Day 1 - Arrive Turin

Upon arrival at Milan Malpensa airport you are welcomed to Italy by your local Guardian Angel as you exit customs into the arrivals hall, and transferred to your hotel in Turin where you are assisted with check-in procedures.

The reminder of the day is at your leisure.

True to the meaning of its name ('foot of the mountain'), Piedmont is a land of mountains bordering Switzerland and France. The Alps form the background for sweeping, picturesque valleys, home to many ski resorts welcoming winter sports enthusiasts. Aside from its beautiful countryside and quaint towns, Piedmont boasts some of the most sophisticated cuisine and wine in Italy. Among this region's culinary specialties the intense Barolo red wine and famous white truffles reign supreme.

Overnight: Hotel Principi di Piemonte

Day 2 - Turin

Alongside your expert guide, enjoy a half-day walking tour of Turin. Discover the Baroque architecture, the Neoclassic atmosphere, and the appeal of its literary cafés.

Your tour starts from Piazza Castello along arcades, covered walkways and historic streets to discover the architecture from Roman times through to the 19th century. Enjoy a walk through the Subalpine Gallery, considered one of the most elegant areas of the city, which connects Piazza Castello with Piazza Carlo Alberto. Head to the impressive Mole Antonelliana which is the architectural symbol of Turin. The building was originally meant to be a synagogue, but the Municipality of Torino bought it in 1878, while it was still under construction, with the intent of turning it into a monument to national unity. At the time of its completion, at 167.5m in height, it was the tallest masonry building in all of Europe. The Mole is also the current seat of the National Museum of Cinema. A panoramic lift leads to the little temple under the spire, from which you can enjoy a beautiful city landscape and of the surrounding mountains.

During your tour you enjoy a stop for a “merenda” break in one of the historical cafés’. In 18th-century Turin, the “merenda” was a real plaything, a tasty and worldly ritual in life at court: from 2pm to 10pm the aristocrats of discerning palates would sip cups of hot chocolate and eat traditional biscuits and newly refined patisserie specialities invented specifically by their chefs. And to finish, a taste of almond nougat and a crispy diablottino, the first chocolate candy ever created in Turin.

The "reverence" for chocolate continued into the 19th century, a period in which cafés flourished as a place for meeting, culture and politics. You find a typical local cafe where you can drink a bicerin, the traditional morning beverage together with sweet delights of the noble art of patisserie

Overnight: Hotel Principi di Piemonte

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Turin

Meet your guide at your hotel and then enter Turin's Egyptian Museum.

With over 26,000 artefacts gathered between the 18th and 20th century, Turin's Egyptian Museum houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world. The galleries were extensively enlarged, renovated, and reorganized, reopening in 2015, and the result is both spectacular and engaging. The collection includes mummies, an important papyrus set, and the Gallery of Kings, a statuary collection organised and dramatically lit by Academy Award–winning production designer Dante Ferretti.

Afterwards you enjoy a drink or a coffee with your local guide at the famous Circolo dei Lettori. This elegant building perfectly embodies a Piedmontese spirit that you often hear about in your time here: sabaudità. This is not so much a name for the inhabitants of the Piedmontese capital, but more an attitude that characterises them. Although difficult to define in many of its aspects, sabaudità manifests itself mainly as a delicate and elegant discretion, behind which, however, we can hide the most lively and active minds.

The Circolo dei Lettori evokes this spirit from behind its modest exterior. Once you have entered through the wooden doors and climbed the elegant marble steps, you are catapulted into an era of aristocratic refinement: llarge crystal chandeliers, stucco ceilings, gold that abounds on trims and frames, upholstered chairs and colourful wallpaper.

Overnight: Hotel Principi di Piemonte

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Turin

A visit to the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale leaves you immersed in the fascinating Baroque era. Your guide takes you on a fascinating journey to discover the habits and customs of court life in the 17th and 18th centuries. Otherwise known as the Reggia di Venaria, this UNESCO World Heritage Site lies a few miles outside the city centre and was constructed in 1600 as a place of leisure and hunting where kings could also entertain in lavish banquets, elegant parties and hunting rituals. Discover the basement rooms, former warehouses and kitchens, as your guide regales tales of history, curiosities and anecdotes about the House of Savoy. Up on the main floor, you have time to enjoy the beauty of the stucco, frescoes, sculptures and Baroque architectural jewels in a residence that competes with the most famous in Europe

Overnight: Hotel Principi di Piemonte

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Turin - Piedmont countryside

Today you are met by your driver and transferred to Bra where your wine and food expert is waiting for you!

Go food shopping like a local, enjoy the distinctive Italian local market and learn how to recognise the best produces from the land. Immerse yourself in a private cooking class at your food and wine expert’s home, learn the secrets of the most famous dishes of regional cuisine and taste the fruit of your labour accompanied by local wines.

After lunch rejoin your vehicle for the drive to Villa d’Amelia

Overnight: Villa d'Amelia

Meal Plan: B,L

Day 6 - Piedmont countryside

Today you enjoy a full-day excursion with private vehicle and a local food and wine expert guide to familiarise yourself with the villages and towns of the Langhe wine region and the history of the areas.

The centre of the small village of La Morra, perched on a hill at 513m above sea level, is one of the most striking observation points of the Langhe landscape. From Piazza Castello your view stretches out towards the Alps, offering a unique show of vineyard-covered hills, medieval castles and towers. Pay a visit here to the historic winery, one of the oldest in the area, and enjoy a private wine tasting.

La Morra is also home to one of the most unique little chapels in the country, the Chapel of the Madonna Delle Grazie, built in 1914 next to another chapel with frescoes by local artist Giovanni Savio. At the end of the 20th century, new owners commissioned a contemporary reinterpretation of the chapel and adjacent vineyard, enlisting the help of American artists David Tremlett and Sol Lewitt. The colourfully redesigned building is now known as the Brunate Chapel or Barolo Chapel, in celebration of the prestigious Barolo wine that begins its life in this famous vineyard.

Afterwards enjoy a guided tour of the village of Barolo. This little village with medieval origins is now the home of the Wine Museum. Following lunch at leisure (payable locally) enjoy a stop at an authentic family winery for a proper Barolo wine tasting.

Overnight: Villa d'Amelia

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Piedmont countryside

Today you enjoy a full-day excursion with private vehicle and a local food and wine expert guide in the Barbaresco region. This area is the heart of the Barbaresco wine region, one of the best Italian reds, historically bound to the Piedmontese tradition of using the world-renowned Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco has been called the 'Queen to Barolo’s King', however the former's popularity continues to grow among critics. The village of the same name sits in a dominant position on the right bank of the Tanaro, characterised by the typical medieval urban layout. Together with your local guide explore the village and the Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco, housed inside a deconsecrated church, with wines lined up where the altar once stood, before enjoying a wine tasting in a historic winery with a detailed explanation about “terroir”, techniques and the history of this wine.

After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant in Alba (payable locally) you have the opportunity to take part in a private truffle hunt in the woods with a specialist truffle hunter and his dogs. Your day is rounded off with a delicious truffle tasting, including cheese and salami paired with local wines.

Overnight: Villa d'Amelia

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Piedmont countryside

Today you are at leisure to enjoy the facilities of your hotel.

Overnight: Villa d'Amelia

Meal Plan: B

Day 9 - Depart Piedmont

Today you are met at your hotel by your driver and privately transferred to Milan Malpensa airport to board your departure flight.

Meal Plan: B