PIEDMONT CASTLES FOOD AND WINE

Day 1, Milan – Turin
Arrival to Milan airport and private transfer to the hotel 4* in Turin, dinner and overnight.

Day 2, Turin
Breakfast, meeting with local guide in hotel, departure by bus to visit Turin city centre by foot to see the Cathedral dedicated to St. John the Baptist; the Royal Palace and its beautiful gardens; the Porte Palatine and the Roman district; Piazza Carignano with the venue of the first Parliament, and the elegant Piazza San Carlo with the historic cafés. Lunch in a typical restaurant where you will taste the famous “taiarin” with hare sauce. During the afternoon you can admire the Mole Antonelliana, the symbol of the city, which the National Museum of Cinema. Tasting of the delicious bicerin in one of the elegant historic cafés on Piazza San Carlo. Stop at a confectioner’s shop since 1836, which is a real must in Turin for the production of pralines, candies, marrons glacés (caramelled chestnuts), and at one of the famous historic chocolate producers in town. Visit of Egyptian Museum, second only to the one in Cairo. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3, Langhe
Breakfast, meeting with our local guide in the hall of the hotel, departure by private bus to discover the Langhe area. Stop at the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, know for its history, wine and restaurant. Continue the tour with La Morra with its beautiful “belvedere” and with Barolo, the town of the king of wines “Barolo”. Visit of a Barolo producing winery with a stop in a cellar to enjoy a final wine tasting. You have a stellar lunch at Bovio with a stunning view of the vineyard covered valley. After lunch transfer to the Barbaresco area for a walking in the village of Barbaresco with the imposing squared tower built in the late XI century to protect the village from foreign invaders, and stop at the Regional Enoteca of Barbaresco located in the deconsecrated church of San Donato. Come back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay

Day 4, Turin – Asti – Monferrato
Breakfast and departure by private bus for Monferrato area. Stop in Asti, meeting with local guide and beginning of the tour discovering medieval towers, churches, baroque buildings and old squares. Visit to: the collegiate Church of San Secondo, the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria; Corso Alfieri where you may visit the Crypt of Sant’Anastasio, a collection of some Roman ruins. Lunch. Arriving to Monferrato area, hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5, Monferrato
Breakfast, meeting with local guide to visit Casale Monferrato. This land of rolling hills covered with vineyards and dotted with castles is a region happily unexplored by conventional tourists. Visit the 13th century Castello di Uviglie and its wine cellars with wine tasting and the 11th century Castle of Lignano Monferrato. Visit the typical ‘infernot’, wine cellars carved into the tufo rock and still used to store wines. Lunch with a typical menu composed by gorgonzola and tasting of Barbera di Monferrato DOC. Arrive to Casale Monferrato and visit The Temple of the city, one of the best Synagogues in Northern Italy built in 1595. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6, Monferrato – Turin
Breakfast and departure for Turin exploring the scenic Roman roads of the Monferrato region. Stop to the Abbey of Albugnano and the small medieval villages of Cortazzone and Montechiaro. Lunch during the excursion for tasting typical food and good glass of wine. Arriving in Turin, hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7, Turin
Breakfast, transfer by bus to Eataly store, the first large store dedicated to high-quality food and drinks set up by the Slow Food Association (two more stores have been opened in Tokyo and New York, too). Eataly here in Turin covers an area of 11,000 sq m, it houses small theme eateries to enjoy pasta, pizza, ice cream, meat, etc., a Michelin-rated restaurant, a library of gastronomy books and periodicals and a big store dedicated to the best delis of Italy. Departure by private bus for the airport.