Italian Culinary Quests: Bologna, Florence, Naples & Sicily

Florence

On day 3, you will head back to Florence. We will provide a private car transfer from your hotel in Bologna to Florence, where you will check into your new hotel in town.

Once you get settled at the hotel, you will head back out for an afternoon walking tour highlighting the best of Florence. With a local expert guide by your side, you will learn the backstory behind the famed Ponte Vecchio bridge, enjoy expedited entry to the Duomo Cathedral, stop at the Baptistery to check out the Gates of Paradise, and skip the line at the Accademia Gallery to find Michelangelo’s iconic David sculpture.

The next day, you will head out to the Tuscan countryside. Your driver and guide will pick you up in an air-conditioned vehicle, and you will drive to Siena to do a special walking tour of the old city, including the historic cathedral and the site of the famous Palio horse race.

From there, you will head to the town of Chianti to tour a local wine cellar, taste some authentic Chianti wines, and enjoy lunch on the terrace with fantastic views of the countryside.

Your tour will conclude with a journey to San Gimignano, where you will explore one of the region’s best-preserved medieval villages, and you will likely have some free time to shop for souvenirs, grab some snacks, and/or see more of the town.

On the fifth day, you will experience more of Florence—specifically, you will do a local food tour! With a local guide, you will tour the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio, one of Florence’s finest food markets, to discover the freshest local produce, learn how to cut meat the Florentine way and sample some phenomenal local cheeses.

You will also try some almond biscotti at a local bakery, and you will try some gelato at a shop that a local family has been running for over 90 years.

Naples

On day 6, you will have to depart Florence, but many more delicious discoveries await you. We will pick you up at your hotel and transport you to the train station, where you will catch the train and enjoy a scenic ride down to Naples.

At Naples, we will transport you to your new hotel, where you can check in, get settled, and enjoy the evening as you please.

The following day, you will learn the many savory secrets of Naples’ most famous creation: pizza!

Throughout this tour, you will have the unique opportunity to speak with local pizzeria owners and chefs about the pizzas they make, and you will taste for yourself the magic of true Neapolitan pizza at two pizzerias.

You will also visit a fresh produce shop and a neighborhood grocery store to sample the ingredients that locals use to make simple pizzas that taste so great.

Taormina

For the ninth day, you will head farther south and make your way to the sunny island of Sicily. Upon checkout from your hotel in Naples, we will transport you to the airport, and you will catch a flight to Catania.

At Catania Airport, we will provide a private car transfer to your new hotel in the village of Taormina on Sicily’s east coast.

The next day, you will be cooking up a storm, as we will pair you with a local guide and send you to the ultimate Sicilian cooking class.

No matter your personal cooking skills, this special experience will help you better understand the traditions, the ingredients, and the people behind some of the tastiest dishes celebrated the world over.

This tour will include a visit to Taormina’s food market to sample the goods and select the ingredients you will use later that day.

You will then head to a local kitchen to learn from an expert how to make your own pasta, plus you will prepare some local fish and vegetable dishes, and you will get to eat your own creations and pair them with local wines!

For your final full day in Italy, you will do a private day tour of Sicily. You will start with a walking tour around Taormina, visit the famous Greek Theatre, and do a local wine tasting.

You will then embark on an excursion to Mount Etna, do an off-road experience at the Alcantara gorges, and enjoy some local wine and food.

You will also head to the city of Siracusa, tour the island city of Ortigia, check out the Cyclopes Riviera, and even visit Savoca and Forza d’Agrò to see where much of Godfather II was filmed!

Departure

After 10 days of amazing adventures across Italy, it’s time to wrap up this trip. To finish this trip on the right note, we will provide one more private car transfer to Catania Airport, where you should have plenty of time to catch your flight.

Thanks so much for touring Italy with us, and we’d love to show you around Italy and Greece again soon!