Italy: Mediterranean Perspectives on Food, Health and Culture

Transfer to Hotel

Check-in, Relax & Refresh

Orientation Walking Tour - The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc. Additionally, an in-depth safety briefing will be provided for what to do in case of an emergency. 

Historical & Cultural Walking Tour of Rome - See the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc.

Welcome Dinner - The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a wide variety of menu options to cater all diets.

Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum - After visiting the most iconic monument of Italy, the Colosseum, the group will explore the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum: the largest archeological area of Rome, the ancient city center. It hosts temples, triumph arches, and basilicas from the Roman Kingdom (8th century BC) to the Byzantine Empire (6th century AD).

Meeting with Social Cooperative - This social cooperative born from the need to guarantee free assistance and services - which includes extensive healthcare - to displaced individuals, immigrants, social minorities, homeless, etc. Themes include:

• Introducing the cooperative 
• Private social care targeting homelessness 
• Healthcare as a human right to be accessed by all 
• Introduction to targeted project on women's protection

Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter’s Basilica - The museum displays works from the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display.

Lunch Break at San Teodoro Farmer’s Market - Cheese, cured meats, fresh meat, preserves, breads, spreads, olive oil, honey, wine, and even ice cream can be found at this market. 

Gelateria (Ice Cream Lab) Tour and Tasting - Have an inside look into one of the most renowned ice cream labs and shops of the capital!

Bullet Train to Florence (approx. 2 hours) 

Hotel Check-in

Florence Historical and Cultural Walking Tour - See the Duomo, Medici Palace, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Rose Garden, and more.

Lunch Break at San Lorenzo Market - The market is actually comprised of two separate markets, an indoor market, known at the Mercato Centrale, or Central Market.

Free Afternoon

Galleria dell'Accademia - The Accademia Gallery collection includes priceless masterpieces and works of art in its various halls spread over two floors. Here you will find Michelangelo’s David and The Rape of the Sabine Women amongst other world-known art. 

Private Transfer to La Pineta Farm (Tuscan Countryside) (approx 1 hr)

Introduction to Ecotourism - Discussion on what the farmhouse is about and its benefits, regulations, and local laws.

Olive Grove, Vineyards & Winery Tour - Visit the botanical garden, the olive grove, the organic farming vineyards of strictly indigenous vines, & the awarded winery “Dalle Nostre Mani”. 

Cooking Class & Group Dinner - Learn how to use local herbs from the garden and cook an authentic Tuscan meal.

Private Transfer to Bologna (approx. 2 hours)

Stop at FICO Eataly World - The largest Italian food park in the world. A place where each food is an experience, offering guests the opportunity to discover how they’re made, from the farm factories to the shops.  

Hotel Check-in

Evening Bologna Walking Tour - See the Piazza Maggiore, Fountain of Neptune, the Two Towers, and the University of Bologna (the oldest in the world).

Day Trip with Private Bus to Modena (approx 30 mins)

Bakery Visit - Visit the laboratory of a traditional bakery and taste their bread, pizza, pastry, and organic coffee.

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Factory Tour - Learn about all the different steps in the production of this world famous cheese (from the milk to the aging process)... and taste it!

Free Time in Modena - Explore the city center of this beautiful medieval city, with its porticos, the cathedral, and the market.

Visit a Traditional Acetaia - Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP Factory. Another ingredient common in the Mediterranean diet is balsamic vinegar. This dark purple vinegar has a bit of a mundane reputation as olive oil’s partner in ho-hum salad dressings and it deserves another look as a culinary and nutritional powerhouse.

Return to Bologna

Train to Naples (approx 3.5 hrs)

Hotel Check-in

Naples Walking Tour - See Spaccanapoli, Maschio Angioino, S.Carlo Theatre, etc.

Free Time

Full Day Tour by Private Bus to Pompeii and Sorrento - Once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, Pompeii was buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.  Sorrento is a coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, it’s known for sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. 

Visit a Sorrento Limoncello Factory - Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi. It is the second-most popular liqueur in Italy and is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestivo.

Early Morning Visit to a Fish Market - Visit a popular fish market with our expert guide who will tell you more about the importance of fish in the Mediterranean Diet and dive further into the subject.

Private Bus to Gragnano

Gragnano Pasta Experience - Visit this historical pasta factory: wear the viewer, navigate through the time, and dive into virtual reality to discover the old Gragnano in 3D, its territory and its old pasta tradition.

Virtual Tour - During the immersive virtual tour, you’ll experience the Old Gragnano and its ancient tradition in making pasta in a very exclusive way. You’ll immerse yourself in the Virtual Reality of Gragnano in the 1900s, walking through the ancient Via Roma, listening to the placid murmur of the streams along the Valley of the Mills.

Tasting Experience - After the visit, the tasting room awaits for you: three courses and three different recipes, prepared by starred chefs, with three different pasta shapes.

Continue to Rome

Farewell Dinner and Program Closing

Airport Transfer

Return Home from Rome, Italy