August 31 – September 15, 2025
This tour is designed to celebrate our 10 years of exploring off-the-beaten-path places in Italy. For the first time we are offering a tour that features a mix of something new – Emilia-Romagna – along with something familiar – le Marche (my paternal grandparents’ ancestral home). Together, the two regions are collective powerhouses when it comes to:
- Culinary traditions (Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, Modena’s Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Ascolane, Tagliatelle, Pasatelli) to name a few
- Architecture (several UNESCO sites, including palaces and towns)
- Centres of innovation (Montessori schools, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, and shoemaking!)
Designated by Lonely Planet in 2018 as the best place to see in Europe, Emilia-Romagna is comprised of nine provinces that include both sea and inland geography. Known for its hospitality, charm, and unparalleled food traditions, Emilia-Romagna will capture your heart, your stomach, and your mind! Be prepared to visit production facilities for cheese, ham, and balsamic vinegar to find out how to recognize, appreciate and taste why they are world-renowned. roll up your sleeves for a cooking class or two. Be surrounded by the most stunning collection of mosaics in the world.
Many travellers have not heard of Italy’s greatest “secret” region. Called Le Marche (pronounced Mar-kay with the stress on the first syllable), this region, located directly to the south of Emilia-Romagna, is virtually untouched by mass tourism. Its geography is a mix of mountains, hills, and over 100 km of pristine coastline on the Adriatic Sea. From its vineyards (over 4,000), to its pastas (vincisgrassi – a version of what you know as lasagna, cappelletti, and pasta di Campofilone), to its renaissance art and architecture, shoemaking, and stunning medieval hilltop villages, Le Marche will take your breath away. Our highlight of this tour is cooking under the watchful and ever charming tutelage of Chef Antonio Bedini, who has been our wise and beloved Chef since we travelled to Le Marche with our first group in 2014.
We invite you to join us for one of our “Best Trips that You’ve Never Been On Yet”!