IMAGINE OUR TOUR AS A DELICIOUS DISH AND OUR INGREDIENTS ARE:
- FOOD STORIES from local restaurateurs, farmers, artisans, your Tour Leaders and many more!
- TRAVEL IN A SMALL GROUP with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8, and an average group size of 6-12 people or more if specifically requested on private tours
- STORIES behind Italian culture, traditions, and people to inspire us!
- FULL CULTURAL IMMERSION on an educational journey
- CONNECTIONS IN THE AREA which allow us to design unique itineraries that take you to places you could not find on your own or in a guidebook
- ACCOMMODATIONS can range from cozy agriturismi (or a similar version when not in Italy) and 3-star hotels to more elegant 5-star hotels (upon request and availability, and depending on the region you visit)
- HAND-DESIGNED BICYCLE ROUTES given our local connections and continuous travels in the area
- EXPERT TOUR LEADERS who are bilingual, professional and passionate about sharing their expertise
- EVERY DETAIL PREVIOUSLY AND PERSONALLY TESTED to make sure nothing is improvised
- MEALS mostly featuring “good, clean and fair foods.” in local restaurants, trattorie* and agriturismi** (or a similar version when not in Italy)
- HEALTHY CUISINE is what we love on our tours in Italy featuring the Mediterranean Diet that in 2010 was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List with Spain, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Morocco
- HEALTHY LIFESTYLE in the fresh air with daily walking (or hiking or cycling, upon request and availability) to build an appetite and more deeply explore our surroundings
- FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY choosing, for example, restaurants, artisans and food and wine makers who source local and seasonal foods. On some of our tours, we feature walks in natural parks in order to learn about the local flora, fauna and geology
- AGRITURISMI** and/or ALBERGHI DIFFUSI*** are featured in all our tours in Italy for a meal and/or a stay to experience life as a local!
- SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA (worldwide initiatives that support quality production at risk of extinction) that we feature on our tours through visits and/or tastings, showcasing what is important to us
- TRADITIONAL LOCAL RECIPES to learn and bring home with you!
- ONLY LOCAL INDIGENOUS GRAPES to be paired with local foods
* A trattoria is usually more rustic and less pricey than a restaurant, with no printed menu, family-style food and local wine served in a jug. This is an Italian cultural experience in which you can enjoy first-hand traditional recipes in a friendly and convivial atmosphere
** Agriturismi are a unique and captivating feature of Italian food history. Combining the words agriculture and tourism, they are working farms, usually family-run, where some space has been converted into guest accommodation. The agriturismi ‘movement’ started in Italy in the 1950s when small-scale farmers began leaving the land in search of higher paid work in the cities. As Italians have always greatly valued their agricultural traditions, in 1985 lawmakers developed financial incentives for the rehabilitation and restoration of abandoned rural estates. By law, agriturismi must be working farms, and guests must be served items (for breakfast at least, sometimes dinner as well) grown on the land
*** Albergo Diffuso is best translated as “dispersed hotel” as services and accommodation are spread across different, existent structures all within the same area. The beauty of the albergo diffuso is that it allows travelers to imbed themselves in village life while enjoying all the services of a standard hotel. And, alberghi diffusi are healthy for the host village because converting existing rooms and structures protects cultural heritage and is far more sustainable than building a new hotel
