Day 1: ROME – ORVIETO – PERUGIA: Arrival in Rome and departure to the Umbria region well-known all over the world as a pilgrimage destination but also for wine and oil and the sweet chocolate of Perugina. On the way to Perugia, stop in Orvieto to admire the underground city and taste local products of course accompanied by delicious red Orvieto Wine. At the end of the visit departure to Perugia, accommodation at the Hotel Meridiana. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

 

 

Day 2: PERUGIA – ASSISI: Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to discover the Perugina factory, the most Italian establishment specialised in chocolate and confectionery. Guided visit of the Chocolate House, the historical museum and the modern factory, and of course there will be a tasting!  With the possibility of a cooking class to prepare the legendary Bacio Perugina with a personalised message, or perhaps another course, “Nero-therapy”; “Chocolate artistic creations”; “Chocolate symphonies for two”; “Master in chocology”....of course all chocolate based. 

 

At the end of the visit transfer to Perugia centre for a walking tour and tasting of typical street food: 2 stops: the first to taste 0 products (cheese, cold cuts, bread and 1 glass of wine) and the second to taste the typical “Porchetta” with bread. In the afternoon departure to Assisi, a pilgrimage destination and place rich in artistic works. The Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi (St. Francis) is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery and the lower and upper church of St Francis began immediately after his canonisation in 1228, and was completed in 1253. The lower church has frescoes by renowned late-medieval artists Cimabue and Giotto; in the upper church are frescoes of scenes of the life of St. Francis previously ascribed to Giotto and now thought to be by artists of the circle of Pietro Cavallini of Rome. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

 

 

Day 3: PERUGIA – ASCOLI PICENO: Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Sagrantino wine road, driving along beautiful hamlets and colourful landscapes. Arrive in Torgiano known as “One of the most beautiful villages in Italy” and “Wine city” for its prestigious Wine Museum, created by the Lungarotti Family and considered one of the most complete in the world. The visit continues with a visit to the museum of olive oil and the olive tree. Taste of Lungarotti wine and oil. In the afternoon departure for the arche Region with a stop in Montefalco, Trevi, renowned for the production of Olive Oil, and Norcia to taste in a typical “norcineria”, cold cuts and truffle products. Then proceed to Ascoli Piceno. Accommodation in our selected hotel. Dinner and overnight.

 

 

Day 4: ASCOLI PICENO – MACERATA: Breakfast. Guided visit of Ascoli Piceno and its fascinating centre entirely built with the ivory-white colour of the local travertine: from the aristocratic buildings to churches, squares and streets and private homes. Travertine stone is not easy to work, but the skilled artisans have managed to create beautiful decorations for precious portals, rosettes, and mullioned windows. Lunch in the winery/agriturismo (Gambero Rosso restaurant selected) with a “Bio-Menu menu” based only on products directly cultivated and bread baked at the farm. Departure to Pollenza to visit one of the most important wineries in Italy. A beautiful 16th-century building, designed by Sangallo and rising up amid the gorgeous landscape of the Macerata hills, holds. “Il Pollenza” estate spans around 200 hectares, 50 of which are occupied by the vineyard. Guided visit of the wine cellar, the Barchesse, and the Baroque cellar to get a sense of the sincere passion for the land and the best cultivation techniques, as well as high-quality standards for wine-production. Taste of 3 different wines combined with typical products. Departure to Macerata, accommodation at the hotel, dinner in the hotel and overnight.

 

 

Day 5: MACERATA – RECANATI – LORETO – ANCONA: Breakfast. Guided visit of Macerata, an elegant and human-scale city, named the “city of lyric and culture” for its artistic and architectural masterpieces. The symbol of the city is the Sferisterio, a neoclassic building and also an arena for bullfighting which was very popular in the Papal States. Over the years Sferisterio lost its original purpose and became an arena for opera music. Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida was the first opera staged in 1921. In this wonderful location, each year the summer lyrical season with important operas like Aida, Traviata, and Tosca take place. Guided walking tour of the medieval town to admire the Cathedral, the beautiful baroque Lauro Rosso Theatre and Palazzo Brancorsini Buonaccorsi. At the end of the visit, departure to Recanati, one of the most popular towns in the Marche Region, because of Giacomo Leopardi's birthplace, one of the most important Italian poets. A walking tour in Recanati will allow you to live the place, fragrance, and traditions that inspired Leopardi's poems. The tour continues to Loreto, one of the major pilgrimage destinations in the world for the biggest Shrine in Italy.  After the visit of the Basilica, departure to Ancona. Accommodation at the Passetto Grand Hotel, a 4-star hotel overlooking the sea. Dinner in the restaurant to taste the typical “Stocafisso all’Anconetana” (stockfish and Adriatic sea fish).

 

 

Day 6: ANCONA – PARK OF CONERO MOUNT – PESARO: Breakfast. Departure to the Regional Park of Monte Conero, a natural preserved oasis of 5800 hectares, where the blue of the sea, the green and yellow of the hills are the protagonists. The Conero area is well know for the production of wine known as Rosso Conero. W will visit an important winery, awarded several times for its wine production by prominent leaders such as Gambero Rosso, Veronelli, Slow Food. Guided tour to the vineyards and the cellars, where the grapes become wine. Lunch in the winery agriturismo to taste a km “0” menu, using only their seasonal products or most of them, combined with one or more wines for the different courses. Departure to Pesaro, a seaside town on the Adriatic. Accommodation at the Excelsior Hotel, the first 5 star boutique hotel in Le Marche. Dinner at a typical “osteria”, where it is possible to taste a gourmet menu inspired by traditional Marche food and wine.

 

 

Day 7: PESARO – URBINO – ACQUALAGNA: Breakfast. Departure to Urbino, the Cradle of the Renaissance and also known as the Perfect City, a real treasure suspended on a hill and birthplace to the Italian renaissance and painter: Raffaello Sanzio and Piero della Francesca. Guided walking tour of the historical centre, World Heritage of Unesco, characterised by its streets called “piole” that run up and down to the city surrounded by architectural masterpieces: the Ducal Palace with the National Gallery of Le Marche and the famous façade of “Torricini”, Fortress of Albornoz, Rampa of Giorgio Martini. Lunch in a characteristic restaurant in S. Francesco square, to taste typical products like Crescia Sfogliata, Cappelletti or Casciotta of Urbino. In the early afternoon, departure to “Gola del Furlo” (Furlo Gorge) an authentic paradise crossed by the River Candigliano, where the suggestion of the landscape joins with a great naturalistic richness boasting unique specimens of flora and fauna. Near Gola del Furlo there is Acqualagna, a small village but well known all over the world for its primacy for the truffle trade and the excellent various production which provides fresh truffle all year round. Visit a truffle lab with the explanation of the truffle preservation methods and tasting of truffle products like creams, cheeses, oils. Return to Pesaro. Truffle dinner in Acqualagna.

 

 

Day 8: PESARO – ROME: Breakfast. Departure for Rome. On the way, we suggest a stop in Abruzzo, in the small village of Santo Stefano di Sassanio to enjoy the silence and the atmosphere of old times. The village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio is perhaps the most fascinating of all of man’s achievements in the entire Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Dei Monti Della Laga. It is built entirely out of white limestone, which has become dulled with time. All the houses are covered with clay tiles, providing a harmonious overall view to those gazing down on it from the top of the Medici Tower. Walking tour of the hamlet with the possibility to buy Santo Stefano typical products or other regional specialities like Pecorino d’Abruzzo (cheese), Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cesasuolo d’Abruzzo, Verdicchio, Pecorino (wines), saffron (spice). Departure to Rome. Arrivederci!

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HOTELS OR SIMILAR

Standard Category:
Perugia: Hotel La Meridiana, 4 star
Ascoli Piceno: Villa Pigna, 4 star
Macerata: Hotel Claudiani, 4 star
Ancona: Hotel Europa, 3 star
Pesaro: Hotel Nautilus, 3 star
Superior Category:
Perugia: Hotel La Meridiana, 4 star
Ascoli Piceno: Palazzo Guideracchi, 4 star
Macerata: Hotel Claudiani, 4 star
Ancona: Grand Hotel Passetto, 4 star
Pesaro: Hotel Savoy, 4 star

 

PRICE INCLUDES

GT bus at disposal as per your itinerary; 7 night’s accommodation in double room at hotel of the selected category with bed & breakfast; 7 dinners; 3 lunches; Guided visits as per itinerary; Earphones; Entrance ticket to Chocolate House in Perugia; Tasting of typical products in Perugia; Visit of Lungarotti olive oil museum with tasting; Cellar visit in Macerata with tasting; Cellar visit with lunch tasting in Conero Mount area; Truffle lab visit with dinner in Acqualagna.

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PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Drinks at meals; Entrance tickets to museums/monuments unless differently stated; Bus ZTL and parking fees; Tips and extras; Tourism city tax, compulsory to be paid on site; Surcharges applicable during peak periods, trade fairs, meetings, congresses, events, bank holidays, weekends etc; Everything that is not mentioned at the voice “Price includes”.