 11 - June 22 | 7650 | 9563 | 7268 | 7115 |
| July 02 - July 13 | 7820 | 9775 | 7429 | 7273 |
| Oct 15 - Oct 26 | 7650 | 9563 | 7268 | 7115 |
- Small group of 8 passengers, means intimate and personalized experience, enjoy authentic local restaurant, learning more with a peace of mind
- All excursions are included at no additional cost, which will turn an already amazing experience into the trip of a lifetime (skip the line tickets, restaurants, venues, local guides, transportation, excursions and more). There will be no surprises along the way
- All our tours have been planned with comfortable morning departure times. Never leaving your hotel before 8:00 am.
- Included every day you will have a minimum of two meals; our selected family owned restaurants will certainly be unforgettable!
- You will never feel alone. Your tour director and tour driver who will be ready to fulfill your needs with the utmost professionalism and safety
- Tour price includes Tax, city night tax, credit cards fee
- Travel and connect with locals “Traveling in Italian Style”