Compare Italy Real Food Adventure by Intrepid Travel vs A Week in... The Amalfi Coast, Capri & Rome 2023 by Tauck

Day 1 Venice

Buongiorno! Welcome to Italy. Your adventure starts in the iconic city of Venice. If you arrive early, take some time to get lost in the narrow cobblestone streets and spacious piazzas, crossing the tiny bridges to find shops, markets, galleries and churches. Stroll past St Mark’s Square, the Campanile and the Doges Palace. Cross the Rialto and admire the Bridge of Sighs. You’ll have a welcome meeting tonight at 6 pm. After, head out for a welcome aperitivo – the spritz and the bellini are local favourites. Venice's distinctive culinary heritage goes back to ancient times and features rich risottos, saline baccala (salted cod) and creamy polenta. If you're hungry, follow your leader to an atmospheric restaurant for your first introduction to Venetian flavours.

Day 2 Venice

It's an early start today. Walk down to the canals and watch farmers unload their produce from canal boats, ready to be sold at Venice's famous Rialto markets. This tradition is more than 1000 years old. Next, you’ll swing past the fish market, where the day’s catch might come directly from the Venetian lagoon – the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea. Finish with an Italian cafe alongside the market. You'll also be treated to a specialty dessert of the region – tiramisu. The afternoon is free for your own exploration. In the evening, discover the Venetian answer to tapas on a cicchetti crawl through the city's fabulous bacari (wine bars). Snacking is an important pastime in Venice, with many people stopping for cicchetti both before and after meals.

Day 3 Bologna

Travel to Bologna by train this morning – this city's culinary claim to fame is significant, thanks to the ragu alla bolognese. Home of tagliatelle, mortadella and a range of other cured meats and salamis, Bologna, along with the surrounding Emilia Romagna region, is a foodie’s paradise. When you arrive, maybe wander past the beautiful old terracotta buildings and lively streets and acquaint yourself with the area. Later, you'll discover the real food of Bologna with a hands-on cooking class in the fine art of pasta-making. Feast on your handiwork over dinner with your host and your group, celebrating your new skill.

Day 4 Bologna / Modena

Today you’ll discover the flavours of the renowned Emilia Romagna region. Visit a factory dedicated to producing one of Italy's most coveted culinary exports – Parmigiano Reggiano. Learn how this cheese is made, and then try it for yourself. Continue to the town of Modena and visit an acetaia – a house where the family produce fine-aged Modena balsamic vinegar in the attic. You'll see how the vinegar is aged in barrels made from different woods, learn why it’s never less than 12 years old and then see the difference between the factory-made vinegar and the real stuff with a tasting. Head to a trattoria for a delicious lunch of the best local produce and farm-fresh seasonal dishes. Wash it down with a glass of Lambrusco – the town's famed sparkling red. Stroll around the town and admire the Palazzo Ducale before returning to Bologna in the late afternoon.

Day 5 San Gimignano

This morning, travel to the village of Pancole in the heart of Tuscany. The region is renowned for a cuisine that celebrates simplicity and the bounty of locally grown produce in hearty, rustic dishes. Pecorino cheese, farro (an ancient grain) and artisanal cured meats like lardo di colonnata are just some of the many local ingredients you can expect to indulge in during your stay. Your accommodation is a traditional Tuscan farmhouse near the enchanting village of San Gimignano. The farmhouse is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees that the family has been producing excellent wine and olive oil from by organic methods for over fifty years. Enjoy a guided walk through the vineyards and cellars of the estate, followed by a tasting of some signature Tuscan wines and olive oils. Dinner tonight will be seasonal favourites, made with ingredients freshly harvested from the farmhouse garden beds. This could include homemade pasta, salads, finocchiona salami, crostini toscani (chicken liver pate on lightly toasted bread) and seasonal vegetables.

Day 6 San Gimignano

This morning, walk along a portion of the Via Francigena – the major pilgrimage route to Rome during the Middle Ages. Explore the medieval walled town of San Gimignano – a UNESCO World Heritage Site often called the Town of Fine Towers due to the preservation of several impressive torre (tower houses) within its walls. Stop past an award-winning gelateria, where intriguing flavours like gorgonzola cheese and walnuts await your tastebuds. Spend the rest of your time exploring the walking paths around the farm or, weather permitting, relaxing by the pool, enjoying beautiful views of the Tuscan countryside.

Day 7 Rome

Today, jump on a train to Rome – Italy’s capital famed for its deliciously fresh food and scattered ancient ruins. When you arrive, take a leader-led orientation walk through the historical city centre, past the Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum, and Colosseum. After taking in all the big (and small) highlights of this magical city, you’ll head to a local’s home for a special homecooked, plant-based dinner experience. Swap stories with your host and sit down for a feast of seasonal dishes, which could include local favourites like cacio e pepe, saltimbocca, artichokes or porchetta. After, maybe head to a local bar and cheers to a trip well-travelled over a glass of local wine.

Day 8 Rome

With no activities planned after breakfast, your food adventure comes to an end today. If you’d like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent.

Day 1 Arrive Naples / Positano

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Le Agavi Hotel, Positano. A transfer is included from Naples Airport to Le Agavi Hotel in Positano, built into a cliff overlooking the bay. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight at the hotel amidst stunning views.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Le Agavi Hotel a Positano

PORTOFCALL : Positano, Italy

Day 2 A Taste of Life in Amalfi & Ravello

Drive along the Amalfi Coast, one of Europe's most dramatic shorelines. See the brightly colored houses set on towering cliffs above the sea, and the houses in the town of Amalfi built between the 10th and 13th centuries. Then it's on to Ravello to visit the exquisite gardens of Villa Rufolo, the former residence of several popes, offering perhaps the best view on the coast. Lunch today is at a family-owned restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Salerno – a favorite of locals and celebrities alike – where you'll get a real taste of Italy with delightful homemade dishes. Return to Positano, and enjoy the afternoon and evening as you please.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Le Agavi Hotel a Positano

PORTOFCALL : Positano, Italy

Day 3 Ferry ride to the Isle of Capri

Ride aboard a high-speed ferryboat to the Isle of Capri, once a second home to Europe's emperors and today a favorite destination for celebrities and jet setters. Travel by convertible taxi to one of the most celebrated hotels in Europe, set on exclusive Via Camerelle in the heart of Capri. After lunch, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Grand Hotel Quisisana

PORTOFCALL : Capri, Italy

Day 4 Capri by private convertible car

You'll really feel like a jet setter today when you explore the history and natural attractions of the Isle of Capri in a convertible car. Visit the town of Anacapri, then beautiful Villa San Michele, built in the late 19th century atop Roman palace ruins. The views of Capri and its harbor are stunning – and you'll have an opportunity to enjoy them from the water on a cruise around the island. Then spend the rest of the day as you please on Capri – enjoying the pleasures of a less-crowded island after the day-trippers have departed.

MEALS : B

LODGING : Grand Hotel Quisisana

PORTOFCALL : Capri, Italy

Day 5 Herculaneum & Vatican Glories

Depart Capri by high-speed ferryboat this morning to Naples – capital of the Campania region and one of Italy's most important cities. Board a coach to Herculaneum for a guided tour of the archaeological site. What was once an affluent Roman resort town was buried in volcanic ash by the same eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the nearby city of Pompeii in 79 AD. As you'll see during your visit, studies of Herculaneum's remains have enabled archaeologists to create a picture of daily life in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. A high-speed train ride in first-class accommodations follows your Herculaneum adventure as you make your way from Naples to Rome, to conclude your trip with a three-night stay at a historic hotel in the heart of the city. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure in Rome, before joining us later this evening for a Tauck Exclusive – a once-in-a-lifetime, after-hours visit to the Vatican Museums (subject to availability and day of visit may vary), where you can view the Sistine Chapel, the Tapestries and the Candelabra and Map Galleries, at a more leisurely pace, without crowds!

MEALS : B

LODGING : Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

PORTOFCALL : Rome, Italy

Day 6 Rome's piazzas & the city as you please

Today's city sightseeing begins with a guided walking tour of Rome's magnificent piazzas – including the Piazza di Spagna, the Piazza del Pantheon and the Piazza Navona, featuring the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), created by the 17th-century Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. After lunch at a local restaurant, join us for a private tour of lovely Barberini Gardens, the Pope's Gardens at Castel Gandolfo (former summer home), accompanied by a Vatican guide. Return to your hotel to spend the evening as you wish.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

PORTOFCALL : Rome, Italy

Day 7 St. Peter's & more of Rome on your own

Start the day in Rome's magnificent St. Peter's Square, designed in the seventeenth century by Bernini in a perfectly symmetrical, elliptical design. Then see more of this gifted sculptor and architect's extraordinary work when you go inside St. Peter's Basilica, the largest Christian basilica in the world, on a guided tour. Spend the afternoon exploring more of Rome on your own before joining us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

PORTOFCALL : Rome, Italy

Day 8 Journey Home

Tours ends: Rome. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino or Ciampino Airport in Rome. Please allow 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Rome, Italy