This is our daily schedule at a glance. Our tour staff will make daily announcements with specifics and times during the trip. Note that our itinerary may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

A typical day’s activities begin with a full buffet breakfast. We then often attend a lecture by our faculty leader around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., and/or set out between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. for our day's excursion, armed with an extra layer (sweater or wrap), sunscreen, sunglasses, water, hat, mask, camera and our comfortable walking shoes. There will be some coach travel, with up to three miles of walking and tours lasting as long as three hours. Much of the walking takes place on city streets, which can be uneven, cobblestoned, and slippery. In some instances, guided tours require standing in one place for up to an hour at a time and climbing up and down several flights of steep stairs that may not have handrails. Some excursions involve longer walks, including several options for hikes up to three hours in length. Some sites, museums and our hotels do not allow/cannot accommodate buses to pull up in front, necessitating a several-minute walk or a walk up a long, steep driveway to reach the entrances. In Liguria we take public transportation (trains and ferries); passengers must be able to embark and disembark comfortably. We stop along the way to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant or provide the opportunity for lunch on our own. After lunch, we are off again in the afternoon for an excursion before returning to our hotel. On arrival at our hotel, we have time for a shower and some rest, then perhaps a lecture before dinner. Dinners in Italy are usually served at 7:30 or 8:00 p.m.

Meals included in the program are indicated next to the hotel name with the following designations:

B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner R = Reception

Itinerary

Thursday, October 20

Depart U.S. ✈ Turin (Torino), Italy

Fly from your home city to Turin.

(Meals aloft)

Friday, October 21

Turin

2:00 p.m. Check in time at the Grand Hotel Sitea.

Luggage can be left with the bell captain if you arrive before your room is ready.

6:15 p.m. Gather for a welcome reception on the Veranda off the lobby, followed by dinner in the Sala Carlo Alberto.

GRAND HOTEL SITEA (R, D)

Saturday, October 22

Turin

Morning:

From 7:00 a.m. Breakfast is served in the Carlo Alberto room located on the ground floor of our hotel.

8:30 a.m. Orientation briefing in the Principe Amadeo room located on the 2nd floor of our hotel, followed by Professor D’Alimonte’s first lecture.

10:30 a.m. Our walking tour introduces us to the unique character of Turin, seat of the powerful Savoy dynasty. We visit some of the city’s main sites, including the Piazza Castello, the Piazza San Carlo, and the Royal Church of San Lorenzo, magnum opus of Baroque architect Guarino Guarini.

Afternoon:

Following lunch on our own, enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Evening:

Depart our hotel on foot for dinner at a local restaurant.

GRAND HOTEL SITEA (B, D) – Please remember to settle any bills with the hotel this evening.

Sunday, October 23

Turin / Barolo Region / Cherasco

Morning:

From 7:00 a.m. Breakfast is served in the Carlo Alberto room located on the ground floor of our hotel.

After checking out of our hotel, we make our way into Piemonte’s famous wine and culinary region of Barolo, marked by rolling hills, carefully groomed vineyards and idyllic green pastures. Visit a farm that produces wonderful goat cheese, then drive to Cherasco, a town celebrated for its beautiful Roman-Medieval architecture for lunch with the cheese-maker.

Afternoon:

After lunch, enjoy a fascinating presentation and chocolate tasting at a local cioccolateria, then take a walking tour of Cherasco. We end the day in Pollenzo, where we check in to a local inn.

Evening:

Enjoy dinner at our hotel’s award-winning Garden restaurant.

ALBERGO DELL’AGENZIA (B, L, D)

Monday, October 24

Barolo

Morning:

Following breakfast and our second lecture, drive to Roero area, where we meet a local truffle expert and his truffle-hunting dog. As we walk under ancient oaks and chestnut trees in search of this rare delicacy, our host will introduce us to the fiercely competitive art of truffle hunting and show us how these sensitive dogs are trained.

Enjoy lunch with our host.

Afternoon:

Take a tour and enjoy a tasting in a top cellar that produces Barolo, considered one of the most prestigious of Italy’s wines, then, after a short walking tour of Barolo, return to our inn.

Evening:

Dinner this evening is on your own. Our staff is on hand to help with suggestions.

ALBERGO DELL’AGENZIA (B, L, D)

Tuesday, October 25

Canelli / Barbaresco / Alba

Morning:

Drive to Canelli, one of the most enchanting towns in the province of Asti, boasting a centuries-old culture of wine-making. Today Canelli produces eight highly acclaimed D.O.C. wines and two of Italy’s best-selling sparkling wines, Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante. Tour Canelli’s famous cellars, locally known as “underground cathedrals.” These architectural gems, dug deep into the volcanic tuff upon which the town was built, conserve the region’s great wines at a constant temperature of 57 F.

Drive to the nearby town of Barbaresco for lunch.

Afternoon:

Visit Alba, renowned for its white truffles, for a walking tour and some free time to explore the town independently before returning to our albergo.

Evening:

Dinner is on your own (though you may not want to contemplate another meal)!

ALBERGO DELL’AGENZIA (B, L) – Please remember to settle any bills with the hotel this evening.

Wednesday, October 26

Bra / Santa Margherita Ligure

Morning:

Following breakfast and our third lecture, drive to Grinzane Cavour Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a tour. Afterwards, proceed to Bra, one of the capitals of the Slow Food movement, for a delicious lunch.

Afternoon:

Continue to Santa Margherita Ligure and check into our seaside hotel late this afternoon.

Evening: Dinner this evening is at our hotel.

HOTEL CONTINENTAL (B, L, D)

Thursday, October 27

Santa Margherita Ligure / Portofino

Morning:

Attend Professor D'Alimonte's fourth and final lecture this morning. After a walking tour to familiarize ourselves with the history and sights of lovely Santa Margherita, board a private boat for the short trip to Portofino. Explore the Italian Riviera’s most famous town, with its brightly painted houses set along an elegant harbor full of private yachts.

Lunch is on our own at any one of Portofino’s many fine restaurants.

Afternoon:

Hikers may return to Santa Margherita on foot and non-hikers will return by boat or bus. Detailed descriptions of the walking option will be provided.

Evening: Dinner this evening is at a local seafood restaurant.

HOTEL CONTINENTAL (B, D)

Friday, October 28

Cinque Terre

Morning:

Take the local train to Monterosso, one of the five fishing villages, strung out along the rugged coastline and linked by a walking path, that make up the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This breathtaking section of the Italian Riviera rivals the Amalfi Coast for stunning views and gorgeous sunsets.

Hikers depart on foot to the village of Vernazza. Non-hikers will depart by train for Vernazza and will take a guided visit to the small town upon arrival. Both groups will then take the local train from Vernazza to the town of Manarola.

Explore Manarola independently and enjoy lunch on your own at one of the town’s many seafood trattorias.

Afternoon:

Continue by ferry to the village of Monterosso al Mare (or by train in case of poor weather), or opt for a vigorous 3-hour hike on the scenic trail high above the sea that links the two villages.

Return to our hotel in Santa Margherita in the late afternoon

Evening:

Enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening at leisure.

HOTEL CONTINENTAL (B)

Saturday, October 29

Camogli / San Fruttuoso

Morning:

A short train ride takes us to Camogli, a picturesque fishing village with a beautiful harbor.

Afternoon:

After lunch on your own in Camogli, take a scenic ferry ride to the medieval Benedictine abbey of San Fruttuoso, a hidden gem set in a rocky cove overlooking the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Tigulli

Non-hikers may enjoy an afternoon at leisure and hikers can choose to take a spectacular 3-hour hike that winds its way along a promontory overlooking the sea to Portofino.

Evening:

Celebrate the culmination of our journey together at tonight’s farewell reception and dinner.

HOTEL CONTINENTAL (B, D) – Please remember to settle any bills with the hotel this evening.

Sunday, October 30

Depart Genoa (Genova) ✈ Home

Transfer to the Genoa Airport and fly to your home country.

(B)