VACATION HIGHLIGHTS
Please note:
Tour inclusions can change depending upon
seasonality and weather conditions.
•6 Nights Monterosso Accommodations
•Breakfast Buffet Each Morning
•Full Day, Private Guided Cinque Terre Tour
•Full Day, Private Tour of Portovenere
•Public Boat to and from Portovenere
•Public Boat Tour Islands of the Gulf of Poets
•Hands-On Ligurian Cuisine Cooking Class
•Hands-On Pesto Cooking Class
•Vineyard Tour and Wine Experience
•3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
•Round-Trip Transfers for all Activities
•24-Hour Local Support During Tour
While our tours are designed as soft adventure experiences, walking, climbing stairs,
and in rare cases mild hiking may be required. If you have mobility issues, you should
speak with one of our culinary travel specialists to determine if this tour is
appropriate for your situation.
AVAILABLE DATES
Based on Availability, late March through late October. Low Season is March 22, 2023 to April 11, 2023 and October 17, 2023 through October 31, 2023. All other times are considered High Season.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.
(click item for details)
Day 1
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Welcome to Cinque Terre | Multi-Course Tasting Dinner
Monterosso al Mare is the largest, and oldest of the five villages in the Cinque Terre, and part of the region of Liguria. Along the Italian Riviera you will soak in the vistas of five beautiful seaside villages that make up the Cinque Terre National Park, famous for its villas overlooking the sea, colorful houses, and its narrow roads. On your day of arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy a multi-course tasting dinner at a nearby restaurant. Benvenuto!
Day 2
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Breakfast Buffet | Dinner
Enjoy a rich, traditional breakfast buffet that is sure to prepare you for the events of the day. This evening you will enjoy local specialties in a beautiful restaurant in Monterosso.
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Private, Guided Discover Cinque Terre Tour | Sightseeing from the Sea!
After the rich breakfast buffet, you will meet at the hotel with your private English-speaking local guide to start an amazing tour of the Cinque Terre villages. Weather and sea conditions permitting, you will move around the villages by water, with a panoramic trip that will allow you to admire this beautiful stretch of coast and see the villages from a different perspective, from the sea. You'll be charmed by the picturesque fishing villages and explore them with an insider's touch. With your local expert guide you'll understand why the Cinque Terre villages have been celebrated by writers and poets, and described as "a paradise on earth!" You'll visit Riomaggiore with its church and stunning castle, you'll walk among the famous terraced vineyards of Manarola, the picturesque Vernazza and Monterosso, with a romantic walk to the capuchin cloister. For dinner, you'll try local specialties in a beautiful restaurant in Monterosso.
Day 3
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Breakfast Buffet | Lunch
Enjoy a rich, traditional breakfast buffet that is sure to prepare you for the events of the day. This afternoon you will enjoy local specialties at the conclusion of your cooking class.
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Secrets of the Perfect Pesto Cooking Class
Reach Riomaggiore with a short train ride (Cinque Terre train day pass is included). Today you will experience the authentic side of Cinque Terre! Luca will wait for you in his tiny restaurant, located in an old cellar with stone walls. Here you will learn to prepare pesto, as tradition dictates, with mortar and pestle! You will be engulfed by the scent of basil leaves pounded in the mortar, but don't worry, in the end you will enjoy a delicious dish of Troffie (a local pasta specialty) with pesto accompanied by wine - from the Cinque Terre, of course. In the afternoon you will have time at your disposal to explore more on your own, do some hiking or just relax. Dinner on your own this evening, with our suggestions.
Day 4
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Breakfast Buffet | Lunch
Enjoy a rich, traditional breakfast buffet that is sure to prepare you for the events of the day. This afternoon you will enjoy local specialties for lunch at a restaurant in the village of Portovenere.
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Discovering Portovenere | Islands of the Poet's Gulf | Panoramic Boat Tour
After breakfast, reach La Spezia on your own with a short train ride (about 30 min – Cinque Terre train day pass is included). From here you'll reach Portovenere and the beautiful islands of the Poets Gulf with a panoramic trip by boat. You'll discover breathtaking landscapes naturally architected by mother nature and mankind together over time. You'll admire the impressive cliffs, grottos and fortresses of this beautiful stretch of coastline loved by poets and writers such as Byron and Shelley. You will disembark in the amazing village of Portovenere, still surrounded by Medieval walls. Here you will have time to explore the village on your own. Enjoy a delicious lunch in a beautiful restaurant tasting local recipes such as stuffed mussels from the gulf. In the afternoon, you'll go back to La Spezia by boat, and from there you'll go back to Monterosso by train. Dinner on your own this evening, with our suggestions.
Day 5
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Breakfast Buffet | Lunch
Enjoy a rich, traditional breakfast buffet that is sure to prepare you for the events of the day. This afternoon you will enjoy local specialties at the conclusion of your cooking class.
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Ligurian Cuisine Cooking Class | Village of Monterosso
Today you'll have your second hands-on cooking class. Our culinary expert will welcome you in a cozy location, just above the village of Monterosso. Be ready to learn the secrets of Ligurian cuisine with its simple, healthy and delicious flavors. You'll learn about local ingredients such as aromatic herbs and extra virgin olive oil. You will have fun preparing a full meal and discovering more about local culture through its food. At the end of the lesson, you will dine on what you have prepared. Your lunch will undoubtedly be delicious, accompanied by local wine and a healthy dose of laughter. The cooking class starts mid-morning and finishes in the early afternoon. After having lunch in complete relaxation, you'll go back down to Monterosso by private transfer. For dinner, if you are still hungry, you will receive a list of preferred restaurants along with some suggestions for special places where you can sip an aperitif while watching a gorgeous sunset.
Day 6
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Breakfast Buffet | Farewell Dinner
Enjoy a rich, traditional breakfast buffet that is sure to prepare you for the events of the day. This evening you will enjoy local specialties in a beautiful restaurant in Monterosso.
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Guided Cinque Terre Wine Tour | Riomaggiore
Today you will reach Riomaggiore where you'll be warmly welcomed by a local vintner to enjoy a special wine experience. Here you will discover the most authentic side of Cinque Terre! Cinque Terre exist thanks to the incredible efforts in past times to create the unique terraced vineyards that shape this exceptional landscape. That's why visiting these amazing vineyards overlooking the sea is to understand the real soul of Cinque Terre. And today a well-known local producer will welcome you in his vineyard and tell you the story behind his heroic wine. After admiring the breathtaking panorama, you will visit the ancient cellar and taste the most typical Cinque Terre wines, among which are the Sciacchetrà, paired with traditional appetizers. Back in Monterosso, relax and get ready for your farewell dinner in a lovely restaurant where you will enjoy more local specialties.
Day 7
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Breakfast Buffet | Check-Out and Departure
In the morning before you depart, enjoy another wonderful breakfast buffet. Time flies when you're having so much fun, but alas…it is time to check out and depart this delicious, "Edible Destination." Arrivederci!