- - Northern Italy Food & Wine Adventure - - June 21-29, 2024

Our local Italian guide, Monica, will meet us at the Porta Susa train station.  We will be staying at La Luna e i Falo, a bed and breakfast in Torino. For those who arrive in time for lunch we can walk to Trattoria Cerere where we can enjoy a simple Piedmontese lunch together.

After everyone has arrived, we will do introductions and an orientation to learn about the Chicas you will be traveling with and how the trip will run. Then we will walk to Monica’s parents house where we will have an aperitivo (before dinner drinks, think Prosecco!) and then dinner.

Accommodation: Torino Bed and Breakfast 

Meals Included: Aperitivo, Dinner 

After several cappuccinos or espressos and a delicious breakfast, we will drive into the city center and then walk to Porto Palazzo, the largest open-air market in Europe. Monica will lead us through the various parts of the market, where we will see produce, fruit, cheese, meats, seafood, breads, spices, in amazing quantities and varieties. After a few hours of the market, including tasting of interesting products, we will head to Pescheria Gallina, a famous fishmonger on the outskirts of the market. Here we will sit down to some of the best seafood in Torino, served up as fritto misto (mixed, fried fish, shrimp, calamari), followed by grilled fish. 

After lunch we will walk back through Torino and head down to the Po River, which runs through Torino and has long been an important part of Piemonte. We will be taking kayaks out on the Po, to better understand this river, and its place, as well as to work up an appetite for dinner. Dinner will be outside of Torino where we will indulge in one of the most famous dishes from Piemonte: Bagna Cauda. This “warm bath” is a seemingly unlikely mixture of anchovies, garlic and olive oil, into which all manner of raw and cooked vegetables are dipped. 

Kayak rated as easy 

Accommodation: Torino Bed and Breakfast

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

After another morning with strong coffee and breakfast, we will be checking out of our bed and breakfast and going on a hike to La Sacra di San Michele, near Torino. After a good hike we will reach a beautiful 10th century abbey, the Abbey of San Michele, perched on Mount Pirchiriano. 

For lunch we will go to a delicious Pizzeria to try the classic Italian Pizza, perhaps with truffles or porcini mushrooms. Then it’s off to a grass-fed dairy farm that makes amazing gelato. Here we will do a gelato workshop, where we will get hands-on experience making this “epitome of ice cream.” We will also try the cheeses, meet the cows, and have dinner that the farm prepares for us, with gelato for dessert. After a good meal and digestivo, we will drive about an hour south and east to check into our beautiful Villa nestled in the hills of the Roero territory where we will be staying for the next five nights.

Hike: 5.9-mile loop rated as moderate

Accommodation: Villa in the Roero territory

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is a slow start to give us some time to recharge. After a leisurely brunch, maybe on the patio, we can relax in the Villa’s garden, take a swim, or go for a hike. 

In the early afternoon we will drive to a Biodynamic Winery where two brothers and their mother make fantastic wines that fully showcase the area. After a visit to the vines to learn about their unique approach to caring for the vineyard, we will head to the tasting room to try the fruits of their labor (Barbera, Arneis, Dolcetto, Moscato), along with salumi and cheese from nearby farms. After the wine tasting we will have a free evening, with dinner on your own in the village of Santa Stefano.

Accommodation: Villa in the Roero territory

Meals Included: Brunch, wine tasting with snacks

We will wake up to a fresh breakfast and coffee (or tea) before heading off to Pollenzo to visit Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences. Here we will learn about the Slow Food movement and the work they are doing all over the world. 

Then we will drive into the city of Bra, to dine at the famous Boccon di Vino, where Carlo Petrini conceived the Slow Food movement in 1986. After a hearty, but refined, lunch of the local dishes, there will be some free time to explore Bra on your own . . .shopping, sightseeing, or just enjoying an espresso while you people-watch. After our long day we will return to the Villa to relax with a glass of wine or a Spritz and have a light dinner, cooked at home.

Accommodation: Villa in the Roero territory

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast at the Villa we will drive to La Morra, a beautiful village perched high in the hills of the Langhe region. A hike through the vineyards is a great way to see the area at a slower pace. At this time of year the harvest of the grapes will likely have begun. After our hike we will end in the village of Barolo where we will meet Vanda, a woman in her 70s who is an expert at making the traditional Agnolotti del Plin, a small Piedmontese pasta filled with three types of meat and “pinched” into a little packet. Following Vanda’s lead, we will learn to make the delicate Plin, and taste our handiwork for lunch.  After lunch we will walk to a Grissini shop in Barolo, run by Vanda and her two siblings, where we can watch them make the long, crisp, light grissini (like a thin breadstick). 

Our pace is busy and we next meet Carlo, a professional truffle hunter and his dog. Carlo will lead us into the forest where we will hunt the black summer truffle. Then we will drive a short way to back to La Morra for dinner at an excellent Osteria. At this Osteria you can expect a slight departure from the traditional Piedmontese dishes; their cuisine is infused with creativity while using the best ingredients and products from the area. 

Hike rated as easy to moderate

Accommodation: Villa in the Roero territory

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will eat an early breakfast at the Villa and then off to Novello for an E-bike ride on the picturesque ancient roads among the vineyards Our guide will lead us up and down the hilly countryside, covered with vineyards and hazelnut groves. Don’t worry, the bikes have a pedal-assist, so you can tackle those big hills with ease! After a few hours ride, we will stop at Moscone Winery in La Morra for a visit to their cellars, ageing room, and to try their wines. Then we will jump on our E-bikes again and descend the winding road down from La Morra as we make our way to Monforte, where a picnic lunch will be laid out for us at the sight of the old Moscone Winery. After the lunch and some more wine, we will continue by E-bike to complete our 38-kilometer loop. 

The day isn’t over yet, as we will head back to the Villa for relaxation and maybe a swim, before Monica leads us in a cooking class, featuring Tajarin (thin, egg noodle pasta from Piemonte), Sformatino, and Tiramisu. If we were lucky on the previous day’s truffle hunt, we can eat the Tajarin with butter and freshly shaved black truffles! 

E-Bikes rated as moderate

Accommodation: Villa in the Roero territory

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today after breakfast we will be checking out of the Villa but our adventures aren’t over. We will be back in the saddle again, this time riding horses in the forest of chestnuts, oaks, wild hazelnuts, beach, and poplar. After our riding session, we will stop at an Agritourismo on our way to Torino for a simple but delicious lunch. 

No trip to Torino is complete without a visit to a chocolatier.  Torino is the most famous city in Italy for chocolate and Guidi Croci is a chocolatier, who, with his brother, runs the family business started in 1930.  They will show us how to hand make each type of their amazing chocolates, and of course we will get to try them!  After our chocolate visit, we will check back into the same bed and breakfast in Torino. 

For our farewell dinner we are headed into a hip part of Torino, San Salvario. We will enjoy a final dinner together that is a blend of traditional Piedmontese and some original dishes as well. If we haven’t tried a good grappa or Amaro, this is a great place to do it!

Horseback Riding rated as easy

Accommodations:  Torino Bed and Breakfast 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Sadly, it’s time to bid farewell to Torino. Book your departure for Saturday, June 29, allowing time for the train trip to the Torino airport or the bus trip to the Milan airport. After breakfast, a private transfer from the bed and breakfast to the Porta Susa train station will be provided.

Meals Included: Breakfast

The above itinerary is highly dependent on the weather and subject to change. Chicas Abroad reserves the right to modify trip itineraries as necessary due to weather, illness, injury, group dynamics, safety, or other unforeseen incidents. If an activity must be cancelled due to conditions out of our control, your Chicas Abroad and Saveur the Journey tour leaders will find alternatives or modifications to ensure the best trip possible.

If you choose not to do a specific activity that is planned in the itinerary, such as skip the market and sit in a café, that is absolutely fine! This is your vacation and we want you to have the best experience possible. Please note that any activities you choose not to participate in will not be refunded. 

We will be walking through wineries and other uneven ground, so be sure that you have sturdy shoes and are able to walk several miles each day. The hiking, e-biking, kayaking, and horseback riding are rated as easy to moderate. If you haven’t been on a bike in years, take some time to get used to riding again! Getting in shape before the trip will make the experience so much better.

INCLUDED:

• Accommodations:
  • 3 nights in Torino Bed & Breakfast
  • 5 nights in Roero Territory Villa
• Meals as indicated in itinerary
• All excursions listed in the itinerary, including local tour guides
• All tips for included meals, local tour guides, and hotels
• Two experienced tour leaders - one from Chicas Abroad and one from Saveur the Journey - ensuring your trip is seamless and sensational! 
• Commemorative Chicas Abroad swag 
• A detailed travel guide with everything you need to know for your trip
• Freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander! 
• Lifelong memories and new friends!

NOT INCLUDED:

• International flights to/from Italy from your home location
• Meals not included in the itinerary 
• Alcoholic beverages not listed in the itinerary 
• Costs for additional activities not listed in the itinerary
• Travel insurance
• Tour Leader tips